FINNISH SUCCESS
(October- 1st post)
For the first weeks of October, I did some research on education in other countries, and found out that Finland is at the top, while the United States lies in the middle. I looked at their approach to education and discovered that it is almost the opposite from the one of the United States. I started to wonder why the contrary of the system employed here makes a country be at the top. It also made me question myself about the things that are being done in a wrong way here that make us invest more time in school and doing work and still not be at the top. I discovered that in Finland, kids start attending school at the age of seven years in order to give them more time to play as kids and make discoveries by themselves. They do not have any standardized tests, except for one that is taken when kids take to matriculate in secondary school. They have assessments that come in the form of portfolios to demonstrate the work they have been doing, and have a chance of self-assessment. The purpose of the summative assessments they occasionally take is for the teachers to evaluate points of improvement for the class in general. Their reports to parents are feedback, in which they are told what they are doing well and given strategies to keep learning and growing. Their school day is shorter, lasting from 9:00 or 9:45am to 2:00pm. They start at 9:00am because studies have confirmed that adolescents need more sleep in the morning in order to be well rested and be able to learn and absorb new information. The homework they receive is only 30 minutes long, and have the rest of the day to go out and have time for themselves and do things that fulfill them. When they finish 9th grade and are 16 years old, they have the option to choose between three different paths: attend Upper Secondary School, go into Vocational Education, or enter the workforce, which only less than 5% choose. The purpose of these different paths is to allow the children to decide where they want to go with their education, give them freedom to advocate for themselves, and make sure that they are doing what they love. The goal of education in Finland is to improve learning and to create and encouraging and supportive environment at school. Having the method of education applied in Finland in mind, the next step in my project is to continue analyzing this system and take into consideration what parts of it I can adopt and modify in order to include them in my course curriculum in order to make it more successful.
http://www.mwera.org/MWER/volumes/v25/issue1-2/v25n1-2-Hendrickson-GRADUATE-STUDENT-SECTION.pdf
http://www.oph.fi/download/146428_Finnish_Education_in_a_Nutshell.pdf
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/
http://www.mwera.org/MWER/volumes/v25/issue1-2/v25n1-2-Hendrickson-GRADUATE-STUDENT-SECTION.pdf
http://www.oph.fi/download/146428_Finnish_Education_in_a_Nutshell.pdf
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/
KLASSEN TIME
(October- 2nd post)
When I was exploring schooling in different countries of the world, Klassen Time in Denmark caught my attention. Although it is not directly a method of education, it teaches a very important skill that I think is very useful in life. The purpose of Klassen Time is incorporating empathy in school. This is of vast importance for the formation of students because it has proven to be one of the main reasons why Denmark is voted the happiest country in the world. In addition, it is responsible for making children more emotionally and socially stable, which in the future leads to success. Recent studies in the United States have shown that empathy in teens and young adults has dropped 40%, while narcissism is increasing, so something needs to be done about it. Klassen time is a core aspect of the curriculum in Denmark and its goal is for the students to get together in a comfortable space in order to talk about any problems they may be having or solve scenarios presented by the teacher that students need to solve. Talking about daily life situations and issues, students develop empathy by understanding one others’ feelings and grow from listening and understanding. Taking Klassen Time into account, I am going to ask during interviews if a form of this might be a good idea to include in my approach to education, and what the outcome of something similar to this could be.
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/08/the-us-empathy-gap/494975/
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/09/teaching-kids-empathy-in-danish-schools-its-well-its-a-piece-of-cake/
STANDARDS-BASED LEARNING (SBG)
(November- 1st post)
Last year, I experienced a very interesting way of learning, which I really enjoyed because it really encourages learning from mistakes and reduces stress. Standards-Based grading is a new approach to education, which focuses on knowledge, giving meaning to grades, and informed instruction. The objective of this system is demonstrating deep understanding of every standard or mindset. When students get an assignment, they get the specific standards, or skills, that they are expected to develop with it. Once they turn it in, instead of just getting a grade, they receive feedback for each of the targeted standards along with their level of mastery. The levels of mastery are emerging mastery, developing mastery, and mastery. In addition, they get points of improvement to apply the next time those standards are assessed. The level of mastery they get for each standard is not final until the last day of the year because it changes every time that standard is assessed. In addition, there is a chance to make reassessments on every standard in order to improve and master it, which encourages learning and spending time practicing weak skills to grow in a certain area. If the corrections are still not enough to master the standard, students are encouraged to keep correcting it until they achieve mastery. There is no limit for reassessment in a certain standard, but students can only reassess two standards per week. This system is also beneficial for teachers because once they check individual standards they know what to focus on in further assignments and gives them a clear idea of the strengths and weaknesses of students. I think this is a very unique system that could be applied at Emma Willard. This is because we really love learning and we would not be afraid of making mistakes.
Source: http://activegrade.com
Source: http://activegrade.com
BEING AN AUDIT STUDENT
(November- 2nd post)
My experience as an audit student at Emma has been very interesting and I am taking fully advantage of this opportunity in order to prove my approaches to a new curriculum. Although I am already taking two other languages, and have the language credit covered, I decided that I wanted to learn French. In the beginning, the responses I got were that it was better not to take it because that would only increase my workload, and I would have to give up my last free period. However, my passion for languages is such that I came up with a different alternative. I decided that I wanted to be an audit student so I could learn French without worrying about the grade. Also, I realized that I could take it as an opportunity to incorporate this experience as part of my research for my course curriculum. I am held responsible for all the classwork, homework, and assessments, just like any other student in the class. However, the difference is that I do not receive a grade, but instead, I pay close attention to feedback. People keep asking me about the reason why I am taking a class and working hard if I am not getting a grade. This led me to think about the motivation students have when there are no grades. So far, my motivation has been sheer passion for learning, and I do the work simply because I want to learn and know more. This has allowed me to enjoy French a lot because I have fun learning and I am not afraid to make mistakes. Education is being so grade-oriented that people are not willing to work without a grade, because that is the only result they pay attention to, instead of looking at the feedback and their growth. We care more about a letter, and think that grades are what define our learning experience, but the main purpose of education is being left out. We are losing the main objective of schooling and education, which is learning. This made me think about the mindset we have when we attend school, and realized that a change is necessary. I am now exploring and developing a course curriculum that does not include grades, and the motivation people need to have for this to be successful. One of the answers to this is that the whole system needs to change for students to be able to focus on their progress and knowledge, instead of doing the work just because they need the credit or grades.
9 TYPES OF INTELLIGENCE
(December- 1st post)
A group of phycologists and researchers developed a theory on multiple intelligences that rejects the idea of basing a person’s intelligence on standardized scores. It encourages the idea that not everyone can be assessed with the same standards because everyone has diverse abilities that cannot be put under a letter, number, or category. The nine types of intelligence are:
Intra-personal Intelligence
The ability to understand one’s thought process and emotions, and direct one’s life accordingly. This type of intelligence involves the appreciation of oneself to the point of developing an understanding of the human condition.
Interpersonal Intelligence
The capacity of understanding and interacting effectively with other people. People with this type of intelligence are able to communicate verbally and nonverbally and are sensitive the feelings of others. They comprehend different perspectives on issues and are able to remain objective.
Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence
The ability to use a wide range of physical skills, coordinating the mind with the body, and manipulating objects effectively. It can also include having a sense of time and looking toward the perfection of certain skills that involve the mind and body.
Spatial Intelligence
This intelligence involves having an active imagination and well-developed artistic skills, thinking in images, and spatial reasoning. People with this type of intelligence know how to manipulate images and enjoy puzzles, drawing, and daydreaming.
Existential Intelligence
Being able to understand or formulate theories for questions about human existence and the meaning of life.
Naturalist Intelligence
This type of intelligence manifests itself as sensitivity to features of the natural world and an appreciation the exteriors.
Musical Intelligence
The ability to interpret, recognize, and reflect on music. People with this kind of intelligence can understand rhythm, pitch, tone, and timbre.
Linguistic Intelligence
The capacity to make use of language as a way of expressing complex connections. This intelligence allows people to think in words and understand their meanings. People with linguistic intelligence typically have the strongest command of language.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
The ability to make hypotheses and apply complex mathematical operations on daily situations. This intelligence enables people to understand abstract concepts and understand the relationships between them by having deductive and inductive thinking patterns.
Source: http://fundersandfounders.com/9-types-of-intelligence/
Intra-personal Intelligence
The ability to understand one’s thought process and emotions, and direct one’s life accordingly. This type of intelligence involves the appreciation of oneself to the point of developing an understanding of the human condition.
Interpersonal Intelligence
The capacity of understanding and interacting effectively with other people. People with this type of intelligence are able to communicate verbally and nonverbally and are sensitive the feelings of others. They comprehend different perspectives on issues and are able to remain objective.
Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence
The ability to use a wide range of physical skills, coordinating the mind with the body, and manipulating objects effectively. It can also include having a sense of time and looking toward the perfection of certain skills that involve the mind and body.
Spatial Intelligence
This intelligence involves having an active imagination and well-developed artistic skills, thinking in images, and spatial reasoning. People with this type of intelligence know how to manipulate images and enjoy puzzles, drawing, and daydreaming.
Existential Intelligence
Being able to understand or formulate theories for questions about human existence and the meaning of life.
Naturalist Intelligence
This type of intelligence manifests itself as sensitivity to features of the natural world and an appreciation the exteriors.
Musical Intelligence
The ability to interpret, recognize, and reflect on music. People with this kind of intelligence can understand rhythm, pitch, tone, and timbre.
Linguistic Intelligence
The capacity to make use of language as a way of expressing complex connections. This intelligence allows people to think in words and understand their meanings. People with linguistic intelligence typically have the strongest command of language.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
The ability to make hypotheses and apply complex mathematical operations on daily situations. This intelligence enables people to understand abstract concepts and understand the relationships between them by having deductive and inductive thinking patterns.
Source: http://fundersandfounders.com/9-types-of-intelligence/
MY PROJECT...
(January- 1st post)
(January- 1st post)
This is what I have been working on for the past few weeks, which is a draft of an alternative form of evaluation. The idea behind this is to focus more on individual skills and progress, rather than on the final grade. The circle is divided into four parts (it could be divided into more), and each part represents a skill developed during an assignment or project. The skills have progress marks that indicate how much of that skill the student demonstrated in the assignment, and there is a line that marks proficiency. The teacher would have to fill in the lines (with the colour of the skill) up to the one that shows the student’s growth. The lines that remain empty are called growth area, which means that the student has to keep working in order to develop the skill further. Inside, there is a section for comments per skill, and the instructor would have to provide feedback on the student’s progress. If the student is below the proficiency line, a brief meeting with the teacher would be necessary to create a plan for growth that would be applied the next time that skill is assessed. The center of the circle would be the opportunity (percentage) for growth the student would have left, taking all the skills into account. In addition to the comments per skill, there is a general section for feedback that would provide the student with a comment about the whole assignment. I think that this is much more detailed and specific than just a letter or number, and would really encourage growth and the love for learning.
INTERVIEW
(January- 2nd post)
MS. SKOTT
QS: How many years of experience do you have in the teaching field?
ANS: This is my second year teaching.
QS: What does a typical day in your life as a teacher look like?
ANS: I only teach two classes because I am a teaching fellow. I taught one class today and spent the morning grading, designing a lab on nature vs. nurture, and more grading. After school, my freshmen helpers came, I went to a basketball game, and now I am here for dorm duty.
QS: How do you determine an overall course grade for your class? What goes into it?
ANS: A lot of things. The majority of grades come from chapter tests, quizzes (which are not so frequent), homework and presentations, lab reports and lab presentations, and participation. I grade everything out of points instead of percentages, so the points earned determine the grade for a specific assignment.
QS: What do you consider assessments? How do you weigh them?
ANS: I consider almost everything (from debates to chapter tests) an assessment. I believe that every interaction I have with students is getting what they know. I think that the function of assessments is to have an understanding of what we learn in class, and not about the grade. Chapter tests and labs are worth 20pts, quizzes 10pts, and homework and presentations 5pts.
QS: If you were given total freedom to change something about the curriculum and education what would it be?
ANS: I would change the amount of pressure there is, the relationship about grading, and the need of bringing the standard down because of grades. It should not all be only about grades. I do not want to give free As if there is not an understanding just because grades are very important. There should be more to education than only grading.
QS: How did your own educational experience/background shape the way you teach?
ANS: I took organic chemistry in college and my professor could not understand that I had no background knowledge in the topic. He expected us to know everything on our own, and I was afraid of asking for help. I decided that I would never do that to my students, and I would always be approachable and fair. I make sure my students know that not knowing everything is okay.
QS: Why did you become a teacher?
ANS: I was the kid who always wanted to be a teacher and my family has experience in the teaching field. My grandpa told me about his experiences as an English teacher, and about a student who could not make connections with metaphors. He told me about how he helped the student breakthrough, and I knew I wanted to make that difference.
QS: Opinion on the Finnish education system…
ANS: It sounds like a very holistic approach and I like that they care about students as kids. I wish we could have that mindset and shift how we look at education to seek growth and not a number. It should be more about making clear improvement than getting a good grade. It is a good method, but education here requires a shift to make that happen.
TO WHAT EXTENT IS HOMEWORK BENEFICIAL?
(February- 1st post)
In a recent Stanford research, education scholar Denise Pope found that too much homework can negatively impact kids and their balance between academics and personal relationships. Pope and her group of researchers conducted a survey, which indicated that in average, children are spending 3.1 hours of homework per night, which is actually being counterproductive and ineffective. Too much homework is contributing to high levels of stress, reduction in health, and less time for friends and family and activities of personal fulfillment. Students are being unable to find a balance because they feel obliged to choose homework, even if they perceive it as pointless, instead of developing other talents only for the sake of their grades. This research calls for a limit regarding studying time after school. In the survey conducted, around 70% of the students said they were “often or always stressed over schoolwork.” Many students constantly experience physical symptoms of stress, such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems. There is an assumption that homework is inherently good, but if it exceeds the limits, it only achieves the opposite effects than those desired. “You can have a rigorous course and not have a crazy homework load,” Pope said. There should be a more efficient way of retaining the content learned in class without having to sacrifice extracurricular activities or social life.
Sources:
http://news.stanford.edu/2014/03/10/too-much-homework-031014/
http://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-more-homework-means-more-stress-031114#6
Sources:
http://news.stanford.edu/2014/03/10/too-much-homework-031014/
http://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-more-homework-means-more-stress-031114#6
EDUCATION KILLING CREATIVITY
(February- 2nd post)
Sir Ken Robinson gave a highly popular TED Talk in which he spoke about how the education system rejects making mistakes, which is preventing students from thinking creatively and taking new chances. Schools are putting too much emphasis on the right answers and the right way of doing assignments, which is impacting the students’ ability to try new things. The current education system is presenting mistakes as the worst thing because they directly affect grades, which is making students lose their fearlessness to think out of the box and embrace new ways of doing things. Taking risks and thinking creatively is the only way in which new ideas can be developed, but the system is rejecting that by making all the students fit into certain mold. This is clearly shown in the hierarchy and prioritization of subjects, such as math being highlighted as the most important discipline, while leaving the arts behind. In addition, schools are relying on testing a lot, which is making students think only about the right answer that will get them a good grade. This shows children that there is one “right” way of pursuing an education and one way of doing everything, which is killing creativity.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/darden/2015/03/19/how-americas-education-model-kills-creativity-and-entrepreneurship-2/#417f95383e49
http://www.businessinsider.com/a-ted-talk-on-how-the-education-systen-is-killing-creativity-2013-1
PROGRESS...
(March- 1st post)
For the last few weeks, I worked on creating a survey for students and faculty at Emma Willard to collect actual data of the community’s perspectives regarding the current education system. I recently sent it out and got responses that are very helpful for my project. I chose to avoid explaining a lot about it and what my goal is in order to get unbiased responses. I included questions of personal opinion as well as some with numerical data so I can combine statistics and opinions in my report. Based on the responses I have read so far, there are distinct viewpoints on education among the community that contribute to my project in different ways. In addition, there are many points of agreement and similar responses for some of the questions, especially those concerning assessments and ideas for things that should be done differently, which is very interesting. I am now working on putting the responses together in order to create a general report of the surveys so I can use and include it in my project and presentation. Going forward, I will start creating a rubric for the learning cycle I created to have clear descriptions of what reaching each line of a skill in the learning cycle involves.
FIXED VS. GROWTH MINDSET
(March- 2nd post)
In a fixed mindset, the goal is to achieve validation. People with this type of mindset try to prove themselves and are afraid of being wrong or mistake. They often feel anxious and are vulnerable to criticisms because failure destroys their confidence.
Characteristics of a fixed mindset:
-Hiding flaws in order to not be judged by failure.
-Sticking to what one knows in order to keep up confidence
-The outcome is the only thing that matters and failure means that all the effort was wasted.
-Failures define a person
-Looking inside oneself to find one’s purpose, as if it is an inherent thing.
A growth mindset focuses on achieving competence and mastery. People with this type of mindset believe that personal qualities can be learned and developed over time with practice. They are eager to learn and explore new things because failure is viewed as feedback instead of a judgement of personality or potential.
Characteristics of a growth mindset:
-Flaws are seen as a list of things that need to be improved over time.
-Exploring and diving into unfamiliar situations in order to learn.
-There is a commitment of mastering important skills and a lot of work and experience that goes into it.
-Failures are feedback and temporary setbacks.
-It is all about the learning process, so the outcome does not really matter.
-New qualities can be learned and are not necessarily part of one's nature.
Sources:
https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/growth-vs-fixed-mindset/
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/
Characteristics of a fixed mindset:
-Hiding flaws in order to not be judged by failure.
-Sticking to what one knows in order to keep up confidence
-The outcome is the only thing that matters and failure means that all the effort was wasted.
-Failures define a person
-Looking inside oneself to find one’s purpose, as if it is an inherent thing.
A growth mindset focuses on achieving competence and mastery. People with this type of mindset believe that personal qualities can be learned and developed over time with practice. They are eager to learn and explore new things because failure is viewed as feedback instead of a judgement of personality or potential.
Characteristics of a growth mindset:
-Flaws are seen as a list of things that need to be improved over time.
-Exploring and diving into unfamiliar situations in order to learn.
-There is a commitment of mastering important skills and a lot of work and experience that goes into it.
-Failures are feedback and temporary setbacks.
-It is all about the learning process, so the outcome does not really matter.
-New qualities can be learned and are not necessarily part of one's nature.
Sources:
https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/growth-vs-fixed-mindset/
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/
SAMPLE LEARNING CYCLE
This is a sample learning cycle that that Ms. Skott helped me put together.. It shows the four skills that could be evaluated in a science class.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alexander, J. (2016, August 09). America's Insensitive Children? Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/08/the-us-empathy-gap/494975/
Alexander, J. (n.d.). Teaching Kids Empathy: In Danish schools, it’s … well, it’s a piece of cake. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.salon.com/2016/08/09/teaching-kids-empathy-in-danish-schools-its-well-its-a-piece-of-cake/
Giang, V. (2013, January 24). Our Education System Is Killing Creativity. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/a-ted-talk-on-how-the-education-systen-is-killing-creativity-2013-1
Growth-Mindset Vs. Fixed-Mindset. (2017, April 05). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/growth-vs-fixed-mindset/
Popova, M. (2015, September 18). Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/
S., & Levy, R. (2017, April 11). Is Too Much Homework Bad for Kids' Health? Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-more-homework-means-more-stress-031114#6
Standard-based Grading. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://activegrade.com/
Stanford University. (2016, April 15). Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://news.stanford.edu/2014/03/10/too-much-homework-031014/
Virginia, U. O. (2015, March 19). How America's Education Model Kills Creativity and Entrepreneurship. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/darden/2015/03/19/how-americas-education-model-kills-creativity-and-entrepreneurship-2/#417f95383e49
9 Types Of Intelligence - Infographic. (2017, January 01). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://fundersandfounders.com/9-types-of-intelligence/
Alexander, J. (n.d.). Teaching Kids Empathy: In Danish schools, it’s … well, it’s a piece of cake. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.salon.com/2016/08/09/teaching-kids-empathy-in-danish-schools-its-well-its-a-piece-of-cake/
Giang, V. (2013, January 24). Our Education System Is Killing Creativity. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/a-ted-talk-on-how-the-education-systen-is-killing-creativity-2013-1
Growth-Mindset Vs. Fixed-Mindset. (2017, April 05). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/growth-vs-fixed-mindset/
Popova, M. (2015, September 18). Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/
S., & Levy, R. (2017, April 11). Is Too Much Homework Bad for Kids' Health? Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-more-homework-means-more-stress-031114#6
Standard-based Grading. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://activegrade.com/
Stanford University. (2016, April 15). Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://news.stanford.edu/2014/03/10/too-much-homework-031014/
Virginia, U. O. (2015, March 19). How America's Education Model Kills Creativity and Entrepreneurship. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/darden/2015/03/19/how-americas-education-model-kills-creativity-and-entrepreneurship-2/#417f95383e49
9 Types Of Intelligence - Infographic. (2017, January 01). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://fundersandfounders.com/9-types-of-intelligence/
REFLECTION
I truly enjoyed working on this project throughout the year because I was able to learn more about education and share my passion and work with other people. This project was a great accomplishment for me, and I look forward to continue working on it. There were definitely some challenges as I was working on my project, such as time, creating a new form of evaluation, and the controversy surrounding the topic. Time was the greatest challenge in my project because sometimes I could not manage to find free periods to do interviews to gather more opinions and different perspectives. In addition, developing an alternative form of grading was challenging because I had to keep in mind that there has to be some kind of standard that depicts the students’ progress without categorizing them in a certain range. On the other hand, the successes were the surveys and interviews, my final product, and I learned a lot about the meaning of education. The interviews and surveys helped me gain an understanding of the community’s point of view regarding the topic and gave me new ideas for my final product. Also, I was able to develop an alternative form of evaluation that focuses on growth, progress, and feedback, and Ms. Skott helped me to create a sample one with actual skills. This project changed my perception on education, and my own experience at school changed a lot as a result. I am looking forward to the trial of this new form of evaluation in a class next year!