When I was in grade school I did not have any say in what I was taught or how I would be assessed. Occasionally, I had an assignment where I was given some choice on the topic, but other than that I followed the instruction of my teacher. I am not suggesting this was a bad thing, I am just realizing there is more than one way to approach instruction and assessment. I'm wondering if students should be given more freedom to make choices in their education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf52HWRiobg
So how does Sethi's talk connect to the development of curriculum and assessment tools?
As a student I always saw school as something I had to do with very little explanation of why it was required or what it would do for me. I felt a lot like Charlie Brown in this illustration:
As a student I always saw school as something I had to do with very little explanation of why it was required or what it would do for me. I felt a lot like Charlie Brown in this illustration:
https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/category/comparing-medicine-and-education/
When school becomes an isolated part of a child's life they begin to lose sight of the purpose. School and life become disconnected and the importance of doing well in school wanes away for most students. THIS is what Sethi was targeting in her talk. Getting students excited about their education and empowering them to make a change in their world should be the goal of our education system! John Dewey touched on this as well. He said that education is not preparation for life; education is life itself (Dewey, 1893). As Dewey so confidently made this statement, I also believe he spoke it with a hint of hope for what education should be. He could only hope that our education system would be life for students as I am sure he, an educational reformist, was fully aware of the state of education in the late 1800's.
So back to my initial question: How much say should students have in developing curriculum and in designing assessment tools and rubrics?
I believe teachers should give students a more important role in developing their curriculum and assessing their work. It is important that students gain a sense of ownership of their learning and take responsibility of their progress. Here is a great resource for learning how to involve students in creating rubrics they will be assessed with. Sethi's talk has inspired me to approach education from a perspective of aiming to empower students to bring change in their worlds. When we empower students to BE, there is no limit!
References
Dewey, J. (1893). Self-Realization as the Moral Ideal. The Philosophical Review. Retrieved
from http://archive.org/details/jstor-2176020
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging
the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
from http://archive.org/details/jstor-2176020
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging
the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
Hi Maddy,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly believe that giving children more power or say in their education motivates them and gives them the confidence that you believe in them, increasing their effort. Giving children more involvement in such important areas I feel will help them to be more active citizens as well. I too see similarities between aware, enable and empower to the know, do, be model. I see her framework as more action driven, they seem more powerful, for to be aware is more than just to know something. To be enabled is more meaningful than to do something, and to be empowered is more inspiring and motivating than to be. Her model creates a need almost for a gatekeeper to children’s success and progress, meanwhile with know, do, be I feel it could still be seen as just providing the children the right information. Dewey’s quote is a great model for any individual who will be working with children, rather than confining the learning and lessons to a classroom we should be prepared to act on teachable moments we come across within any context. I think this quote can address your original question (how much say should students have in developing curriculum and in designing assessment tools and rubrics?). It relates through needing to connect children’s school and outside school lives in the curriculum. The child’s interests being in the curriculum will keep children motivated and eager to learn. Also it is very important that children have a say in assessment tools and rubrics, I’ve never had the opportunity to do so, however it will guarantee children agree and understand what is expected ahead of time. Great blog interesting video!
Maddy, this is such a great thought. In a perfect world we could teach kids exactly what they want know, and have them interested in the most important stands of education keeping them engaged and empowered! We know however that this can't happen over night. It seems we are stuck in this paradox where we are pushing our students to "be", be involved, be engaged, be interested. But then we dictate exactly how we want them to know and do. These two things rival each other.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up a sense of ownership students should have in their learning. I think this is so important for setting students up for secondary and post-secondary where you have more choice in what you want your education to look like. Many students are like deer in head lights because they dont know how to control their academic lives because we have never given them the chance! Like you suggested if we start giving them appropriate amounts of control in the primary years, they will stay more engaged and will have, in my opinion a better grasp on why they are learning what they are learning. This makes them make connections to themselves, and the world around them.
Great blog topic, this intersects so many other topics and articles we have read in the past years, I was able to make a lot of connections and comparisons!
Maddy, great question about whether or not students should have a say in the curriculum and in their assessment. I believe that children should gradually develop a sense of ownership and control over their learning. Giving opportunities for children to showcase their knowledge in meaningful ways will allow them to make connections with the material they are learning in school and with the outside world. Connecting Sethi’s model of aware, enable, empower, and the know, do, be in education will permit children to take what they learned and to help improve society. I would have loved to hear about different experiences from different sources but I loved how you integrated Sethi’s TED talk into your blog!
ReplyDeleteOne time in grade 8 business class we had to come up with a business plan for a new product and then actually make the product and sell it. By having the knowledge of how to run a business, I was able to implement the skills and produce a product, market it, and sell it. With this experience, I now have knowledge of how to run a business and become a successful entrepreneur. That experience gave me practical skills that I could draw upon if I wanted to start my own small business. What are some challenges that teachers would face planning these activities to implement the concept of empowerment? Would teachers have the time and how would they evaluate it?