Could the problem be something OTHER than teachers, perhaps?

After responding to Liz’s post earlier today, I continued thinking about the real “problems” with American education. A lot of people seem to want to place blame squarely on the shoulders of educators themselves, which is one of the reasons nothing seems to be improving.

Executive decisions about policy are determined in a very corporate manner, by people sitting in rooms far away from an actual school, looking at a spreadsheet that has reduced individual learners to a series of “representative” numbers. As Tyack and Cuban discussed, input from actual teachers tends to fall on deaf ears, and many of the policies that seep down into schools seem to tie educators hands more than help prepare students for any sort of existence in the “real world” (If all of life’s tasks were resolved by bubbling in answers on a scantron sheet, this might be different). America lags behind many other countries in terms of educational opportunities, and yet many people will tell you that this is still the greatest nation for receiving an education. These people are either very optimistic, or horribly uninformed. Either way, they’ve probably never examined schools in the “corridor of shame.”

Problems in schools don’t stop and start with policy-makers, though. When schools fail to produce thoughtful, competent children, parents are always ready to point their fingers in the direction of the teachers. However, real educational reform starts at home. All too often, parents are uninterested in what their children do at home and take absolutely no responsibility to teach their children. Parents generally leave the education of their children to teachers and television sets, and they are fast to blame youth problems on both. Where is the accountability? (Have we learned NOTHING from Crosby, Stills, and Nash?!)

As we have learned, teachers tend to be pretty low on the reform food chain, generally forced to enact policies that they know are flawed or won’t work on any practical level in the classroom. And yet, when children are failing to achieve scholastic goals, it is always the teacher who is blamed. What about the careless parents, who have shirked the responsibility of educating their own children? Or the policy makers, the people sitting in an office looking at state-wide scores? It seems like teachers get a bad rap and are perennial scapegoats in this mess.

In the world of frivolous law suits we live in, it has never been easier to shirk responsibility and blame the party that is honestly trying to do all it can to make the situation better when the true blame rests solely on the one doing the pointing. Are teachers responsible for their students? Absolutely, but only for as long as they’re in the classroom. There are about 22 hours on any given day where children will not be in the care of a specific teacher. My point in all of this is that as long as it is enough for parents, administrators, and legislators to simply place blame on teachers, thereby liberating themselves from any wrongdoing, then the real educational reform this country needs will never happen, because the REAL problems will continue to be overlooked.

we can't sail to tortuga all by our onesies, savvy?

here's an interesting little editorial, noting that teachers alone cannot be expected to enact change in our scholols.

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090429/OPINION/904290314/1003/TOWN02

Other: CMS teacher arrested

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/597/story/693131.html

This article was in the Charlotte observer today. There was not a lot of information about the incident, but it did say a 37 yr old male middle school teacher was arrested. The article said he was charged with "taking indecent liberties with a child and disseminating harmful materials to minors. I think the post at the bottom that said "what is wrong with these adults" is what got to me the most. It is always terrible to hear about children being abused, but especially when it involves their teacher. When parents drop their children off at school, the last thing they should have to worry about is their children being abused.

Reading Reaction:The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum

As a middle schooler I had the opportunity to go to a arts magnet school. At this arts magnet school we were instructed on what was in the box of need to know but were encouraged to use our creativity to think reasonably outside the box. Greene hits on this important conceptof outside the box thinking when she states that creativity allows us to draw new patterns in the created world. Furthermore she clearly identifies the main obstacles to using such creativity in the current classroom; our own habits. Habits are easy and predictable but new and exciting like creativity.
Greene further explains how we can branch out of those habits. What makes a great performer or a great story teller? Simple, the ability to empathize with the charactor they are portraying. Greene ecourages us to dig deep and think of a time when imagination, "released through encounters with the arts" lead us to new ideas.
Another potential downfall of this type of art use in school is the current grammar of schooling. With such strict criteria for passing and grade advancement how does our current grammar of schooling allow us to assess students who think outside the box?

Funding for NC Schools

Attached is an interesting link regarding funding for NC schools. SC is not the only one cutting funds.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?id=6748140&section=news/local

Class reaction #3- Hailey Hughes

I find the arts to be an important part of learning! Music, art classes, creative writing classes, and even photography I consider to be part of an artistic aesthetic curriculum. Students need time throughout their demanding day of school to express themselves creatively. As mentioned in class last week, "art enables you to imagine and participate in construction of your own life." Studies in the fine arts indicate that classical music, in particular, can help students with their spatial temporal reasoning, such as memorization skills. For example, students who listened to classical music compared to other students who listened to no music or a different genre of music memorized more words compared to the other students (Mozart Effect). Also, students who do well in music, such as playing the piano or another instrument, tend to perform better in mathematics. Another importance of the artistic aesthetic curriculum is that it generally allows for exchange of opinions. Math, for example, generally has one answer that students have to formulate. However, in art, students are given the opportunity to express their views, regardless if they are completely different from other classmates. Art also encourages participation and interaction among students. In a way, art encourages students to respond, and helps them to imagine the possibilities to exist for themselves. A good example mentioned in class is a 3 day period in art class where students painted their impression of jazz. This assignment is a great example of allowing students to become independent from finding that one "right" answer. Again, I strongly believe that the arts are a vital part of a students' everyday curriculum!

Other: Columbine

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/do-we-blame-the-columbine-parents/?scp=3&sq=columbine&st=cse


I read this article about a week ago and it really stuck with me.The woman who wrote it discussed the feelings she first had when hearing about Columbine. She said that she,like many others, blamed the parents of the two killers. She then dug a little deeper and researched other families who had children shoot their peers. In none case of the cases, the 14 year old killer was like any other boy. When his teacher told the parents he was goofing off in class they grounded him. When his behavior continued they gave him more chores. The parents tried to talk to their son, but he always assured them he was okay. That same year a gossip column ran that the boy was gay and had a "male friend." He later killed three of his classmates during the morning prayer.The author of this article also looked at the parents of one of the Columbine killers. They did everything in their power to be "good parents." The parents of one of the boys were described as kind gentle people, who made a lot of time for their son. The other was a psychopath. The parents took him took counseling, got him medication, and tried the best they could do. The problem with this boy was not his parents but the fact that he had a chemical imbalance in his brain.
When tragedy strikes, it always makes feel people feel better to point fingers. Thinking back, I,like many others put blame on the parents. The more I think about it now, shouldn't teachers and students be held somewhat responsible too? I guess I bring this up because in the case of the boy who was outed by the gossip column, I am confused why the faculty would allow this to happen. Teachers, counselors, and principals are just as much a part of a child's life as the parents. There is no way of knowing if any of these incidents could have been stopped, but something has to be done to keep them from happening over and over again.

Other- Relating policy talk to inside the classroom.

I completely agree that what goes on inside the classroom needs to influence policy talk. Unfortunately, not all legislatures that develop school reforms have had experience working inside a classroom. Therefore, it is our duty as teachers to voice our opinion and attend district meetings in order to inform the public how school reforms should change. At my high school, the 'Teacher of the Year' is part of a committee of teachers around the district that attend weekly meetings at the District Office. After each meeting, she sends an e-mail out to all teachers at the high school indicating the main points discussed in the meeting. She then asks for feedback from the rest of the faculty. I think this is a great way for the majority of teachers to voice their opinion in a way that eliminates time consuming meetings. I think that the biggest reason why many teachers are not involved with legislative decisions is because of the demanding obligations of being just a teacher. Lesson plans, parent conferences, grading, assigned duties, faculty meetings, tutoring, and the list can go on and on. The demanding duties of a teacher can resort to exhaustion and little energy towards voicing opinions about legislative decisions. However, I at least think that it is a start to include the 'Teacher of the Year' candidates to be THE voice of the school so the policymakers will at least have a point of view from the classroom teachers.

Other: The Arts, Ask For More

After our class discussion, I was compelled to research more on the benefits of incorporating the arts into the everyday classroom. I came across a resourceful site, Americans for the Arts, which promotes public awareness of arts education. Many of the benefits we discussed in class such as promoting self confidence, cognitive development and self expression were reiterated. The site is a great resource for educators as well as parents by providing simple ways to incorporate arts at home. Locally, in the Rock Hill area there are two official campaign partners, The South Carolina Arts Alliance and Arts Council of Rock Hill and York County.

Article Link: http://www.americansforthearts.org/public_awareness/

Class Reaction fo 4/21/2009

I feel that I need to address arts education more than I already have. I think it is important for me to explain myself in regards to my feelings on arts education. I agree with others that arts education can be a relief from the pressures of normal academic subjects. However, the arts can be academic to. I have found that I enjoy doing something much more when I understand how it works. When you know how something works you do it better and enjoy it more. I got the feeling that I interpreted the author’s view of arts education by stressing how the arts help in other academics. I do agree that arts education opens our minds to the possibilities in life and it is this reason why arts education is important. Not many people think this way though. It is important for arts education teachers to know these facts to keep funding for our programs. Arts education programs are always the ones that get threatened to get cut every year. They want us to provide a rationale for arts education but I don’t think that these programs would be around very long if we said “Arts education opens up the minds of our students to greater possibilities.” Legislators would not go for this. Even some people in our class thinks this is asinine. They think that normal academic subjects are the most important. Academic subjects are important but so are the arts. Arts educators are only protecting their programs when we tie our programs to other academic subjects. It is important for arts educators to understand all the benefits of our programs.

Middle Ground

I know most of us want to be teachers. We want to educate the children of our society and of course, see to it that our democratic society prevails. I read the newsweek article titled, "Last of the True Believers?" and have a link to it here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/195088/page/1 The article talks about Governor Sanford's refusal to accept 35o million a year (over 2 year period) or rather 700 million of the 2.8 billion that is South Caronlina's portion of the $787 billion federal stimulas law. Governor Sanford has already accepted 75% of the money, but refuses to accept the rest unless the "reluctant" Republican dominated legislature sets aside a matching sum of state money to pay down the states debt. The governor's stance has raised speculation about a 2012 presidential bid. Sanford calls his postion middle ground, because if the economy hasn't recovered by 2011 when all of the stimuls money runs out, South Carolina will be forced to find a new source of funding to sustain the new level of spending or make sharp cuts. Also, Sanford states that we can't spend our way out of a problem that was caused by too much spending. It is a scary time that we are living in. I know many of us have taken a tremendous chance and have made a huge financial committments to go back to school and change our careers. We are due to graduate in May 2010, just over a year away. I know that I would love to be able to teach after we graduate and teach until my retirement years. Everyone wants the money and wants it now; but what do we do when it all runs out in 2011?

Class Reaction

Last week in class we were the topic of principles was brought up. We talked about how certain principles didn't seem as if they were involved with the schools they were suppose to be at. Some parents aren't even sure who the principal of their child's school is because you never see them actually at the school. However, at my daughters school her principle is outside every morning helping with the drop off line. He is there to help open the doors and great all the parents. He has played a very active role in the school attending all school functions outside of the actual school hours. i have been very impressed with this principal. But to hear of other principals who brush off the teachers when they ask how meetings have gone, or principals who are actually never in the school makes me wonder what kind of principal they really are. I know I don't want to be a teacher in a school that the principal is not involved in. I think the whole school staff needs to collaborate together to make a successful school. So do we need to bring principals back into the classrooms? I don't know if it is possible to do that since they do have a lot of meetings they need to tend to but I think it would be a good idea. The other day the movie "Lean On Me" came on TV. That movie is so inspiring to see Mr. Clark come into a run down, drug dealing school and turn the school around. I think all principals need to have that kind of enthusiasm :)

Class Reaction (4.21.09)

In class we touched on the question of how you would assess students in an artistic-aesthetic curriculum and if a student’s work could be assessed fairly. The students are asked for their interpretation on what they have learned and creativity is encouraged. I believe that it is possible to have an array of different ideas and outcomes but still grade fairly depending on the assessment. For my secondary methods in high school and middle school physical education course, we have had to write unit plans on sports/activities that we drew at random. My activity was line dancing. In order to assess the students, I have implemented a Create-A-Line Dance Project, in groups as their final grade for the unit. I encourage creativity to come up with their own dance but incorporate certain moves as a requirement. They must include at least four moves from the following list (which they will indicate on the paper with their dances written out): a scuff, a grapevine, a train, a weave, a hitch, a rock, a hook, a touch, a pivot turn (¼ or ½), kick ball change, a snap. Their dances must also be 4-wall, have at least four 8-counts while facing each wall, and have a unique movement or touch of their own. As a teacher with an assessment like this, you can encourage students’ creativity but also grade them on certain skills and information that they learned throughout the unit.

Other: Technology Solves the Problem

In remembrance of our technology course and in conjunction with Tyack and Cuban on technology, I present an article I came across while visiting CNN’s website. The article entitled “Laptops help sick kids stay connected to school, friends” discusses how technology can be used to benefit students who suffer from illnesses that result in several missed days from school. As Dr. Jones stated in our technology course, technology should be used to solve a problem. In Ahmed’s case, and other children who suffer from similar illnesses, technology allows him to remain involved with his class in a manner conducive to his needs. He is able to remain in contact with his peers, fostering social development as well as continue learning, fostering his cognitive development.

Article Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/27/hm.sick.kids.satellite.connection/index.html

Magnet Schools National Meeting in Charlotte

"BANKING ON MAGNETS" is the title for the 27th annual Magnet Schools of America conference. We have talked briefly about Magnet schools in our class and I thought it interesting that the National Meeting is being hosted by the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System which is really close to home. I also thought it interesting that I have not heard about it until now and it actually started on Sunday. I am guessing it had to be overshadowed by all of the other news. This conference, though, is designed for teachers, principals and administrators from magnet schools across the nation. Attendees will be able to interact and share with one another their experiences and successes, along with making connections and discovering new possibilities in magnet schooling.

I am not a product of magnet schools, but have heard so many people who are that speak of their amazingly enriching experiences at their magnet school. They accredit their educational experiences as being so powerful that they in effect, had much to do with shaping who they became and feel wholeheartedly that without these experiences would have undoubtedly turned out completely different. I know that everyone is shaped in some way by their educational experiences, but the people who attended magnet schools talk about these experiences really changed who they were to become. I wonder how these student's grammar of schooling would compare to my own?

Magnet schools, as we learned in class, originated in the US as an option to traditional public schools because of racial segregation in public schools. One of the goals of magnet schools is to prepare students to function in a diverse society and help reduce patterns of racial isolation. Magnet schools also serve as models for school improvements and reforms. Another function of magnet schools is to provide the students with a stronger knowledge of academic subjects and vocational skills.

Want to go?
When
Sunday, April 26, 2009 - Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Where
The Westin Charlotte
601 South College Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Websites
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/690131.html
http://www.magnet.edu/modules/content/index.php?id=72
Magnet Schools of America
MSA Charlotte LinkMSA Charlotte Website

One Laptop Per Child Project

I wanted to share an article that I read on South Carolina's Dept of Education website. I couldn't help but associate this with Tyack and Cuban and their ideas on school reform. Blue Cross Blue Shield donated $500,000 for the One Laptop per Child program in SC. Because of this, the state is able to expand this program to 12 more elementary schools. I have them listed at the bottom of this article. Two of them are very close to our area. One is just a mile from my home. I couldn't help but think what this is going to do to our "grammar of schooling" and wonder if this change is going to be so radical that it will fail. The program was piloted in SC last year in a very rural district of Marion, SC. The article states that the pilot program has received positive response from students, partents and community. I notice they didn't mention what the teachers thought of it. The test results of the students have also not yet been reported, but the article does state that the test results should show greater student performance since technology has been integrated into teaching and learning. The laptops are made by the nonprofit group, One Laptop per Child. This group creates and distributes inexpensive technology to the world's poorest countries. The computers cost $200 but are distributed at no cost to the children. Parents are required to atttend one of several seminars offered on the use and care of the laptops and must also sign user agreements. The laptops are spill proof, rain proof, dust proof and drop proof. The article stated that they are equipped with a camera, microphone, speakers and screen that rotates into a tablet configuration. They can be used to draw pictures, compose music, read and listen to books, collaborate on classroom projectes and play games. I think that this is an excellent program and wonderful opportunity for students to become familiar with technology. State Superintendent Jim Rex stated that"We believe that working with a school-issued laptop will help our students improve their academic skills and inspire them to set goals and achieve great things in their lives. Thanks to our partners in this project (Palmetto Project and Blue Cross Blue Shield) , we are making a bold commitment to prepare South Carolina's children to become true leaders in the global economy of the 21st century." I couldn't also help but think that is a good thing because most all 2nd graders were born in the 21st century and never even lived in the 20th century. I think it is funny that "we" are wanting to prepare them for the 21st century which we have lived in ourselves now for over 8 years.

Schools being added for the One Laptop per Child Program this month include:

• Chester Park Technology Center, Chester
• Mountain View Elementary, Taylors
• India Hook Elementary, Rock Hill
• Buffalo Elementary, Buffalo
• Foster Park Elementary, Union
• Monarch Elementary, Union
• Sandy Run Elementary, Swansea
• Vance-Providence Elementary, Vance
• North Vista Elementary, Florence
• Rice Creek Elementary, Columbia
• Port Royal Elementary, Port Royal
• North Charleston Elementary, North Charleston

link to article: http://ed.sc.gov/news/more.cfm?articleID=1195

School Reform

"If the Great Spirit had desired me
to be a white man
he would have made me so
in the first place.
He put in your heart
certain wishes and plans;
in my heart he put
other and different desires.
Each man is good
In the sight of the Great Spirit.
It is not necessary,
That eagles should be crows."
..Sitting Bull (Teton Sioux)

Our country prides itself on the high variety of people that makes up an underlying foundation that we’re proud to call the melting pot. However, when it comes to school reform we seem to have trouble learning from the past and thus repeat our errors. Achieving a cross-cultural proficiency of schooling in this country lacks perspective. The last 100 years seems to be riddled with like mistakes.

I had the opportunity to live within close proximity of one of the new school reforms intending to Americanize our citizens. My brother-in-law worked for the Carlisle Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and is well versed on the subject of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and provided me with a wealth of behind-the-scenes information most of which is absolutely heart breaking. The mission of the school was to shape identity. The question was whose identity? The first class was recruited in the late 1800’s; January 27, 2002 brought the passing of the last known surviving alumnus of the school. The intention of the school was to take American Indians off the reservations and turn them into civilized American brothers and sisters. The founder of the school, Richard Henry Pratt, operated under the premise of taking Indian children off the reservations. This removed them from tribal influences. They were then transported far away to Pennsylvania. The school would transform them. He influenced the tribe leaders by convincing them that if their people had been able to read the white man’s words, treaties would have been better understood and violations might not have occurred.
The first group of 82 children arrived October 6, 1879. Thus began the process of assimilation and reform through education. The children’s hair was cut, they were issued uniforms, moccasins were taken, shoes were required, they marched to and from classes and no one could speak their native language. Academics were taught half the school day and trades were taught the other half. During the summer months, children were not returned to their tribes. They were hired out with non-Indian families through an Outing Program. Some children remained with the families and were then sent to public schools. This was seen as an ultimate means of acculturation. The process was to make the Indian become an imitation of the white man. When it was all said and done, over 10,000 Indian children passed through the school during its 39 years of existence. The majority returned to their reservation. There are 192 Native American Indian children buried on the grounds of the school (now the Army War College) from 36 nations. The Apache tribe has the greatest number of markers.

Before we continue forward with school reforms and assimilation, we ought to look back. Recreating the same mislead effort in a new fashion will not create new outcomes. There are other examples such as the 110,000 Japanese Americans/nationals during WWII sent to internment camps. Let’s look back, re-evaluate, plan and institute school reform plans that might work instead of attempting to reinvent the wheel under the anticipation that it might work this time.

"School Reform Means Doing What’s Best for Kids" (Other)

The U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, recently wrote about school reform in America’s schools in a piece titled “School Reform Means Doing What’s Best for Kids”. Duncan discussed that “we need a culture of accountability in America’s education system if we want to be the best in the world”. He also points out that many high school graduates across the country are not ready to enter the real world, whether that is getting a college education or getting a job, and demand for change by business leaders and elected officials is inevitable. Parents will demand better options for their children when they realize their schools are not getting the job done. Teachers will hold each other more accountable when they are evaluated and shown to be doing or not doing their job to the best of their ability. Institutions will be held responsible for producing highly qualified educators that can help transform our school system. Students should not be the only ones held accountable for their education. Teachers and administrators play a vital role in the educational system and should be held responsible for the education of their students.

In any situation, the quality of work is always increased when you are held accountable. Think about the math homework that your teacher asked you to do in middle school, knowing that it would not be collected for a grade. Did you focus on it the same way you did on a graded test? Did you complete the homework at all? In most cases, probably not. There was no accountability and therefore no motivation to complete it. If more educators were truly held accountable for their performance in the classroom, it is highly likely that the quality of our education programs would increase. The bottom line is that educators are preparing students to be the “leaders of tomorrow” and we can not afford to give them a half-hearted education due to lack of accountability.

Class Reaction: The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum

The discussion on Maxine Greene’s “The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum” was very constructive in presenting an alternative view to the grammar of schooling through the arts. I found her insight on the importance of the arts very useful and valuable as a future educator. The classroom discussion as well as the article provided various enlightening aspects on the benefits of incorporating the arts into classroom curriculum. I agree with Greene, the arts are a valuable and integral part of education and should be brought into the realm of the classroom.
As stated in class, the arts can serve as a bridge to other subjects. This is a valuable tool and can be even more valuable in helping students who may not be interested in a particular subject area to become stimulated, motivated and interested in the subject. An unpopular subject such as math can become alive through the arts even at an early age. For instance, a kindergarten student who does not enjoy math can be presented with a song that incorporates math through counting or grouping. Similarly, a student could be introduced to a painting with various shapes and instructed to identify the shapes or describe the relation of one shape to another. These important math concepts can be aided through the use of the arts in a manner that is beneficial to the student. While seemingly simple gestures, integrating the arts into the classroom in areas such as math, can make a substantial difference in the relationship the student develops with math. It is crucial students develop a positive relationship with mathematics early on as well as other subjects to ensure they have a strong foundation to build upon. The arts provide a way to allow such vital foundations to be formed. Although this approach provides a challenge to the grammar of schooling and thus meets opposition, by introducing such a radical and drastic change from traditional schooling, the arts are essential in student development. Integrating the arts into the classroom can offer great benefits to students and society as a whole.

Class Analysis

From the T&C book, I have gathered that changes in schools should be more like tinkering rather than utopian. Small changes that are made in schools have a better chance of being accepted by teachers and school administrators. Small changes will lead to large changes over a large expanse of time. Also, I believe that I have learned that the T&C authors are trying to say that education is not necessarily the savior of the world even though most Americans think it is. For example, many people have four year college degrees and still are unable to find a good paying job with benefits. I personally know a recent graduate of Wofford, with a finance degree, that is working as a secretary. I also learned from the prologue of the book that teachers should be more involved in policy talk. Traditionally, changes in schools have been made from the top down or the outside in but these authors believe that most changes should be made from the inside out. I agree with this assessment totally.
The Maxine Greene piece was trying to tell us that our students need art to be well rounded students. In the course of a school day, most students want a break from the math and sciences and would jump at the opportunity to do something creative like an art or music class. Greene was also trying to say that traditional subjects and "art" can be combined in many classes to add interest for more students. Art, which can be defined broadly, broadens horizons and helps students to exercise their imaginations. Also, Greene points out that without imagination growth among our students, there will be less future works of art to be created. Art also helps the students of today embrace distant cultures, that they otherwise, would probably not know about. Several years ago, when I was in high school, I participated in band class. Band class for me was an escape from the "normal classes" that you would take in high school. After class I would always be able to continue my day more refreshed because I had had a break from the "norm." Also, on reflection of those times, I believe that the band students in our school were some of the happiest and most well rounded students there. You could look at any student in our class and know that they were on the honor roll. That is only speaking of one school but I am sure that there were others like it. Another advantage to being in the band for me was that it allowed me to travel. I was able to march in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Play backup to Lee Greenwood singing, God Bless the USA at the Libery Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee and go to Disney World and I also was able to see a space shuttle take off at Cape Carnaval. The list of places that we went and the life experience that band class gave me is irreplaceable.

Other... Multiple Intelligence Theory

All the discussion this week about incorporating the arts into education has me interested in actually applying this concept. So I have been reading about Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. This theory encourages us to reach more students and teach in a more comprehensive way by including various forms of student engagement. Gardner felt the definition of intelligence and the means of measuring it (IQ tests) were inadequate. His focus was on how people can apply their knowledge. His definition of intelligence is the “ability to solve problems or to fashion a product that is valued in at least one culture” (Simmons, 19). Gardner believes that there are eight areas of intelligence, that all work together, and some people may have emphasis in specific areas. He says people have unique combinations of intelligence. A super quick summary of the eight intelligences:

Linguistic- Focuses on spoken and written language abilities.
Logical-mathematical- Focuses on ability to analyze, investigate and solve problems.
Musical- Skill in musical performance, composition and appreciation.
Bodily-kinesthetic- Ability to use the mind and body in order to solve problems.
Spatial- Ability to recognize and use patterns.
Interpersonal- Ability to understand, the intentions, motivations and desires of other people.
Intrapersonal- Ability to thoroughly understand oneself.
Natural- Ability to recognize, categorize and draw upon certain features of the environment.

The Multiple Intelligence theory has been popular with educators because it reinforces the belief that all students think and learn differently. It has encouraged educators to reflect more on their practice and consider ways to reach out to the different intelligences in their lessons. He believes that there should be different ways to learn information, and different ways of assessing. Researchers have raised issues with Gardner’s MI theory, but it has proven to be helpful when it comes to educators reaching their students. There are schools that have initiated MI curriculums, for example SUMIT (schools using multiple intelligences theory). These schools claim increased parental involvement, better student behavior and heightened SAT scores. These SUMIT schools have several criteria they adhere to:

Culture: Maintaining the importance of diversity and the opportunities for all students to succeed.
Readiness: Teaching staff about MI and the different ways that students can learn.
Tool: MI is a tool to foster high quality student work.
Collaboration: Staff must constantly share ideas and experiences.
Choice: Curriculum and assessment activities must be meaningful (valued by students).
Arts: The use of the arts to develop skills and understanding in all subjects.

I think it will be so important for us to constantly be reflecting and evaluating our teaching practices, and I find theories and studies such as this one very crucial to our understanding of how we can become more effective teachers. I found this quote in regards to Multiple Intelligence based curriculums: “MI based, arts infused curricula can help foster academic skills for students whose intelligence lies outside traditional parameters, while providing all students with a more comprehensive and well rounded intellectual preparation” (20)

Smith, Mark K. “Howard Gardner, Multiple Intelligences and Education”. The encyclopedia of informal education, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm.

Simmons, Seymour III. “Multiple Intelligences at the Middle Level: Models for learning in Art and across the Disciplines”. Art Education May 2001: 18-23.

Ten famous homeschooling success stories

A previous post by Robert Morrison sparked an interesting discussion regarding the value of homeschooling. The details discussed in the various comments ranged from the willingness of learners, to the possibly ambiguous qualifications for being a homeschool instructor, to the ultimate intentions of parents who choose to homeschool their children. The general consensus seemed to believe there was some merit, somewhere, in homeschooling, but that the practice, more often than not, is not carried out with proper intentions and does more harm than good.

In light of this skepticism a lot of us (myself included) seem to have regarding homeschooling, I thought it was worth mentioning an article I found at CNN.com which lists ten historically accomplished homeschoolers. Included on the list were authors Robert Frost, Pearl S. Buck, and Laura Ingalls Wilder, artist Ansel Adams, and Mozart. It’s interesting to note the number of arts-focused people on the list, given our recent discussion of the value of arts in school. Would an education in today’s public schools have done more harm than good for these people? Not limited to artists, the list also includes Woodrow Wilson, Alexander Graham Bell, and Thomas Edison.

Looking at this list, two things came to mind. One, evidently homeschooling does have value when handled properly, and two, all of these people are dead, implying to me that maybe today’s concept of homeschooling isn’t what it used to be. Certainly, times were different a century or two ago, when many of these people were children in school, but has the potential of education changed much? While we can’t all have Louisa May Alcott’s fortune of being taught by the likes of Thoreau, Emerson, and Hawthorne, valuable, qualified homeschool instructors must still exist.

It's worth noting that several of the people mentioned on the list had some sort of social problem, which certainly wouldn’t be overcome through continued isolation from one’s peers. Agatha Christie was socially withdrawn, Edison was likely ADD, and Frost became ill at the very thought of going to school (a sentiment I’m sure we’ve ALL experienced at some point in our lives).

The article can be found here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/04/22/mf.home.schooled/index.html?iref=newssearch

Class Reaction

The topic of the last class was, of course, right down my ally but I thought some interesting views were discussed concerning the curriculum of art in public schools. Yes not every student is going to appreciate the same the involvement of art in their own education, however I think regardless of the level of interest art, meaning all of the arts, has a place and purpose for each student. Earlier in the semester we discussed Aristotle's idea and theory of Leisure from work for the purpose of cultivating what makes us human. Our brains and body's need leisure regularly I believe that. As a pianist I find that I must step away from the piano sometimes and or force myself to take a break, why? Because I am engaged in a lot of work however the work is not physical so much but mental. After 4 hrs at the piano reading little black dots the page your I find it very hard sometimes the transition back to being talkative and not thinking about the music, so I must take breaks. This is very similar to the way I see arts in public schools used. It serves as a mental break from core subjects for some however still keeping the students involved in a learning atmosphere depending on their interest level. Art also helps promote individual student growth, which is a critical stage in young adolescence.
Taking a turn to discuss what T&C wrapped up in their book, reform is going to happen but who is the driving force behind the reform is what the issue is. Classroom practices and strategies need to better influence policy talk. The words cautious optimism was brought up again as something we need to have instead of a radical approach to a quick utopia in public schools. T&C were mostly pointing out that change needs to start from the inside out and that more teachers and or people on the implementation level need to be more involved in the policy talks and decisions.

My Recent Transaction

I enjoyed our discussion last night in class. The discussion provided a nice overview that tied the course concepts together well. Afterwards, I came home and reread the blog I posted earlier, Art As Education, to see if I had captured what I meant to say the first “go around” but I didn’t. I should have written it after our discussion last night.
I think Green would have been pleased with our discussion. We were doing last night exactly what Greene spoke about in reference to reading response. We all brought our ideas to the table about her piece. I think before we pretty much all agreed “the arts” are important in education and I did as well, but the class’ discussion helped shed new light for me on why the arts are so important. The transactions that were made between each of us and the work were then relayed in a new type of transaction with each other and through this, my knowledge grew.
That is what education is about-growth, growth of knowledge of ourselves and the world around us.
Christin made a good point when she talked about the school she attended and how art had brought them together. The students in her school were all different but they shared a common interest. That just shows the universality of art and its ability to teach and to transcend.
I left the class last night warm-hearted with the idea Greene pointed out: Things can be different. We can be different. We each can make a difference in this world and I know we all will in the lives of our future students.

Consider Us Lucky

I still can't decide if I'm happy with the discussions about reform in our public schools. The best thing I think I can come up with on what needs to change in our schools is the teacher/student interaction that Tyack and Cuban mention. The one thing at least every student can remember about high school is the one teacher that really understood them and connected with them. So, the reform needs to encourage ways to increase these encounters. With the progression of schools, I think we've come a long way. I think I've probably said this before, but I think schools today are a lot better than they used to be. They may not be perfect, some better than others. At least we have a system that still attempts to fight for what students need. A recent clip on Fox News shows an Afghan school that did not get the textbooks and supplies that were paid for by donors. If that isn't bad enough, the students have to be advised to handle the textbooks with care so as to not tear them because they are so flimsy. AND, some students are forced to buy illegal copies in markets! I never even imagined that buying textbooks illegally was an issue. I know we can't really compare the schools in America to schools in these places, but I guess I just wanted to point out that a lot of students would be lucky to go to public schools and I still don't see why they are that bad.

Other

I have been thinking a lot about the concept of democratic education and about different types of schooling. A couple of weeks ago there was an article in the Charlotte Observer about Omni Montessori school opening up a middle level program (7th-9th grades). I went to Omni for 5th and 6th grade, and as I read the article I was flooded with fond memories. I had amazing learning experiences at Omni, and because of the classroom environment, you grow socially as well as intellectually. It is very much a community of educators and learners, and classes are grouped into pre-k- k, 1-3, 4-6, 7-9. You cover your core academic subjects each week, but also complete individual projects by exploring subjects that you are interested in. Omni is on a lot of land in the Blakeney area of South Charlotte, and I remember walking to the cow pond on the land every day for a month as we completed a Biology unit and my group was taking and analyzing water samples. I remember going out and sitting under the pine trees and "listening to them sing" for inspiration during a poetry lesson. We completed a unit on Native Americans and I picked poke berries from the property, boiled them and made a dye. I could go on and on about all of my experiences, but my point is that the education I experienced at Omni Montessori made me love to learn. My brother also had a meaningful educational experience at Omni. In 2nd grade in public school he was going to be held back because of his writing disability and his ADHD. He started Omni in the 3rd grade and flourished academically until he graduated.
As I read the article from the newspaper, I thought about how this unique approach to schooling had touched the lives of me and my brother. We received an excellent academic education, but it was the community created by the teachers, your peers and the meaningful learning that really affected our lives. The new middle school program at Omni says its philosophy is, "to couple academic lessons with real life work that helps students explore their identities and their roles in a community." They stress the importance of students of this age having a sense of responsibility and worth. The middle schoolers are working on building and planting an organic garden, and have made arrangements to sell their produce at the farmers market in Waxhaw. (Which is off 16, right across from the coffee shop & under the water tower.) One student that the article focused on was having a hard time in public middle school and is now thriving at Omni, and his test scores have improved as well. I think that Gutmann would approve of this type of education, it seems to me to be very democratic and holistic. Students at Omni are all treated equally, they become critical thinkers through their own personal quest for knowledge, they learn to take part of the classroom community, all while becoming strong, independent individuals with a true sense of self. The young man the newspaper article focused on who had such a hard time in public school says this of his experience at Omni, "I found myself here, and I found a person I never would have found in public school."
I hope to take some of the philosophies set forth by the Montessori tradition as I go into the classroom to teach. I hope that by always maintaining an open mind when it comes to my teaching style, I can better help the students to learn.
If you would like to read the article: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/658134.html

Class Notes 4/22/09

April 22, 2009
Dr. Pope started class with Housekeeping reminding us of the BBQ dinner on May 2nd. Please Carpool if possible!
He followed this with “Do any of you guys know where I can get a pair of cheap sunglasses? Suggestions were Target, TJ Max, or a department store.

We divided into groups to discuss Tyack and Cuban:
What are some reoccurring themes throughout Tinkering Toward Utopia?
What are some of the “take-away’s”?
What are some of the consequences of the arguments put forward by T&C?

1. Teachers need to be involved in policy talk.
2. Cautious optimism rather than utopianism.
What has driven effort to reform in the 21st Century is the hope of societal reform. We need to manage our expectations of what schools can do.
Optimistic changes of society but it can not be done overnight.
Society has thought for too long that schools are the answer to the problems.
3. Substantive change comes from practitioners in community.
Rally constituencies but neglects systemic issues that can not be changed through tinkering. Practicioners may be on school development committees.
4. Successful changes come via tinkering.
Small changes to existing structure for the better. They accumulate over time.
This may neglect the element that some things are so a part of the grammar of
schooling that they won’t change through tinkering. It must change through
radical reform.
T&C seem to ignore Brown and integration. This was an externally driven radical reform. If left to tinkering, integration may have not occurred or would have been less successfully implemented. Brown was the gateway for other civil rights movements such as IDEA.
5. Beware the commodification of education.
Rid of public education to internal good due to market language and forces runs the risk of becoming an individual commodity.
Education benefits society as a whole.
Cause and effect of marketing terms: seeing in marketing terms contributes to dissatisfaction with the educational system.
Obstacles:
Teaching takes time and energy. After a full day of teaching many teachers do not want to become involved in policy talk.
A different type of personality may be needed to desire to enter into policy talk.
The system is hierarchical and bureaucratic. Going outside the chain of command can be dangerous. Individuals that question policy may be penalized. Teachers may be afraid to join discussion in case their opinion differs from the status quo.
The grammar of schooling is such that it is hard to alter some elements such as:
The role of the principal. Market ideology has placed the principal as more of a manager of the school. Many principals are no longer in touch with the “going on’s” of the classroom. Changing this would alter the structure of grammar of schooling. Given the responsibilities the principals now have, it would be nearly impossible to impose more classroom duties.
Some avenues can be explored by teachers but they don’t come with direct compensation.

Every good teacher is motivated by helping students. Manifestation of helping people may come through direct classroom contact or more indirectly by helping create policy.

Maxine Greene’s The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum
Background:
This was given as a lecture. Greene has been involved in a teacher’s residence program. She was the philosopher behind how to integrate art into the classroom.

What is the “reader response theory”?
The old ways of teaching literature involved relaying the basic tenants of literature. Reader response is a more holistic viewpoint. Reader response assumes the reader comes in with their own experiences. Reader response acknowledges that themes are important but what a person brings in alters the meaning of the work. What the work means to one person may be different than what it means to another.
Reader response takes the constructivist viewpoint. A person takes parts of a novel and makes it his own.
Issues:
Does “reader response” open us up to all interpretations? Are all interpretations equally valid? What makes a response valid?
Reader response may open us up to a superficial understanding of the work. May be a distance view. Some may take the “cop-out” approach.
Certain qualifications need to be met to establish validity.
Vincent posed: If a response seems superficial, is it not valid because it didn’t relate or because no effort was made?
A teacher may gauge an appropriate reader response if he/she knows his/her students.
A teacher owes it to her students to take them beyond their current understanding. It is very easy to stop at the surface and what the story meant to me. Real reader response involves much transaction between the reader and the work.

Why are the arts valuable for Greene?
It invites participation free from judgment.
She believes art can be a vehicle for getting at any other subject. It may provoke interest in it if enthusiasm may not otherwise be there. Examples are paintings to study geometry or music to study math.
Nothing else can happen if a student can’t relate to the material.
Art can be a transaction between cultures. It helps us understand aspects of the cultures that created the art, provides us with insight into our own art, opens us up to what we take for granted.
Helps us deal with change through release of imagination.
Requires us to use our own imagination to conceive this that aren’t obvious.
Requires and kindles and feeds our individual imagination. Through imagination immerges the new; immergence of new possibilities for ourselves.
Art says things can be different, that a person can transcend their situation.
Art gives any person, despite their circumstances, the ability to hope.
Art reaches into the experience wee have already had and prompts recognition. Art names, frames, and allows us to understand ourselves better.
Arts should be at the center of curriculum but this requires a radical change to the grammar of schooling. Incorporation of arts into all subjects serves the most important goal of education-imagining the world could be different.
Where does high art intersect with popular art? Can we use reflection to determine if popular art is meaningful or valid? Should we use art that appeals to young people as a springboard to high art appreciation?
Education is about growth.

Class Reaction - 4/22

     Last night's discussion on Maxine Greene's The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum was very interesting. I started out my undergrad studies at Winthrop as an Art History major before changing it to English... and then again to Mass Communication. Many of my classes overlapped in these majors because all three required students to take a variety of arts and humanities courses. After taking those classes, I gained a deeper appreciation for the arts and learned the value of using the arts in the classroom. I think if a teacher is creative enough, he or she can incorporate art into almost any school subject. Like Dr. Pope was saying last night, geometry could be taught using paintings of geometric shapes. I also like the idea Rebekah gave of incorporating pop culture into the classroom. Our students will be able to relate to that and make connections with the subjects we are trying to teach. I know it will take extra work and creativity, but I think the benefits of incorporating the arts into our classrooms will make it worthwhile.

Class reaction - 04/21

I completely agree with Tyack & Cuban's point about teachers being more involved with reform. They said a good place to start is by asking "teachers what bother them the most and to begin reforms there." But I can also understand and appreciate that teachers do not necessarily have the extra time to be involved. So where is the happy medium? Is it ever going to be possible to balance the two? Could it be as simple as sending out a blanket email to teachers with questions to answer in order to start the process? We have seen that the majority of reforms are "top-down" and most of them are never fully implemented if at all. So even though it is going to take a lot more effort in many different areas, it seems as if the the logical solution is changing our education reform strategy to "inside out" vs "top-down." I know it's a lot easier to look at this from the outside and because I'm not currently teaching I can not possibly fully appreciate all of the demands teachers have on them. But I can hope a compromise can be made and teachers can become more involved because after all the focus and our ultimate goal is to improve learning and who better should know how to do that other than the teachers themselves.

Multiculturalism in the Greene reading

I just want to highlight one point from class yesterday and raise a question about it.  Then, I would like to bring up something about the Maxine Greene reading that we didn't have time to discuss:

1. One point that we made about the Tyack and Cuban book is that they are pretty content with the current state of American education.  In other words, they have "cautious optimism" about the direction of American education.  They feel that teachers, doing what they do from year to year, will lead the process of educational reform through self-reflection and if we have districts that allow schools to personalize instruction.  To me this attitude just makes us believe in the status quo.  In other words, just continue to do what we are doing and we'll be fine.  How do you feel about this?  Do you believe that we should continue business as usual?  Or, on the other hand, might there be some techniques that would greatly improve our instruction quickly?

2. There was one point from the Maxine Greene reading that we didn't have time to talk about in class.  At the end of the essay she talks about how the arts can promote multiculturalism.  As she writes,

"They [students] can, at once, attend to the judgments made by members of other cultures - not only of what is valuable in their worlds by of what demands confrontation in our own.  Yes, we want our students, in the expanding communities in which they will live their lives, to attend to particulars, to engage, to move in the spaces opened by works of art, each of which makes its own distinctive demands."

This passage brings the word "empathy" to mind.  Art, in other words, can help us see things from the perspective of a person of different ethnic origin and attach a meaningful emotional message to the piece.  Earlier in the essay Maxine Greene mentions Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man which details the fictional life of a black man in the U.S. after WWII.  One of the recurring themes in the book is that despite of the young man's contributions to society, his efforts are invisible.  I remember having several "authentic encounters" with the text that helped me understand a little more about African-American struggle in the 20th century.  In that way, I experienced empathy.  That's the power of art and I think it's what Mrs. Greene is talking about. 

Top Down, Outside In or.....Inside Out?

Tyack and Cuban suggest that reformers should look at change from inside out and not top- down or outside in. Reform should involve teachers before politicians because it will eventually anyway when the classroom doors are closed......It is foolish not to include teachers in policy decisions because they have ultimate control over what and how things are taught. Teachers can simply respond to proposed reform by simply 'waiting it out.' Tyack and Cuban state that reforms should be "hybridized." They believe that changes to instruction should be adapted by educators by collaborating with their peers, communities and students. I also believe that this type of collaboration is of utmost importance and should yield the most successful results. I believe, that as people, we are doing one of 3 things at any given time; and 2 of them are not good. The first thing we can do as a person is to learn and grow. The second thing that we can do is stay the same. I call this being complacent. (Of course I am only voicing my own opinion here but these are the thoughts that came to mind with this text).........I even feel that the reason that I am a part of this program is because of this complacency. I felt as though I was in a rut and doing the same thing over and over; menial tasks that were never really challenging. This rut had become a ditch which over time had become a huge pit; a dark pit void of any purpose or meaning; despair and complacency come to mind and I just wanted to do more with my life; something more fulfilling and I had a desire to make a difference..a need to fill this void by teaching.I needed major reform in my own life. The third thing that we could be doing as people is dying. (like I said....2 of the 3 are not good). I just feel that if we are not learning, we are either staying the same or losing ground. As teachers, I feel one of our most important tasks is to learn. We are life long learners. Fads will come and go. Just as the architectural reform of the classroom that Tyack and Cuban talk about. I am a graduate of York Comprehensive High School. This building was constructed in the 70's and was a part of the "open classroom" design fad. Of course, this design was not conducive to learning or instruction and was modified not too long after so that classrooms could have private instruction again. Walls were built and these rooms with this circular design were separated by permanent sound proof walls. We as students, still had to walk through 2 other classrooms sometimes to get to our own classroom because of this design. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that by including teachers in all types of reform that it will be successful, but I feel that the idea of excluding teachers completely is appalling. Tyack and Cuban state that the main purpose of reform is to improve learning and to provide rich and intellectual and social development for children. I feel that unless teachers are included in defining problems and designing solutions, lasting improvements or change will not occur. Tyack and Cuban also believe that under the hybridizing model of instructional reform, change may vary greatly from one classroom to the next. Also under this model, flexible leadership is important in allowing teachers greater autonomy. Greater efforts must be taken in the teacher recruiting process to obtain effective teachers and weed out the ones who are inadequate. After this is accomplished, reform should begin with asking the teacher what bothers them the most and start there. By assisting teachers to adapt new ideas to their own circumstances and their own students, the opportunity for positive learning experiences is dramatically increased. Thus, reform should not start from top down or outside in, but inside out. This proves the most effective means of change. Teachers might only adapt or fit in part of a new idea into their classroom at first....but true change begins here. Americans are guilty of the "utopian" ideals when it comes to public education and these great expectations have led to the huge gap in what is and what is believed to be ideal. However, public school is essential for a successful democratic society and helps promote the common good for society. Public schooling in America has always been about more than test scores or economic advantage. It was created with the purpose of creating good and moral citizens and promoting religion. It is this tradition of promoting the public good and the good of an ever changing society that Americans continually seek to reform public education.

Reading Analysis T and C Epilogue

There were many times while reading "Tinkering Toward Utopia" that I felt the book had a very negative tone. After reading the epilogue I changed my view about this book. The end of the book changed its negative tone to a more positive one when it discussed the role of the teacher when reforming schools. It stressed the idea that the future of our public schools lies in the hands of the teacher, not government official. One sentence in particular stood out to me in this chapter. It stated "To bring out improvement at the heart of education......will result in the future from internal changes created by the knowledge and expertise of teachers from the decisions of external policy makers. " The book pointed out a section from president Bush's former education plan. The section was called "Who Does What" in which state officials, the business community, and parents were listed as the key components of a successful education systems. When reading this I was astounded that teachers were not put first on the list. In my mind it would seem common sense that teachers hold the most important role. They are the ones actually teaching the students every single day. The authors pointed out that many of these laws are passed for "show" and that high test scores becomes the main goal for policy makers. To me this just proves that many people view teachers as incompetent and unable to make important decisions for the schools. I agree with the authors that until teachers are allowed to dictate policies made for schools, reform will not be successful.

Reading Analysis: The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum

In reading Maxine Greene’s, “The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum” I could further see the importance of art in education and the teachers role of ensuring the child’s life is enriched by this connection with art. Art allows one to experience a world typically not encountered because of the constant routine many find themselves in. It allows for new windows and doors to be opened by encountering alternative point of views and ways of thinking. Art forces one, in a sense, to become more aware and connected to the world they live in. Through reading the article, I found myself reflecting on Plato’s Allegory of the cave and how it interconnects with Maxine Greene’s thoughts on the role of the teacher to better the lives of the students as well as the use of art in the process.

In Plato’s allegory of the cave, prisoners were chained, trapped and unable to move in a dark desolate cave. These chains, restricting their movement, prohibited them from knowing life in any manner other than their current circumstance. These prisoners correlate with the mundane, routine lives Greene references that limit one from forming new ways of thinking and alternative perspectives. They see life in one manner because they are accustomed to it and forced to because they haven’t had the opportunity to encounter a new experience. Within the cave people walked by with artifacts that produced shadows but the prisoners still could not see. The prisoners viewing shadows of images on the wall have their perspective, those carrying the artifacts another and still yet those outside the cave another, all of which are based on their individual experiences. The breakthrough occurs through leaving the cave and encountering new perspectives. The prisoner that is now free has a different perspective, which has changed his original schema, transforming him. Art serves the same purpose it transforms one from their current perspective and way of thinking to a new broader perspective that is meaningful to them because of their experiences. If the prisoner had never been chained in the cave the meaning of being outside the cave would definitely diminish and a new way of thinking and understanding lost. Just as if the prisoner never left the cave the meaning of being outside the cave would not have any relevance to him. Most importantly, the prisoner does not transform on his own he is guided and helped as he makes his transformation. This important role of guiding one through a transformation is the role of the teacher. As Plato and Green acknowledge to be educated is to be transformed, art allows for this transformation.

Reading Analysis - Curren 60

I just read the article about artistic-aesthetic curriculum by Maxine Greene and I found it to be very interesting and thought provoking. In this article, Greene is obsessive about the importance of both imagination and perception. Greene feels that her life has been made so much richer for having read very diverse literature, listened to all types of music, and art appreciation. Greene is disturbed that art of all types is thrust aside as frivolous and not necessary in today's schools. Greene believes that many students today are apathetic and hopeless because of their disinterest in traditional schooling. Greene wants public education to use a "hybrid" approach by entertwining traditional classes with the various arts. Greene wants public schools to encounter a "blurring of the disciplines," so that aesthetic education becomes more imaginative and hands-on for students. In this article, Greene also speaks about the added need of more culturally diverse curriculem. Children will benefit from more diverse books, plays, music, and other works of art that have to do with people who look like them or share a similar culture as them. Also, other children will benefit because they will learn to appreciate other cultures. Greene believes that by using an art/aesthetic curriculum more children will be interested in their work and will thus, reach a new realm of understanding.
I agree with many parts of this article, but I believe that a complete overhaul of curriculum to include this artistic-aesthetic approach may require alot of additional training for teachers. Many teachers would be reluctant to make such sweeping changes in the classroom, and additional training costs money, that we as a nation do not have.
Nora

Class reaction 4/15

One of the questions from last week's discussion was " What is necessary at the "classroom level" for successful reform." One of the responses to this was to set realistic goals. I could not agree with that more. I think there are many times when outside forces, such as government, try to implement changes without looking at the whole picture. An example of this is "No Child Left Behind." I am not a teacher yet so I am going to base my beliefs on this idea from what many other teachers have told me. I know that this is not the majority view, but many teachers I have spoken to do not agree with this. I know some of you reading this immediately responded in your minds that the reason they do not like this is because it means more paperwork for them. This may be the case for some, but the teachers I spoke to had good reason for not liking this act. One example is my older sister who teaches kindergarten in an extremely low SES school in Athens Ga. it is sad to say, but a lot of her students have extremely bad learning disabilities because their parents are drug addicts and did drugs while pregnant. I have observed some of her students in the past and it is almost a sin to compare her students with children who come from better homes. My sister is an unbelievable teacher. She has a masters in special education and has even received awards for her teaching. I tell you this because it is not right to hold her accountable for some of the lack of achievement in her students. She was very upset when the "No Child Left Behind" was implemented because the standards they wanted her to reach with her children were almost impossible. It was incredible to me to see where her children started when coming into her classroom and where they to advanced to when leaving. When compared to other schools though, the ending place of her students, is where a lot of other children begin when coming into kindergarten. I know that this act has done a lot of good things, and I do not want to just focus on the negative. For example I remember in class Cindy telling how much the IEP's helped her children to succeed. So on that note there are positive aspects of it. I wanted to relate this to the idea of making reforms by setting realistic goals, because sometimes what is realistic for one school may be impossible for another. I think that is why when government officials pass laws for the school systems, it should be very individualized to meet the needs of every individual school. Some of our best and most hardworking teachers work in the schools that are not very appealing atmosheres, and we do not want to lose them because of what government sees in their minds as appropriate.

I heart Maxine Greene

First, I appreciate reading The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum by Maxine Greene since it was originally a speech. It flowed so well, making it easy (and of course it was interesting) to read.

"Always, there is the linking of imagination to the opening of possibility."
By using imagination to enter into literary worlds, the individual finds "new connections." In other words, when I read To Kill A Mockingbird and take away a new connection of my white Southern ancestors related to characters in the story, I'm entering that world. I begin to think questions such as: 'Which character do I relate best to in the novel and why?' and 'If I was a character in the novel, how would I change the outcome?'

Literature has universal value
Most people who value an art experience value it because of how it have related to their lives. Reader response is heavily indoctrinated into education today. As Greene says, "according to this view [closely related to reader response], you will not be likely to have a full experience with [a novel] if you take a disinterested, distanced view." I do not find this quote to be incorrect in any way, and I believe that my agreement with this view is heavily reliant upon reader response being a part of my education. Greene's mention of working to make Don Juan an "event in the life [she lives] with others" also relates to constructionist theory in education. Reader response is, after all, taking a piece of literature and integrating it with your own experiences, just like in constructivism the learner integrates new knowledge into her own schema.

"If our students are attentive, if they are authentic..."
This is our challenge. This is where the disconnect is. Each student has individual needs and interests that must be engaged for this kind of learning to occur. If the student is disinterested, like Greene says, then she won't get as much out of it. But how do we make it interesting to someone that doesn't care?

Maxine Greene

The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum

I started reading this article was not impressed; perhaps it was the writing style that turned me off. Out of curiosity I searched Maxine Greene’s name on the internet and starting reading about her. It became apparent that someone who has been associated with Columbia for 40 years might have something to say. She does. I then went back to the article and reread with new interest.

Art should be in schools and does have an academic focus that I consider essential. It does assist the learner to learn through the skill of imagination. I’ll use a few lines taken directly from the article that I concur 100% with to drive my point:

- imagination is what enables us to enter into the created world
- we find ourselves creating new patterns, finding new connections in our experience
- the ability to pull aside the curtains of habit, automatism, banality, so that alternative possibilities can be perceived
- because he sees things I never saw
- they need to use their imaginations to light the slow fuse of possibility

For those who don’t believe in funding the arts in schools, what is a valid counterargument? As our nation becomes more and more diverse and multiculturalism rears its multiple demands, we need a population of thinkers that offer expansion as well as inclusion. An appreciation of beauty and an artistic curriculum (art, music, dance, poetry, etc.) opens up the possibility of a vast exchange of opinions, knowledge and experiences. Isn’t that an excellent learning tool?

An artistic-aesthetic curriculum can enhance the strict academic curriculum. What are the possibilities for our students to engage in new activities and tackle a subject that they dislike if they were able to view it differently? I have a cousin that recently retired from 30 years as a high school English teacher. People have told me that his classroom was always loud, and they didn’t know was happening in there half the time. His students appreciated him, and he was well liked. He allowed the imagination to overflow and practiced an artistic-aesthetic curriculum. Others viewed him as nonconventional. Is it better to be outside of the box to pull your students in?

I am going to the ballet with my daughter Friday night and attending the Fleetwood Mac Geriatrics Tour Saturday night as I continue to build my imagination. I think Maxine Greene would understand and approve.

No Challenger Program

I heard from a friend that Rock Hill School District has decided to cancel the Challenger program. I am new to the Rock Hill area but it is to my understanding that this program would have allowed for after school care and summer care. What are the parents suppose to do that have to work this summer and their children are to young to stay home. I understand that their are some other options for the summer such as YMCA (not as productive as the Challenger program) and the Girls and Boys Club (which recently just had funding cut), but what about for the fall? I personally was counting on this program to help with my daughter's after school care while I was in school. Now I'm not sure what to do? Does anyone have any suggestions on other after school programs? If so could you please let me know :) Please email to martinj10@winthrop.edu

Here is the link to the article in the paper about the Challenger program. Please read and see if you find this as crazy as I do:

http://www.heraldonline.com/front/story/1285235.html

Art in Education

I really enjoyed reading Maxine Greene's piece about how art should be used in education. Greene makes some very compelling points about how literature, music, and art can not only enhance a student's education but it can also foster moments of great self reflection. When we read novels from great authors or listen to music from infamous composers we learn something about those people, but more importantly we learn something about ourselves and who we are. Greene rightly points out that when a person is able to make a connection with a piece of art then it becomes meaningful to them. Further, we may all find different meanings in the same piece, which incidentally is one of the principles of constructivist learning.

I am a big believer in the value of self reflection. So many times I have read or listened to something that has stirred me to think deeply about myself and even the world. I also find it interesting when Greene talks about the value of examining works from different cultures and also that it is important to understand how different cultures perceive our works. I have echoed this very sentiment when I have traveled to different countries. It is clear to me that people perceive us differently than how we perceive ourselves.

I like how Greene embraces the idea of multiculturalism because I too feel that it is very important to teach our children about different cultures. Using various art forms would be a wonderful way to incorporate multiculturalism into our schools. The bottom line is that art enriches life and that is the business we are in.

Upon whose performance are teachers really evaluated on?

Some CMS teachers are afraid to be evaluated. Why? Because while in the past they haven't lost their jobs for a poor evaluation, this year is different.

While I agree with CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman that "looking more closely than ever at employee performance" is "a good thing," I highly doubt that he “absolutely understand the concerns of (the teaching) staff” like he says he does. Evaluating employee performance is important, but let's look at terminology here: "employee performance" is used regularly in the business world. Should we evaluate teachers, who are influencing the children of the United States, like we do businesspeople?

I think what we need to look at is changing the semantics of such processes. I know this will go against our current grammar of schooling, but by taking out words such as "employee performance," the education system will be perceived as more autonomous. Right now, a good number of people see education do merely what the business world does. Education should be more than just reflecting the business world and training individuals to be a part of the business world, but that's just my opinion.

CMS teachers are judged on the following criteria, and are given marks of either "above standard," "at standard," or "below standard." The CMS school system is actually bypassing the last two criteria, to "reduce subjectivity," says Operating Officer Hugh Hattabaugh.

1. Management of instructional time
2. Management of student behavior
3. Instructional presentation
4. Instructional monitoring of student performance
5. Instructional feedback
6. Facilitating instruction
7. Communicating within the educational environment
8. Performing noninstructional duties

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/education/story/678694.html
For added value, the comments section provides amusement/entertainment. Some people's responses just kill me.

Class Reaction for April 21st

We spoke of Greene's article on the artistic-aesthetic concept of classroom curriculum. Everthing that was mentioned made sense and was worth mentioning, but I have a hard time connecting this subject to math. It really should not be that hard to link the two. A student can better understand himself by finding interesting aspects of mathematics. It wouldn't matter which aspect, geometry, statistics or algebra, the student just needs to find meaning in some part of it; through a better understanding of math a student could grow as an individual and come to better understand what he or she is capable of. I believe most students lose interest in mathematics because they do not perform well at the low to middle levels of it and then they find it futile. It becomes a chore after continued disappointment, and the student never gives themself a chance to find a meaning in the subject.
This is where I start to miss the connection with the math. Math doesn't give the student the freedom an elective like art or music gives the student. Students are kept in concrete rules and procedures that help build the base necessary for their development. When you have to memorize these rules it's difficult to stay focused on more finding a bigger meaning. I hate to say it, but students need to learn math because people cannot ignore numbers. They need to be able to understand their meaning to enable a safer life. That in itself is the bigger meaning, but I did not want to hear that when I was 14. I worry about trying to teach that to other 14 year olds who don't want to hear it. We can't tell students they need to learn math "just because", but for the first few years that is kind of how it is. When math courses get to subjects that have some more applications to them, that is when students can find a meaning I think Greene was discussing.

Other-Children in Peril NY Times

A friend who is a community organizer in Charlotte, NC, twittered this article link to me. We as a cohort have discussed in various aspects of the MAT in ECED program how everyone in society plays a roll in developing a child. The article talks about how the recession is affecting children. The misfortune of parents' financial and job situations are putting children in positions that they may have never been exposed to before. The recession and all that correlates with it is another outside factor that can affect the classroom. If the home value of home life is decreasing because of these uncontrollable factors, how can a child focus on obtaining classroom knowledge?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/opinion/21herbert.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Class Reaction- Student Reform

I have been pondering this thought for a few weeks now, and brought it up to my group tonight during the discussion. This semester we have, naturally, put much weight on teacher, community, and governmental responsibility to create a conducive learning environment for students. We have discussed through Tyack and Cuban, as well as Strike, Soltis, and the Curren text, the importance of reforms within schools whether it be ethical, financial, or resource related. However, I think that a big issue is student motivation, and the responsibility that needs to be put on students to achieve. When students are underachieving, it is the teacher who catches the flak. While I completely realize that teachers should motivate and work with each student to meet standards, and ensure that students are achieving, I think that students are coddled and lack self-motivation. Of course I do not mean all, but working with students at a local high school, I sensed that many were VERY used to their hands being held throughout the learning process. I do not have any solutions, but I do know that even parents do not put the same responsibilities on their children to succeed as they do teachers. Intrinsic motivation is a valuable attribute, yet many students do not possess this due to a variety of factors. At some point the buck needs to be passed to the student if we are encouraging education as a means of democratic participation. In any case, I think it is an interesting point to consider while we think about reform. What can educators do to better motivate students? How can they view standardized tests as being important? How do we engage them in material so that they better achieve?

Class Notes - 4/21/09

EDUC 600 Class Notes
4/21/09

Tuesday night’s class began with getting in groups and discussing:

Elements Carried Throughout Tyack and Cuban Text

1. What goes on inside the classroom needs to influence policy talk.
- “Inside Out” approach
- Implementation of Technology- Teachers were resistant, not
knowledgeable about technology, ended up not using it at all or used it half heartedly.
- Most reforms suffered and were not successful because of “top down”
approach where policy elites just told them what to do.
- Tyack and Cuban conclude that reforms from specific classrooms were more likely to be successful.

2. Improve learning (rich development & growth) instead of focusing on test scores.

3. Schooling has come to be seen as a commodity rather than a public good.
- Seen as a service such as getting your car washed.

4. Adaptability at multiple levels.
- Historically teachers had to be adaptable
- Teachers must remain adaptable but reformers must also be adaptable
- Reforms are not going to work in every classroom and school
- Each school will have to change elements in order for it to work

5. Cautious optimism, not radical utopianism.
- Optimistic reform will happen but be cautious
- “Utopian Thinking”
- Schools have embodied Utopian Thinking
- Schools have always been used to pursue some version of how America ought to be
- Best changes are done by “Tinkering”
- Slowly modifying that gradually turns into substantive change
- Using schools as the only way to solve problems will lead to inevitable
dissolution
- Thinking schools will change in two weeks will result in disappointment
- We build them up to solve racial and economic problems and when they do not we are disappointed.


Consequences for Buying Into Tyack and Cuban Argument (Tinkering Toward Utopia)

- Does T&C “tinkering” approach enhance student learning more than the “blanket approach”?
- Schools will benefit more from reform if they were able to regulate it in some way

- Historically there has been tension between local control and the federal involvement in schools.
- Local control was not doing a great job of creating equality
- Federal government got involved and pushed for equity such as desegregation and students with disabilities.
- If they did not get involved, equity would have taken much longer.

- Teacher driven reform efforts
- Teacher à Student à Parent interactions
- Help implementation in the classroom

- Some teachers do not have time to be involved in policy talk
- Between writing lesson plans and grading papers they do not have time to be as involved as they would like to be
- Can be overwhelming

- Political and Historical analysis is that schools will change.
- Who will drive that change?




Curren(60): Maxine Greene - The Artistic-Aesthetic Curriculum

- Spiritual side of education
- We (teachers) are all here to make people’s (children) lives better
- Greene speaks to that through art

- Many people think that art education is not important.
- Music helps with other subjects
- Interpretation of songs base on poems
- Reading music, learning beats and rhythm
- Music enhances memory
- Mnemonic devices used to learn things are often songs (ABC’s, State Song)

- Do we think that putting academic focus on art education is the right approach at a young age?
- Do not want to overwhelm them
- Not all will want to go that route
- But, academic focus is put on other subjects so why not “related arts” subjects?

- Why is artistic aesthetic curriculum important?
- Importance of creativity
- Has a wide application
- Allows for exchange of opinions
- How they view art, literature
- Everyone will have different views because of their experiences
- Medium used to learn about each other

- Reader Response
- Text isn’t complete until they have a reader to interpret it
- Stemmed from old belief that there was a right and wrong way to interpret text
- Individual experience and what they bring to text

- Criticism on Reader Response
- Could pull something out of this air that has no relevance
- Doesn’t relate to it at all
- Should be a mixture of reader response and actual researched meaning
- Students should get more out of art than just their own interpretation
- Greene: Be reflective and critical in whatever “text” they approach (Madonna Songs, Billboards, etc.)

- How does it tie into purpose of art?
- Interaction with art (participation)
- Not taking things for face value- being creative
- Actively searching for alternatives
- Greene: Art is the vehicle to provoke those general patterns of thought
- Art makes you respond
- * Art enables you to imagine and participate in construction of your own life*
- Imagine the possibilities that exist for yourself
- Art should be the core of education
- Awaken the possibilities
- Art exposes us to possibilities

- Page 562: Emily Dickinson quote: “Possible’s slow fuse is lit/By the Imagination”

- Seeing ourselves as individual agents to how we turn out
- Helps figure out who we are and who we are going to be
- Enables individual growth
- As teachers, we want to enable the possibilities

Class Reaction April 15, 2009

The concept of vouchers to equalize schools is a concept definitely worth noting and reflecting in depth upon. To maintain a competent society a basic level of education, predominately in the realm of literacy and knowledge, is required. To achieve this minimal education provisions are necessary to guarantee, to some extent, every child has the same resources and opportunity they need to acquire this minimal education. Thus, it is essential that the government be involved to some degree. The extent of government involvement as in many cases is disputable. However, the fact remains the government in the form of subsidies is needed to allow, enforce and ensure each child receives a minimal education. Government intervention in the form of subsidies without nationalizing schools can provide many benefits to society and the school system itself, public and private. The government still maintains that a minimal education be required but does not influence by direct funding.

One major benefit is the ability to equalize schools through vouchers, providing individual freedom, equal opportunity, better teacher quality and better more accountable schools. Parents have a range of choice with vouchers that remove some of the financial restrictions in determining an adequate educational institution for their child. As opposed to simply going to public schools because it is affordable and presumably free, a parent can choose based on a less financial basis. For example, a parent whose only option for educating their child, based on financial reasons, is the public school can now take into consideration other factors such as quality curriculum, quality teachers and specific content involved within the curriculum to meet the individualized needs of their child. Now that parents have individual freedom and choice they have more clout in holding schools and teachers accountable, producing more qualified and better operated schools and teachers as well as more variety amongst schools. Likewise vouchers would also help the parents of private school students as well as the private school as a whole. Private schools do not receive public funds and must rely on raising funds to operate their schools. Vouchers would allow for additional funding for private institutions based on competition. Just as with the public schools the decision would rely on the individual choice of the parent and would produce better schools and teachers. Although such a major change in the school system is not viewed as the solution to all current problems is does present a path well worth exploring.