This semester I was enrolled in class called Strategies for Curriculum Change. Before class began, I was preparing for another typical MSU grad class with a bunch of busy work and some relevant material.
Luckily, I was wrong in my assumptions; not every class has to be that way!
Strategies for Curriculum Change did not state that everything needs to change. Also, it did not state that technology is the end of education. I believe that the course promoted the idea that technology is a good way to change some areas of education; moreover, it invited us to assess our current state and brainstorm some possible changes. This is important, because many of our schools just change things for the sake of change. General blanket changes do not improve a situation. Conversely, when something is analyzed and ineffective areas are discovered, appropriate change does help. If your car is not working correctly, you do not buy a new car. You bring it to a mechanic, who trouble shoots the problem and fixes it.
As a new administrator, the abovementioned is critical; we cannot go into a position and try to change a school. We need to be clinical and brainstorm some new ideas that can help curriculum, school culture and other facets of education.
Looking toward the future and preparing for the inevitable was another idea that was salient throughout the course. I also interpreted that the class itself saw this as a positive challenge. Seeing the future's challenges in a positive light and being proactive with regard to curriculum is a healthy perspective for a school leader/agent of change. As an administrator in waiting, I plan on promoting the abovementioned value; we need to be positive and suppress the cynicism that has stifled progress in schools. An agent of change knows this and must also recruit more agents while trying to change or neutralize skeptical individuals.
The aforementioned became evident while working on the curriculum project with my partners. We were trying to incorporate a "true" service learning component in each year of high school in preparation for an alternative senior year. We constantly argued about how this change would be received by the school; few people like change and we were worried if this plan would be to ambitious or ill-received. We finally agreed to go for it based on the premise that change is needed and the risk must be taken.
Another feature of the course that really captured our attention was that it practiced what it preached. Technology was promoted via the use of technology. Curriculum change was promoted via a unique course design. Also, class discussion complimented all of the abovementioned characteristics.
From this course I will take many of the applicable ideas mentioned in the above discussion. Most of all, I will take the idea that believing in something is different that believing in it and doing something about it.
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8 comments:
Joe,
As always, it's enjoyable to read your comments. I agree, I registered for this class because it's on the list. I didn't really have high expectations, this class didn't fit the many that we are given a bunch of busy work and a lot of irrelevant readings. It was enjoyable and state of the art at the same time.
Everything doesn't need to be changed, just sharing ideas with others in the class helps me realize that there's more than one way to approach change. I enjoyed reading your blogs and looking forward to hearing your final project.
Hi, Joe. I also found this class to be a pleasant and welcome change from some of the other grad classes I have taken. And I agree with all of your points, especially your final one about enacting change through a strong belief AND a commitment to following through and completing an iniative.
The critical component in change that you stated is exactly the way in which true lasting curriculum changes will take place. We must analyze our current curriculum to find the weaknesses and search for the causes, then we can proceed. I think sometimes educational change is top down with little regard for the intial problems in a school system nor their many variables of causes.
Administrators that have taken a course like this one, are much beeter prepared to be critical and reflective leaders of change.
I have to agree with you too. This class has been the most "out of the norm" class for me and yet I have a unique grasp on education now that I did not have before. The professor opened up avenues of exploration that I know I would not have ventured out there without specific directions on my own.
Change is good and sometimes yes, we do not have to buy a new car just because something is not that okay with the old one. On a female's perspective...It would be like not buying an entire outfit..( ouch!! That is hard not to do), but maybe just a few accessories that will enhance the change needed.
I really was a little nervous at first and when we had to do our own video, I really had a stroke, but now I am confident and can bring my new technology advances to the table and go on. I even told my students about GOOGLE in New York. WHo knows, maybe I will have a few students work there??
Joe, over the semester I enjoyed reading what you had to say. Just like you and many others I thought that this class was going to be filled with useless busy work. I am glad I was wrong. This class allowed us to see just how much the education world needs change and how to go about doing it. Thinking about it and doing it are two different things. It is time some of us start to do something about what needs to be done.
Joe, I whole-hearetedly agree with you and all of your posters. I think that this class gave us an opportunity to witness firsthand true technological infusion to our work that MSU claims to promote. This class gave us a chance to use different technology plus it gave us a chance to actualyl leaarn the curriculum materials. I cannot speak for everyone, but my first curriculum class was simply a discussion, literally every week, about what the word curriculum meant. That is what I think was a great benefit from this course.
Joe,
Like the others I too have enjoyed your writings. You have a natural flow that also is very reflective. I can only imagine that your classes must be like that too; easy to understand yet deep.
I think you raise some good points with regard to technology. But even still, do you worry that you are not tech-savvy enough to become an administrator? Given the changes that we have already seen with regard to technology and the certainty that teaching and administering in schools will only become more tech-dependent, I wish that I had done more to prepare myself. In a job interview I would be hard pressed to talk about how I am prepared to "help move this school into the 21st century". I really think I need to make a conscious effort to familiarize myself better with technology and do a better job of using it in the classroom. I use things like iMovie for projects, but the truth of the matter is that I rely heavily on the students' prior knowledge and I learn much more from them than they do from me.
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