Three takeaways
1. Students feeling ownership of their education and making decisions regarding the process by which they learn is a shift that will be difficult, but is worthy of attention and thoughtful consideration by educators and administrators. When students are invested in their own learning, they will feel the value of intrinsic motivation. The idea of FedEx day, or time to pursue your own interests sounds like a possibility for secondary ELA.
2. The value of "the arts" in education has held a position at the bottom of the hierarchy for far too long in the American education system. Preparing students for the workforce is not what is was 200 years ago. The idea of academic inflation was something I hadn't really considered, but I see Robinson's point about the current value of a college diploma in today's market. His discussion of intelligence being diverse, dynamic and distinct is what we should consider as we design curriculum in the 21st century. The workplace is forever changed with new technology and even more so with the effects of Covid. The diverse skills and talents of a diverse student body are needed more than ever. Creativity is as important as literacy in today's workplace.
3. Inquiry learning and students choosing to investigate problems allows for creativity and collaborative learning to be a valued part of curriculum. Problem solving is a desirable skill and is something we should encourage and develop in our students. Instead of asking students for known answers to prescribed questions, we should be developing their growth mindset and allowing them to focus on the creative process, collaborative partnerships, and reflection.
Two Questions
1. How will we ever find the time to make these practices a regular part of our curriculum? Considering that New York state has found it necessary to give assessments in such a year as this, I can't imagine how we'll get away from the current style of instruction for more than a unit or two.
2. How will I be able to utilize the peer assessment or mentorship that is suggested in the last reading? I have so many students who are shy and unwilling to share their thoughts or ideas. I have tried many of the traditional styles of collaborative partnerships, even very short term ones like think/pair/share.
One thing I'd like to try
1. I would love learn more about interactive notebooks and how students could create their own as an end of unit project.
1. Students feeling ownership of their education and making decisions regarding the process by which they learn is a shift that will be difficult, but is worthy of attention and thoughtful consideration by educators and administrators. When students are invested in their own learning, they will feel the value of intrinsic motivation. The idea of FedEx day, or time to pursue your own interests sounds like a possibility for secondary ELA.
2. The value of "the arts" in education has held a position at the bottom of the hierarchy for far too long in the American education system. Preparing students for the workforce is not what is was 200 years ago. The idea of academic inflation was something I hadn't really considered, but I see Robinson's point about the current value of a college diploma in today's market. His discussion of intelligence being diverse, dynamic and distinct is what we should consider as we design curriculum in the 21st century. The workplace is forever changed with new technology and even more so with the effects of Covid. The diverse skills and talents of a diverse student body are needed more than ever. Creativity is as important as literacy in today's workplace.
3. Inquiry learning and students choosing to investigate problems allows for creativity and collaborative learning to be a valued part of curriculum. Problem solving is a desirable skill and is something we should encourage and develop in our students. Instead of asking students for known answers to prescribed questions, we should be developing their growth mindset and allowing them to focus on the creative process, collaborative partnerships, and reflection.
Two Questions
1. How will we ever find the time to make these practices a regular part of our curriculum? Considering that New York state has found it necessary to give assessments in such a year as this, I can't imagine how we'll get away from the current style of instruction for more than a unit or two.
2. How will I be able to utilize the peer assessment or mentorship that is suggested in the last reading? I have so many students who are shy and unwilling to share their thoughts or ideas. I have tried many of the traditional styles of collaborative partnerships, even very short term ones like think/pair/share.
One thing I'd like to try
1. I would love learn more about interactive notebooks and how students could create their own as an end of unit project.