Well...in response to the video Iowa: Did You Know?
No I did not know the statistics in education were that bad! AHHHH. I just finished reading how surprisingly good the American educational system is doing in Best Practice. Ok yes but obviously improvements are there to be made.
In response to the question posed by McLeod's "Iowa" video: "Are we doing what is best for our students, or are we doing what is most convenient for us?"
The answer is absolutely what is convenient for us. There is a serious Catch-22 in the educational system: it is a profession that should have the highest-qualified professionals/ relay amazing results in educational gains and yet it somehow is undeniably over-populated with mediocre teachers who (for a plethora of reasons) have stopped learning, have quit educating themselves and are just cranking out the basics, the conveniences, the antiquated methods. Uninspired. Ineffective.
We've all heard the reasons. We've heard colleagues say these things. Let's start with a few: there's enough work as it is for a teacher to do to learn and incorporate new concepts. Just teach the kids the basics--that turned out fine for us, didn't it? Well the kids will have to learn at some point that they can't always do what's fun.
But as the Iowa video points out, the world has changed...and will continue at astonishing speeds! Surely a classroom model that could substitue in 1890 should not work today!
I must point to Karl Fisch's comment on http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/05/well_whats_your.html and agree that for the most part, teachers have good intentions! However, if you stop educating yourself on the many aspects of being an educator, good intentions aren't enough!
By the way, isn't it Fisch's original "Iowa" video that he presented at his staff meeting the catalyst for this demonstration?
Educators should be on the cutting edge of their profession; you wouldn't trust a foot surgeon who wasn't up to date in his practice (reference the 1995 Tampa incident). Why should teachers be forgiven continuing education and professional improvement? Our job is supposed to be one of the most important in the country--how can we believe it is with such low competency standards?
So what do we do? Begin by being the example of professionalism and knowledge at your school. Attitudes are contagious and if we want to move our schools forward, it starts with us. Who knows, maybe 100 years from now, educators will be very highly regarded. Or maybe if we are ineffective, a computer will replace us.
