I am personally disgusted with Arne Duncan and other so-called reformers who bash teacher's unions. The problems with k-12 is not the fault of the unions. Their job, like the UAW or any other union, is to fight for the pay and working conditions of its members. They do not chose curriculum, learning programs, materials, or methodologies used at schools. Neither do they hire teachers, principals, superintendents, or support staff. And they are definitely not responsible for the high turnover rates among teachers and principals across the country.
Unions are not the problem. Teachers, for the most part, are not the problem. Unfocused and ego-driven leadership is the problem. It starts from the top. I wish Duncan realized that truth and went after state department heads and superintendents.
When your focus is on high school graduation rates instead of college admittance rates, you fail. When you change learning programs year after year, you fail. When you tie your teachers' hands by having them teach to the test, you fail. And when you do not grasp the concept of teaching students how to think critically and to solve problems, you fail.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Educational Philosophy
An educational philosophy is the way that an educator sees him or herself as well as their students. It encompasses their passions, their experiences, as well as their belief in the potential of others. Whether one is referring to pedagogical practices or to curricular models, the soul of an educational philosophy connects one’s strengths, one’s values, and one’s ideas; it is sort of like an educator’s brand, in that it communicates who they are, what they are, and what they have to offer (Montoya, 2005).
Personally, my philosophy of education is not based on the idea that the teacher is the gatekeeper of knowledge or the guardian of the learning process but rather a tour guide to the possibilities. As the tour guide, I am responsible for creating an active learning community where young people are free to be themselves, are free to question all assumptions, and are free to nurture and further develop their unique talents and interests. This is done by facilitating small group discussions that explore the lives as well as the issues affecting young people. Every topic chosen emphasizes self-direction by discussing how they see themselves and their place in the world. In discussing the myths and the realities of what it means to be prepared in the twenty-first century, my objective is to use their past experiences as an opportunity to speak openly and honestly about how young people can take ownership of their successes. The idea is to empower, encourage as well as challenge young people to find their own voices and to discover the best within themselves.
Personally, my philosophy of education is not based on the idea that the teacher is the gatekeeper of knowledge or the guardian of the learning process but rather a tour guide to the possibilities. As the tour guide, I am responsible for creating an active learning community where young people are free to be themselves, are free to question all assumptions, and are free to nurture and further develop their unique talents and interests. This is done by facilitating small group discussions that explore the lives as well as the issues affecting young people. Every topic chosen emphasizes self-direction by discussing how they see themselves and their place in the world. In discussing the myths and the realities of what it means to be prepared in the twenty-first century, my objective is to use their past experiences as an opportunity to speak openly and honestly about how young people can take ownership of their successes. The idea is to empower, encourage as well as challenge young people to find their own voices and to discover the best within themselves.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Personal Branding for Educators
We no longer live in an era where people, especially teachers/educators, will work thirty years for one particular company. Job markets change. Job titles change. And with that change, so must the way that educators see themselves and their careers. Teachers must begin focusing on their strengths. Doing so not only enhances their ability to achieve success, it allows them to connect what they do well with what environment and/ or what circumstances replicates those successes (Buckingham, 2001; Buckingham, 2007). According to Stedman Graham (as noted by Peter Drucker), “Successful careers/lives are not planned. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their values, their methods of doing” (Graham, 2001, 21), which is crucial for teachers/educators as they prepare for the redesigning, rebuilding and revitilaizing of public education for the 21st century.
At its core, your brand is your authentic self. It is the combination of your strengths (talent), values, passions, and areas of specialty and purposely putting them to work for you. It is the message that you send out to the world (Bedbury, 2002). And it is the embodiment of who you are, what you are, and what you have to offer.
So why is this important for educators? It is important because believe it or not you already have a personal brand. People already have their views as well as their expectations of who you are and what you bring to the table (Roffer, 2005). You already may be known as the go getter with the nice suits, the quirky one with the vintage dresses, or the lazy one with the no ironed kakis. Have you ever seen the Kinko’s commercial in which the boss addresses each member of the group and points out their brand? Yep, that is a classic example of how personal branding works.
Now, regarding how teachers/educators will utilize personal branding, there are several key terms and/ or concepts they should be familiar with and they are: strengths, mission statements, niche markets, taglines, and signature looks. A tagline is a short and pithy descriptor of your brand; it is your promise. Ever heard of Just Do It? Then there is the mission statement, which identifies your purpose. It is similar to an educational philosophy. Your niche market is your target audience, which for teachers is their grade level, type of school, and what curricula and/ or instructional practices are in place. Your strengths are rooted in your talent. They are what you do best - lecture, discussion, project-based learning, etc. And your signature look is your brand’s visual identity; it can be anything from wearing only a particular kind or style of clothing, as is the case with Hillary Clinton and her pantsuits, or it could be an eye catching accessory like Niecy Nash and the flower she wears in her hair. A signature look sells who you are. This is significant because many teachers I know fall into "the teacher look." You know what I am talking about- jeans, khakis, polos, interesting sueters, long unshapely dresses, and gym shoes.
This may seem strange and not worth giving a second thought. But as you discuss with other teachers/educators about endowing students with 21st century skills, do realize that personal branding is one of those skills.
References
Bedbury, S. (2002). A new brand world. New York: Viking.
Buckingham, M. & Clifton, D. O. (2001) Now, discover your strengths. New York: The Free Press.
Buckingham, M. (2007) Go put your strengths to work. New York: The Free Press.
Graham, S. (2001). Build your own life brand. New York: The Free Press.
At its core, your brand is your authentic self. It is the combination of your strengths (talent), values, passions, and areas of specialty and purposely putting them to work for you. It is the message that you send out to the world (Bedbury, 2002). And it is the embodiment of who you are, what you are, and what you have to offer.
So why is this important for educators? It is important because believe it or not you already have a personal brand. People already have their views as well as their expectations of who you are and what you bring to the table (Roffer, 2005). You already may be known as the go getter with the nice suits, the quirky one with the vintage dresses, or the lazy one with the no ironed kakis. Have you ever seen the Kinko’s commercial in which the boss addresses each member of the group and points out their brand? Yep, that is a classic example of how personal branding works.
Now, regarding how teachers/educators will utilize personal branding, there are several key terms and/ or concepts they should be familiar with and they are: strengths, mission statements, niche markets, taglines, and signature looks. A tagline is a short and pithy descriptor of your brand; it is your promise. Ever heard of Just Do It? Then there is the mission statement, which identifies your purpose. It is similar to an educational philosophy. Your niche market is your target audience, which for teachers is their grade level, type of school, and what curricula and/ or instructional practices are in place. Your strengths are rooted in your talent. They are what you do best - lecture, discussion, project-based learning, etc. And your signature look is your brand’s visual identity; it can be anything from wearing only a particular kind or style of clothing, as is the case with Hillary Clinton and her pantsuits, or it could be an eye catching accessory like Niecy Nash and the flower she wears in her hair. A signature look sells who you are. This is significant because many teachers I know fall into "the teacher look." You know what I am talking about- jeans, khakis, polos, interesting sueters, long unshapely dresses, and gym shoes.
This may seem strange and not worth giving a second thought. But as you discuss with other teachers/educators about endowing students with 21st century skills, do realize that personal branding is one of those skills.
References
Bedbury, S. (2002). A new brand world. New York: Viking.
Buckingham, M. & Clifton, D. O. (2001) Now, discover your strengths. New York: The Free Press.
Buckingham, M. (2007) Go put your strengths to work. New York: The Free Press.
Graham, S. (2001). Build your own life brand. New York: The Free Press.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Family Life Education in Public Schools
To begin, I would like to submit that teaching and discussing human development from a relational, a biological, a psychological, a physiological, as well as from a social and cultural perspective does not encroach on the moral rights of parents. As long as the instruction is academically-based and rooted in the latest research from scholarly and peer-reviewed sources, and free from any moral or religious references, studying human development, which does include sexuality, can be taught the same way as any other subject. The question that should be considered is when is the discussion of such issues developmentally appropriate? Though some issues may appear to be in the periphery, a number of them such as culture, gender, and race are inherently addressed due to the subject matter covered in History, Literature, Drama, or Cultural Studies classes. With that out of the way, this post will lay out my reasons why schools are responsible for addressing all issues that cover the human experience.
The Pragmatist in me would say that schools have a responsibility to the community-at-large, and being responsible to the community, to the citizenry, involves preparing the students of the community for the transition into adulthood. This means teaching students about dating, decision-making, identity, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, as well as sexual orientation. Openly and honestly addressing those issues/topics in the curriculum is not only relevant to the experiences and educational needs of adolescents, it “allows for [students to have the space] to develop their own beliefs and values” (Gutek, 2004, 284), which I hope all will agree is the goal of education.
While some may take issue with such a "liberal" stance on discussing what many may view as the responsibility of the parents, I want to remind the readers that there are many young people who do not get the information from home, which has resulted in an increase in violence in adolescent relationships (Bouchey & Furman, 2003). And there is not a person reading this post who has not heard of the social ills resulting from early-age pregnancy. More over, more and more college students are getting into credit card debt because the school system failed to teach them about financial management. So, the next time you hear someone barking that schools are there to prepare young people for the future, keep in mind that that future encompasses more than whether or not they know how to read and write.
References
Bouchey, H.A. & Wyndol, F. (2003). Dating and romantic experiences in adolescence.In G. R. Adams & M. Berzonsky (Eds.) (2003). The Blackwell Handbook ofAdolescence. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers.
Gutek, G. L. (2004). Educational Philosophy and Changes. Boston: Pearson CustomPublishing.
The Pragmatist in me would say that schools have a responsibility to the community-at-large, and being responsible to the community, to the citizenry, involves preparing the students of the community for the transition into adulthood. This means teaching students about dating, decision-making, identity, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, as well as sexual orientation. Openly and honestly addressing those issues/topics in the curriculum is not only relevant to the experiences and educational needs of adolescents, it “allows for [students to have the space] to develop their own beliefs and values” (Gutek, 2004, 284), which I hope all will agree is the goal of education.
While some may take issue with such a "liberal" stance on discussing what many may view as the responsibility of the parents, I want to remind the readers that there are many young people who do not get the information from home, which has resulted in an increase in violence in adolescent relationships (Bouchey & Furman, 2003). And there is not a person reading this post who has not heard of the social ills resulting from early-age pregnancy. More over, more and more college students are getting into credit card debt because the school system failed to teach them about financial management. So, the next time you hear someone barking that schools are there to prepare young people for the future, keep in mind that that future encompasses more than whether or not they know how to read and write.
References
Bouchey, H.A. & Wyndol, F. (2003). Dating and romantic experiences in adolescence.In G. R. Adams & M. Berzonsky (Eds.) (2003). The Blackwell Handbook ofAdolescence. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers.
Gutek, G. L. (2004). Educational Philosophy and Changes. Boston: Pearson CustomPublishing.
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