thoughts on a critical classroom

For our Schools and Society final we were asked to create a group video on our personal pedagogy or approach to critical education. Though nothing too fancy, our group came up with the following: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f12f8dsDBoU

Maybe next time we'll be inspired to create and perform our own rap ala "Hot Cheetos and Takis".

Hot Cheetos and Takis

Coming out of North Minneapolis is the hit of the summer "Hot Cheetos and Takis" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=7YLy4j8EZIk

Created and performed by students from the Beats and Rhymes after-school program, it's a great testament to creativity, rap, and delightful snacks. Check it out!

pinterest update

For an additional assignment for Schools and Society I created a pinterst board focusing on the history of education in America. Several big names are included in a informal Education Hall of Fame as well as issues relevant to school reform, financing and big business influence in schools. Enjoy!

Schools and Society on Pinterest

section II response: curriculum, standards, testing

Chapter 6 of "Teachers, Schools and Society" focuses on curriculum, standards and testing. The chapter opens with a history of curriculum in the United States from colonial times to the present day. Schools have always been a place of inclusion for some and exclusion for others. The explicit or formal curriculum in schools continues to carry this historical tradition of silencing certain voices while favoring others.

Curriculum Variations Implicit/hidden curriculum and null curriculum which reinforce the status quo of larger society do nothing to liberate students or school faculty. For negative implicit curriculum to change, the first step is simply to recognize it as harmful. When silenced voices are heard and considered, the null curriculum is also challenged. The extra curriculum includes school activities outside the regular school day such as sports, fine arts, and school clubs. When access to such groups demands high participation fees or strong academic standing, students from poor and working-class families are more likely to be denied participation. In order for equal access to such activities, schools must provide routes for all students to participate and find success.

Curriculum Influences Despite the variety of curriculum facets, schools are most often criticized and evaluated by the media, state and local governments and communities based on their formal or official curriculum. There are many factors that work to influence and impact school's curriculum. These include parents, state and local government, big business, publishers, standardized tests, and school administration. Amongst all these voices, it is important to listen for those that have been silenced and resist capitalistic encroachment of educational freedoms.

Technology Technology has been praised as the best thing for students in the classroom. As schools are pushed to use technology including computers, laptops, iPads, Smartboards etc. in greater and new ways, teachers feel out of place or uncomfortable. Flexibility and the capacity to learn and be open to new new technology is important for veteran and rookie teachers alike. The gap between technology have and have-nots, aka the digital divide, runs along racial and gender lines. In order for such divisions to be challenged and changed, larger societal inequalities must be addressed.

Textbooks Despite increasing use of technology in the classroom, textbooks serve as  the primary resource for schools and students. The United States is split into two camps regarding the freedom for schools to independently choose textbooks: textbook nonadoption states in the north and textbook adoption states in the south. Four adoption states (California, Florida, Texas and North Carolina) capitalize the textbook market because of their size and effectively control what textbook companies write for schools nationwide. The standardization movement further works to "dumb down" textbooks in order to reach certain students. Despite their challenges and numerous downfalls, textbooks can be useful tools in a critical classroom. At best, the author's note, a text can serve as a catalyst for change.

the Standards Movement Since the late 1980s, schools in the United States have increasingly moved towards a standards-based education system. Though standards can help support and focus student learning, questioning what the standards are and who creates them is important to critical learning and teaching. Federal No Child Left Behind legislation took standards and standarization of schools to higher and deeper levels by labeling 'failing' schools, creating a 'high-stakes' testing environment and limiting teachers and classroom instruction. Hinging school success on one standardized test is poor policy and practice. Tests are not free from bias and more often than not white, middle-class students are those who benefit at the expense of poor and working-class children or students of color. Ultimately it is not the ability to regurgitate information for a test, but the ability to think critically and act with empathy and compassion that proves valuable.

Alternatives Challenging the notion of a single assessment making or breaking a student's success, schools are moving to 'authentic assessment', a broader and deeper view of student learning. With a focus on synthesizing knowledge across content areas and actively using knowledge to define and solve real world challenges, the whole student is better recognized and celebrated.

Check out the chapter 6 word map here ---> Curriculum, Standards, Testing

section II response: reform

Chapter 5 of Teachers, Schools and Society focuses on school reform. The chapter begins with a deceptively simple question: what is the purpose of school? Schools as transmitters of society negate student's lived experiences. When schools and teachers are able to offer transformative education; education that works to empower individuals and their stories, reconstruction of society is possible for the betterment of the oppressed. Paulo Freire's seminal work Pedagogy of the Oppressed is an example and model of this 'reconstructionist' approach.

School Choice Public and private charters, homeschooling, speciality magnet schools, 'green' schools, private schools, public schools and 'full service' schools are but a few of the many schooling options available to students and their families. Though a great variety of school types exist, access to such choices is not equal. Families of poor and working class families for example, may not have the connections through their work or social circles to access such programs. Limited resources may make covering school fees challenging or transportation to and from school events impossible. In order to reach all kids, schools must work to recognize and reach across these barriers to understand children and families' stories and fight for justice within their classrooms, institutions and communities.

Successful schools have been shown to exhibit similar factors. Strong, clear leadership is essential for school staff to function as a unit. Collaborative efforts ultimately trump competitive models. Teachers that set high, clear expectations together with their students, empower them to create change for themselves and push their learning to deeper levels. This is particularly important for teachers who work with students from racial minority groups, poor and working class families, and students in "low" tracking programs. If teachers expect students to do poorly or fail, students will not make near the progress if the opposite were true. Teacher's role in encouraging, supporting and challenging students cannot and should not be understated.

Check out this chapter 5 word map here ----> reform

section II response: student life

Schools and Society, a course which aims to expose and challenge systems of oppression in larger society towards social justice for all, has shifted in focus recently from a heavy emphasis on theory to an emphasis on practice and application in the classroom. Theory with a strong focus on critical pedagogy provides a solid context for critically reading and analyzing our current text, Teachers, Schools and Society by David Sadker and Karen Zittleman.

School Pressures Teachers and students alike face a number of challenges and barriers to effective teaching and learning in the classroom. Teachers may face restrictive schedules that limit the size and scope of the material they hope to cover with their student and may also struggle against increased classroom time preparing for and taking standardized tests. Teachers too often become mangers in classrooms as they strive to serve the majority at the expense of the individual. School programs that track their students based on ability work against values of community and collaboration, key components of a democratic society. In such systems, schools of color are disproportionally under represented, working to further exacerbate achievement gaps.

Peer Influence Both inside and outside the school, students are influenced by peer groups. Perhaps more powerful that teachers, parents and other adults, positive peer relationships can "make" a school experience. Hierarchical systems within schools that reinforce societal norms work against students. The critical educator must create an inclusive classroom culture in order to empower all students to work and live beyond superficial societal stratification.

Social Challenges The chapter concludes with a focus on social challenges students face outside school. Social systems like race and class, directly affect issues like student health and access to basics like food and shelter. Students must learn to react appropriately to issues with drugs, alcohol and sexual identity. For students to navigate these challenges with grace, understanding and knowledge, teachers and schools first must know their students. As teachers learn to recognize and work against bias in the classroom, student's individual stories are heard, empowered and shared. As students become teachers, power in the classroom moves from one to all. Positive social change on the larger scale, begins in the classroom with one.

Check out the chapter 4 word map here ---> Student Life

a new beginning

The beginning of a new life chapter, the beginning of a new blog. As I work through my course work as a teaching candidate at Hamline, this blog will be a place for reflection and dialogue, expanding conversations in the classroom to the wider world.

Remembering I'm neither simply a student nor simply a teacher, I move forward empowered to learn by listening and sharing. As a student/teacher, the journey begins!