mcclishs’ Neighborhood

  Sir Ken Robinson defines creativity as “the process of having original ideas that create value”. He reiterates that it is a process and not a random act of inspiration, and that it needs to prove its worth. He points out that creativity is not the opposite to formality – instead a mixture of discipline and space to innovate are required. Robinson contends that “creativity is as important as literacy and should be treated as such.” Our schools are currently designed, like he said, in a hierarchy, in which specific skills, namely math and languages, are valued over others.
 Sir Robinson mentioned a couple reasons why having this hierarchy is ridiculous:

• The purpose of education shouldn't be to get into college.

• Believe in high standards does not mean education has to be standardized.

• We don't need to reform education -- we need to transform it.

• Creativity is a part of not apart from intelligence.

• We don't grow in to creativity, we get educated out of it.                                                                                                                                                                                                         One of the reasons why an academic hierarchy is ultimately futile is because people cannot accurately assign value to skills that may or may not be valuable in 30, 20, or even 10 years. If we cannot accurately assess what skills children will need for the future- how can we place a value or emphasis on any particular skill now?                                         Sir Robinson further ridiculed the stress we place on children to be right and not make mistakes. Children, and people in general, need to be willing to make mistakes in order to create an innovation. In fact, some of the most well-known products (penicillin, coca-cola, etc) are the results of what was initially a 'mistake.' This all-out rejection of mistakes stifles creativity, perhaps, more than any one factor in our schools and in society.                                                                                                                                                                          
  

By finding new ways to praise children’s efforts and ideas, and less ways to assess them on their mistakes, we will embrace the initiative to rethink the fundamental ways we educate children in the context of their endlessly, vast capabilities.

          There are several points in Arne's Duncan's speech of which I dissent, however the overarching purpose: a plead to realize the urgency through which educational reformation must take place, is immediately and timelessly relevant.

“By almost any standard,” Duncan told a Columbia University audience of students, teachers, and faculty, “many if not most of the nation’s 1,450 schools, colleges and departments of education are doing a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the realities of the 21st century classroom.” While this statement is unequivocally true, Duncan's failure to state what specific component is 'mediocre' renders the potential effectiveness of the statement itself-at best mediocre.  The abstractness of this earlier, 'mediocrity' claim is indicative of the circumlocutory speech that merely calls for, rather than offers a solution. Duncan does, however, reference what he considers 'pristine' models of schools of education. The shared characteristic that contributes to each of these programs' effectiveness is the central emphasis of a practicum or field experience.

To this end, I consider myself blessed to be a part of an equally propitious program- Mississippi Teacher Corps. Being able to immediately introduce the practical components of 'Advanced Methods in English' to my seventh grade class only two days after receiving instruction, both actualizes coursework and prevents instruction from becoming at all theoretical. Taking this course in preparation, rather than in conjunction with teaching would not have rendered the same lucrative advantage.

In especially the 21^st century, teacher roles and responsibilities are ever-more demanding. At a time when teachers are required to not only instruct, but moreover be TST coordinators, committee coordinators, parent-teacher coordinators, behavior incentive activity coordinators, academic and behavior interventionists, as well as psychologists and/or (at times) social workers, not to mention literacy and exceptional education specialists - preparation today needs to require students to teach while receiving training. Preparation should include training in how to differentiate instruction and how to provide advisory services to students. The best training in this type of individualized education is not conceptual, but rather requires the teacher to regularly implement and actualize differentiated instructional practices with each of their students.

Critics of teacher preparation programs say that current teacher-training programs are too heavily steeped in theory and not useful in the classroom. They say that those who teach in schools of education are clueless about how to reach children with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, Asperger’s syndrome or other learning challenges. To this end, Duncan understands that the only way to evaluate a teacher-training program is to look at how the teachers perform once in the classroom; the only way to do that is to measure how the students are doing.

With so much scrutiny aimed at measuring student performance from kindergarten to high school, many education schools never get around to asking the high-stakes questions about how well teachers are doing in their profession, where they received their training, how much they learned, and what can be improved. Until we start scrutinizing this part of the process, and look at who is teaching the teachers, we’ll never empower students to reach their academic potential and create a workforce that is globally competitive.

"The idea is that students will rise to whatever your expectations are, no matter how high they are."

 This sentiment, ruminated by TFA alumni, Gary Rubinstein and endlessly quoted as an 'one-size fits all'  amelioration of student failure- is just that- an 'idea.'  This in itself, speaks to its overt fallibility.
Gary Rubinstein argues  “....when you make things too complicated, students don't rise to your 'high expectations,' they lose confidence in themselves and, more importantly, they lose confidence in the ability of their teacher.  Once they decide that their teacher is not competent enough to make 'appropriate level' lessons, they stop listening, start talking, and make it impossible to teach."

The preceding statement simultaneously identifies the cause  as being a teacher 's poor pedagogical awareness and the effect as being poor student performance. Here, the cliché, “it takes one to no one,” shamefully holds true for me.  I have been that teacher.
 As such, however, I have come to distinguish between “mak[ing] things too complicated”  and raising your expectations - they are not one in the same. Neither are 'expectations' synonymous with 'standards.'  The incisive directive with which Ben Guest so purposefully equipped us, “Release yourself of all expectations,” is timeless and true.
While expectations are tailored to the individual and often perpetuated into lofty ideals, standards should have uniformity and are (intended to be) aligned with a state, national, or otherwise accountability factor.
To this end, 'Freedom Writers,' the very movie that Rubinstein (incorrectly) cites as promoting an 'unrealistic expectations sentiment,'  actually evidences the case for realistic standards, not high expectations. 
Although unrealistic in the movie's  'feel good' ending, the teacher, Ms. Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) in no way, blithely upholds expectations (that are invalidated even as she attempts to teach internal rhyme using Tupak Shakur.)  Rather, she actively reflects and re-evaluates until she achieves a psycho-social, pedagogical, and otherwise awareness of her students.
It is only now, in the context of an acquired awareness of our  students' reality, may we, like Ms. Gruwell, allow this awareness to inform what must be consistently realistic expectations and relevant standards.

 As a case study, Ruby Payne’s “A Framework for Understanding Poverty, is well-researched and topically comprehensive.  As a sociological handbook with ‘practical yet compassionate strategies for addressing impact on people’s lives’ it is more prescriptive than any such resource should claim to be.  

While the observation-based generalizations in which Payne made regarding the characteristics of generational vs. situational poverty seem to be accurate or at least representative of my own observations many generalizations are misappropriated as facts. Specifically, the ‘Deposits, Withdrawals’ chart on pg.111 can be easily reciprocated from lower to middle class.  While I agree that mannerisms for living (such as importance of matriarchal structure, identity tied to lover/fighter role for men) can be positively influenced through mentoring from someone who has made the transition to the higher economic class- the references that intend to define specific mannerisms (‘mating dance,’ ‘negative orientation’)  were more theoretical than factual.  

 While “A Framework for Understanding Poverty” does not in and of itself equip me with the understanding I need to both emphasize and educate my students it does provide a register to interpret the results from the anonymous student survey and a language to articulate the responses that they so candidly put forth.

Perhaps, the greatest shortcoming of Ruby Payne’s book is that she juxtaposes credible researches with sources that are commercial rather than academic.  

DeAngelo.  Overarching essential questions in social studies.  Accessed at http://gse.uml.edu/rtah/pdf/DeAngeloOverarchingEssentialQuestions.pdf on September 9, 2009.

A good resourse to help guide inquiry-based lesson planning/development in social studies courses.

Well, it's far from the Mid-South and the Delta.  Here's what I was able to find out from the Arlington Public Schools website.  However, I think the President's message can be easily transferred to our own schools and student populations.

Taken from Welcome to High School in Arlington Public Schools: A Guidebook for Parents

Wakefield High School is a richly diverse school where many ethnic groups and cultures are represented.
Students have the benefit of learning with peers from around the world
on a daily basis. This multicultural aspect is just one of the
unique features of Wakefield. Wakefield was a 2006 recipient of
one of three National College Board Inspiration Awards of
$25,000. This prestigious award was given in recognition and
support of Wakefield’s commitment to challenge all students to
take advanced and Advanced Placement courses.
Wakefield takes great pride in its ninth grade “House” program,
called the FOUNDATION FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
as well as its Senior Project requirement of an independently
conducted project presented for assessment by a review
panel. Also unique are the COHORT program designed to
increase the enrollment of African-American and Hispanic males
in Advanced Placement courses, and the United Minority Girls
group, designed to assist juniors and seniors with the college
application process. The exemplary project, the Advanced Placement
Network, whose goal is to provide access to Advanced
Placement courses for all students, continues to grow and expand.
Technology is a focus for all students beginning with a
required 9th grade course and expanding to higher level classes
including Network Administration, JAVA and Cisco. Wakefield
provides its students and teachers with nine full-sized computer
labs and every classroom has at least one computer station with
full-class display capability, allowing teachers to provide instruction
using the most up-to-date software and Internet resources.
Wakefield boasts a state-of-the-art Technology Center complete
with a television production studio. Each spring, Wakefield has a
Technology Expo where students present examples of technologybased
schoolwork.
There are many leadership opportunities for Wakefield
students. All Virginia High School League sports are offered and
all athletes are required to maintain a 2.0 GPA. The Drama
program maintains a strong partnership with Signature Theatre
and fine arts students compete in and win many competitions.
Wakefield’s commitment is to continue providing programs of
excellence for all of its students.

DOE Secretary Arne Duncan shares information with principals and lesson plan ideas to go with President Obama's speech on 09/08/09.

I don't see what all the fuss is about...  http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html

This link also includes a link to the text of the President's speech.

A great resource for those who have the technology (either a lab, or library computers) to manage an on-line activity. 

Yoder, M.B. (1999). The student webquest.  Learning and Leading with Technology. 26 (7).  Available online at http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/myoder/webquest.pdf

• Student-Centered vs. Teacher Centered

            Now that I’ve had two full weeks to observe the personality dynamic of my classrooms, I’ve been able to strategically pick students helpers that will both self-regulate their individual sense ownership for the classroom and their learning as well as provoke other student’s sense of self.

• This implementation alone has helped to:
• Maximize the organizational structure of my classroom
• Channel the influence  (both positive and negative) into necessarily positive, leadership roles.

Other management practices that prove to be timelessly true and effective:

• Parent Phone Calls
• Documentation
• Calm Discipline
• CONSISTENCY!

Still, however, I have a long way to go before I may consider myself even proficiently effective:

• Organization (Personal & Student)
• Higher Expectations (More Homework Every Night)
• Grading / Giving Back Papers Immediately
• Consistency!

It has been said time and time again that the second year of teaching is infinitely better.  For whatever reason, I never did believe that this generalization would apply to me.  Three weeks into teaching at the same alternative middle school, I may personally affirm this to be true. 

Although, I cannot yet, pinpoint exactly why it is better-the most initial factor that comes to mind is a newfound mental calmness that allows me to more effectively address rather than react to situations. Specifically, I have learned to exhibit a type of 'calm discipline' that allows me to give consequences, address behavior, and follow through with this- all while maintaing an expression that I couldn't care less.

As far as what I need to improve-most immediately, I need to improve my classroom organization which will help create a more preventive rather than punitive classroom management system.