International, National and State laws support the importance of differentiating instruction for GATE students. Once laws are passed, it is the duty of the District to enforce those laws to the best of their ability and then require the follow-through by the District school sites. Generally speaking, the breakdown of supporting GATE students seems to happen at the District level. In the article, "Are We Differentiating Effefficetivelly for the Gifted or Not" by Gifted Child Today. it states that there are several reasons why a District may not support GATE students as much as they should.
1) PD Trainings and GATE Curriculum can be expensive and time-consuming. 2) A District may not be sure that at GATE curriculum will "cover" the CCSS as well as the standard District-issued curriculum. 3) Stakeholders haven't expressed a desire or need to promote GATE growth. 4) Adjusting the learning styles and curriculum of GATE students may negatively affect District test scores. There are many misconceptions and legitimate concerns in the GATE world. My belief is that a District needs to follow laws and open the door to discussions with stakeholders about needs and how to best support this school group.
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Technology is a useful and exciting tool unfortunately, technology is also intimidating and can be very time consuming. The process of integrating educational technology into schools can be more difficult then most think. While going through our case studies, I found it interesting to learn about the teacher technology progression which is 1) entry 2) adaption 3) adaption 4) appropriation 5) innovation. These steps are important to keep in mind and I think relates closely to Mishra's quote regarding developing a thoughtfully playful attitude towards understanding the landscape being created by these new technologies, also called a "new media ecology". As teachers, we need to be willing to explore and tinker with new technology. It is sometimes hard to find time to engage in activities that aren't directly needed as part of our class preparation but if we don't engage with technology then our practices can easily become old and stale. As with any occupation, we need to continue our learning to provide the best learning practices and opportunities for our students. I found the history of ACOT back in 1985 at Apple Computers fascinating. I remember when the first computer came into my school, I believe I was in first grade. We would play games like shuffleboard and Oregon Trail. This kind of exposure at a young age led to ideas and opportunities which developed into a "playful attitude" in myself with regards to new technology.
I love the concept of the 4cs. I taught at an innovative charter school about five years ago. The school was in it's first year. The vision of the District was to focus greatly on the 4cs (critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity) and 21st Century learners. I think that new focus is important and a great evolution in education. At my charter middle school, I found that the 4cs and 21st Century Learning gave students who may not fit the traditional "college" mold, new opportunities and a new appreciation. In my class, we use technology on a daily basis. We use technology as a means of building community, sharing and creativity. One example is using Google Classroom to ask a "question of the day" in which students take a few moments each day to answer the question and read and respond to other student views on the site. Students love sharing and interacting with each other in a positive and dynamic way. I have decided to switch my EQ from PBL to a GATE/High Performing student focus.
Here is a rough version of my EQ: Will offering GATE/High Achievers in-class, higher level projects improve their engagement and productivity leading to increased growth (more than previous years) on class, school and state test scores? I feel this is an important topic because many times schools will focus their attention on the students who may need the most support and overlook high-achievers. It is true that these high-achieving students may not need as much individual support but I am not always sure that schools devote the necessary time to challenge and engage students who are ready to excel beyond the grade-level curriculum. In my class, I try to open as many doors as possible for all my students and always let them know that I will never restrict their learning and creativity based on the grade that they are currently in . I have seen school programs where high achievers are simply given extra homework because of their capabilities but I disagree and feel these students shouldn't be "rewarded" with extra homework simply because of their potential but that class time should be utilized in the best possible way. I am concerned that my EQ wording still needs adjustments. I am wondering if folks will think that we should focus our time and energy on struggling students instead of high achievers because they are already ahead of the curve. I am excited about my EQ because I super passionate about pushing student thinking no matter where they are academically. Three videos that demonstrated the use of digital media and technology in the classroom:
1. How Is Technology Transforming Teaching & Classrooms? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeUEZaoCX9E) 2. New School (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y17l-hxFz1M) 3. Screentime and your child (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwfQxF-2Jyk) A. What is the purpose of the lesson-is it an intro to new material, review, extending, learning, etc? I decided to do my write up on the PBS video titled "How is Technology Transforming Teaching and Classrooms?" The video discusses how online adaptive learning programs can meet students where they are and gives them opportunities to growth and fill in learning holes. The video also share about 21st Century classrooms in which technology in infused in the decor and organization of a classroom. I would like to see school districts be more open-minded when in comes to classroom designs, purchasing options and technology. B. Ask yourself: How do you know the students are learning? In the video I know that students are learning because they are using online curriculum which uses pretests to assess student knowledge and adjusts the content levels accordingly. C. Ask yourself: What is the teacher doing? The teacher seems to more of a facilitator than a teacher. They are involved with the students instead of using lots of direct instruction. Having students act as facilitators shares the responsibility of learning with the child. I sometimes see teachers working harder than their students during a class. Of course teachers should be prepared and innovative but I like when classroom teacher challenge their students, push them and allow them the freedom to excel. D. Could you potentially use this lesson? Yes, I could use the components of the lesson. I loved the idea of a 21st Century classroom where the decor allows for work and collaboration in a less restrictive environment. I also use online adaptive curriculum and have seen large increases in student growth. Session #2 had a very interesting focus for me. I was entertained and excited by the content because I heard many voices and perspectives that are rarely heard. I love the message of students like Adora Svitak from TED talks and Dalton Sherman asking "do you believe?'. These kids have challenged adults to a new way of thinking. They believe in positivity, confidence and reciprocal relationships. I agree with Adora, kids have a wealth of knowledge that most adults have not yet learned. Students should have the outlet to share their interests, knowledge and wisdom. Arranging classrooms to a space where to teachers teach to kids to a place where teachers teach with students. I have seen similar learning environments in my experiences at a Project-Based Learning Charter School. Kids have felt empowered and their achievement and interest grew tremendously. Moving forward, I would like to refocus my curriculum planning to consider the activities where students and teachers are both part of the learning community.
Also touched on was the future of technology and how it has changed and evolved. Technology is an amazing tool that was very sparse when I was growing up. This is a tool that we must take advantage of. Students already have a wealth of knowledge because they were born into media, tools, devices, phones, screens and so on. When used for good, this technology can push our education and opportunities to the moon. It is important that teacher become proficient in technology so we can use it to connect and evolve with our students. Websites like GoAnimate and Glogster promote learning and excitement, I plan on using and taking advantages of those digital resources and many more. For five years I lived on the Big Island of Hawaii and taught at a very unique Public Charter Middle School in Kailua-Kona. The school was science-based and outdoors. The school classrooms were on concrete slabs, and taught under shade cloth tents. Behind my student's backs I could see lava rock fields, the ocean and an occasional breaching whale. I arrived in Hawaii with one year of mainland California teaching experience under my belt and boy was I in for a change. My first year in Hawaii I tried to use my prior Education training and experiences to guide my teaching but these practices did not seem relate able in my new environment. It wasn't until a few veteran teachers came to me at the beginning of year 2, they wanted to discuss a new style of teaching called "project-based learning", (this type of teaching was common at the school). The two teachers became my mentors and walked me through project ideas and helped me write-up formal assignments. At the conclusion of the assignments, we would discuss success and failures to be used as ammunition for the next project idea. The projects were innovative and out of the box, they included state standards but gave room for student creativity and choice. As my projects improved, my teaching because better and my students were more engaged. I would even regularly see students working on my projects on their lunch break because they were enjoying them so much. That was the moment I knew that I was on to something with project-based learning. I am passionate about giving my students similar types of experiences in my current classroom. I continue to try to evolve as a teacher while not forgetting my past.
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AuthorJoel Kriner of the Touro Innovative Learning Masters Program. Archives
June 2020
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Photo used under Creative Commons from uimagine_csu