Concluding Post: An Open Letter to My Students

Dear Past, Current, and Future Students,

Whether it is hello again or hello for the first time, I’d like to start off by sharing a quick story with you.  In the fall of my 8^th grade year at Central Middle School in Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, I completed a life map for one of my classes.  In this map, I had to identify memorable and “defining” experiences in my past as well as include goals I would like to accomplish in the future.  I ended up saving this life map and stored it with other papers, projects, awards, and artifacts in a box labeled “Amanda – School” in my parent’s basement.  I recently went through this box and came across my life map – what was once an assignment now became a time capsule of sorts.  I read over the goals I had 

Ms. Raupp's 8th Grade Life Map

set for myself and reflected on what I had actually accomplished since 2003.

Play basketball, sing in the choir all four years of high school, and graduate with a high GPA – check!  Attend and graduate from the University of Michigan – check!  Work at a latchkey program in the Plymouth-Canton Schools throughout college and start substitute teaching after graduation – check!  This is a little eerie…every goal that I had set for myself I actually accomplished.  I partly attribute this to being goal-oriented and driven – when I set my mind to do something, I do it!  I am also a planner (for those of you I taught in the past, you can attest to this).  I like having a big picture in mind so that I can be fully prepared for what lies ahead. 

As I keep reading through my life map, I did not get hired to teach in Plymouth-Canton.  Instead, I landed in Livonia Public Schools where I was able to teach in five schools over two and a half years of working in the district.  I was fortunate to work with an amazingly talented staff whom I learned so much from and an awesome group of students (for all of my former students reading this, you truly are awesome!).  I’m adding a scenic route to my map; I will be moving to Hartland Consolidated Schools to teach this upcoming school year (for my current students, I am look forward to discovering how awesome you are!).  As for further down the road, who knows?  I am at a point now where I know myself well enough – both personally and professionally – to be willing to accept the uncertainty of not knowing what lies ahead, but learning to embrace the journey.

So at this point you are probably asking yourself, “Why is Ms. Raupp sharing this with us?”  (And if you are, that’s great – I want you to keep asking “WHY?” for the rest of your life!)  Many people consider life to be a journey and I want to challenge you to think of your time as a student as a journey.  Educator Ralph W. Tyler says, “Learning takes places through the experiences which the learner has.”  And it is through my own personal journey that I can share how true that statement is.  I could watch my mom cook dinner night after night, but didn’t learn how to cook myself until I got my hands dirty and actually started cooking on my own.  I could watch my 10^th grade math teacher go over countless examples of factoring, but never have the confidence in my own skills to factor until I had practiced on my own.  I could sit through hours of lecture in education courses in college and read textbook after textbook about educational theories and what to do when teaching and what not to do when teaching, yet I never actually learned what teaching truly entails until I was able to experience teaching as a student teacher and later on as a teacher.  It took being thrown into a classroom of my own for me to think and act like a teacher.  I’ve learned that the best learning occurs not through reading, watching, or listening – but through experiencing.

I am still learning to embrace this philosophy in my personal life and professional life.  As your teacher, I am going to make every attempt to provide as many opportunities as I can for you to engage in learning experiences that are appropriate for your skills, abilities, needs, and interests that will in turn advance your knowledge base.  Educational theorist John Dewey related curriculum to a map:  A map provides direction to guide a student’s journey through school.  My role as an educator is that of a facilitator; I will plan lessons and activities that you will be able to experience.  I must admit that I feel I let down some of my past students because I tended to exert a little too much control.  I wanted all of my students to master an objective in a particular manner and frankly that is completely unrealistic considering the diverse needs, strengths, and weaknesses of my students.  I have learned (and am still learning) to hand over more control to YOU.  There are many paths students can travel and still master a curricular objective.  That is my promise to current and future students:  I am going to allow you to jump into a lesson or activity without holding your hand every step of the way.  (After all, you’re not a little kid anymore.  But don’t panic, I’ll still be there to provide support and advice.)  Through your own unique experiences, you will be drawn to topics that will simply “click” for you. Other topics will frustrate you beyond belief.  But I want you to remember that each experience you encounter as a student, whether positive or negative, will guide you in learning how to learn – and that is truly a life skill. 

Use these experiences to learn more about yourself as a student and, more importantly, as a person.  Just because you leave school, doesn’t mean you are no longer a student (I still consider myself a student).  Embrace learning experiences when they are presented in your life.  Feel free to use the map that I’ve shared with you as a guide, but don’t be alarmed if roadblocks appear and a detour is needed…sometimes a path less traveled leads to a more rewarding and fulfilling experience.  Feel free to pursue your own paths on your journey; although uncharted territory may be slightly nerve-racking and intimidating, look forward to the places you’ll go and the people you’ll meet and know that you‘ll learn a lot through each and every experience.

Wishing you all the best on your own personal journey!  To the students I taught in the past, hope you enjoyed the time when our paths crossed.  To my current and future students, looking forward to being part of your educational journey – looking forward to the many learning experiences that await us!

Best Wishes,

Ms. Raupp

Cycle Three: Should the Curriculum Address Controversial Issues?

As we near the end of TE 818, the readings for this cycle accentuated the role of the hidden curriculum in schools.  The hidden curriculum consists of the “unspoken or implicit academic, social, and cultural messages that are communicated to students while they are in school.”  Curriculum is as much about what we don’t say as what we do say.

I feel that a disconnect exists between the formal lessons taught in school and the major social, cultural, and political movements within our society that impact the hidden curriculum.  It is as if we have set up a barrier in an attempt to protect the innocence of our youth from the (sometimes harsh) realities of society.  Let’s not address the latest landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage (although I truly believe that Obergefell vs. Hodges will become a famous case that will be grouped along with human rights cases of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka and Roe vs. Wade).  Let’s turn a blind eye to the immigration issues that are sparking national debates among political parties.  Let’s ignore the fact that women only earn 78 cents for every dollar a man earns.  Let’s not teach about underlying racial issues that still exist in the 21^st century in this country as we acknowledge the one-year anniversary of the Ferguson, Missouri incident.

Is this barrier healthy for our children?  I would argue no.  If one aim of our pubic school system is to produce informed citizens who can productively contribute to the growth of our democratic society, then we are doing our students, and in the long-term our society, a disservice.  If we keep protecting our students from relevant issues in our society, some of which may be controversial, then we are limiting their opportunities to seek our valid and reliable information, examine and think critically about that information, and allow them to form educated opinions.  We hinder their ability to share their viewpoint with others and listen to different perspectives.  Keeping this barrier up forms a taboo of sorts on certain topics – teachers and students show reservations to talk about a topic, which means that when it happens to enter into classroom discourse everyone is uncomfortable.  This doesn’t sound like a productive learning environment to me.

So how do we break down this barrier between the formal academic curriculum and the socio-cultural hidden curriculum?  Silin suggests introducing “controversial” issues early on to promote comfortable conversation within the classroom, sharing information that is developmentally and experientially appropriate, as well as examining societal responses to issues and discussing the student role as a change agent.  In no way should the incorporation of such issues be contrived; the integration of these issues can be easily embedded within the formal curriculum.  For example, when talking about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s, a class can discuss the reprecussions of the movement 50 years later.  Has racism been eliminated?  Students can talk about the effects of the movement on our political system (What does the election of our first African-American president in 2008 tell us about our current societal values and beliefs?), our justice system (the 2014 Ferguson, Missouri incident), and our school system (Do schools provide equal educational opportunities for all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, social class, etc.”).

Another example that comes to mind is the discussion of the family structure that often occurs at the elementary level of schooling.  The mainstream concept of a nuclear family – father, mother, and children – can no longer be assumed in today’s society.  With approximately 50% of marriages ending in divorce, blended families are becoming more prevalent among our student population and thus we extend the concept of family to include step-father, step-mother, step-sibling, and half-sibling.  Same-sex marriages are also becoming more prevalent, so it is likely that some of our students have two mothers or two fathers.  My sister works for a latchkey program at an elementary school.  One of the girls who attends has lesbian parents who divorced and both women got remarried.  This girl now has four moms!  We can also talk about how extended family members live together in one house, a common practice in some cultures.  Clearly, families come in many shapes and sizes and through discussion with our students we can share how there is no one structure that defines a family.

Silin claims, “While there needs to be a space for mastery (of course topics), there also needs to be a role for understanding and acceptance, emancipation and liberation.”  Addressing “controversial” issues through a critical lens, as described in the two examples above, can fill this current void in our educational system.

Although breaking down this barrier is important for our students and democratic society, Eckholm’s article “In Efforts to End Bullying, Some See Agenda” featured in the New York Times highlights resistance parents, religious groups, and political groups may exert in an attempt to keep “controversial” issues outside of classroom dialogue.  For instance, many Christian activists believe lessons about gay parents legitimize same-sex marriage.  I would argue that our students are exposed to some of these “controversial” topics in popular media through TV shows such as “Modern Family” and music such as “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.  Why not provide students a safe environment in schools to process their thoughts on these issues and address any misinformation portrayed in popular media?  I support Messinger’s statement in the article:  “It is not about advocating a lifestyle, but making sure our children understand it, and I hope, accept it.”  Respect, tolerance, and acceptance are important values to aim for when learning about social and cultural differences and schools can be one institution that provides opportunities for children to establish these values.

Cycle Two: How Should a Curriculum Be Created? How Should Its Success Be Evaluated?

Ralph W. Tyler believes that “learning takes place through the experiences which the learner has.”  The teacher’s role is to set up a structured, stimulating environment in which the student can be an active participant in the learning process.  By identifying major elements of content to design learning activities around and deciding on an organizational plan to provide a framework that guides instructional practices, teachers are providing learning experiences for students to engage in.  Interestingly enough, it is often the case that no two students in the same class (receiving the same learning opportunities) will have the same learning experiences. 

In this sense, I introduce yet another metaphor for curriculum (that seems to be my theme for this course!) – the development of curriculum is comparable to the creation of a quilt.  Quilt makers begin with a design in mind and stitch together several pieces of fabric of varying shapes, sizes, and colors to create a whole product.  Teachers plan for learning experiences by developing a design suitable for their students’ interests and needs.  The students are then responsible for the majority of the legwork – understanding course elements by creating meaning, making connections, and asking questions.  This active process allows students to bond their learning into a coherent whole.  This can explain for the variety in sizes, patterns, and colors of quilts – each represents the unique needs, interests, and motivations of students.  This metaphor really clicks for me as it highlights the responsibility of teachers to be prepared yet flexible in providing different opportunities and has students take ownershipof their learning experiences.

Although different patterns and stitches may be used (representing different connections made by students), students should be afforded the opportunity to build a strong and durable quilt.  Their education should provide them with a solid grasp of content knowledge and cultural knowledge so that they can live life successfully – develop and nurture personal relationships, support themselves financially, and positively contribute to their community. 

Standards are increasingly impacting curriculum development.  As Siskin claims, the establishment of standards identifies which subjects and content will be tested, therefore, determining what type of knowledge counts.  Consequently, this creates a narrowedcurriculum in which only the core subjects are valued.  I would argue that this “one size fits all” approach is unhealthy for our students and removes (to some degree) the ownership they possess over their learning experiences.  With a narrowed curriculum, we will have less of a variety of quilts our students produce during their K-12 experience.  There will no longer be different patterns, colors, and stitching to admire; rather each students will produce (or attempt to produce) the same quilt to reflect their same experiences within the narrowed curriculum.  In essence, a narrowed curriculum allows for no creativity or exploration and sacrifices the beauty that often accompanies a path less traveled.

I am going to step away from the quilt metaphor as I sum up my post on the topic of evaluation of curriculum.  The current educational system uses test scores to evaluate curriculum, teachers, and schools.  I admit, a single test score representing the “average student” is quite advantageous as it is easy to calculate.  However, by using student test scores as an evaluation measure, we are placing more emphasis on performing well on tests and less of a focus on using what students learn to help them be successful in life outside of school.  Our students have mastered how to take a standardized multiple-choice exam…great.  How is this going to help them in the workplace?  How is this going to help them be collaborative and engage in meaningful conversation with others?  How are students going to be able to apply what they learned in school to real life situations?

Eisner challenges the current evaluation system by asking, “Are test scores the criteria we want to use?”  He suggests several other questions that should be driving evaluation in the educational system:

• ·      What is the intellectual significance of the ideas our students encounter?
• ·      What connections are students making between what they study in school and the world outside of school?
• ·      What kinds of problems/activities do students engage in?
• ·      What opportunities do students have to work cooperatively?
• ·      Are students encouraged to raise questions about what they have studied?
• ·      To what degree are students engaged in what they do?

Perhaps a more holistic approach (combining some or all of these guiding questions) can be utilized for an evaluation tool, one that will provide a clearer picture of areas of strengths and areas in which there is room for improvement.  Such an approach will provide guidance in the continual modification, tweaking, and revamping of curriculum in order to provide the best possible learning experiences for students.

Cycle One: What is curriculum? What is its purpose? What is the relationship between student and curriculum?

William H. Schubert, educational scholar, best encompasses the ideal of curriculum when he wrote, “Curriculum, at its root, deals with the central question of what is worth knowing, …experiencing, doing, and being.”  As I read through each piece of text for this cycle, I kept returning to this statement.  When I grapple with questions of “What skills are most important for my students to learn?”  “Why is it important that I teach these skills?”  “What order should I teach course concepts in order to maximize student learning experiences?” and “What resources do I have available and/or can I access to add to student learning experiences?”  I’m contemplating the role of curriculum in my teaching and my students’ learning.

I found myself relating to John Dewey’s metaphor of curriculum providing a map that outlines students’ previous experiences and provides a guide for future experiences.  A teacher can use a curriculum map to gain insight into what students should have learned (skills, behaviors, etc.) and provide direction on what students should learn in a particular course.  Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), the more that I considered this metaphor, I came to realize that thinking of curriculum as a map reinforces the “one size fits all” view of education.  I know that a “one size fits all view” is unrealistic in a school environment as our students are diverse in their abilities, skills, interests, and motivations.  For instance, when I taught 7^th graders, those students who had attended the same elementary school had access to the same academic resources within the same curriculum, yet there were vast differences in the skill sets they entered my classroom with.  Technically, students were exposed to the same curriculum, but they came away with different experiences with course content (some had a very strong number sense, whereas others demonstrated a strength in geometric principles).  Although a map may provide insight into a group as a whole, it does not shed light on individuals – strengths, weaknesses, learning style, etc.  Therefore, as educators it is important to remember that while curriculum maps may be helpful in providing a general framework, we need to insert the children as a key component in determining what should be taught.

Dewey touches upon the divide between the child and the curriculum.  He highlights three areas of divergence.

1. The chasm between the narrow, personal world of a child and the huge, impersonal world of facts.  (I would argue that this divide is decreasing in size due to the Internet’s power to break down barriers and allow for people to easily share ideas.  Nevertheless, the chasm still exists.) 
2. Children consider their life as a whole experiences, whereas curriculum is divided into specializations (i.e. math, science, social studies, English, music, art, …)
3. Children are concerned about the practical and emotional connections they can create, while curriculum is built upon the logical classification of facts. 

As a math teacher, I really struggle with the first and third divergences.  How can I provide learning experiences for students in a way that is relevant and meaningful to their life?  (Being able to address this question will allow me to better be able to answer that all-too-famous student question directed toward math teachers:  “When am I ever going to be able to use this???)  This past year I had my Algebra 2 students construct a rollercoaster during our unit on polynomials.  Many of my students enjoyed this hands-on learning activity as they worked in teams on applying math, physics, architecture, and engineering principles.  Although I try to plan engaging learning activities for every lesson, sometimes I don’t feel that I am narrowing the divide between my students’ experiences and interests and the subject matter.  According to Sir Ken Robinson's TED Talk on Changing Education Paradigms, are these lessons doing more bad than good?

Knowing that our students’ experiences should be a driving force in shaping curriculum, should children have a say in making curriculum decisions?  That is, should our students’ interests and concerns shape what they learn in school?  If so, to what degree?  To pose a broader question:  Who should be responsible for deciding, “…what is worth knowing, …experiencing, doing, and being” – students, parents, teachers, administrators, businesses, community members, politicians?  And at what level should these decisions be made – school, district, regional, state, or national?  Understanding who the role players are in making curriculum decisions is a gray area for me as I seek to gain a deeper understanding of curriculum. 

Regardless of who is responsible, those charged with the great responsibility of curriculum development need to continually discuss, evaluate, and reflect upon the underlying educational aims:  What should the curriculum accomplish?  Who benefits from the development of the curriculum – the individual students or society as a whole?

As I reflect on the questions shared at the beginning of the post, I know that “What?” and “Why?” go hand-in-hand in developing curriculum and planning appropriate instruction to align with curricular objectives and goals.  It is only after I consider these two aspects that I will be able to take subject matter and prepare instruction that is within the range and scope of my students’ lives.