Week 13 Blog
Washington State Teacher
of the Yea-Camille Jones
·
What does this teacher of year do that is
different than most traditional classroom teachers?
·
Can you replicate this teacher’s learning
environment?
Most traditional
classroom follow the
A traditional classroom involves a standard curriculum delivered by a
teacher in-person. Standardized tests are administered at regular intervals to
test students’ comprehension. This model is where students’ time, place and
pace of learning remain constant. Usually in the traditional classroom,
the focus is on learning mostly Math and English, a lot of standardized test
focus on these two topics. The students listen to the teacher, record, or
memorize information then when they go home, they will have homework to
reinforce the skills learned then they get tested on learning the information. There
is no room in these traditional classrooms for innovation and creativity and
sometimes it is scary because it feels like that there is no room for mistakes.
For the teacher of they year Camille Jones the real education is the one that
is relevant to the student’s life and the world around them, one that focus on
STEAM. Jones uses this an approach
to education and believes that it empowers students to be curious learners who
seek creative solutions to real-world problems; she believes that this approach
will help them develop the soft and hard skills necessary to succeed in college, their careers, and wherever else life takes them. Mrs.
Jones believes that children these days can get the knowledge they need from
google but she feels that her job is to teach them how to think about this
information and how to use them in a creative way. How to take this information
and think critically to solve a problem and most importantly how to work and
collaborate with their friends, work, and communicate as a team. In her class,
Mrs. Jones teaches her student information that are relevant to the real world,
she teaches them 21st century skills using STEAM to develop their
skills, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. What I liked the most
in the video and would like to replicate in my future teaching career is the enrichment
model in that school where Mrs. Jones teaches because it includes all children
of different abilities and needs within the 3 tiers they offer: tier one allows
every single student to come and experience opportunities outside of their general
education curriculum. Tier 2: which is advancing the sills of students who are
showing potential and Tier 2: independent studies that highlights opportunities
for the elite students highly capable identified students. Withing the realm of
these 3 tiers in an enrichment program, all students get the same chance to experience
innovation, collaboration, creativity, and teamwork using STEAM. My approach to
education will be like Mrs. Jones which focus on the real world to teach the students
the skills they need to face the new world. All my students will have access to
all the information they will ever need, and I will, like Mrs. Jones, teach them
how to analyze the information, how to apply it and how to use it to work
together with other people in the school and the community around them.
Maggy, I agree that a traditional classroom is the exact way you explained with no room for mistakes! No room for individuality and students are just repeating what the teacher says which is not learning whatsoever. I enjoyed watching how engaged her students were in the video. Yes, she is preparing them for the future because those jobs will want people who can think critically, problem solve, and work collaboratively. I love hearing how she pre-records herself so she can focus on those students who need more help than her others. This is such a wonderful idea because at the end of the day we are just 1 person and cannot get to every child at the same time. I love how her club has expanded over time and how each year there is something different. STEM is such a great tool! The fact that she said in the video, "I am not here to get awarded, I do what I do because of the kids". That is are solely focus is to get the kids excited about learning especially when they are having fun and do not even realize that they are learning. I agree Maggy, my focus is the same to prepare these kids to the real world because if we do not we are harming their opportunities in life!
ReplyDeleteMaggy, that is such an accurate representation of the traditional classroom. It is very focused on test scores, meeting the grade level benchmark, and the result not the process. Mrs. Jones has such a positive mindset towards learning and her students. The video emphasizes how she looks for what will engage the students and creates activities that relate to their lives. I also loved how this teacher focused on their strengths. I feel like people are always trying to label individuals. It's important to know if a student is struggling but that does not make up the entirety of their abilities. I think it is possible to replicate this teachers environment. It will take time and making small changes in the classroom but it is possible. I definitely think integrating more problem solving tasks and opportunities for students to be creative will make for a more engaged classroom.
ReplyDeleteMy comment was meant for weeks 12 not 13.
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad, Jacki, my comments on this post keep disappearing! Maggy, thank you so much for this thoughtful post. Mrs. Jones is a really inspiring example of what a teacher can be. Student-centered learning is so powerful. I really liked how Mrs. Jones used the technology in her classroom, not only to engage her students, but also to give he a chance to spend more time working with her students one on one. I think that is a real strength of integrating technology in the classroom and PBL. If your students are all engaged with their work, you can take the time to rotate through and really help the students who are struggling. As you noted, Maggy, it also allows lots of opportunities for extension. Mrs. Jones' tiers were subtly incorporated into the classroom. Mrs. Jones makes all of her students feel capable and motivated, but she also has them work within their own Zone of Proximal Development, so they don't get too frustrated or too bored. As Jacki said, I think it is so great to embrace kids' strengths and help them pursue their own interests. That is so much better than making your class feel like there are just smart kids and not as smart kids.
DeleteThis teacher is so inspiring, she does so much for her students and wants to know more about them artistically or engineering because like how she said in the video,"there is so much more than just testing them in reading and math". I agree, schools focus way too much on certain subjects when in reality if you give the students the tools they need they are so much more than a test score! She is preparing them for their life outside of Quincy (a small farm lifestyle) and that is exactly what we should be doing!
ReplyDeleteMy hope is to cultivate a classroom experience like this teacher. How inspiring. As I am completing the standardized tests for my teaching credential, I have been reminded just how "out of touch" they are. Expecting children, or any learner for that matter, to show their learning in such a rigorous format is unfair. Like many things, education should take on a more holistic approach, which I believe it is headed in that direction. Allowing for children to learn as well as show their learning in a way that bets fits them can only do good. We must remember that not everyone fits inside the same box.
DeleteYes, Bethany! I so agree. Taking the sample test in our math class was humbling. I think it's crazy that we expect kids - especially EL students and students with disabilities - to perform well on tests like that. They feel like they are designed to trick you or be needlessly confusing. I know they are a necessary part of teaching, but it breaks my heart that that's how we determine student and school performance.
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