This week the focus was all about educational reform. It seems that for the most part, we are in consensus that our current system is failing and not producing the types of students that our future economy and world society demand and need. That is pretty much where the consensus ends. It seems that we recognize we have a problem, but opinions vary on why this problem exists and how we should go about fixing. We are failing to educate and support a large population of our students and we can not figure out how to adapt and change the system to allow everyone to have an opportunity for success.
As stated in the Sir Ken Robinson video, our current educational system was created for an industrial economy and world. Students were told if you work hard and do well in school, then you will be rewarded with a job. Unfortunately our world and economy have changed and that is just not true anymore. We can not guarantee our students that jobs will be there for them when they are finished with school and students know this. We need to create students that don't just retain information but are innovators, creators, and problem solvers. To do this we must adjust our thinking about what school and the educational system should look like.
Educational reformers are starting to recognize we need to change our learners from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. In the report Educational Reform for the Digital Era, we need to encourage perseverance and curiosity. We must move away from gaining knowledge to skills development and innovations. I am starting to see these opportunities in the classroom. Schools and districts are starting to promote Project Based Learning (PBLs) and Genius Hours. In Fairfax County, there has been a big push for PBLS and we are starting to frame our teaching around the Portrait of a Graduate (POG) skills.
These are great starts and ideas that could evolve into a big movement, but there is still a major hurdle and that is standardized testing. While we are encouraging teachers to try to use PBLs and incorporate Portrait of a Graduate skills into our lessons, teachers are still feeling the pressure of those standardized tests. This causes teachers to be hesitant about spending time on doing a PBL or innovative lessons when they feel the pressure of the deadlines of completing units by certain dates and getting students ready for the SOLs at the end of the year. We are asking them to do more in the same amount of time. That is not going to work.
When I was in the classroom I found those last few weeks after testing to be so liberating. That is when learning and fun were really happening. I was able to do simulations, in-depth projects, and many other meaningful activities that I know the students loved and learned from. I didn't feel the pressure making sure I had covered all the content for those big tests. I think that is part of the reason why I moved into the field of a librarian. I get to focus on those growth mindset opportunities and PBLs. I find it rewarding for both my students and me. If we really want to move our system from a fixed mindset to a future of collaborators, communicators, critical & creative thinkers, ethical & global citizens who are goal-directed and resilient. We need to give the teachers the tools and time to develop it.
