Friday's Musings

All,

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the mixed messages I'm receiving at the moment, and more specifically about the mixed messages I'm receiving about instruction received in college classrooms, and how instruction "should" look in the K-12 classroom. Education professors (for the most part) seem to be stressing collaborative education techniques (both within the staff and within the students) and a progressive model of education as a social process that should be guided by student inquiry. That's not to say that they're trying to instill within Education majors their own philosophy. Instead, I would describe what they're doing as influencing students to think of themselves less like a "sage on the stage," and more of themselves as a "guide by the side." The message of my Education professors is steeply contrasted with the actual practices I've seen from professors and what's been recounted to me from friends and acquaintances. Far and away university professors employ stand and deliver style lessons. Maybe this really is the best way for young adults to learn. I don't know; my focus is on early adolescent education. There is little (constructive) social interaction or learning going on in large lecture halls beyond comparing answers to an example problem, and I see this as a problem. I'm no logistics whiz, so I can't offer any solutions on how to effectively reduce class sizes and increase social learning at the collegiate level. I see the pervasiveness of the stand and deliver style of lessons as counterproductive to widespread implementation of "progressive" education techniques in K-12 classrooms.

As School and Society (ELP 344) taught me, universities have had, and continue to have a lot of sway over public K-12 instruction. A little history, and some logic hopefully brings you to the same conclusion. In the early parts of the 20th Century, universities wanted to become more exclusive, and so helped encourage and implement tracking of middle and high school students of sorts and helped develop the system of standardized tests that have evolved into the SAT and ACT. These tests and the exclusivity of universities would seem to be the root of our country's amorous relationship with standardized tests and the college application process. Beyond that historical extrapolation we have the fact that in order for one to be "successful" in America one must earn a college degree. Though it is not necessarily the fault of higher education that a college diploma has become essential to be hired for most jobs, their influence on students is far-reaching. Students see a college diploma as the end of our education and the beginning of our careers. I'm not going to get into how education never ends, even when school does (at least, not today), seeing as you've probably heard it all before. By all measures, a college degree has become the tangible end goal of K-12 Education (psssh...who needs to actually learn anything when you have this awesome piece of paper with your name and some Latin on it?) and therefore inexorably influences how students view education, and more along the lines of this post, how teachers run their classrooms.

Education is by design a cyclical process. Teachers, who were once students, learned material in a certain fashion, and they in turn (sweeping generalization, I know. Sorry Mrs. Johnston.) teach it in much the same way. From what I've read and experienced in my years in the public education system, is that nowhere is this cyclical nature more apparent than in grading policies. I remember reading about grading practices in my Introduction to Middle Grades Education class (ECI 309) and how there is little valuable research on this aspect of education, but what research there is on the subject shows that teachers' grading practices most often mirrors grading practices of their former teachers. It is logically sound, then, to infer that teachers not only employ the grading techniques of their former teachers, but also their general instruction procedures. And so, it seems that we are stuck in a rut as far as true innovation, especially in regards to technology, in classroom instruction is concerned. Of course, part of this problem is only compounded by the ever-increasing amount of material that teachers are expected to cover and the data-driven obsession with standardized testing.

Maybe I'm naive in writing this post. I haven't exactly done a lot of traveling in and observation of American classrooms. So, as far as my "evidence" goes, it's limited at best. I don't know exactly where I've taken us on this post, but it's somewhere. I don't know, I just find it funny that universities are at the cutting edge in so many areas: technology, sciences, etc, and yet the teaching methods are so antiquated. It makes me scratch my head and wonder. Anyway, that is all. Have a good weekend everybody.

-Jason

Keeping my word...this time

All,

As you saw if you visited my blog last night, I did not post like I promised I would. Like I said then, I'm sorry, and so I'll say it again: I'm sorry. So, since I got done with classes relatively early today, everyone else from my suite is in class for the moment, and I don't have Duck Hunt to distract me, I'll make up for yesterday's lack of a post. To do so, I'll write a double post, if you will. Just to tell you in advance, I'll be combining ideas 1 and 2 from Monday: my take on the first day of classes and the philosophies and implementation of syllabi on the first day of class, as they relate to each other. I think I'll take some time, do some more reading, note taking, and observation before I post on topic 3 (PLCs as a means for in-house professional development run by special educators for general educators). One, it's kind of a beast of an idea, and two, I don't feel I know enough about either PLCs or the special education system to proffer an educated or implementable system. With that said, let me begin.

Part I

My take on the first day of classes

I have no clue how many of my facebook friends read this blog and check my status updates (I know they can be twitter-like at times, sorry), but on Sunday night my status read:

New khakis? Check. Button-up shirt and sweater vest? Check. NC State logo bow tie? Check. Textbooks? psshh...who needs those? Tomorrow's gonna be a good day.

If you can't tell from that status update, the amount of "academic" and "big" words I use, and the topics of my post, I'm a pretty big nerd. I love school (well, not all the time) and I think that's part of the reason I want to be a teacher, I don't want to leave school, ever. The prospect of walking into a classroom on the first day of a semester and starting the process of acquiring new skills and knowledge is exciting to me. Maybe I'm weird, who knows?

When I look at the first day of classes each semester and my attitude towards them, not much has changed since the first days of school each year in Elementary school. As you can gather from the above quote, I still dress up. I enjoy getting dressed up, and the first day of classes is another opportunity (read: excuse) to do so, but it goes beyond that. I think that it makes me different in a class of 300. It sends the right message to my professors, and while it may put some of my peers off, at least they'll be able to spot the nerd easily and avoid me if they so choose.

Maybe it's just in the College of Education or just in the smaller classes I've taken during my time here at NCSU, but there seems to always be time allotted for icebreakers on the first meeting of class. I usually am not that enthusiastic about them to start with, but by the end I see the value in them and appreciate the fact that the professor is making an honest attempt to not only get us to learn each others' names, but also to learn our names as well. Obviously, playing an ice-breaker type game in a class of 300 is a logistical nightmare, but it is what it is. I genuinely appreciate the effort of these teachers, and it's usually a nice transition into note-taking or whatever the class entails, so if nothing else it's a little bit of social time before one is expected to sit quietly.

This is my sixth semester here at NCSU, and in the past five semesters I can't remember one where I actually introduced myself to each of my professors, and especially not on the first day. I actually felt that it would benefit me and my professors, and again, make a good impression if I made the effort to do just that this semester. What I've learned is that professors tend to enjoy talking to students one on one, they are not nearly as intimidating as they look at the front of the lecture hall, and they may even remember your name and face. Everything I just said didn't come as a surprise and they're things I've always known, but having them reinforced is always nice. In introducing myself to my Geology professor (a 300+ person class), I learned that not only does he have a multitude of online resources on the course website for me and other students, but he also has material on his website specifically for K-12 Science teachers, a resource I may just use in the future. He also took a second to offer his (positive) opinion on the textbook used to teach Geology at the middle school level, which hit home with me (yes, I still remember those skinny Prentice Hall books that changed every unit) and showed me how dedicated he is to Science education at all levels. And to think, this guy has taught (by his calculations) somewhere near 25% of NCSU students/alums since he began here roughly thirty years ago. It's kind of mind-boggling to me.

I guess my love of school, and all that comes with it (excitement, dressing up, enjoying ice-breakers, and talking with professors) stems from how energizing I find school to be. I have not always been energized by school at all levels, but now that I'm in a program I'm truly passionate about and enjoy spending free time learning about school has become a lens to focus that energy and interest in Education. The first day of classes embodies this to me. I love learning new things, and the first day you walk into a class you know that you're going to learn something new, even if it's just what the professor looks and acts like or how the guy who is sitting next to you really doesn't need to eat at Taco Bell. Ever.

As I look around my classrooms (maybe not my education classes so much), I don't see the same enthusiasm from my peers. It bothers me that I find school such an exciting time and place, but others see school as the end product. As a diploma only. Please, leave a comment and let me know that I'm not the only one that enjoys school. Feel free to tell me why you think my attitude is uncommon, or at least I perceive it to be. I don't care, but please someone tell me I'm not the only one that feels this way about school. Or am I?

Part II
Syllabi: Student-Teacher Contract or Waste of a First Day?

I guess the subtitle under Part II is a little misleading, because I think one would be hard-pressed to find a teacher that didn't subscribe to the idea that their syllabus is a means for expressing their expectations for students and giving the students an idea of what they can expect from them. In that sense it's an informal contract, although I'm pretty sure if there was a discrepancy between grading procedures as described in the syllabus and how grading procedures were actually implemented, one would be able to use the syllabus as a means to right said discrepancy. With that being said, it is the implementation of syllabi and their effect on the first day of classes that has me thinking (Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!).

There was a stark difference in Dr. Blanchard (Introduction to Science Education) and Dr. Kimberley's approach to their syllabi, and I wondered why this could be, since their philosophies on syllabi (at least, according to what they said implicitly and explicitly) are roughly equivalent. It was Dr. Blanchard that actually gave me the notion to think of syllabi as student-teacher contracts, as she used those exact words during class on Monday. She also went on to say that she won't expect any more of us than what she outlined in the syllabus, and she may even expect less (only if we're lucky), but there are clear expectations for both herself and students alike on paper and in front of us. And, besides showing us where to find it on her Vista page and giving us a cursory look at what it contains, we didn't really talk that much about it. In fact, she explicitly told us that reading it over was our job and that she expected questions about it next class meeting. Now, compare that with Dr. Kimberley (who I have thoroughly enjoyed in the two times I've sat in Witherspoon), who used the first class meeting for reading the syllabus to us. He even said something along the lines of: "here's where I assume you can't read." Which is funny, yes, but also sad. We wasted a whole fifty minute lecture period going over class procedures and whatnot. In my opinion, it's a waste.

If syllabi are really to be seen by both teachers and students alike as contracts for each other's expectations of how the class is to run, then both must take them seriously. For students it's a free class period to nap, do homework, text, browse facebook, or a myriad of other things. And, I can't with any accuracy say what they are to teachers as a whole, so I won't. Basically, all that's to say that if teachers expect us to read and absorb the information on the syllabus, don't waste a class period reading it aloud to us. Professors give students an easy out for not reading it: they just read it to us. The flip side of that is that when a professor hands out/shows one where to find their syllabus on the web and tells/asks/implores that one read it carefully, then actually do it. This will save both sides a lot of headaches down the line, and while students (myself included) may not like jumping right into lecture our first day back it may just put the class on track for the professor to cancel class the day/night of the Carolina game or on a random day during the semester (music to every one's ears).

Think about it, chew on it, spit it back out, do what you want (if anything) with the above post. I hope this was worth the wait. I feel as if I put in a double dose of effort and words in this post so, even though I didn't keep my original promise from Monday, hopefully this makes up for it.

-Jason

p.s.- Just a quick plug: if you're going into education, are currently a teacher, or going into any sort of business where you'll be working with others, then reading Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year is something I'd recommend. It's written by Parry Graham and William Ferriter (a Wake county teacher whose blog I follow entitled The Tempered Radical). Check it out (or, if you go to State, you can borrow my copy when I'm done reading it). It's relatively cheap and so far it's been a good read for me and it seems as if it will continue to be a good read.

I'm a horrible person...I know

All,

I know I said I would post some time today/tonight, but unfortunately between NC State beating Florida State, Halo 3, and Mario Kart I can't keep my end of the bargain. :( I promise I will post tomorrow. As much as it pains me to say it, getting a good night's sleep before classes tomorrow is a higher priority than keeping my end of the bargain.

Your crappy blogger,
Jason

p.s.- If I can't sleep, or my roommate's snoring wakes me up in the middle of the night, I will sit down and post.

First day of classes down

All,

As the title suggests, I just recently (6:55 pm, which I guess isn't that recently) finished up my first day of classes for the spring semester. There should be a "like" button on blogger for momentous achievements such as this, but I digress. I had a decent break between Introduction to Science Education (EMS 203) and Teaching Exceptional Students (ECI 416) and had left my iPods, computer, and book (Building a Professional Learning Community at Work) back in my room. What was I to do? Well, being the innovative and prepared Boy Scout that I am, I pulled out a trusty piece of notebook paper. On that magical sheet I made brief outlines for topics that I had thought about that day that would be worth chattering about (Get it? It's a reference to my blog's title. Clever, huh?). I have four topics on this wonderful piece of paper, but I'll pare it down to three just for the sake of making my life easier.


Here they are:

1. My take on the first day of classes
   
2. Philosophies of and implementation of syllabi on the first day of classes
   
3. PLCs as a tool for Special education-led professional development for General education teachers
   

More on one or all of these tomorrow. I didn't sleep last night, and I'm pretty sure anything I'd write tonight would be crap, and what's the point of making outlines if you're just going to write it then and now (or as close to then and now as is reasonable)? Plus, if anyone's reading they'll get a bit of a cliffhanger. Tune in tomorrow. Same chatter time, same chatter station (Do you see what I did there? It's an Adam West-era Batman reference. I'm on fire tonight.) 'Til later.

The state of State Athletics: It's been on my mind for a while now

All,

I don't want to turn this into a sports blog. That being said, I'm going to take a short break from talking about harder issues to tackle and talk about the state of State athletics. As I said in my first post, I'm a student at NC State University. Don't get me wrong, I think our two marquee sports teams (football and men's basketball) are making strides in the right direction (football more than basketball, but again, just my opinion). Yes Sidney Lowe is still green as far as NCAA coaches go, and maybe firing him and getting someone else would turn the program around, or at least get it back to where Sendek had it. BUT...I honestly don't think that the coaches are even the heart of the problem.

Honestly, I think the heart of the problem lies with our Athletic Director, Lee Fowler. I could break out the stats and records, but some guy on StateFans Nation already did that in the comments section of this article. It's the sixth comment down (the long one), and you can read it here. This guy's/gal's homework looks good and having lived with a State alum from the 1970's, I can tell you that there is an ever-growing sense of disgust with the state of all State athletics.

My biggest problem with Lee is that he does nothing to garner student support or enthusiasm. Sure, we have the campout for Carolina basketball tickets, which always has a good turnout, but other than that, where is the buzz about basketball and football season? Maybe I hang out with the wrong crowd on campus, but I get the sense that football attendance among students is only as high as it is because of the opportunity for public drunkenness. And, after going to the basketball game on Sunday against Florida, the energy from students (including myself) is lacking. I can guarantee that most students at State want us to compete for ACC and National Championships in our major sports, and we should be acting like it at all the games, yes...even the ones where we're getting blown out or have a horrible showing. Don't let it seem like I'm bashing on students. I'm guilty of the aforementioned transgressions too. Let's focus on Lee. He's shown that State can run a clean program, court the big donors, build facilities, and have good standing with the media (him personally, that is). Instead of talking to the News & Observer as much as he does, why doesn't Lee talk to us lowly students? We constantly fill our sections in Carter-Finley and the RBC Center and contribute part of our tuition to your program and salary. Sure, we may not give as much as your big donors, but our lack of interest in sports is not giving our players any warm and fuzzies after games. Bring back the buzz, Lee. Or maybe we'll just start some buzz that it's time for you, not Sidney Lowe or Tom O'Brien to go.

Take it for what it is...just some frustration from an avid student and supporter of Wolfpack sports. And, while I can't say I agree with all the coaching decisions made by our coaches or am overly impressed every game by our players' effort, I don't think it's the heart of our mediocrity. It's at the top. It's Lee Fowler.