What to Do About "Hard Times" in Education?
Fellow educator and English teacher, Tara Fox, familiarized me with the moment in the novel Hard Times, when Charles Dickens introduces a teacher who “seemed a kind of cannon loaded to the muzzle with facts, and prepared to blow [the students] clean out of the regions of childhood at one discharge” (Fox, 2011). I had never before thought of the idea that my knowledge shared with students might be the juggernaut that could just about bowl them over. How is it that this magnificent thing, knowledge and learning, could inspire and also intimidate so many? But its true, the knowledge that the teacher possesses today, can also be accessed within moments through the grandeur that is this thing called the Internet.
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With the Internet, students today have access to more information than any generation of the past; they can simply use Google to search something, and then there it is, on their phone or computer, instantly. The world today is so very different even from when I went to school. Students live in complex web of contradiction: the world has embraced an instant gratification type of society, where the answers are at their fingertips everyday, at any moment, but at the same time, the greatest catalog of information is often shunned from the classroom in which they learn. I too have been guilty in the past of outlawing this magnificent tool and resource, and instead have instructed students to open their books and begin on a task that has no real meaning or value to them or their lives. So how do we make learning valuable and meaningful for students today?
Transforming the Teacher
I have found it difficult to change my thinking, difficult to deviate from the “traditional” methods of teaching the way I was taught, and I’m only 27 years old! So, upon beginning my journey with the Master’s of Education Technology (MAET) program, I began to ask myself why I found it so difficult to change? Perhaps it is because I found comfort in tradition and having been taught for 12 years of my life in public education, I modeled what was familiar to me. Many of my own educators taught that way, so isn’t it effective? But when beginning my certificate courses in the summer of 2010, I came across the line by the innovator Henry Ford that said, “You can't learn in school what the world is going to do next year,” and I paused, just for a moment to think about that. It’s true; how can I teach a student what is going to happen next year, or in three years when they are in college, or in six years when they are out in the world making business decisions and changes that may affect all of our lives? How do I teach and prepare that student with all of the knowledge and information they will need? The answer is, I don’t.
Instead of trying to fill students’ heads with information and facts like the teacher in Hard Times, perhaps I can teach students to be innovative, creative and think meaningfully about the “why’s” and “how’s” of the content we are learning. Instead of measuring learning by the amount of facts they can regurgitate on an assessment, perhaps I can ask them to demonstrate their learning in authentic ways. In the presentation about Asking Bigger Questions about Assessment it was stated that, “There are many things we can demonstrate that we cannot measure,” and that is a valuable point when thinking about transforming education in my own classroom (Campbell, 2008). Its not about learning all these facts and rules and theorems any more, its about what we can do with them once we have accessed them.
Instead of trying to fill students’ heads with information and facts like the teacher in Hard Times, perhaps I can teach students to be innovative, creative and think meaningfully about the “why’s” and “how’s” of the content we are learning. Instead of measuring learning by the amount of facts they can regurgitate on an assessment, perhaps I can ask them to demonstrate their learning in authentic ways. In the presentation about Asking Bigger Questions about Assessment it was stated that, “There are many things we can demonstrate that we cannot measure,” and that is a valuable point when thinking about transforming education in my own classroom (Campbell, 2008). Its not about learning all these facts and rules and theorems any more, its about what we can do with them once we have accessed them.
My first semester in MAET, I enrolled in both CEP 810 and 811. I was anxious to begin the journey into this world of educational technology. In my undergrad at Michigan State University, I really felt that I had been given a great base of information and practices in which to implement in my classroom, but after teaching for four years, I realized that the one thing my district and my colleagues struggled with was technology. Teachers wanted it without knowing why or what for, students tried to use technology while being told they shouldn’t/couldn’t, and there was no system in place for educating our students about appropriate use. It was a mess. I wanted to be that teacher with all of the new gadgets and new ways to use technology; I wanted to be the one that others wanted to be like. So when I entered my certificate courses, I was focused on the technology and the “educational” part of it could just as easily have gone away. I found myself asking, “Why do I need to revisit these learning theories I already learned in undergrad? I’m already a teacher!” But a teacher is in the business of learning, and are themselves learners as well.
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In the first week of my online courses, my mind was blown (figuratively, not literally) and my eyes were opened. Marc Prensky shared that educators needed to “listen to the natives” with his article by the same name, and it was with one of my earliest readings, Teaching by Jere Brophy, that I quickly changed my tune (Prensky, 2006; Brophy, 1999). Both readings reminded me why I became a teacher; students have voices too. Listen to them; they have valuable things to say, and create a supportive classroom climate in which you give them the opportunity to learn and be successful. Provide opportunities for thoughtful discourse, by asking open-ended questions and allowing students to formulate and ask those meaningful questions instead of just saying, “we need to get back on track here Billy,” can make learning real and meaningful to both you and them. What is this track anyway? Albeit, there is a certain amount of content and concepts that need to be covered in a school year, courtesy of recent standards-based education reform, but the “track” is a figment created by the educator. If a student asks an engaging question in chapter 3, and the answer isn’t going to be uncovered until chapter 7, should we as educators make the students wait through four chapters to get that answer to their question? Or instead, should be use this as motivation to teach something that is meaningful and could have a real-impact on student learning? And who says that the chapters need be taught in sequential order anyways?
In my first two courses, I really began to see the implications of my own teaching, and how being “traditional” can still be effective and meaningful at times, but it is equally important to be flexible and open-minded to new ideas and concepts in our constantly changing world. The presentations in CEP 810 discussing the “Three Models of Teaching and Learning,” specifically hit home with me when mentioning the key perspectives:
What is all boiled down to was “don’t do one thing always,” but rather, be open to different methods, styles, tools and ideas. Educational technology is not always about the technology, but is, more exactly, about using technology as a tool for learning.
In my first two courses, I really began to see the implications of my own teaching, and how being “traditional” can still be effective and meaningful at times, but it is equally important to be flexible and open-minded to new ideas and concepts in our constantly changing world. The presentations in CEP 810 discussing the “Three Models of Teaching and Learning,” specifically hit home with me when mentioning the key perspectives:
- Multiple strategies for teaching and learning can be used to accomplish one goal.
- There are multiple tools to get the job done; there’s no “silver bullet” piece of technology.
- Flexibility can be challenging.
What is all boiled down to was “don’t do one thing always,” but rather, be open to different methods, styles, tools and ideas. Educational technology is not always about the technology, but is, more exactly, about using technology as a tool for learning.
Pencils and Microscopes
Tools and technology are all around us. Technology does not need to come with a keyboard, and does not need to be new and shiny. The innovation of the wheel changed the way that humans everywhere function, and Jared Diamond would argue that “guns, germs and steel” were three of the most effective tools for shaping the history of everybody for the last 13,000 years (Diamond, 1997). So when taking the CEP 812 and 820 courses through the 2010-2011 school year, I began to look at technology differently. In the article “What Teachers Need to Know about Technology?” pencils or microscopes were given as examples of the differences of broad versus specific types of technology (Zhao, 2003). A pencil, has a very broad purpose, and can be used for recording thoughts and information in almost all classes in school; it is inexpensive, versatile and easy to transport. A microscope has a very specific purpose, it is generally only used in science courses and students are often limited by the expense and location of the technology. (You don’t often see a student carrying a microscope around with them, do you?) What I learned from this comparison is that the most effective or innovative tool does not need to be the “latest and greatest” piece of equipment; it needs to have the ability of being applied in different ways, according to the needs of the teacher/student using it and needs to be effective, not cumbersome or daunting.
That is why, in the 812 and 820 courses, I choose to focus on the ideas presented in the ISTE Nets for Students and Teachers for effectively using technology in the classroom. In my TechQuest, I focused on using technology already available to me, the TI-Nspire calculator, to improve students’ depth of understanding and connection to real-world applications of algebraic concepts. Additionally, in CEP 820, I spent the duration of the semester creating an online module to teach k-12 students online about the Vietnam War. Creating the module itself was an overwhelming task, but being a student of online courses, my experiences led me to observe that I had only noticed the organization of a course if it was poor. So to start, I wanted to have a plan and vision already in place, constructing an online course so it had that clear focus and the vision. By knowing the ends as an instructor, I could more effectively construct the means, and better design the course so that students had the opportunity to be more successful in learning. This is a valuable lesson in any teaching, that by planning how to use the technology with focus and vision, whether it be a pencil, a calculator or web 2.0 tools, students would have a greater opportunity for success in learning with that technology.
That is why, in the 812 and 820 courses, I choose to focus on the ideas presented in the ISTE Nets for Students and Teachers for effectively using technology in the classroom. In my TechQuest, I focused on using technology already available to me, the TI-Nspire calculator, to improve students’ depth of understanding and connection to real-world applications of algebraic concepts. Additionally, in CEP 820, I spent the duration of the semester creating an online module to teach k-12 students online about the Vietnam War. Creating the module itself was an overwhelming task, but being a student of online courses, my experiences led me to observe that I had only noticed the organization of a course if it was poor. So to start, I wanted to have a plan and vision already in place, constructing an online course so it had that clear focus and the vision. By knowing the ends as an instructor, I could more effectively construct the means, and better design the course so that students had the opportunity to be more successful in learning. This is a valuable lesson in any teaching, that by planning how to use the technology with focus and vision, whether it be a pencil, a calculator or web 2.0 tools, students would have a greater opportunity for success in learning with that technology.
Learning For Real
I would be amiss not to mention my experience in the summer 2011 East Lansing cohort, in which I took CEP 800, 815 and 820 courses. The intense two-week face-to-face seminar was one of the richest and most rewarding learning experiences I can recall. Professionally, the summer cohort allowed me to connect with and create a network of educators that I would have otherwise not known. Often, our professional teaching community is limited by physical location, to our schools or our districts. But to have the ability to work with so many different educators was a stimulating and exhilarating process. I have found that, in particular, I have most benefited, as a student and teacher, from working so closely with my group. I feel that Shulman was correct in making the statement that learning is most powerful when it is shared, tested, examined, challenged and improved. Learning is more effective in a group than in private or in isolation (Shulman, 1999). Without my group, the amount of work that was completed, and the quality/caliber of work that was done would not have been possible. It is through that experience that I, for the first time ever, truly saw the value of collaboration and group work in my own studies. In the past, group work has been little more than a part of the challenge to “get it done,” but through the design if the cohort, working with my group aided me in a deeper understanding of the course material and expansion of my own creativity as an educator, something that flourishes in like-minded company.
At the core of every educator’s practice is the pedagogy, or learning theory, which they use to teach his or her students. For me, the integration of previously learned pedagogies in the cohort was vital to my development as an educator. I had previously learned these theories in my undergraduate teaching courses, but without frame or context with which to relate them (I was not at that time a classroom teacher) the theories seemed simply as such, theories. I had no experience with students, other than my own learning, and really learned the theories in isolation, not in application. One of the most valuable pieces of the summer cohort was to revisit these theories and really examine their value and meaning in regards to the work I do in the classroom every day. Having a better understanding of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, among many others, really shaped my thinking about what I do in the classroom, and having the ability to think of these practices from my personal experiences helped to make the connections I made richer. I have moved beyond simply “doing” for the sake of doing, but instead to enacting pedagogy with a purpose, grounded in theories.
At the core of every educator’s practice is the pedagogy, or learning theory, which they use to teach his or her students. For me, the integration of previously learned pedagogies in the cohort was vital to my development as an educator. I had previously learned these theories in my undergraduate teaching courses, but without frame or context with which to relate them (I was not at that time a classroom teacher) the theories seemed simply as such, theories. I had no experience with students, other than my own learning, and really learned the theories in isolation, not in application. One of the most valuable pieces of the summer cohort was to revisit these theories and really examine their value and meaning in regards to the work I do in the classroom every day. Having a better understanding of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, among many others, really shaped my thinking about what I do in the classroom, and having the ability to think of these practices from my personal experiences helped to make the connections I made richer. I have moved beyond simply “doing” for the sake of doing, but instead to enacting pedagogy with a purpose, grounded in theories.
This deeper understanding is probably most evident in my thinking about my DreamIT project and the pedagogy I have chosen to apply there has developed out of this learning theory. Never before would I have said we should have classroom discussions because in Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory he found that social interactions play a fundamental role in the development of cognition in learners (Vygotsky, 1972). But instead, I would have stated that discussions are important because they bring social awareness to learning, hold students accountable to the whole group, and provide the teacher with verbal feedback of the feelings and observations of the students. Both reasons have value, but to know that my beliefs and practices can be supported with sound findings in research and theory, and that I as an educator can recognize that my practices are supported, is a revolution in my thinking about teaching and learning.
In order to best teach and prepare my students, I have integrated a fair amount of technology into my lessons and teaching in the past, but the desire to continue to do this effectively when resources are slim is what drew me to this program. Throughout my courses in the MAET program, I have been pushed about how to think about technology differently, but really with the summer cohort classes, I was able to exercise my creativity the most. In Media for Inquiry, Communication, Construction and Expression, it was stated that by, |
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“Considering technologies as media for inquiry, communication, construction and expression allows us, as educators to rethinking how
we use technologies in our teaching. A particular tool is not necessarily designed for one particular purpose. Tools can, and in fact, need
to be repurposed to fit the need of the moment. The idea of creative repurposing is important because most technologies that teachers
use have not been typically designed for educational purposes” (Dewey, 2011).
Most of the technologies available today (hardware/software/web 2.0) were never designed with education in mind, and it is the process of seeing that technology in a new way to explore, create and share learning, that allows it to become an educational technology. I recall the alphabits activity when thinking about my own learning, and how through a “different lens” we were able to see the world around us from a new perspective. Nothing had changed; the world was still the same, however when we opened our eyes (and minds) to the possibility of seeing it differently, it could have smacked you in the face. There it was, the letter “E” staring back at me, in a familiar place, but seen in an unfamiliar way. It is not about what that technology can do, but rather about the possibility that technology has to be a vehicle of learning.
we use technologies in our teaching. A particular tool is not necessarily designed for one particular purpose. Tools can, and in fact, need
to be repurposed to fit the need of the moment. The idea of creative repurposing is important because most technologies that teachers
use have not been typically designed for educational purposes” (Dewey, 2011).
Most of the technologies available today (hardware/software/web 2.0) were never designed with education in mind, and it is the process of seeing that technology in a new way to explore, create and share learning, that allows it to become an educational technology. I recall the alphabits activity when thinking about my own learning, and how through a “different lens” we were able to see the world around us from a new perspective. Nothing had changed; the world was still the same, however when we opened our eyes (and minds) to the possibility of seeing it differently, it could have smacked you in the face. There it was, the letter “E” staring back at me, in a familiar place, but seen in an unfamiliar way. It is not about what that technology can do, but rather about the possibility that technology has to be a vehicle of learning.
To the Future, and Beyond...
When I began my teaching career, I was asked to create and write my teaching philosophy, a self-reflective statement of my beliefs and goals about teaching and learning. Over the past four years, my goals have remained the same: to provide students with a variety of media and methods in which to understand and explore concepts and skills that they are expected to learn. Thus making education accessible to a variety of learners through a variety of approaches. More than ever, I feel that these goals apply and in a rapidly changing world of technological innovations, students have grown up surrounded by technology; they are well aware of the technology available to them and the capacities of technology. The best way I feel I can continue to achieve the goals I set forth in my teaching philosophy is through continuing to provide students with a variety of media and methods, including the continued incorporation of technology in the classroom.
The breadth of what technology can do is only limited by our own knowledge, creativity and financial resources. If technology resources were limitless, there is no telling what types of gadgets and tools my students and I might have access to, however since access to the “latest and greatest” is not always an option, proper application of the technology resources we do have is essential to procure learning. As an instructor, using technology and modeling proper usage to my students is a must. Technology can be a tool used to differentiate my instruction, to deliver content in a variety of ways, and to measure what my students have or have not learned. Technology on its own does not teach my students, but with what I have learned over these courses, technology and effective pedagogy can help me to be a better teacher of the curriculum and to reach more students than may have been possible in the past. Dr. Haim Ginott said that, “teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task,” (Ginott, 1972). And, that’s exactly what I plan to continue to do in these “hard times” in education.
The breadth of what technology can do is only limited by our own knowledge, creativity and financial resources. If technology resources were limitless, there is no telling what types of gadgets and tools my students and I might have access to, however since access to the “latest and greatest” is not always an option, proper application of the technology resources we do have is essential to procure learning. As an instructor, using technology and modeling proper usage to my students is a must. Technology can be a tool used to differentiate my instruction, to deliver content in a variety of ways, and to measure what my students have or have not learned. Technology on its own does not teach my students, but with what I have learned over these courses, technology and effective pedagogy can help me to be a better teacher of the curriculum and to reach more students than may have been possible in the past. Dr. Haim Ginott said that, “teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task,” (Ginott, 1972). And, that’s exactly what I plan to continue to do in these “hard times” in education.
Lori Ferrington | 2011
Resources
Brophy, J. (1999). "Teaching." International Bureau of Education.
Campbell, G. (2008). Asking bigger questions about assessment.
Dewey, J. / Bruce, B.C. & Levin, J.A. (2011). Media for inquiry, communication, construction, and expression.
Diamond, J. (1997). Guns, germs, and steel: The fates of human societies. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. Print.
Dickens, C. (1854). Hard times. Print.
Fox, T. (2011). Tara Fox portfolio. Web.
Ginott, H. (1972). Teacher and child. New York: Macmillan.
ISTE. (2011). "Standards for global learning in a digital age." International Society for Technology in Education. Web.
Prensky, M. (2005). "Listen to the natives." Educational Leadership. 63.4 n. page. Web.
Shulman, L. (1999). What is learning and what does it look like when it doesn’t go well. Change, 31(4), 10-17.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Zhao, Y. (2003). "What teachers need to know about technology?: Framing the question." Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Brophy, J. (1999). "Teaching." International Bureau of Education.
Campbell, G. (2008). Asking bigger questions about assessment.
Dewey, J. / Bruce, B.C. & Levin, J.A. (2011). Media for inquiry, communication, construction, and expression.
Diamond, J. (1997). Guns, germs, and steel: The fates of human societies. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. Print.
Dickens, C. (1854). Hard times. Print.
Fox, T. (2011). Tara Fox portfolio. Web.
Ginott, H. (1972). Teacher and child. New York: Macmillan.
ISTE. (2011). "Standards for global learning in a digital age." International Society for Technology in Education. Web.
Prensky, M. (2005). "Listen to the natives." Educational Leadership. 63.4 n. page. Web.
Shulman, L. (1999). What is learning and what does it look like when it doesn’t go well. Change, 31(4), 10-17.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Zhao, Y. (2003). "What teachers need to know about technology?: Framing the question." Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.