To what extent should teacher offer their political opinions? How effective is teacher-led change? And why do we focus so much on standardized tests at the state level and not the national level? These were just some of the questions that were raised by the headlines Tushawn, Tom and Yvette presented during class. A common denominator that emerged was "teacher talk" (for better rather than worse). Fullan argues that when teachers convene on a regular basis to talk about teaching practice (not engage in a gripe or gossip session) change is more likely to take effect. But when do we have the time? Is it something your principal currently values? In what ways can you support teachers making time to talk (or perhaps blog) about teaching practices? Some of you insightfully mentioned that Melinda Grant (our case study for the week) should engage in discussion with a mentor teacher who can model a blend of Melinda and Barbara's teaching styles.
Sometimes, its difficult for both teachers and administrators to see the forest (learning) for the trees (achieving AYP). A similar situation exists in the area of educational technology. The "technology autobiography" exercise that we did in class is one way of illustrating that we often don't realize that how we comprehend and communicate about the world is vastly different from that of our students. It is also too easy not to see the forest (educational goals) for the trees (technologies). Do our uses of technologies and all instructional media, for that matter, directly support our teaching strategies? And do our teaching strategies directly support our educational goals? It's a logical equation that often times doesn't "add up."
