During my training in Socratic Seminars, there was a phrase that still echoes in my mind, holding much deliberate relevance to an almost intuitive understanding of the learning process: "Stay in the moment." I am currently reading Oliver Sacks book, Musicophilia, and have encountered the following concerning music: "Listening to music is not a passive process but intensely active, involving a stream of inferences, hypotheses, expectations, and anticipations..." Shortly after, Sacks refers to the work of Victor Zuckerkandl who writes in Sound and Symbol, " Hearing a melody is hearing, having heard, and being about to hear, all at once." In my mind, these three thoughts are all interrelated and imperative to an understanding of the workings of the mind with regard to learning, though not exclusively so.
When one is in the moment of listening, studying, engaging in dialogue, or playing a piece of music (and on this latter I am surmising for although I have long played the guitar, I am far from being an accomplished musician), one is drawing on past knowledge while simultaneously confronting the information of the moment and anticipating the next moment. To "stay in the moment" was, without a doubt, a call not to allow the remembrances of things past or the anticipation of things yet to come to distract one from the now, the moment of occurrence. However, I now suggest that staying in the moment does suggest that one will be simultaneously aware of the now, the then, and the yet to be, but that such awareness occurs perhaps subconsciously as a mental process. "Staying in the moment," in the here and now, is a means of suspending the intrusion of memory and anticipation to experience what is being seen, heard, felt with greater poignancy, deepening the experience and leading to learning--if one accepts that learning emerges first from experience.
I am reminded of a passage from Anne Rice's book, Interview with the Vampire (a most excellent read that surprised me with nearly every turn of the page). I can only summarize the passage here--for I am staying in the moment and loathe to run off to find the passage, fearing that I might lose my way in my thinking. In the book, the author wrote how the one vampire (I apologize for not remembering the names--It has been several years since I read the text.) listened to the other vampire the way we always hoped someone would listen to us, not waiting to pounce on the next pause but hearing every word while also sensing the tone of the words, the timbre of the voice, the intonation of the eyes and facial features. It was listening as if what was being said was important. And THAT is what each of us longs for in being heard. And THAT is what it means to stay in the moment.
Similarly, when one is speaking or writing--as I am doing here at 4 a.m. (I don't care what time it says this posts. I'm up early.)--when one is speaking or writing, one must concentrate to stay in the moment, to hear his own words and weigh their import--knowing vaguely where one wants to go, remembering vaguely where one has been, but focusing for the moment on where one is. In Sacks book, he writes how in performance the multi-dimensional awareness helps us to move through the performance. Knowing simultaneously where we have been and where we are going helps us to deal with where we are. If we were to think too intently upon each individual step we take, we might find ourselves unable to walk.
I distinguish this from the staying in the moment advocated in Socratic Seminars and in learning relative to finding one's way on stepping stones to cross a creek. If I have crossed that creek a hundred times, I am likely not to break stride but to step lightly from stone to stone to find myself on the other side without a second thought. But encountering the creek for the first time, I am much more cautious and likely to slip and end up wet to my knees. And THAT is staying in the moment.
So what? Allow me to suggest an action. Listen, not waiting for the next pause so that you may pounce upon the conversation and demand the attention of those you are talking at, but the way you want people to listen to you. Whether you are listening to your students, to parents, to colleagues, to your children, or to your spouse, listen. Then, when it is time to speak, begin by restating what you have heard so that the other person can know that you have listened, then speak. This brings up another cliche from Socratic Seminar training: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
From time to time...choose to stay in the moment.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Sometimes it's about hope...
When I first became a teacher, my colleagues listened to my visions and dreams of what I hoped to accomplish as a teacher. They chuckled and said I was idealistic. One stated that a few years in the classroom would remove the idealism from me, and the others all agreed.
I'm happy to declare that I continue to cling to my idealism. I live by the motto that the world will be a better place because I have lived. This is not some egotistical statement of self-worth but a challenge to me to do something good today and every day. And I don't believe that our efforts have to be enormous and I don't believe that anyone has to recognize the good we do, but we still have to do good.
A colleague sent the YouTube video out to all the staff in our building. The message is brilliant in its presentation and speaks of hope. I hope you enjoy it.
I'm happy to declare that I continue to cling to my idealism. I live by the motto that the world will be a better place because I have lived. This is not some egotistical statement of self-worth but a challenge to me to do something good today and every day. And I don't believe that our efforts have to be enormous and I don't believe that anyone has to recognize the good we do, but we still have to do good.
A colleague sent the YouTube video out to all the staff in our building. The message is brilliant in its presentation and speaks of hope. I hope you enjoy it.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Jing, a way to share ideas online
Last semester I was taking a class online through Indiana State University. My instructor had given us an assignment involving conducting research. I had always thought I was proficient at doing online research through a university library, but I was having problems. So, I emailed my professor who sent me a link that provided a live tutorial guiding me through the process. It was helpful and I was amazed. I asked her how she did that and she told me about Jing.
More recently, I have been asked to make a presentation about Jing to teachers. I think the best thing I could do is present Jing using Jing. So, here is my Jing presentation introducing Jing:
You'll see, I really didn't do much work. Hope you can find hundreds of uses for this.
More recently, I have been asked to make a presentation about Jing to teachers. I think the best thing I could do is present Jing using Jing. So, here is my Jing presentation introducing Jing:
You'll see, I really didn't do much work. Hope you can find hundreds of uses for this.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Process or Product and Assigning Grades
Recently a teacher expressed that his students would not have any grades for several weeks in his class because the students were working on a big project. Students would have a single grade when the project was completed. I question the validity of this type of thinking. As educators, are we interested only in the product or are we also interested in the process? Another way to phrase this is to ask whether we provide formative assessment or only summative assessment.
In his book Educative Assessment (1998) Grant Wiggins--famous for his work with Jay McTighe and Understanding by Design--states "the aim of assessment is primarily to educate and improve student performance, not merely to audit it." We can move from these concepts to use of the terms formative and summative assessment. In his book Classroom Assessement & Grading that Work (2006) Robert Marzano provides a definition of formative and summative assessment. He stated that formative assessment is "occurring while knowledge is being learned," whereas summative assessment occurs "at the end of the learning episode." Marzano cites Peter Airasian in further defining formative assessment as "interactive and used primarily to form or alter an ongoing process or activity." In other words, formative assessment addresses the process of learning as opposed to addressing only the product.
Now, the teachers in my school have recently been inundated with the learning trend of the moment: project-based learning (PBL). Therefore, they are all working diligently to engage their students in meaningful, hands-on, collaborative projects, with the purpose of making learning increasingly relevant and, therefore, more meaningful to the students and, consequently, more effective. (That is a quick summary of the philosophy behind PBL.) I know that the teachers are guiding students during the process of the learning; they are good teachers. However, some teachers find ways to provide students with grades along the way and others are waiting for the product grade when the project is finished. The handbook that has been provided to some of the teachers--Project Based Learning, second edition by the Buck Institute for Education--states that "the assessment plan should include both formative assessments--assessments that allow you to give feedback as the project progresses--and summative assessments--assessments that provide studens with a culminating appraisal of their performance."
I am going to suggest that the formative assessments may and should result--from time to time and on a regular basis--in the assignment of grades that can be posted. As parents and students are now accustom to checking grades 24/7 through online access, the grades provided for process help to inform the student and parent of progress and help to hold the student more accountable for the work. It is a way to provide timely feedback to guide instruction and learning.
Marzano also stated in his book that effective classroom assessments should meet four purposes:
In his book Educative Assessment (1998) Grant Wiggins--famous for his work with Jay McTighe and Understanding by Design--states "the aim of assessment is primarily to educate and improve student performance, not merely to audit it." We can move from these concepts to use of the terms formative and summative assessment. In his book Classroom Assessement & Grading that Work (2006) Robert Marzano provides a definition of formative and summative assessment. He stated that formative assessment is "occurring while knowledge is being learned," whereas summative assessment occurs "at the end of the learning episode." Marzano cites Peter Airasian in further defining formative assessment as "interactive and used primarily to form or alter an ongoing process or activity." In other words, formative assessment addresses the process of learning as opposed to addressing only the product.
Now, the teachers in my school have recently been inundated with the learning trend of the moment: project-based learning (PBL). Therefore, they are all working diligently to engage their students in meaningful, hands-on, collaborative projects, with the purpose of making learning increasingly relevant and, therefore, more meaningful to the students and, consequently, more effective. (That is a quick summary of the philosophy behind PBL.) I know that the teachers are guiding students during the process of the learning; they are good teachers. However, some teachers find ways to provide students with grades along the way and others are waiting for the product grade when the project is finished. The handbook that has been provided to some of the teachers--Project Based Learning, second edition by the Buck Institute for Education--states that "the assessment plan should include both formative assessments--assessments that allow you to give feedback as the project progresses--and summative assessments--assessments that provide studens with a culminating appraisal of their performance."
I am going to suggest that the formative assessments may and should result--from time to time and on a regular basis--in the assignment of grades that can be posted. As parents and students are now accustom to checking grades 24/7 through online access, the grades provided for process help to inform the student and parent of progress and help to hold the student more accountable for the work. It is a way to provide timely feedback to guide instruction and learning.
Marzano also stated in his book that effective classroom assessments should meet four purposes:
- Provide students with a clear picture of their progress on learning goals and how they might improve.
- Encourage students to improve.
- Be formative in nature.
- Be frequent.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Setting the Bar
Concern was recently expressed regarding allowing students to elect to take high-ability classes at the high school level. Throughout elementary and middle school years, students are required to meet test-based criteria to qualify for high-ability classes. However, when students enter the high school, the opportunity to take a high-ability class becomes a matter of choice. Test results and teacher recommendations are still used to assist students in making course selections, but students are encouraged to try the more rigorous courses. Such a policy leads to questions regarding the level of expectations in the high-ability class and the responsibility of the teacher to the success of her students.
The level of expectations in the high-ability class are genuinely higher than in other classes. This is generally a consequence of the syllabus and subject being taught. At the high school level, for instance, many high-ability classes are either Advanced Placement classes or dual credit classes, both designed to meet college-level rigor. Allowing more students to elect to take these courses suggests that some students will enter the class lacking the skills or background knowledge needed to achieve at a high level. In other classes, the teacher would differentiate instruction to allow students to work from their ability level. Teachers often see the differentiation as a means of lowering the bar, when it is really more a matter of helping students learn from a different perspective. The bar cannot be lowered in the high-ability class (and should not be lowered in any class). Students need to know the expectations and be held to those expectations. This is the student responsibility to his or her learning: meet the expectations.
The teacher, however, also has a responsibility to the success of her students. Students should never be written off as lacking the necessary skills and knowledge. Students should always be given the support they need to learn the material--even if the material is in some way beyond them at the given moment. Sometimes a teacher of a high-ability class will make the first few weeks of the class so difficult that the struggling students will rush to their counselor to drop the class. In the teacher's mind, the students did not belong in the class; her classroom is for the elite and not democratically open to the masses. Such a teacher misunderstands her profession, for the students she is left with can learn without her and not because she has empowered them. She needs to work with the struggling students as well, helping them to find a way to be successful.
Stating that students are responsible for their successes and their failures is a good thing, but the statement does not absolve the teacher of her responsibility. Whether working with struggling students in lower-level classes or working with high-ability students in high-ability classes, the teacher's first priority is to help her students learn and to grow intellectually.
Some will scoff at my thoughts as too idealistic--"all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." But I believe there is truth to these words, and dismissing the thoughts contained here does not absolve us of our responsibilities as educators.
The level of expectations in the high-ability class are genuinely higher than in other classes. This is generally a consequence of the syllabus and subject being taught. At the high school level, for instance, many high-ability classes are either Advanced Placement classes or dual credit classes, both designed to meet college-level rigor. Allowing more students to elect to take these courses suggests that some students will enter the class lacking the skills or background knowledge needed to achieve at a high level. In other classes, the teacher would differentiate instruction to allow students to work from their ability level. Teachers often see the differentiation as a means of lowering the bar, when it is really more a matter of helping students learn from a different perspective. The bar cannot be lowered in the high-ability class (and should not be lowered in any class). Students need to know the expectations and be held to those expectations. This is the student responsibility to his or her learning: meet the expectations.
The teacher, however, also has a responsibility to the success of her students. Students should never be written off as lacking the necessary skills and knowledge. Students should always be given the support they need to learn the material--even if the material is in some way beyond them at the given moment. Sometimes a teacher of a high-ability class will make the first few weeks of the class so difficult that the struggling students will rush to their counselor to drop the class. In the teacher's mind, the students did not belong in the class; her classroom is for the elite and not democratically open to the masses. Such a teacher misunderstands her profession, for the students she is left with can learn without her and not because she has empowered them. She needs to work with the struggling students as well, helping them to find a way to be successful.
Stating that students are responsible for their successes and their failures is a good thing, but the statement does not absolve the teacher of her responsibility. Whether working with struggling students in lower-level classes or working with high-ability students in high-ability classes, the teacher's first priority is to help her students learn and to grow intellectually.
Some will scoff at my thoughts as too idealistic--"all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." But I believe there is truth to these words, and dismissing the thoughts contained here does not absolve us of our responsibilities as educators.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The New Educational Utopia of 21st Century Learning
Today's EdWeek newsletter led me to an article entitled "Backers of '21st-Century Skills' Take Flak." The article identifies 21st century skills as "a push for schools to teach critical-thinking, analytical, and technology skills, in addition to the “soft skills” of creativity, collaboration, and communication that some experts argue will be in high demand as the world increasingly shifts to a global, entrepreneurial, and service-based workplace." The leading group making this push is the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Another group that also promotes 21st century skills and learning is the Metiri Group with the enGuage 21st Century Skills. There are similarities between what each presents. I have long preferred the enGuage presentation of the skills, but the Partnership group have begun to attract the greater attention. (I believe the Partnership for 21st Century Skills signed an agreement to work with ASCD--the Association for Supervison and Curriculum Development in March of '08--giving that group a real boost in credibility, whether deserved or not.)
What struck me most about the EdWeek article was the opposition to 21st century skills. Could it be that project-based learning, collaboration, and other such "soft skills" are not as essential as we are being led to believe? The article made reference to Diane Ravitch. I had never heard of her but she was speaking out, so I googled her and found her associated with a group called Common Core. She is more importantly an educational historian at New York University. On the Common Core site, Dr. Ravitch has posted a blog that sheds considerable light on the opposition to the touting of 21st century skills as the new way to utopia. She begins with:
In the land of American pedagogy, innovation is frequently confused with progress, and whatever is thought to be new is always embraced more readily than what is known to be true. Thus, pedagogues, policymakers, thought leaders, facilitators, and elected officials are rushing to get aboard the 21st century skills express train, lest they appear to be old-fashioned or traditional, these terms being the worst sort of opprobrium that can be hurled at any educator.
From there, Dr. Ravitch outlines decades of school reform methods that parallel the 21st century skills movement with the conviction that such efforts ultimatel seek to devalue solid academic learning.
So maybe I agree with Dr. Ravitch; maybe I disagree. Either way, what she has to say is important and worth reading, and I hope that if you have taken the time to read my drivel that you will take the time to read her blog. Then, please, come back and post a response.
I'm anxious to hear what you have to say.
What struck me most about the EdWeek article was the opposition to 21st century skills. Could it be that project-based learning, collaboration, and other such "soft skills" are not as essential as we are being led to believe? The article made reference to Diane Ravitch. I had never heard of her but she was speaking out, so I googled her and found her associated with a group called Common Core. She is more importantly an educational historian at New York University. On the Common Core site, Dr. Ravitch has posted a blog that sheds considerable light on the opposition to the touting of 21st century skills as the new way to utopia. She begins with:
In the land of American pedagogy, innovation is frequently confused with progress, and whatever is thought to be new is always embraced more readily than what is known to be true. Thus, pedagogues, policymakers, thought leaders, facilitators, and elected officials are rushing to get aboard the 21st century skills express train, lest they appear to be old-fashioned or traditional, these terms being the worst sort of opprobrium that can be hurled at any educator.
From there, Dr. Ravitch outlines decades of school reform methods that parallel the 21st century skills movement with the conviction that such efforts ultimatel seek to devalue solid academic learning.
So maybe I agree with Dr. Ravitch; maybe I disagree. Either way, what she has to say is important and worth reading, and I hope that if you have taken the time to read my drivel that you will take the time to read her blog. Then, please, come back and post a response.
I'm anxious to hear what you have to say.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)