Merry Christmas!
My Grandpa Dan sent me this one :)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
When I Become a Teacher
Why did you become a teacher? This one has been around for a few years but I still love it.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Why the Arts are important in Education
I went to a concert last week. It got me thinking about the importance of a strong arts programs in education. I haven't worn my music teacher hat much over the last couple of years but I put it back on for a few minutes. The way I see it the view from under that hat isn't much different than the view from under an administrator hat.
Why did I become a music teacher? Because I like music? Yes. There is more to it than that though. Music and arts classes help students learn not only theory but also skills that are necessary for success in life. Arts classes challenge kids to think, to analyze, and to solve problems. Students are constantly challenged to improve. They are forced to Reflect, Rethink, and Revise (UbD anyone?) on a continual basis. These are the skills that are going to help students build successful careers outside of the school system.
This chart from http://www.skillscommission.org/executive.htm provides a visual break down of projected jobs in the global job market over the next several year. What jobs are in the US? Creative Work. Routine Work, the kind that requires memorization of facts and repetition, the kind that fits nicely with the Industrial Model of education that is still so common in our schools, is being outsourced. Yet in the United States the first programs to get cut under budget crunches are arts programs!
There are lots of things I could talk about but I will try to keep it short. My favorite thing about teaching music was that it allowed me to teach EVERYTHING. Music and the arts have been part of nearly everything that has happened in the world. The cross-curricular possibilities are innumerable. The arts are a mirror for what happens socially, culturally, and politically in the world. They evolve and change with the times. They provide connections among disciples. The arts help reach students through a variety of learning styles, envelope students effortlessly through Project-Based-Learning and revolve around Analysis, Evaluation, and Creation (all of which are found at the TOP of Bloom's Taxonomy).
Why did I become a music teacher? Because I like music? Yes. There is more to it than that though. Music and arts classes help students learn not only theory but also skills that are necessary for success in life. Arts classes challenge kids to think, to analyze, and to solve problems. Students are constantly challenged to improve. They are forced to Reflect, Rethink, and Revise (UbD anyone?) on a continual basis. These are the skills that are going to help students build successful careers outside of the school system.
This chart from http://www.skillscommission.org/executive.htm provides a visual break down of projected jobs in the global job market over the next several year. What jobs are in the US? Creative Work. Routine Work, the kind that requires memorization of facts and repetition, the kind that fits nicely with the Industrial Model of education that is still so common in our schools, is being outsourced. Yet in the United States the first programs to get cut under budget crunches are arts programs!
There are lots of things I could talk about but I will try to keep it short. My favorite thing about teaching music was that it allowed me to teach EVERYTHING. Music and the arts have been part of nearly everything that has happened in the world. The cross-curricular possibilities are innumerable. The arts are a mirror for what happens socially, culturally, and politically in the world. They evolve and change with the times. They provide connections among disciples. The arts help reach students through a variety of learning styles, envelope students effortlessly through Project-Based-Learning and revolve around Analysis, Evaluation, and Creation (all of which are found at the TOP of Bloom's Taxonomy).
Not so long ago, Tim McDowell posted this video on Forest Traveling Teacher. This is one of my all time favorite TED videos. Schools are killing creativity. What are we going to do it about it? Are we happy with the arts programs in our districts? Are you content with the time your son or daughter is spending in an arts program? Is the arts program at your school meeting the needs of your child?
A great example of why the arts are important in education: Jack Stamp gave this speech at a band festival a few years ago. I was fortunate to be in the audience and even more fortunate to have a student on the stage. Why does music matter? Why do the arts matter? More importantly, what are we going to do about it?
Monday, December 6, 2010
Do you have an app for that?
A colleague of mine recently wrote a blog post about students, teachers, and what their relationship is in school on Principal Reflections. He described, initially, the idea of a student as a gadget and explored the Industrial Model of education. He went on to say that rather than thinking of students as gadgets in an assembly line, we need to think of them as patients in a doctors office, each one receiving individualized care and attention.
While I don't disagree with the premise for either metaphor, I have to say that the idea of a student as a gadget doesn't seem so awful to me. Of course, I think the gadgets we are talking about are a bit different. I am not talking about some mass-produced, what-you-see is what-you-get kind of gadget like an analog TV or an eggbeater. I am talking about a modern, fully customizable, access to information, communication, and the world gadget. The kind that kids carry around in their pockets. Smart phones and iPods. These gadgets are not all the same. They come in multiple shapes, sizes, and skin colors from various parts of the world. They process information in a variety of ways and they can present information in a variety of ways. They can take information in several ways as well. Text, audio, video, and even movement can be recorded.
I completely agree that that change is a necessary part of education. After all, the world is a constantly changing place and if we are to prepare our students for that world, schools must change with it. So rather than thinking of a student as a patient (you only go to the doctor when you're sick or need "fixing"!), I prefer to think of a student as a really cool do-anything-you-need-to in the way that works best for you kind of a gadget. Do you have an app for that?
While I don't disagree with the premise for either metaphor, I have to say that the idea of a student as a gadget doesn't seem so awful to me. Of course, I think the gadgets we are talking about are a bit different. I am not talking about some mass-produced, what-you-see is what-you-get kind of gadget like an analog TV or an eggbeater. I am talking about a modern, fully customizable, access to information, communication, and the world gadget. The kind that kids carry around in their pockets. Smart phones and iPods. These gadgets are not all the same. They come in multiple shapes, sizes, and skin colors from various parts of the world. They process information in a variety of ways and they can present information in a variety of ways. They can take information in several ways as well. Text, audio, video, and even movement can be recorded.
I completely agree that that change is a necessary part of education. After all, the world is a constantly changing place and if we are to prepare our students for that world, schools must change with it. So rather than thinking of a student as a patient (you only go to the doctor when you're sick or need "fixing"!), I prefer to think of a student as a really cool do-anything-you-need-to in the way that works best for you kind of a gadget. Do you have an app for that?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)