When best practice simply isn't good enough

These last months have been eye-opener for me. I have become more cognizant about my role as an educator and the massive responsibility that this entails.  There is one quote by Eric Hoffer that has resonated in my head:

"In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists."

This quote has forced me to question my own practice. I have always strived to use best practice in my instruction. It is not the first time, for instance, that I've redesigned a lesson to cater for different learning styles or created a learning activity to reinforce a skill. After all, isn't that what conscientious teachers do? They try to go that extra mile. They try to use all the tools in their toolbox to make learning better. Yet, I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that this is not enough.

Educational visionaries such Tony Wagner and Will Richardson convey a clear message: education should not be reformed, it must be redefined.  If we truly want to make a difference in our profession, we should not limit ourselves to best practice because it simply can't be the best because of the paradigm it finds itself confined in; best practice, in this case, would be transforming our pedagogy.

I am totally for articulating skills horizontally and vertically or differentiating instruction to facilitate student learning. These are all good steps one can take to reach out to students. But let us make no mistake here. These alone might be enough to prepare students for university but do not suffice in the long term. If we truly want our kids to tackle the unfamiliar world, we, must start to follow suit; we must leave our comfort zones and start questioning more. After all, Eric Hoffer's quote speaks directly to us, the educators: we have been equipped to teach in an educational system that should no longer exist because for learning to be meaningful, is has to reflect our ever-changing world. In other words education can't be the stagnant system we've made it be. It must continue to evolve.

This is what makes the whole concept of learning fascinating: there are no clear and linear answers. Like our students, we educators, must be able adapt to our new environments and work collaboratively to obtain creative and effective solutions.   It all boils down to trial and error. Instead of suppressing uncertainty we need to start embracing it.

Keeping it Real

Adolescents  often struggle to wrap their head around the complexity of current events. I, for one, can clearly recall my teenage years as I watched the Balkan War on TV, trying to connect the various dots. Even though, I felt drawn to this conflict, I still lacked the right tools to understand this tragedy. My head was riddled with too many questions, such as who the key players were, the motives of this conflict and the different parties involved. This was way too overwhelming for me to learn on my own. After all, the divide between what I was "learning" at school and what was unfolding beyond those confining walls was abysmal. 

One of the main reasons I am a big proponent for the exploration of current events in Humanities is that it provides adolescents with the right tools to analyze and interpret issues that otherwise would be too daunting for them to tackle on their own. Students have an inclination to be captivated by what is happening around them because of its relevance.

The Grade 9 students are currently learning about the patterns of a revolution as an overarching concept. For their final project they will be creating a crash course, discussing the stages and the impact of a revolution of their choosing. These can include but are not limited to political revolutions. Students can also explore cultural, scientific and technological revolutions. 

This unit kicks off with a case study about the Egyptian Revolution. I've chosen to delve into this topic instead of the more traditional revolutions because this revolution matters more to them. Students are being exposed to this unrest via the news and other social media. This revolution is unfolding right now as I am writing this post. They are able to understand the current unrest in Egypt and appreciate a vital stage: the consolidation of the idea that drives a revolution, a determining factor for its success. 

In one of my previous posts, I argued that Humanities should not be centered around history. Nevertheless, history is a great tool when used purposefully. For instance, one can opt to delve into the repercussions of the Six Day War, the assassination of Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarrak's rise to power. All of these can shed more light on the motives behind the Egyptian regime's draconian methods and the current unrest involving the Muslim Brotherhood. 

Students brainstorming the stages of the Egyptian Revolution

Last week, I was able to gauge the level of interest shown by the students as they explored this topic. I know that they are now hooked by this unit and will be more likely to create a meaningful final project. Teenagers have the propensity to be passionate about global issues; however, they need to be exposed to it from a young age. The exploration of global issues is a perfect avenue for our students to become future citizens of the world: compassionate, conscientious, and cognizant of the environment in which they live.  

What’s wrong with this Picture?

Last week, a colleague and I were having a random chat about student use of technology and I brought up how more and more students, nowadays, are choosing to use mobile devices to take a picture of their assigned homework instead of opting for more conventional methods. When I hinted that I encourage this, my colleague gave me a puzzled look and exclaimed assertively that she forbids it in class and expects all students to write it down on their homework planner. When I asked her for a justification, she simply noted that it wasn’t right implying that students should not be taking “short cuts.” This is only one of the many examples that show us how sometimes we educators struggle to grasp the true meaning of discipline.

Many often confuse discipline with obedience. Even though these two might sound similar, they are distinct from one another. The word obedience focuses mainly on one’s compliance to a form authority. On the other hand, discipline does not limit itself to mere compliance; it goes way beyond. The Montessori school of thought regards discipline as being an intrinsic trait that leads to personal growth. The disciplined student is the one who seeks self-improvement and strives for excellence.

My colleague was clearly trying to enforce her authority expecting that her students obey her rules. But she was not enforcing discipline. If anything she was hindering it. In fact, the student who is choosing to take a picture of her assigned homework is doing so because she wants to complete it. She is only choosing an efficient way to reach that goal. The idea of impeding this is simply counter-intuitive. 

In the last century, the role of education was to prepare young people to work in factories. They were being equipped for a world where they would be required take orders and conform. But those practices that focused more on teacher control are nowadays pointless. One certainly needs to follow rules today; however, the current socio economic milieu requires that students be independent and creative problem-solvers. As a result, we educators, need to be more aware of the true purpose of discipline, which should not deter learning but ignite learning instead.

The Money Jar

Last week, while I was in Berlin, my friend suggested I try this new and hip wine bar. He strongly recommended this place because it indeed challenges the conventional practices of the dining industry.

Image from http://robs-blog.com/2012/07/10/weinerei-forum

Weinerei Forum is self-service. Once you pay the initial 2 Euro entrance fee you can help yourself to a variety of red and white wine.  Also, in the adjoining room there is a spread of homemade food. So far it sounds like a normal wine bar; however, the fascinating aspect about this particular one is that there are no cashiers. And there are no cash registers or bills. At this wine bar, the client is simply entrusted to keep a tally of the amount of wine glasses consumed by referring to a list on the wall with the recommended prices. But it is the client who ultimately decides upon a fair price and leaves the money in a glass bowl. The people working at the counter seem more occupied with refilling wine bottles and taking the 2 Euro entrance fee than monitoring clients. Clients leave the amount of money that they deem appropriate in a glass jar on the main counter. As I sat outside sipping my Norton wine, I noticed that the place was filling up rather quickly and the people who left before me all left the money in the glass jar.  Clients could easily have walked out of the place undisturbed yet they chose not to.

The famous money jar. 

This is indeed an unorthodox approach in the dining industry. But, the owner of this wine bar knows too well that he is competing with a myriad of other wine bars and restaurants in the area, so he has found an innovative way to stand out from the rest.

One must point out that Germany is renowned for its diligence and reliability so this model is more likely to find its niche in this kind of environment. However, having said that, I believe that this idea would be successful elsewhere.  By empowering the client, this new concept redefines the relationship between the client and the owner, which is now based on mutual trust.  Like in every other system there will be people who will take advantage of this newfound autonomy. However, I believe that the majority will take ownership of their new role and make the right call.

Even though this example does not link directly to education, it is inspiring, nevertheless. In a time where many are calling for educational reform, this is a relevant example of how one can bring innovation by looking for creative outcomes. As I sat outside enjoying the German summer breeze, I couldn’t help but think of how better our educational systems could be if we gave more ownership to our students. I believe that like these clients, they would rise to the occasion.

In the meantime, this is the address of the bar should you ever be in Berlin and decide that you want to check it out:

Weinerei Forum

Veteranenstraße 14 10119 Berlin, Germany

From teacher-driven to student-driven.

The academic year that is drawing to a close has been a learning curve for both my students and me. The individual research project that the Grade 9 students had to complete for their Population unit was indeed one of the biggest challenges this year. This unit had been modeled on the philosophy of project-based learning which also blends well with the learning objectives of the new MYP Humanities guide.

Before starting their project, students were exposed to concepts.They learned that these are mental constructs that share common features. As Lynn Erickson states, concepts are:

• Timeless
• Universal (can be applied in different contexts)                                                             
• Abstract to different degrees
• Represented by 1 or 2 words.

By familiarizing themselves with the common characteristics of concepts, students were able to create conceptually-driven research questions. Students were given the freedom to create a product of their choosing that would address a target audience. They had to ensure, however, that their project addressed the unit question: When is populations a problem?

As mentioned in one of my previous posts the process was a bit bumpy at times, but the end results were comforting.

Students let their imagination run wild and created products that ranged from children's books to model wind turbines:

Emma wrote a children's book that talked about resource depletion caused by humans. She read this book aloud to elementary school students.  

Taesam created an animation video that explains the impacts of cattle ranching on sustainability  

Norah researched about space colonization and created illustrations to present her findings

Chris wrote an article on his website to discuss how flooding is one of the biggest causes of migration in Bangladesh

Nina created a model wind turbine. For her personal project, Nina will build a prototype wind turbine  which could be used in the impoverished areas of Lima.

In conclusion, even though some students were unable to create products that met their expectations, they still learned a great deal. At the end of the unit, I asked students to write reflections  and their feedback was insightful:

"This project was clearly more challenging than other projects because I made the whole outline for my product. This required me to think very carefully into each stage (research, investigating, and creating my product). I am not self dependent so I am not used to think with my own brain, I usually depend on others doing the work, that is why this unit was challenging but at the same time it triggered some kind of creativity because I had the opportunity to research about something I was interested on." Taesam

"From doing this project I have learned that as a learner once I get an interesting topic that I am fully invested in, I have no trouble continuing with the project. By staying invested into a topic of my choosing I can create the best final products to my capability and get the grade I deserve. Project based learning is a lot better than what I’m used to because it gives me a chance to think for my self and learn from mistakes I’ve made while doing the project. These projects aren’t easy but they help you think in ways you haven’t had to think before."  Nicole 

"Projects like this one prepare you for the real world because in the real world, we don’t get everything done for us, we have to do it ourselves." Antonella

"Up until this point, students—or at least this student—have been babied for the majority of their lives. Everything that they need to do has been given to them in the form of explicit, direct instructions with countless exemplars and checklists that were just handed to them. In the real world (unless your boss has very strong OCD) you will not be given detailed, step-by-step instructions about what you are supposed to do.  Most things require you to use your noodle to create a solution and/or plan to help you succeed. This kind of project takes the focus back off the process, and puts it on the product in a very similar way to real life. This helps ease the transition between schooling and life." Ashley 

The Static vs the Dynamic

We often define success as the accomplishment of a final goal. Some of us reach a level and choose to stay there while others aim for higher or different peaks. No matter what we choose do, we focus on a target and we keep that target at the forefront of our actions. Like many others, I’ve chosen to keep on aiming higher because I always envisioned myself on the next peak. However, I don't believe anymore that this is what truly has been motivating me.

Let’s make no mistake here, I DO want to reach my peaks, but I am starting to become aware that this is not the main driver. And this recent epiphany is significant, because now, no matter how impossible an accomplishment might appear to be, I will be less likely to cave in. It is the realization that rather than working hard to reach a peak, I’ve been actually aiming for a higher peak so that I have the opportunity strive to get there. While it might be rewarding to sit on a plateau celebrating the accomplishment, I know that this won’t determine my happiness because the peaks, no matter how good they makes us feel, are static. It is the motion that truly triggers growth irrespective of the achievement of the final goal.  

 

And I guess that is why I am so enthralled by my profession. I aim to reach a level of mastery in teaching. After all, the kids deserve only the best. Yet I know there is still a long way to go and it is this awareness that makes me feel in my element. I choose to challenge myself to solve this riddle because it fascinates me; it gives me the opportunity to use my ingenuity as I try to crack the codes. It is this dynamic drive that makes me want to wake up most mornings and go to play.

The peak is ultimately a wonderful excuse for us to stretch ourselves and feel truly alive. 

300

For the second consecutive year, Colegio Roosevelt has organized a community build in one of the most impoverished district of Lima, alongside Techo, which is the South American equivalent of Habitat for Humanity.

The idea to start a Techo club at Roosevelt stemmed from a high school student who approached my colleague, Corey Topf and together they delved into this project. Apart from providing emergency housing for the less fortunate, this club aims to raise awareness about poverty in the community and break down stereotypes that plague society. The latter is seen as a central aspect in the club's ethos since stereotypes act indeed as a barrier in a country like Peru which has such a great economic divide.

Since its inception, this club has grown considerably and last year we launched it in Middle School. Students are active throughout the year as they fundraise to pay for the house that they construct at different Techo events, which also include the school community build.


So last Saturday and Sunday, 300 members of the community composed by students, teachers, parents, admin and members of the board ventured into the hills of San Juan de Lurigancho, one of the poorest districts in Lima, to build 26 emergency homes. As I walked with my group of students, I felt chills running down my spine. Here I was sharing this experience with my "tribe" of 300. I still struggle to articulate this catharsis; all I can say is that never before did I feel so connected with the rest of my community. It is, after all, through experiences like this one that we relate to one another other and become cognizant of the strong ties that hold us together.

Moreover, this is yet another reminder of how students shine when they are exposed to real-world problems. Throughout the weekend, they made genuine connections with the families that they were helping and worked collaboratively to finish building the house on time.  This kind of experience allows students to get some perspective on the issues that plague our society and understand that their actions, no matter how small, do matter.

Students know too well the difference between what is purposeful and what is contrived. They yearn to be involved in experiential learning where successful outcomes are not defined by numbers but by the  interactions with the real world.