C4T Semester Long Chosen by Dr. Strange Summary #3

Final C4T Chosen by Dr. Strange

This summary is on a blog posting by Will called, "Students as People or Profile?". I stated that while I am sure the questions about students and what they are learning should be considered in administration team meetings in schools across the country, what will come of the answers we may receive? I asked, how is a small group from one school supposed to speak out against what the district feels is best for all. I told him that personalization means what is best for me as a person and asked if this was what is really going on right now? The answer was clearly, No! I stated that what is happening is that technology has found a place in the school system and promises to promote better opportunities for all by "personalizing" their programs. But no two individuals are alike, so are their millions or even billions of options for one to choose from or better yet created just for them. I don't think so. I stated that these were the answers and furthermore questions that will come from these meetings. Finally, I asked, what can we do to change this and make it more personal for each student? Is it even possible?

This summary is on a blog posting by Will called, "Our" Curriculum vs. "Their" Curriculum. I stated that I had read his post and followed his and Dan Meyer's comments back and forth to each other. I stated that while I understand both of their positions, shouldn't our focus, which I believe he addressed in his post, be on the future of the students? I stated that I can see, by giving the students an almost blank piece of paper that says "Curriculum" at the top, a chance for students to state what they feel is necessary for them to learn. I stated, given that we will get some ludicrous comments/suggestions on the returned curricula, we then go back and ask the students why. I said, isn't this what we did as children? Didn't we always question when something was told to us because we were curious? I said, let's get curious about what the students are thinking and wanting. I can guarantee you and any other adult over the age of 25 that we don't know. We think we do, but we really don't. I stated that what they put on the paper will definitely give us a view of their world as they see it. I believe it will open eyes and allow educators to see that students want to learn but have been held back by preposterous demands and inadequate learning opportunities. I told him that I was not saying that we need to get rid of the current curriculum altogether, but we do need to revise it and do our best to make it personal to each and every student that we teach. Let's treat each student like an individual and not like a statistic.

This summary is on a blog posting by Will called, "The Committee of Ten…Corporations". I state that with the statements listed in the post, I couldn't agree more. I go on to say that with me being an educated man of color, I can see how my education could have been different had it encompassed more of what I was interested in. I learned what I did because I had to, not because I was the least bit interested in what I was taught. As a matter of fact, I can't remember a lot of what I had no interest in at all (like European History). Whereas, those that have created the curriculum, have created it because they all had a general interest in what was in it or were too afraid to speak out if they disagreed. I finally went on to say, the problem is, this curriculum is not suitable for a lot of students and people wonder why they don't do well with it. Change the dynamic of the planning committee and they will change the curriculum. Then we can watch students rise above; well beyond what we have ever seen before.