Thinking About the Future

I just started a masters program in curriculum and instruction focusing on instructional technology. Even though I still have 2 years left in the program I have been thinking about what I may want to study in a phD program if I decide to do one at some point in time. I want to try and combine all of my interests in education: Math education, secondary education, instructional technology, and education policy. I came up with the idea of focusing on how technology is facilitating and enabling education reform, specifically how it can enable whole school reform. I don't know where the math comes in, but 3 out of 4 isn't bad.

Are We Focused on the Wrong Things in Education?

Buzz words

I was in a meeting yesterday with someone from the New Technology Foundation, and a Deputy Superintendent from a school district in central Texas. There were many things that grabbed my attention. The first was the density of buzz words in the conversation. I must have heard the words: PBL, technology, reform, high stakes, standards, and higher order thinking skills, to name a few, about about two dozen times each in less than 2 hours. In the culture of education we seem to be gravitated to buzz words. We implement programs and spend vast amounts of money on projects because they can be described with these words. It's important to look past the terms when making decisions in education and realize that the words you can use to describe a policy decision, program, or project really have no significance. What matters is what is actually happening day to day with students.

Data and Statistics

I am getting really sick of educators spending so much time and effort on data analysis, particularly when they when they try to apply results to every single school, every single class, and every single student. The best example of this by far is standardized tests. Why are we so obsessed with test scores at the state and national level? Is it because we feel we need to hold schools accountable for the money we give them? That is sad. Is it because we think standardized test are an indicator of how much a student is learning, or how successful they will be after high school? How can a multiple choice test designed by an institution independent from schools and given to every different kind of student across a state or across a nation measure that effectively? It can't. If we feel the need to assess students on a state or national level, we could at least come up with a better indicator or measure of success than a test score. What about the number of students that finish some sort of post-secondary education after college? I think this is one thing we are really after, not a high test score.

School Reform Models

I am all for projects like the New Tech High School and other campus reform models in K12 education, but I am very hesitant about trying to replicate a model across the country and labeling it as "the model that works". There isn't a holy grail of school models or even classroom models. Every school district, every school campus, and every school classroom is different. There too many variables to name. They include socio-economic status, cultural diversity, regional issues, and political issues. I worry that people see school reform models as a silver bullet. They find one they like (or get funded for) and implement it with foolish accuracy to the model. The best things to come from reform models are ideas. When making changes in education, don't replicate what has been done. Take pieces of many different models you think will work in your district, campus, or class and fit them together like a puzzle for your students. And remember, each year student populations change. What you do one year might not work the next.

technorati tags:technology, policy, PBL, buzzwords, standards, reform, high-stakes, data, schools, k12, educaton, models

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Green Car Congress: 11 States to Receive ICs New Hybrid School Buses

Green Car Congress: 11 States to Receive ICs New Hybrid School Buses

They're rollin' out. I'm glad to see Austin is on the list.

We Need a Formalized, Regulated and Publicized System of Apprenticeships

It seems like the notion of having a good trade to make a living has died. There is such a strong push for students to go to college that many feel like it is there only option. If college is not something they want to do then where does that leave them? There are many highly respected, good paying jobs that require a specific skill, such as electrician or auto mechanic. There needs to be a system similar to the university system that is state and federal supported that educate students in skill based trades. I know there are many trade and technical schools out there, but you don't see many of those at college day at high schools. What is completely missing is apprenticeships. In other countries apprenticeships are still quite popular, and not just for skill based jobs.

What is really important is that students become employable so they can provide for themselves and have a good quality of life. By not supporting skilled trades, and apprenticeships we neglecting a large part of our population.

The Blackhole Between High School and Higher Education

Visualize two doors facing each other.  One is an exit and one is an entrance.  The exit door symbolizes finishing and leaving high school and the entrance door symbolizes entering college or some sort of post-secondary education.  There is a tremendous amount of push and support for getting out of the exit and there is a little support for getting in the entrance.  What happens when students are in the space between the doors?

This can be a big problem for students who choose, or are not able to pursue more education directly after high school.  When you are behind either one of those doors it is relatively easy to find help and guidance.  Between those doors, in limbo, it takes a lot more effort and motivation to get on track.  Should colleges, trade, and professional schools actively recruit, support, and market to young adults over the age of 18 who have a high school diploma and have not attended college?

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Hybrid School Buses

This is great news.  I hope these buses are rapidly adopted by schools.

Green Car Congress: IC Corporation and Enova Introduce First Hybrid School Bus; Plug-In Configuration as an Option (updated)

technorati tags:finance, busses, environment, green, transportation, energy

Hybrid busses

I find it frustrating and confusing that K12 schools lag behind other institutions when it comes to technology and current political and social trends. The use of fuel is a good example of this problem.

New technology is allowing consumers and businesses to cut fuel costs significantly. It makes perfect sense for schools to start lobbying bus companies to create fuel efficient busses, and to lobby the legislature to provide incentives for districts to start converting to this technology. Using efficient transportation would not only cut costs for some districts, but would also set a good example for students in regards to foreign policy and environmental concerns.