Blog:
This week, please blog about how implementation of such policies could affect change in education and in public schools. Include both the moral/ethical imperative stated in John Dewey’s quote made one hundred years ago, “What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, we must want for all children in the community. Any other ideal for our schools is narrow and unlovely; acted upon, it destroys our democracy.” Everything that Darling-Hammond laid out in her final chapter is important for success in schools. All five areas are important and each school could of course improve in those categories. Policy is always discussed for education, and the next great promise and innovation that is going to put us at the top. In reality, it seems that our government just spins their wheels, slaps a new title on it and tells us this is the next great thing. While all this is happening, we have teachers already doing things that DH outlines. It has always been on the teacher, and always will be. Good teaching is good teaching. Sure, teachers could use more support and planning time, but there are so many teachers already doing these things. I feel fortunate enough to teach in a district that isn’t live or die by the textbook, that allows teachers the freedom to teach and prepare how they see fit. Of course, there are standards and standardized tests, but how material and content is delivered can vary. Quality teachers should be training quality teachers. This would be an interesting discussion at the district level deciding who should mentor, but that would feed a system that needs help. It seems often that the senior teacher, or longest tenured teacher takes on a student teacher. Nothing against them, but I feel that there are other teachers who would have a much greater impact on a teaching candidate. I was placed in this exact category, though at a very good school with an amazing PE program, but I always found myself gravitating toward two other teachers who I thought represented more of who I wanted to be and were learning about. As DH mentioned, putting an emphasis on critical thinking is such an important approach. She mentions how other countries are doing this/have done this with much success. It really makes sense to build upon this as a fundamental foundation in education. It translates across all content areas and develops individuals for success outside of the classroom. I agree to some extent with the Dewey quote at the beginning of the chapter. I believe that all parents want what is best for their children. Not just the “best and wisest.” It really comes down to access, funding and equity in education. MONEY. Of course I don’t believe that it should be that way, but it certainly is. Wealthy populations have access to higher quality of education. All our children should have this opportunity and I do agree with the quote in that regard.
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BLOG = this week blog about what you believe you need to complete your research cycles this semester. Feel free to enjoin your cohort members for support and to make specific requests from your instructor(s).
I think the biggest challenge is time. I need more time! I’m worried that I only see my APE students every other week. Squeezing in two rounds of action research will be a challenge and I think three rounds will be near impossible. (Ex. In one month, I see my students twice). I just want to be sure that I have enough data at the end of the research. If I used a Gen Ed class, this wouldn’t have been as much as an issue, but I really wanted to keep the focus on my APE students. The plan is to just keep moving forward and collect as much data as I can. I still also need to create a system to efficiently categorize all the data that I am collecting. I want to make sure that I remain organized and systematic so that what I’m collecting can easily be transcribed. I will be using a lot of video to record, just have to figure out what exactly and how I transfer it. As for our cohort and instructors, I think keeping things positive is important. In terms of my research specifically, I don’t think there is much that others can do right now for my research. I think it's more about keeping a positive environment and good shoulders to lean on knowing that we are all in this together. These last couple of weeks have been an absolute grind, but knowing that everyone is pushing through is comforting and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Just got to put the final, final on this IRB. That will help things! Keep sharing what is working. Always nice to hear about a tool or system that works for you. In your blog, consider reflecting on your journey towards 21st century teaching practices (or leading them). After reading about what is expected (in terms of the standards, 4Cs, etc) and the path the journey takes, what are you feeling? What can you do in your classroom/school to engender 21st century teaching and learning? What do you need to learn? Include your thoughts related to the Darling-Hammond readings, too, as they apply.
For some reason when I hear 21st century teaching, my mind immediately goes to technology. It is certainly a big part of teaching now, but there are many more aspects to it. It is really just a tool to enhance what many educators have been doing for a long time (at least the good ones). As I examine the 4 c’s and my practice as a teacher, there are definitely areas that I excel and of course some that I can improve upon. After examining the NEA pamphlet, it was not mentioned that PE was important in the 21st century. It mentioned just about everything else, except PE. This is a whole other issue on its own, but interesting that educational we don’t value health and wellness through PE.
2. Creativity In PE, creativity can be broken down into some of its simplest forms. It’s one of my favorite elements about sports and games. No two days are the same. Every game is different based on many different factors. As an athlete you get to be creative about the movement patterns that you perform, about the strategy that you are going to use to succeed, etc. Students’ are encouraged to express themselves in a competitive environment. Creativity also comes in the form of what games we play, how we play them, and who we are playing with. 3. Collaboration and Communication Most Activities that I do have a collaborative component. We often work in partners or small groups where collaboration and communication are important. Of course, as we get into each team sport, these really become the foundation of success. Working with others is so important and we discuss this often in class. I am still developing ways to include technology in PE. I want to make sure that it will add to my class and not just be a substitution. As I conduct my research, I’m looking forward to taking a few steps in the tech department and implementing some fitness trackers. This will be a great way to track some data and a natural progression to including technology. |
AuthorMy name is Bailey Tucker. I teach Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education (APE) at Calistoga Elementary School. I have a strong passion for sports, athletics and fitness. I've been involved with sports my entire life and that is what ultimately led me to the path of teaching. I have recently obtained my APE Authorization to teach PE to students with special needs. This has been a growing passion of mine and I have immensely enjoyed working in this new field with my students. I'm looking forward to this next chapter and working towards obtaining my masters degree. Archives
February 2022
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