Final Exam- transforming public schools

1) Schools in the 21st century will become harbors of tolerance and diversity to educate the individual pupils that make up our nation. These institutions will be developed with redesigned and reengineered schools that challenge old curriculum ideals while transforming lessons, assessments, teachers and students. There will be a large focus on the implementation of technology and cooperative work between the student body and an ever increasing role of collaborative work between teachers. In order for this nation to remain a leader in the world, I envision classroom activities and ideologies that center around student learning through equity and adapting curriculum that is fair and challenging to the next generation of students.

2) One way I plan on moving toward this vision is to create an assignment that allows for students to investigate historical content through political, economic, and religious aspects, but also through culture, and the lens of individuals that were the silent minority. My assessment is a project during my World War II unit. I will have students create a newspaper that highlights battles, people, events, and machines at war. I also will have students use art to depict the suffering of war during this time. Students will investigate the roles of minorities and disabled Americans in the work force. They will also view the roles of women and a segregated military and people by looking at internment camps. My students will be placed in groups that allow the talents of each individual to shine by establishing roles within the group which include an editor, publisher, photographer, and writers. Each group will have to collaborate and create a newspaper that depicts events both on the home front and on the battle field. This will also include information that was never published in newspapers of the 1940's.

Hopefully this action will catch on, and as a department, we can look at both the positive and glorified version of history, but also we can observe the historical aspects that are never talked about because they are not America’s proudest moment. Just because the history books don’t contain the information about different people, cultures or events that would be seen as negative, does not mean we have to forget about them.

3) I would try to collaborate with teachers and try to make an Interdisciplinary Thematic Unit that unifies different disciplines to help students engage academic material on a cooperative scale that helps them navigate through the academic day while making connections with the material to each discipline, but also their communities and the world. This aspect can only be achieved with support from administrations, but also other teachers. As educators, we would need to collaborate on lessons, assessments, and other aspects to make the ITU meet content standards, but also to create a unit that would hook students into pushing their academic enlightenment.

This activity moves students into cooperative learning, creating a sanctuary of knowledge that is interrelated helping them break down academic and cultural walls. The ITU would bring teachers together to create lessons that would reflect the vast diversity of the student body will create a stronger equity of education for them. The assessments would be collaboratively discussed and revised to make superior work.

4) I would most likely run for public office like school board. As a board member, I can help to install and ensure best practices and equity in education. This may occur 10 plus years into teaching, but as a member of an elected committee, I can create change to strengthen the academic experience of my local school.

5) All three of these aspects feed off one another. The first deals primarily with my students, the second with teachers and administration, and finally with the community. I will create lessons that are cooperative in nature, and can be used in an ITU that enables teacher collaboration. The curriculum, assessments, academic structure, and roles of the staff raise the bar in student academic achievement by ensuring equity and meaningful work that will help students prepare for their futures in the 21st century.

Reading Reflection: Chris: Change Agent

Many new teachers don’t fully understand their power in students live, let alone the power they have in society in general. Some teachers are remembered because of projects, field trips, how they made students feel, and many other positive and negative aspects. New teacher strive to be the best, and often fall short early, but do rise to become great educators because of practices that include SDIAE or cooperative learning, ITU’s and much more. As an agent of change one must start small with one student, then a class, then classes to an entire generation. Many teachers stay within the ways of the classroom to bring fourth society change.

Teaching is a “progressive” interpretation of enlightenment on a massive scale. Teaching can be ones way of life and it could also be a day job. Teachers need to people outside the classroom, according to the reading. Teachers are people that lead lives away from the students and classrooms. However, teachers are also a breed of people who embrace ideology and theory, then try to make it become reality. Many teachers are leaders and will stand up for their beliefs and values, especially when it comes to the profession they love.

As an agent of change, I find myself looking more at the macro-level of thinking instead of the micro aspect of teaching. Everything teacher is under the microscope of parents, communities, and politicians. Teachers are very effective when all three of these aspects come together and support education. However, we live in a society that education is used as headlines, political talking points and leverage. Instead of being educators to students, teachers must become educated in the movements both social and political to really effect change in a meaningful way. Teachers must also be students and I find myself searching for anything that will effect education negatively or positively. I see myself having a life away from the students and four wall of as classroom, but I am learning, listening, understanding and educating individuals within our field. Unfortunately politics rules the day of educators in California and across the U.S. I just so happen to follow and comprehend what is being said and done, and I find myself as a person who can articulate these political repercussions to fellow educators to help lead one voice and ensure quality education in our schools.