Well, what I want to say is that yes! This idea could revolutionize teaching and schools and learning in general! But to me, this seems like they're talking about a lot of ideas and theories I've heard before.
I think we've already begun to move away from the "factory line" mentality because we, as future teachers, are being taught things like multiple intelligences and right and left brain learners. Modification and flexibility weren't something I saw often as a student, but now it's what we're learning.
I think that there are a lot more drawbacks to incredibly modified programs, especially programs that give students almost total control. I think that students, especially younger students, aren't aware enough to be capable of making a choice regarding that education that would impact them not just for the rest of their educational career but perhaps their entire life. They may have too lofty ideals about what they are capable or sell themselves short. They might be influenced by their family, friends or culture when that's not the best choice for them or their future.
I see the customization of education impacting my career as an educator becoming more prevalent with these types of technologies if schools would be brave enough to start using them and step outside of their comfort zone. They do this customization in younger grades and it works. Right now, at least in Plainview High School, I do not know how well teaching in a style like the one mentioned would fly with the administration there. Yes, they do want the students to do well academically but that seems to translate to the administration into the teacher standing up lecturing to the entire class or having the class take notes from a power point or doing worksheets. They have got stuck in a rut like that there and I do not see them getting out or becoming progressive any time soon. Some brave teacher would have to put his career on the line and attempt to teach like the teachers in this discussion and have super great test results be considered effective.
However, it seems that younger grades (before high school) have begun doing some of this customiztion and it is very effective. Everything just changes at the high school level for some reason and I think that is when students really get bored and begin dropping out. If schools would continue to be as fun as they are in the younger grades, I think students would enjoy school more. We tend to take for granted that they are supposed to be super professional at the high school level when, just like anybody else, they want meaning and joy in their work.
It was fascinating to learn about how algorithms work to customize by focusing on what students need to work on instead of more practice on what they have mastered. This is what I hear so much when I sub. I hear, "Why are we doing this? We have already done this. We know this stuff already." They get that kind of work usually because a few have failed it or they do not want the sub to introduce anything new. And the result is usually the class either not doing it or putting little effort into such work.
I think that education is constantly being reformed, but as Dr. Jarratt said the other night in class "The wheels of education grind slowest". I think that means that right now a lot of public schools are lucky to get the funding to have faster computers, no point even asking for the smart boards and customized classrooms. Even limiting the number of students in a class seems like a huge task for some schools.
To me it seems like resources and funding are the main issue with changing education right now. I think there are teachers and students, even parents, who are willing to make some drastic changes. But until the technology and money is available to all school systems, there will just be the few and far between who have any different educational climate.
How do you see the customization of education impacting you and/or your career as an educator? I see that we will need to make changes in the current education laws before any changes will be made that will affect me and my career as an educator. These discussions have been going on for over 50 years and not much change has happened to the actual format of teaching. From this article it seems like if we would do a better job of individualization and assessment as teachers. Student's learn more when we understand how they learn, know what they need to learn and have instruction individualized for that student. The new technology discussed in this article seems to helps teachers to a better job at assessment and individualization and it seems that as teachers we will have to allow for more assessment of our teaching skills too--because if we have programs like this for our students it only seems right to have these type of programs for our teachers.
Well, what I want to say is that yes! This idea could revolutionize teaching and schools and learning in general! But to me, this seems like they're talking about a lot of ideas and theories I've heard before.
ReplyDeleteI think we've already begun to move away from the "factory line" mentality because we, as future teachers, are being taught things like multiple intelligences and right and left brain learners. Modification and flexibility weren't something I saw often as a student, but now it's what we're learning.
I think that there are a lot more drawbacks to incredibly modified programs, especially programs that give students almost total control. I think that students, especially younger students, aren't aware enough to be capable of making a choice regarding that education that would impact them not just for the rest of their educational career but perhaps their entire life. They may have too lofty ideals about what they are capable or sell themselves short. They might be influenced by their family, friends or culture when that's not the best choice for them or their future.
I see the customization of education impacting my career as an educator becoming more prevalent with these types of technologies if schools would be brave enough to start using them and step outside of their comfort zone. They do this customization in younger grades and it works. Right now, at least in Plainview High School, I do not know how well teaching in a style like the one mentioned would fly with the administration there. Yes, they do want the students to do well academically but that seems to translate to the administration into the teacher standing up lecturing to the entire class or having the class take notes from a power point or doing worksheets. They have got stuck in a rut like that there and I do not see them getting out or becoming progressive any time soon. Some brave teacher would have to put his career on the line and attempt to teach like the teachers in this discussion and have super great test results be considered effective.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it seems that younger grades (before high school) have begun doing some of this customiztion and it is very effective. Everything just changes at the high school level for some reason and I think that is when students really get bored and begin dropping out. If schools would continue to be as fun as they are in the younger grades, I think students would enjoy school more. We tend to take for granted that they are supposed to be super professional at the high school level when, just like anybody else, they want meaning and joy in their work.
It was fascinating to learn about how algorithms work to customize by focusing on what students need to work on instead of more practice on what they have mastered. This is what I hear so much when I sub. I hear, "Why are we doing this? We have already done this. We know this stuff already." They get that kind of work usually because a few have failed it or they do not want the sub to introduce anything new. And the result is usually the class either not doing it or putting little effort into such work.
I think that education is constantly being reformed, but as Dr. Jarratt said the other night in class "The wheels of education grind slowest". I think that means that right now a lot of public schools are lucky to get the funding to have faster computers, no point even asking for the smart boards and customized classrooms. Even limiting the number of students in a class seems like a huge task for some schools.
ReplyDeleteTo me it seems like resources and funding are the main issue with changing education right now. I think there are teachers and students, even parents, who are willing to make some drastic changes. But until the technology and money is available to all school systems, there will just be the few and far between who have any different educational climate.
How do you see the customization of education impacting you and/or your career as an educator? I see that we will need to make changes in the current education laws before any changes will be made that will affect me and my career as an educator. These discussions have been going on for over 50 years and not much change has happened to the actual format of teaching. From this article it seems like if we would do a better job of individualization and assessment as teachers. Student's learn more when we understand how they learn, know what they need to learn and have instruction individualized for that student. The new technology discussed in this article seems to helps teachers to a better job at assessment and individualization and it seems that as teachers we will have to allow for more assessment of our teaching skills too--because if we have programs like this for our students it only seems right to have these type of programs for our teachers.
ReplyDelete