Friday, March 22, 2013
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
my personal influences in 500 words, exactly.
If there is one thing I have learned in my thirty four years, it is that life is not static; it will go on changing without or without your consent. The two times in my life I have assumed the role of cancer patient, have made me appreciative of the fragility of life and helped me recognize the extensive impact I can have to enact the change I want to see, both personally and professionally.
One such endeavor was my decision to volunteer to tutor inmates at an all-male maximum security prison through a privately funded program out of Bard College. The impetus behind this decision was a direct result of years of watching my parents help those less fortunate than our family, combined with my desire to define who I was as both an educator and citizen. I began volunteering in 2004 as a writing tutor to inmates working on their Associate Degrees and clearly remember my fear as I was first bustled through the metal detectors, led through guarded steel doors, and escorted through the prison to the section designated for classes. This experience had a monumental impact on me. As I continue my career, I now recognize that my power as an advocate lies not only in my ability to act on behalf of my students, but even more so in my giving them the tools they need to act on their own behalf. I also learned that if I challenge myself professionally to go above and beyond what I think I am capable of, the rewards to both my personal growth and my practice will be tenfold.
This commitment to educational equity also informed my decision when applying to schools as a new teacher. The Newburgh Enlarged City School District is an urban district and the city in which it resides is cited as one of the top 100 most dangerous cities in the country. The community has a high poverty level, an increasing juvenile incarceration rate, entrenched drug and gang issues, a significant population of Limited English Proficient Learners and an extremely low tax base upon which to support its schools. These issues manifest themselves on a daily basis through high truancy rates, suspension rates, dropout rates, teenage pregnancies and low academic performance. Despite this, Newburgh Free Academy was my first choice when applying for teaching jobs. I wanted to practice in a setting where I felt I might have a dramatic impact on the lives of students and, like my experiences with the inmates, where I was in a position to learn from those whom I was teaching.
This learning stance has driven my work ever since. I do not pretend to have all the answers, but readily jump at the opportunity to learn from and with others. Every chance I get, I collaborate with colleagues, both in my district and outside of it, and it is my hope that the opportunity to engage in cross cultural dialogue will only strengthen this ambition.
getting it together
so I am sort of getting a better idea of how to frame this thing. The challenge I encountered was how to lay it out in 100 words or less, as mandated by one of the sections of the application...
Here's what I came up with:
As part of the newly adopted Common Core Learning Standards, the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is in the process of creating a streamlined assessment system in order provide educators with regular results to guide learning and instructional strategies. But while external assessments may provide useful data, successful educators utilize student data and formative assessments to guide their pedagogy on an ongoing, daily basis. Educators in Finland, considered pedagogical experts, are trusted with student assessment, which draws on students’ class work, projects, teacher-made exams, portfolios, etc. Because students are not assessed by national tests, teacher based assessment takes on a prominent role. In Finland, I will research how Finnish educators describe and enact daily assessment in their classrooms through both direct observation, as well as formal, informal and focus group interviews. The Finnish educators I work with will have the opportunity to reflect on their own assessment literacy and build professional relationships. Upon return, I will work closely with my district’s Curriculum and Instruction Department to create avenues for teachers to better utilize formative assessments in their own classrooms. My role as a teacher consultant for the Hudson Valley Writing Project and extensive involvement in professional development will allow me to use the data I collect to inform and enhance educators’ practices across the Hudson Valley.
phew!
...any suggestions are welcome :)
Here's what I came up with:
As part of the newly adopted Common Core Learning Standards, the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is in the process of creating a streamlined assessment system in order provide educators with regular results to guide learning and instructional strategies. But while external assessments may provide useful data, successful educators utilize student data and formative assessments to guide their pedagogy on an ongoing, daily basis. Educators in Finland, considered pedagogical experts, are trusted with student assessment, which draws on students’ class work, projects, teacher-made exams, portfolios, etc. Because students are not assessed by national tests, teacher based assessment takes on a prominent role. In Finland, I will research how Finnish educators describe and enact daily assessment in their classrooms through both direct observation, as well as formal, informal and focus group interviews. The Finnish educators I work with will have the opportunity to reflect on their own assessment literacy and build professional relationships. Upon return, I will work closely with my district’s Curriculum and Instruction Department to create avenues for teachers to better utilize formative assessments in their own classrooms. My role as a teacher consultant for the Hudson Valley Writing Project and extensive involvement in professional development will allow me to use the data I collect to inform and enhance educators’ practices across the Hudson Valley.
phew!
...any suggestions are welcome :)
Monday, November 28, 2011
curiouser and curiouser...
How can we preserve the commitment and professionalism of teachers (in terms of motivation, efficacy, etc.) in an environment where there is so much pressure to comply with accountability based agendas and external definitions of quality, progress and achievement for measuring student success?
I really liked that one.
The problem? What observational data, documents, student work, etc. will answer this hugely important (HUGE!) question? I am sure there is a more seasoned researcher out there with a wonderful methodology to conduct that research, to whom I say, “have at it!” (although I cannot imagine I will not find a way to work this question in somewhere)
Over the weekend, my new question became: How can I whittle this down to a more manageable, focused project, marked by the organization and clarity necessary to conduct professional research?
New answer: Use my resources. Luckily, I have a friend/colleague/former professor who happens to be a master at all things action based research related and who didn’t mind spending the afternoon's dwindling daylight patiently helping me narrow my topic to what interests me most… (I cannot thank you enough, Tom!)
New, focused subtopic: Performance Based Indicators and Ongoing Daily Assessment
Impetus: The nationally adopted Common Core Learning Standards are comprised of specific performance-based indicators articulated by grade level and discipline. As part of the CCLS timeline, the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is in the process of creating a streamlined assessment system in order provide “teachers with regular results” and feedback to guide learning and instructional strategies[1].
While these external assessments may provide useful data, successful teachers utilize student data and formative assessments to guide their pedagogy on an ongoing, daily basis.
Teachers across the country will now use the performance-based indicators articulated in the CCLS to inform the ongoing assessments in their classrooms and adjust instructional strategies accordingly.
In Finland, local curriculum has been written within the framework of national standards for decades. Teachers, who are considered pedagogical experts, are trusted with student assessment, which usually draws on students’ class work, projects, teacher-made exams, and portfolios. Because students are not assessed by national tests or examinations, teacher based assessment takes on a prominent role. What can we learn from how Finnish teachers describe and enact ongoing daily assessments within this framework?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
moving from the abstract to the concrete...
I spent some time this afternoon in the back of a musty auditorium, which was shared with a group of students learning salsa dance movements, engaged in a hastened, but productive idea bouncing session with the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction in my district. As we discussed the potential direction of my research, several questions emerged which have provoked my thinking:
How can we preserve the commitment and professionalism of teachers (in terms of motivation, efficacy, etc.) in an environment where there is so much pressure to comply with accountability based agendas and external definitions of quality, progress and achievement for measuring student success?
What steps can be taken to encourage teachers, as professionals, to become more engaged with curriculum development and classroom action research?
What effect might this heightened engagement have on teaching efficacy?
In terms of manageability (and perhaps, viability) there is obviously still a great deal of funneling that needs to occur, but things are starting to come together...
How can we preserve the commitment and professionalism of teachers (in terms of motivation, efficacy, etc.) in an environment where there is so much pressure to comply with accountability based agendas and external definitions of quality, progress and achievement for measuring student success?
What steps can be taken to encourage teachers, as professionals, to become more engaged with curriculum development and classroom action research?
What effect might this heightened engagement have on teaching efficacy?
In terms of manageability (and perhaps, viability) there is obviously still a great deal of funneling that needs to occur, but things are starting to come together...
Monday, November 14, 2011
Why Finland?
During my initial research, a crucial difference emerged between Finnish Education and American Education: the breadth and influence of political agenda in education. In America, too often the agents of change are policy makers, not practitioners. Take assessment for example, American schools continuously outsource standardized student testing and increasingly practice arduous inspections of schools and teachers in order to comply with mandated legislation. Political proponents of standardized testing claim that such assessments serve as a measure to bridge achievement gaps, hold schools accountable, help communities identify failing students (and teachers!) and dictate the allocation of funding. The fact that private constituents, such as the corporations that manufacture and grade the tests reap enormous profits from such a practice is just one indicator that the politicians that drive these agendas may have ulterior motives. One unintended result of the overuse of standardized tests in the American school system is the implication that teachers are not capable enough to use their own student data to assess student progress in their classrooms.
The Finnish educational system, on the other hand, relies on the professionalism and competency of educated teachers who are intrinsically motivated by their commitment to both their students and their school communities. Teachers, who are considered pedagogical experts, are trusted with student assessment, which usually draws on students’ class work, projects, teacher-made exams, and portfolios. Teacher-based assessment, then, takes a prominent role because students are not assessed by national tests or examinations. When studying to be a teacher, a comprehensive teacher prep curriculum ensures that “newly prepared Finnish teachers possess balanced knowledge and skills in both theory and practice.”[i] Pre-service teachers are taught that a successful teaching practice reflects systemic, school-wide efforts. Educational theories, methodologies and practice are critical components of teacher training and practice, reinforcing the country’s commitment to research-based teacher education.
One obvious question arose from this comparison: do we trust American teachers as educated professionals, capable of doing their jobs? The answer to this is implicit in how we treat assessment in this country…and assessment is only one small component; do we trust teachers to be accountable for sound pedagogical content, delivery, and curriculum development, without being constantly measured and regulated? How do we move towards a system of educational thinking based on a shared examination of practices, cooperation, mutuality and reciprocity? This research is beginning to provoke more questions than answers…but maybe this is a good starting point…
The Finnish educational system, on the other hand, relies on the professionalism and competency of educated teachers who are intrinsically motivated by their commitment to both their students and their school communities. Teachers, who are considered pedagogical experts, are trusted with student assessment, which usually draws on students’ class work, projects, teacher-made exams, and portfolios. Teacher-based assessment, then, takes a prominent role because students are not assessed by national tests or examinations. When studying to be a teacher, a comprehensive teacher prep curriculum ensures that “newly prepared Finnish teachers possess balanced knowledge and skills in both theory and practice.”[i] Pre-service teachers are taught that a successful teaching practice reflects systemic, school-wide efforts. Educational theories, methodologies and practice are critical components of teacher training and practice, reinforcing the country’s commitment to research-based teacher education.
One obvious question arose from this comparison: do we trust American teachers as educated professionals, capable of doing their jobs? The answer to this is implicit in how we treat assessment in this country…and assessment is only one small component; do we trust teachers to be accountable for sound pedagogical content, delivery, and curriculum development, without being constantly measured and regulated? How do we move towards a system of educational thinking based on a shared examination of practices, cooperation, mutuality and reciprocity? This research is beginning to provoke more questions than answers…but maybe this is a good starting point…
Thursday, November 10, 2011
as the twig is bent...so is the tree inclined
With the goal of having the new Common Core Learning Standards in full implementation by 2013, schools across America are reworking and redefining curriculum maps in order to create alignment with the new standards. Hopefully, schools are also attempting to determine a set of principles which recognize the importance between the interests and needs of the individual student and the goals of society and the economy. As with most districts, in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, educators literally inherit a curriculum (or at least a well laid out map of it) when they enter a school building, and although they exert freedom over pedagogical strategies and methodology, curriculum development, in terms of curricular policy, supervision, and evaluation is certainly in no way embedded in the job. Keeping that in mind, you can imagine my trepidation when I got wind that myself and a small group of my co-workers were going to be working collaboratively to create new curriculum maps for the high school English Department (consisting of about 40 of my esteemed colleagues, many of whom have spent a significantly greater number of years in the trenches than myself).
To remediate what I felt was a huge gap in the necessary understanding for me to undertake curriculum map writing with both confidence and proficiency, I turned to William Pinar and his colleagues (Understanding Curriculum, Peter Lang 1995) and spent weeks plodding through the enormous history of research on curriculum studies. What I amassed from the undertaking was that it is probably safe to say that on average, even competent teachers are not well educated enough in teacher education programs (or their time in the classroom) to successfully engage in this kind of curriculum work without any outside support. But that fact certainly isn't stopping, let alone slowing, the race to get this inititative underway in my district.
This project is an attempt to personally rectify this situation for myself, my colleagues in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, and hopefully, if I can convince the right people to support me, a much wider audience than I can even right now conceive.
To remediate what I felt was a huge gap in the necessary understanding for me to undertake curriculum map writing with both confidence and proficiency, I turned to William Pinar and his colleagues (Understanding Curriculum, Peter Lang 1995) and spent weeks plodding through the enormous history of research on curriculum studies. What I amassed from the undertaking was that it is probably safe to say that on average, even competent teachers are not well educated enough in teacher education programs (or their time in the classroom) to successfully engage in this kind of curriculum work without any outside support. But that fact certainly isn't stopping, let alone slowing, the race to get this inititative underway in my district.
This project is an attempt to personally rectify this situation for myself, my colleagues in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District, and hopefully, if I can convince the right people to support me, a much wider audience than I can even right now conceive.
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