Innovative learning makes me uncomforatble. There, I said it. I have been "successful" in how we have been teaching. My own children are successful in the current system. They will go to college and be successful in the current system. I also realize that we are the privileged few that will benefit from this system. We have what we need, we get to choose what we want to do. I worry my child will pick an art school, haha. But, what are they learning? Are they really learning what they need to be active participants in their lives, their community, their chosen career? They are both smart and have great critical thinking skills for their age but are their schools teaching what they need? Are they prepared? As we have learned this week, the paradigm should shift in education to keep up with the changing and somewhat frightening world. We can't prepare them by teaching them the set of facts of all they need to know by June of their 12th grade year. We have to teach them to think, process information, create new ideas, and make decisions, solve problems, ask questions, infer, collaborate and organize. These are the hot commodity for my kids and my students. I have to put emphasis on how to do these things and use the information in the standards to do it. Is it important for the 3rd graders to know that the Wappo tribe used to trade obsidian with other tribes, no. However, should they be able to evaluate what was the best course of action for the Wappo to survive so that one day they can help communities survive? Maybe. Should I change my tactic in class, absolutely. I'm still thinking about how to increase collaboration and oral academic language (and let's be honest, basic teaching on Zoom) for 3rd graders. We are still in the heavy emphasis stage of Social Emotional Learning but that is really providing some thinking and analysis for these students. We are reading and thinking about the message, theme and our connections to the books we are reading and responding with drawing and writing about our experiences. The cohorts are getting better at breakout rooms so we can start to use language and collaboration that we need to be productive as well as our higher order thinking skills. I have a long way to go in a solid distance learning experience, let alone adhering to the shift needed. But what if I use this time to do it? Could we really thrive as teachers and students now? Could I learn from my students and they learn from me in a new way? I really hope so. I commit to trying.
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About the AuthorI teach 3rd grade in Napa Unified. Archives
December 2020
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