Please read the Mehan article on this page: http://edrs698.wikispaces.com/In+Class+Articles
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The element of this article that stood out most for me is that the rigorous Preuss curriculum is supported by time. “The type of instruction that engages students and provides the background knowledge needed for deep understanding takes planning and preparation time. Teachers cannot develop projects, plan activities with the needs of learners in mind, or analyze materials without time. That is why the time that has been set out for teacher collaborative planning and sharing is so important. Respecting teachers’ time is a part of the culture of learning at the school” (Mehan, p. 86). Teachers are given the necessary time to prepare and plan for implementation and instruction, which contributes to the success of the program. As necessary as time is, not all schools buffer in time for their teachers to plan.
ReplyDeleteAt the school where I’ll be teaching next year, for example, nowhere on my schedule does a “planning period” exist. All my planning will be done before or after school, during my lunch break, or on weekends. So is seems that never having enough time to adequately plan is part of our school culture, which is neither productive nor supportive. With all that needs to be done in the day, I don’t know how to propose we solve this problem other than to extend the school day hours. Either way, it’s just teachers being at school longer, but if there were scheduled planning times, perhaps teachers would be more inclined to collaborate and support the notion of fidelity, like with the Preuss curriculum.
This article is quite intriguing and I am not sure if it is because I grew up in Southern California and knew people that went to school at UCSD or what.
ReplyDeleteI must say that I am glad that someone "recognized that the home and school should share dual responsibility for encouraging
young people to develop as scholars
and citizens"(84). More and more each day I begin to realize how many parents misunderstand our role as teachers and instead treat educators as parents. Granted, we do share some responsibilities but raising and educating children are not always the same thing.
Another idea that caught my eye are the requirements and selection process for the school. How does Preuss get around bigotry, segregation laws, and favoritism for the types of students that it seeks? For example what if I came from a low income family, had English as a second language, but my parents had both completed high school or college? I could not get in because of my parent's educational status? It just raises questions about discrimination in my mind? I understand that this article is intended and helping the less fortunate which is fantastic but I still feel that in trying not to leave out people it leaves out people, if that makes sense.
Having the college "culture" and environment surrounding the students from the application, all throughout their high school careers, including the daily schedule mimicking that of the college, seems extremely beneficial to students in promoting their desire to continue their education. Requiring the internship on campus without a doubt allows students to taste reality of life in the working world. I wonder if the middle school has the college culture or if they have to observe interns to know exactly what to expect?
The I CLEAR acronym makes complete sense and I wonder how the rate of growth of student accomplishment has risen since they adopted that motto. I guess what I am really concerned with is do students respond well to it and do they understand it?
I completely agree that, "the socioeconomic conditions that students bring with them to school are more influential on their academic outcomes than what happens inside schools"(87). It astonishes me to think that some people may not realize that students have a life outside of school. I know that children have a hard time realizing that their teachers have lives outside of the classroom but it does not make sense that some teachers do not know this about their students. Where a child comes from is just as important as where they are going. Usually where they come from, at least in their mind, determines where they are going. Of course this does not apply to all students, but I have seen some students say that since their parents never finished school that they won't either. Another example is that because their parents are republicans than they are too. Students need to think for themselves apart from their upbringing although their socio-economic status may help formulate their opinion or their goals it should by no means define or limit the boundaries of their successes.
Overall, I think the ideas in this article are there to help the students succeed. In this world of economic suffering we do still need to care about the education of our children because one day they will be a part of our future and we will be relying on their knowledge to make the right decisions for us as individuals, locally, nationally, and internationally. It would be interesting to see the success statistics over the next ten years to see if the school growth rate increases or fluctuates with the economy. This article raised some interesting questions and I am glad that I read it.
The ANONYMOUS person is me, Trish Rothe. Sorry about that guys! That just shows my computer illiteracy haha.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa~
ReplyDeleteThe charter school that I work for has plan time for their teachers three or four times a week. When students go to Specials all the grade level teachers meet together. On Tuesday's the principal would come to the meeting but otherwise it was the teachers or department heads leading the conversation. Each meeting would only be about 45 minutes but even that went by quickly. I understand about planning outside the school, I struggled with that during my student teaching. I never felt like I had enough time to do anything school related or not. That would be great though to have plan time at your school. I hope things work out in that area for you!
~Trish
Sorry I wasn't in class last night but I got payback by reading all three of the articles listed :(
ReplyDeleteIn any case, the last article was very interesting to me as a Special Education teacher. I also have to add that I got a job at a charter school that models themselves like the Preuss School. After I went to the school and listened to the philosophy I wondered how I was going to advocate for my students on IEP's and 504's with the school's expectations for success and college. I do not have any answers yet but expect they will come and go and change with time.
Overall, I think that educators like to label students. We have the Learning Disabled, the ADHD, Bipolar, Gifted & Talented..... In my experience, these students are often treated differently by the teachers. In a school like the one mentioned in this articel, there are no excuses for the label. The students that attend this school are from lower income families. In a traditional school, this can mean low ability. The Preuss school, however, expects students to learn the rigorous curriculum through scaffolding and support. They also expect the support to come equally from home. I also appreciate that student achivement is monitored closely and they have an RTI model for identification of students who are struggling or falling behind.
I feel that there are lessons us new teachers can take away from this model school. Students can achieve much more if they think they can do it and there is support for them. The problem is that too often educators classify students into ability groups with different expecations for the students. In the Preuss school, this doesn't exist. All students there can achieve the college experience.
As a special educator, I struggle. The ability of my students vary greatly. Some will never be able to cope in college while others will with support. Will detracking provide equity for these students?
Just in case I do not get my name in the right place, this is Cheri.
ReplyDeleteI did my Instructional Strategies small group presentation last night and one of the comments I received was that I mentioned, more than once, that some of my students would not go on to college and this was disappointing to some members of my group. I agree that we should work hard to prepare our students for the academic rigors of college, but I also feel that I must prepare my students for alternatives to college as well. On page 83, the article stated, "All normally functioning humans have the capacity to reason sufficiently well to finish high school and enter college when they are supported with the approprate academic and social scaffolds."
I teach at the high school level, and according to this article, there must be many things that fall into place, both academically and socially prior to the time I meet these kids and start working with them. I agree that we should hold high standards for all and expect that they can all succeed at a high level, on the other hand, I also need to be realistic about a students abilities. Is it fair for me to allow one of my students to take physics or chemistry if he/she has not passed the appropriate math class? This has come up many times at the school where I work. AP classes are pushed heavily. We allow these students to take courses beyond their means and then they fail. How will this help them learn the foundational materials needed to move into more advanced classes? This then results in the student becoming discouraged and their confidence is lost. I went into special education to help students live up to their potential and I don't feel college is the answer for everyone. Plain and simple. My brother did not graduate from high school or go to college and he makes $90,000.00 a year. I have two college degrees and I can say fairly confidently that I will not be making that much money/year, now or in the future, as a teacher.
The article also states that, "In addition to scaffolds, there must be a systematic method to identify early those students who are struggling academically." In reflection, I began thinking about my role as a teacher and maybe I should consider working at the elementary or middle school level. I might be more effective in identifying and working with students at an earlier time point, giving my students a better chance of succeeding academically in secondary school and beyond. If that is what they want to do.
I really liked this article and I can honestly say that it made me think about my thought more deeply.
Cheri
Cheri,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that not all of our students are geared towards college. Preparing students for their best life doesn't always mean higher education. When we think of preparing our students that our 14 and older, we must consider their transition into adulthood. Many of these options include trade schools and living skills.
In the Preuss school, these students were identified as coming from lower income families and these students seemed capable with the right supports for higher education. They also intervened early and often to get these students the support they need. In our situation, our kids are getting support to achieve to their highest level. That may include higher education and it may not. Looking at all kids potential is the goal of this school and I think it is our goal as SPED teachers. Great comments:)
Oh my gosh Alyssa, I can't believe you have no planning time built into your schedule. I guess that is part of educatonal environment today. Do more with less! I feel time is such an important part of making each lesson successful. The Preuss school has certainly addressed that piece, and I am sure this add to their success.
ReplyDeleteI wish you luck!
Cheri Skipp
I think that planning time is a commonplace (or at least it seems so) in high school; however, in elementary school your planning time is when kids are at specials and you're not having a meeting, etc.
ReplyDeleteI was rather confused by the article as it seems as though aspects that Preuss offer, such as high expectations, block schedules, and "made to feel confident and safe, and are encouraged to develop a greater sense of self-worth and a sense of pride in their academic accomplishments" (Mehan, 84) should be commonplace in all high schools. I realize that i teach the opposite end of the spectrum where we are still helping students develop these skills, but why would these suddenly not be part of teaching? This is something that all students should have, regardless of where they go to school.
Additionally, I found it interesting that at Preuss, they created a "college-going culture" (Mehan, 84). In high school, isn't that what is expected? If not, shouldn't it be? I realize that often times students will follow in their parents' footsteps; however, if we as teachers are creating a culture that college is expected, I would imagine that students would step up to the challenge.
As I've stated before, I teach kindergarten and pre-K so I'm at the very beginning of the schooling experience, so I'm naive when it comes to high school
I think all of you at the elementary level have a huge responsibility, you have to teach them to read, get them excited about learning and identify those with learning disabilities. That's a lot of pressure.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this article, I found it intriguing that other middle and high schools across our nation have not adopted a similar formula for success as that of the Preuss School on the UCSD campus. With struggling communities of underprivileged learners in all cities, the No Child Left Behind funds could have been awarded to establish more programs of this type of excellence. The formula is simple: A devotion to excellence and the success of all learners. However, when put into practiced, meeting the needs of all learners can prove a daunting challenge.
ReplyDeleteI believe a key to the success of the Preuss School UCSD program, is a direct result of the location of the school and the social connection which it provides. By establishing a culture of learning on a college campus, a social support is developed. Few children would reject the idea of going to school surrounded by a university's environment. Integrated from the beginning, Preuss students have the social benefit of acclimating to a college class schedule, being tutored by college students, and having teachers who closely monitor student achievement. The atmosphere alone would encourage many to step up their maturity levels and their motivation to achieve.
The model of the Preuss School and its supporting data, clearly encourages learners toward the ultimate goal of academic preparation for success in college. Providing a privileged learning environment, combined with high expectations for all, to low-income families has a proven record of increasing the chances of student achievement in college. By connecting the student socially, a great concept has been born; a secondary school and university partnership! One can only hope to see more of the model established across our great nation.
Interesting thoughts Diane,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that the ability of students varies greatly, and that some will never be able to cope in college while others will with some support. However, I wonder what would happen if all teachers exhibited a college culture in their classrooms. An attitude of, not will you go to college but which college will you be attending? Would this help mold our students thinking?
I realize some students will never have the parental support nor the academic ability to attend college. Though I have to wonder, has society made college the ultimate goal or do we in academia just expect all of our students to aspire to the goal of a college degree? What about those students who truly desire the benefits of attending a vocational school? Should they also have our support? And as you mentioned, will detracking provide equity for all ability levels of students?
The model seems wonderful. And many schools are successfully integrating high expectations for all with a strong academic base. It's the parent support and the learning abilities of the students that has me wondering about the success for all in college.
Toward the end of the article, I stumbled across the section regarding professional learning development to improve student learning and had the nail-on-the-chalkboard sound ring in my head as I read, "the school has carved out staff development time for 2hr each week"(p. 86). The noise was going off and I was almost uncomfortable with the thought. I was thinking to myself how wrong this could go if not organized and done correctly and ultimately professionally. As I read through the section further, I found my stress and tension being eased because it seemed like the school had a really good grasp on this professional development procedure. It didn't seem sterile or stagnant. It seemed vibrant, with some buzz and energy, and it seemed genuinely collegial and cooperative. Teachers gave into the process of furthering their own learning to meet the needs and the learning of their students. "Teachers are made more aware of what it means to be a learner and how they must plan activities that take into account how students will better understand the material"(p. 86). Again, I think the balance created and discussed here in regards to respecting teacher's time and developing stronger and more effective teaching strategies is critical.
ReplyDeleteTo track or not to track that is the question. While I believe that tracking for the most part does not help anyone in the end. I do think that small group instruction is often beneficial if several students do not understand something but a majority of the class does.
ReplyDeleteDuring my student teaching I observed two students who were pulled out during religion class to have some one-on-one tutoring in math. I am not sure why but this extra help did not seem to improve either students understanding or grade. My cooperating teacher also taught a for lack of a better word a remedial 7th grade math class. In this class were nine 7th graders and one 8th grade student who the teachers did not feel were ready to take on Algebra. Both the teacher and the students struggled in this class. One student even stated “we are not going to get it, that’s why we are in the dump class.” I think that is what most students see tracking as either smart or dump person classes. On the other hand one of the two students (pull-ed out)I mentioned above is attending Manning Middle School next year and one of the main reasons her mom is sending her there is because Manning will be placing the student in a math track that is recommended for her current ability level. The student is excited that she will be in a math class where “she’s not the dumbest student but rather all of her classmates are on the same level.”
During high school I attended honors English classes (9-12) while my sister attended regular English classes. We both went to college and we both write and speak well. The only difference is that my sister still enjoys reading novels where I do not enjoy reading anymore. I do not believe my honors English track helped me in college other than the fact that I have a better understanding of tenses when writing then she does. Learning to write thesis statements for the beginning of papers was a genuine waste of time. As was several of the novels we were required to read.
Overall, the school's concept was interesting and more schools should probably follow their example. The Preuss School sounds similar to the school in The Power of Their Ideas book that we read for our first class at Regis. While I think that tracking in general does not work I feel that choice often does. Allowing a student who is weak in math to choose to take geometry or business math instead of algebra II is a good option. I myself could not understand Algebra in high school so instead of taking Algebra in college I took a higher level math (Statistics) which I not only understood but enjoyed. While sometimes students need extra instruction to fully understand a concept tracking does not help anyone in the long run. Choice is often the best option.
Denise Lee
Kyle,
ReplyDeleteI agree that professional development time and the cooperation of a university as well as student tutors is a great concept. Teachers and well as administation should always remember that no one should stop learning. That learning is a life long goal for both student and teacher and that no one can know everything at any given point in time. I frankly was a little jealous over the amount of development time the staff at Preuss received.
In reading this article, I was glad to see that research is being put into application and given sufficient time and support. We often see positive trends in education, but they are not followed through upon and quickly fizzle out. It appears that the Preuss School has put all of the important elements together.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of a students’ ability, they should be held to high standards and given support to achieve whatever they are willing to strive for. I think having the students visit and participate on a college campus also gives them the ability to plan with the end in mind. We make it a point to transition students when they move from middle to high school, elementary to middle school and even preschool to elementary. I feel it is vital to incorporate more transitional support for high school students moving into college and incorporating the culture into high school is a positive longitudinal approach.
Kyle and Denise,
ReplyDeleteI might be a bit bias since my position is providing professional development, but I think it is extremely important for all teachers. It is also important that the administration attends the same professional development so everyone stays on the same page. I would assume being located on a college campus makes onsite PD easier.
I think providing the PD and allowing time for implementation are vital. PD also gives teachers the time away from the classroom to reflect and gain new perspectives from other educators and solidify their own.
The concept of the Preuss School is an interesting approach to dealing with the needs of the various communities of students. Providing students with equal access to education should be a requirement for all schools and districts. Unfortunately, we live in an environment where resources and people are stretched thin, and the ability to provide the best is not always there.
ReplyDeletePreuss provides the opportunity for low income students who have the skills but not the means a way to develop into someone they would not normally be allowed to be do to their socioeconomic condition. As well intentioned as Preuss is to educating those who would normally be left outside the doors of higher education they too have limits in their abilitiy to provide. "The Preuss School at UCSD uses a lottery to select low-income sixth-grade students with high potential but underdeveloped skills, and immediately enrolls them in rigorous college-prep classes" (84). Students are left to a lottery to decide their future. You stand there with your powerball ticket hoping that you have the winning number.
Hi Jane.
ReplyDeleteI liked your idea of using some of the NCLB money to fund programs such as Preuss. Sometimes we have to wonder where does all that money go? There are to many people with to many ideas trying to fight over a limited amount of resources. Everyone has their idea and their way of doing things, and so often in fighting over the funds and the plan the initial idea of helping the kids gets pushed aside in favor of politics and ideology.
Hi Trish, Cheri, and Tori:
ReplyDeleteYes, typically planning time can coincide with specials, however, our district is a pay-per-performance district and so we have weekly Cluster meetings that serve as professional development that align with said performance system and are held during specials. They don't last the entire time usually, but usually leave us with 30 minutes or so. I just received an updated schedule for third grade and it looks like our specials are going to be split on Tues/Thurs and there's talk of having Cluster after school one day per week. This will allow for planning during specials twice per week which would be awesome. With budget cuts each year, our specials (like many schools) are evaluated for cuts, so I don't know what we'd do if we didn't have specials to offset planning time.
Hi trbrick - You did a nice job providing a reflective summary of the article and the concept of the lottery is interesting indeed. I can't imagine being a motivated student, smart but without resources or support, wanting so desparately to get a chance at a good education, and not being selected ... or more so, plucked from the lottery hopper. I hope no students selected squander the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI believe Preuss School used many proven instructional strategies. But why are parents choosing charter schools rather than public education? The article stated that a culture that fosters instruction and learning is important because it "shapes the way students, teachers, and adminstrators think, feel and act."
ReplyDeleteHow are our teachers and administrators in public schools shaping students today? The education from a public high school appears to be sufficient for the brightest and most motivated students, while the struggling students are left behind. The students that are failing are not all minorities.
Posted in every high school are signs insisting college is the route for success. I taught a unit on careers and every student told me they would continue on to college, yet many were failing the majority of their classes. The message to high school students is you must go to college. All students do not have the skills to continue on to college, but doesn't that say more about our education system rather than the ability of a student? Some students are not academically prepared to enter college. Projections show that between now and 2018, only two-thirds of American jobs will require a four-year college degree. Why does college have to be the only alternative for students? The economic argument is not valid. Over a fourth of workers with occupational licenses earn more than the average recipient of a bachelor's degree. How are we as educators preparing students for jobs that don't require a college education? Why isn't every student from a public high school, unlike Preuss School, prepared to attend college?
Travis,
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree that using a lottery to select students for a charter school is not the best method. For those of you that have not seen the movie "Waiting for Superman", watch the reactions of the parents whose children were not selected for the charter school. To those parents, selection meant the difference between their children having a bright, successful future, or not.
How can a lottery system be the gauge to decide the success of a child's education and future?
Jesse Lajimodiere’s Two Cents
ReplyDeleteThere were many things that I found interesting about this article, the first of which is the notion of de-tracking. I’ve worked in a school with a track system before and, at the time, I didn’t really know how the students were grouped into tracks; I always assumed that they were randomly selected and assigned to different teachers. I had no idea that this might be based on ability. If this was the case, I really like the idea of grouping students in situations that would foster the most growth for all of the students in a school. The really cool part is that they have the ability to increase instruction time in different areas as they see fit. This is an accommodation I’ve usually seen used in special education but have always felt would benefit all students at some point or another.
One other thing that I really liked about the school is that they, at least from what I was reading, seemed to treat the arts with as much respect as other core subjects. In my experience, there has been a trend on dismissing the artistic side of education in lieu of more time with reading and math. I think the tendency is to forget that some people are very successful in fields that have little to do with either. It’s important to let students explore the artistic capabilities and interests they may have when they move forward in their academic careers.
There were a couple of other interesting things that caused some questions to arise in my mind as well. I found myself wondering what the use of technology was in this school. Did they have copious access to online tools? How about online curriculum such as Odyssey or Apex? If so, how did this technology influence some of the wonderful results that they boasted, if at all? The article also mentioned that the students were tutored by university students from UCSD. I wondered if the tutors were former graduates from the school in which they were tutoring and if there was any incentive for Preuss grads to come back and help tutor current students. It was also mentioned that creating an atmosphere of acceptance and success were crucial to the success of the school. I wondered how this school in particular went about creating such an atmosphere. This schools sounds very similar to the school I will be working at in the fall; I’m excited.
Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the whole time issue, and while I understand what everyone is saying about the time being built in the school program. But, in my opinion, it never seems like enough. I know that, generally speaking, most of the jobs out there would say that time is an issue; however, time is a serious issue in education and in special education it's even more of a problem. This school is employing special education tactics for all of thier students it seems; it would follow, then, that all the more time would be necessary to prepare for the classes that the teachers face. We,teachers, understand what it's like to work with the best intentions. We know better than most what "best practice" is but are rarely afforded the temporal opportunity to rigorously engage in "best practice" with the utmost fidelity. Usually we get a better than nothing, half assed, not-as-good-as-I-know-it-could-be approach in a classroom. If teachers had more time to look at the individual successes and practices of the students in thier class it would be wonderful. There are copious softwares out there that aid in these processes but simply finding time to examine the data produced by said software can be tricky, let alone finding time to examine the implications provided by examining this data. We need more time. Call me crazy, but I'm convinced that more plan time and less seat time would benefit the students most of all. That's why I really love that the Preuss school has an extended school day. It seems like a step in the right direction; as long as the teachers are getting some of that precious time and are using it wisely.
Eric England/EDRS 698/Mehan Article Response
ReplyDeleteRe: “Whole-School Detracking: A Strategy for Equity and Excellence”
Mehan’s article compels me to recall the idea that students will rise to the level of expectations. By giving students challenging academic standards to meet, they can begin to believe they are capable of achieving even the most demanding tasks. Fundamentally, if we believe in the students, they will believe in themselves. Although differentiation does not play a major role in this “detracking” paradigm, academic and social supports do indeed. The college culture established by the learning environment and tutoring available at UCSD is unique, so it might not be replicable, as was one of the concerns emphasized in the article. I think culture itself is unique, so whatever evolves on another campus under these same principles also could be as beautiful an experiment as is occurring at UCSD. It is difficult to get away from Vygotsky’s theory of apprentice in learning when analyzing effective instruction models. As social creatures, we learn to respect each other and gain from one another. This model adheres to Vygotsky’s research and establishes a learning environment rife with the supports and culture most advantageous to gaining knowledge and critical thinking skills.
The flexibility inherent in this model is perhaps it’s strongest suit. Not only is time variable, but so too are the degrees of supports, which in essence, are a form of differentiation. If educators avail themselves and time for struggling students, the students will undeniably benefit from the individualized instruction. This article packages many important facets of teaching into a model, articulating the rationale into a succinct label, “detracking”; but it really does not present new material. The telling evidence supports the idea that a rich learning environment is the key to students’ success. The presence and consistency of the 6 year “advocate/counselor” is enormously effective in this model, yet such dedication is more than possible in any public school if the right adult mentors are in place for students. I believe this type of “liberal arts” learning environment and instructional awareness can be created even amidst a strict curriculum such as Core Knowledge if the teachers are willing to be flexible, supportive, and skillful enough to truly get to know the students and deliver sincere and meaningful lessons.
Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteNo doubt time is more valuable than anything in the world, especially the world of education. I can hardly believe you will be against the ropes without any scheduled planning time, so hopefully you will cleverly learn to weave it into your school day. While student teaching, often I found myself planning while students were performing silent assessments, reading, viewing media I already viewed, etc... Perhaps your school will listen to you if you voice your need for scheduled planning time? Although the article mentions time as if it were tangible and easy to come by, we all know it is an extremely precious commodity to teachers. The collaboration the article discusses is another beneficial ramification of having "plenty" of time, yet meeting with colleagues to observe, reflect and plan is an enormous challenge. The "clusters" you will experience hopefully will give you the necessary time it takes to discuss what is working and what is not with your fellow teachers. Where I'll be teaching there are no set classrooms for each teacher. Rather, there is a "staff center" that is conducive to formal and informal collaboration. Throughout the day, teachers enter and exit different classrooms for each class period, with the staff center serving as a sort of "dugout" where teachers can discuss and reflect together. Just as the article emphasizes the importance of students learning in groups, teachers too need to be able to put their heads together and refine their instructional approaches. You are delightful to be around, so I'm sure you will find both the time(s) and space(s) necessary to collaborate and plan.
I thought the Mehan article brought up several interesting points. It touched some parts that really ring true for what I believe. One component is the idea of “holding students big” meaning that I trust that they are fully capable and have the capacity to learn. It feels like, to me, that Preuss also values that through the ‘detracking’ philosophy they embrace. “Whereas tracking segregates students of varying background into separate courses of study and holds instruction time constant, detracking has the potential to hold high standards constant and varies the amount of instruction time, and social and academic supports (p.83).” This approach serves to give students the vote of confidence that they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI think there are many students that never believe in themselves enough to stretch to that next level. Often the reason is they haven’t been given the opportunity or perhaps they haven’t been in an environment where the risk was worth the reward which brings me to my second piece. “Above all, the Preuss School provides an environment where students are made to feel confident and safe, and are encouraged to develop a greater sense of self-worth and a sense of pride in their academic accomplishments.” I believe students need to feel safe in their learning environment- not just physically but also emotionally safe. We all know what it feels like to learn something new. For me, my best success has been when that exposure to new learning happened in a supportive environment. Which leads to my next thought…I appreciate how Preuss addresses the academic and social piece. It is important to remove as many of the barriers to learning as possible; often, this is through learning how to interact and respond on a social level.
Lastly, the theme I kept hearing as I read the article was about “culture.” The big part was creating a culture of learning for BOTH students and teachers. I think this approach shows Preuss’ commitment to growing as professionals to better serve their students. In doing so, teachers will be rewarded by having interactions with students that are successful and thus continue to feed their desire to teach. It is also important to set the stage/create the culture of what a competent and exciting learning culture looks like. Creating a learning culture creates a learning community- everyone working towards a goal. Sounds like a good place to be for me.
Thanks, Chris Higgins
Denise,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your response- especially the part about Algebra. I could have written that! Honestly, I didn’t do well in math and wouldn’t have no matter what type of track or no track school I went to. Math makes my head spin. The part that made the difference for me was the teacher. I had many teachers that were ineffective at reaching me during math instruction (I realize I didn’t always meet them half way either). It wasn’t until I was able to choose a ‘consumer math’ course that made me sit up and take notice. I had a teacher that actually made math relevant to my life. I had no interest in engineering or any other career that would require higher-level math skills. I needed to learn what I needed to learn to function successfully in my day to day life. I learned to figure what was a better deal when I wanted to buy a new pair of jeans- $5 off or 20% off; Things that click for a high school girl…now I see how math fits MY life. She found a way to reach a discouraged math-phobia kid. Great teachers make the difference! I really believe it all starts there.
Thanks, Chris Higgins
Hello All, this is del Campo, I read the article, and that school is what we are doing at Martin Luther King Jr. Early College. The Preuss School is doing almost everything we are doing at MLK, the only difference is that we are following the standard school day and hours. We did up our school day by 10min everyday, in order to get more time with the students. This is an awesome program that Preuss School is doing, it worked very well for us and the students really seem to enjoy it and they love the opportunity to take free college classes at Aurora Community College.
ReplyDeleteMost of our students come from families that the parents did not go to college,or even finish high school and they have no idea on how to get into college, we have a total college culture at our school, and we push the college culture on our students. All our students had to apply, and be accepted, so our students want to be at our school, thus our 96% attendance rate. This makes teaching a real pleasure, because the students what to be with us and go to college, and hope have things that their parents never had the opportunity to do.
I feel that more school and colleges should do this and work together and help out the low social economic communities that are found so predominitny in the cities of America. Most of these students are not given a fair chance and with programs like these they will have high level education available to them that may never have presented the chance before. We want our future generation to be educated, but how can this be possible with the cost of higher level education, it is programs like these that allow ALL students to have a chance.
I had never heard of detracking before; my brother while in elementary school was on a tracking system in the Cherry Creek School district but I had no idea of how grouping was completed. I asked my mother about this after reading this article and she said she never knew how they grouped students, but was concerned after I told her about the article. I wondered if this is the premise of the school tracking system in general.
ReplyDeleteI find the goals of the school admirable and necessary. I'm glad to hear from previous posts that we have similar schools here in Denver. My favorite portion of the article was the establishment of a professional learning culture. I think that is valuable for all teachers, and as a Special Education teacher it is something that I would love to have at my school: the opportunity to develop and try out new teaching strategies. Of course in Special Education we are trying new things everyday but it would be nice to have time set aside weekly to discuss strategies, develop plans together, observe each other, provide feedback and adapt as needed. It's difficult sometimes when you do all of that by yourself without the feedback from your peers of course assessment drives instruction but how that instruction is taught is also instrumental.
I agreed with several people's post about how when expectations are high students can rise to the occasion which is how it should be in my opinion. My students are in special education and have some moderate to profound disabities but I still have high expectations for them. Just because the students that these schools target come from specific backgrounds, it is a shame that this is necessary. All schools should provide this culture of education regardless of whether a student wants to go to college or not.