This whole economic crisis and change in government since the election has me thinking about education’s slow progress.
Businesses are having to deal with change, and are being demanded on to make change quickly for the good of the economy and the well being of our country. Businesses, especially the ones most effected by the economic crisis can’t change fast enough … Â and we better notice that change! … it better be REAL change! How can we get society to think that way about education?
Not only do schools have the same disdain for change as any other body, but deep down our customers don’t want us to change much because their advantage, or their kids advantage is lost otherwise, they think, because if they don’t understand the system explicitly, they can’t game the system for their child as easily and they don’t feel as “in control†of their child’s education. Which is understandable enough, but ultimately it damns our schools with change that happens excruciatingly slow, much too slow, to keep up with the realities of the world. Then we all wonder why our schools aren’t better. Better at being places of learning for all students. Better at motivating. Better at being places students want to be more of the time.
Just a few Sunday morning thoughts.
Learning is messy!
Tags: ChangeEducation
Thank you for that! I have noticed the same. There is tons of pushback this year because I have changed the game and am focusing on process more than memorization (teach an academic bio class.) The fact that learning is not the same and is scary and not as easy has students and parents up in arms. Never mind what they have actually learned. Because of this, they are asking me to change for next year and fear the 1:1 initiative is in jeopardy. In all honesty, those who want to remove it will find any argument to do so. I am too innovative for this area, I have been told. This is very disheartening and discouraging. Here, they bash the teachers, and if they make change, they bash the some more…
Louise – Here is a benefit of teaching “At Risk” students whose parents aren’t as “involved” in what goes on at school (which is mainly very bad BTW, I wish they were more involved overall), I get very little blowback on what we do, and parents are really pleased with what we are doing, hence administration is REALLY pleased with what I’m doing AND we are getting very good results too.
I too am at risk of losing my 1:1 program. Because of budget issues our numbers are going to go up, and as serendipitous as it has been to be doing 1:1 with 9 year old laptops they are giving up the ghost as we speak. I’m down to about 24 working laptops which is fine right now because I have this very unusually small class of 22 this year, but I’m slated to move back to 4th grade next year and show about 30 students already. See the problem? : (
Thanks for your comment!
Brian