Speakers.... Watching the videos this week were entertaining, some much more than others. I highly enjoyed Sir Ken Robinson, he had wonderful points and was hilarious, a great way to grab your attention. One of his quotes stuck with me "Creativity is as important in education as literacy". In thinking about that, it kind of opens up a lot of thoughts. First of all, there are many ideas that are important but don't always apply to elementary school, especially k-3 when students are learning to read. Is there time for creativity and questioning and sythesizing and ethics and respect, etc. Of course but the goal is really the foundations of literacy. Perhaps my view is skewed because many of my students can not read in 3rd grade. I have been battling with my research and I am thinking more and more that our EL students do not have enough emphasis on higher order thinking skills. I have considered that as my research because it is something that seems to be a huge hole in our EL teaching and learning. But it seems the common thread with the speakers this week was the notion of education as it stands is not effective, we need to focus on the 21st century skills. Our schools are not equipped for the way life is now, where we are not training people for one job and not to think. We HAVE to teach kids how to think and solve problems. The article describing the IBM exectutive school really sounds like a lovely palce. I have often thought of myself as not creative, but what I have come to understand is that I do have creative problem solving, I am able to think outside the box and execute plans. No, I can't sing, or draw or even design a room but that is ok, America's Got Talent will succeed without me. I do have these other skills. Would I love to hone them and practice them and get better, absolutely. It is a shame that we weren't able to be taught that way when we were gowing up. It is exciting to think what I can do within my class with my students. I enjoy reading these articles and watching these videos and having these ideas, but I would really love to be able to have the time to apply them to my craft during the week with my kids. One thing I can do tomorrow is have my kids ask the questions... one thing at a time.
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I contnue to get sucked down the rabbit hole. However, it is really good. Everytime I read another article, I adjust my lesson plans to make them better for my ELs, and really everyone. Perhaps, the fact that I am not a perfectionsist and more of a realist that I am not completely freaking out right now? I had a conversation with my principal recently and we talked about how we have to adjust our expectations this year. I kind of had to decide that if my students love reading and love math and feel good about themselves as a learner then I can really qualify this year as a success. I don't mean to simplify but we can't teach all the standards, they won't be increasing their scores on the CAASPP, they won't get more than one years growth in one years time. They just won't, we are teaching a third of the time we used to, they are at home and I can't see what they are doing, we are in a Pandemic. The population that we serve at Snow is 90% free and reduced lunch. That means significant amounts of trauma. But to see these little faces on the screen each day makes me happy. I am enjoying teaching again. We have surprisingly built a strong connection. They amuse me and we have fun! We are reading books and talking about them, usually having to do with our unit of student or social emotional learning.
I am not going back into the classroom anytime soon and that has lifted a weight from me. I can fully focus on my Zoom Room and how to make things better there instead of worrying about the many many things that teachers going back have to worry about. Students can start to learn independence and good study skills and how to be good learners. This year we can actually focus on exectutive functioning skills and other necessaary skills to be successful in whatever route these students take in their lives. I want them to feel supported and enjoy our time together in this unique situation. If they can come out knowing academic language in math, reading, social studies and science too, then win! The Flat World of Education by Linda Darling-Hammond was really interesting. In the conclusion she gets to the part about what we can do to fix education more in deph. I have to admit it seems like a pipe dream. Our Country is in dire straights that it seems impossible to kick this virus let alone fix education. It is sorely needed but I am not feeling hopeful. Darling-Hammond lays put five elements for a high acheiving education system.
I have been down the rabbit hole. Trying to get back though. It is really interesting to me to start reading actual research in the area you are attempting to study. Obviously, I am engaged and want to know more even if the articles are not exactly zeroed in on the specific focus that I am studying. However, still really valuable. I found one dissertaion that was super relevant but what was most important about it was that it really backed up the ideas from Mertler. It is one thing to read about research but quite another to read the actual research AND on the topic you are focused on. The dissertaion was 140 pages, obviously I didn't read the whole thing but it was titled Best Practices for the Development of English Learners in Rural Elementary Schools in Prevention of Long Term English Learners. It wasn't really that shocking in regards to information but what must be shocking is that these schools must have actively followed their plan. They indicated their plans that aren't too far off from what we do in Napa but these were schools that were highly successful on the SBAC with areas only in blue for ELs. It just reinforced for me that there are things we should do (and know to do) but we just don't. Which leads me to the question of why? Why aren't we following the guidelines for high functioning schools with Best Practices put in place for English Learners?
The study cited some researchers that are seminal in Long Term English Learner research, L. Olson, C. Goldberg, Coleman and the Freemans. I have heard of L. Olson before but through the Project GLAD lense so it was a bit of a different spin, but nonetheless, these people have extensive research on English Learners and Long Term English Learners. Of course, I then followed some of the links and studies and read some more. Right now, I am more interested in the overall picture of why are we not doing what we should be doing for ELs. For instance in this particular study, she did reference other studies but this one interviewed highy successful principals at highly successful schools with large EL populations in the Central Valley in CA. The Best Practices named were-
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About the AuthorI teach 3rd grade in Napa Unified. Archives
December 2020
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