What’s the Issue?
It has
been clear in American Education; students who aren't in the dominant group
have simply been left behind. Why does it seem like a lot of curriculums do not
want to adopt culturally relevant/sustaining methods? This is most likely
because the education system in America wants all students to assimilate to the
cultural norms (aka "whitestream".) How do we as teachers shift the
culture of learning, so all our students experience academic success? Here are
some ways:
- Don't let your unconscious
biases run your classroom.
- Get to know your students; use
their resources of language, stories, relationships, etc. as strengths
when guiding instruction (Bomer, p.13).
·
Explore the community where
our students are from. See what a day in their shoes is like
·
Constantly make sure we
are repeating all of this, so we don’t get too comfortable thinking we have it
all figured out.
Diving Deeper
Let’s say
we being bringing students’ lives into the curriculum…how would that look,
specifically in the literacy? Allowing students to write about themselves,
peers read about each other’s experiences, and allowing students to compare and
contrast their cultures (Bomer, p. 14). These examples make me think of the
tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy. I believe all students are experiencing
academic success and keeping a cultural competence just by these few examples. Part
of students experiencing academic success, is them choosing it. By allowing to
bring their culture in the room, I believe it shows them that where they come
from is important and will make have a sense of purpose to succeed. They also maintain
a cultural competence by getting to ask their family questions about where they
come from. This made me think of how we learned about family resistance in education.
If we took this approach to teaching our students, would it help reduce the
resistance movement?
What is a Hacker in the Education
Profession?
A hacker
in the education profession is a teacher who puts major emphasis on culturally proactive
teaching and going against the traditional methods (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen,
p.33). As I continued reading, I believe being a hacker means the teacher
believes the education system is unjust and are pursuing a systematic change. Examples
of Teachers as Hackers:
·
Develop
a classroom environment that promotes vulnerable learning (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen,
p.34)
·
Looking
at your classroom as a production and the students are the “makers” of the production
(Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen, p. 34).
·
Going
against the systematic constraints that may oppress your students (Garcia &
O’Donnell-Allen, p.34).
What is Vulnerable Learning/Teaching?
There are
a lot of educators who would probably rather ignore the complex issues and just
go with the “flow.” This can be an extreme disservice to your students because
they know the teacher is just choosing to ignore what is right in front of
them. I liked the one the examples stated in Possible, Wobble, Flow as an example of vulnerable
learning/teaching, “Unwilling to play it safe.” From looking back on my schooling experiences,
I can think of a number of teachers who did “play it safe” and not create a
space for vulnerable learning. If a complex issue came up most teachers would
simply respond, “this isn’t the right time or place.” Almost all my classes
throughout school were the same, all the teachers did pretty much same thing
every day. Imagine how much more enlightening schools would be if teachers
played more of a facilitator role and allowed students to help guide their learning
with their own experiences.
One Last Key Concept
Teacher as
Hackers will push the elements of Connected
Learning. The six elements of Connected
Learning are:
·
Interested-driven
learning
·
Peer
supported Learning
·
Academically
oriented learning
·
Production-centered
classrooms
·
Openly
networked learning experiences
·
Learning
around a shared purpose
Collected Learning was first developed for informal
education settings (Garcia & O’Donnell Allen, p.42). However, Connected Learning has been proven to be
extremely beneficial in classrooms. I think Collected
Learning allows for all students to branch out on their own to guide their
own, but also able to come together as a collective community to give feedback
and support. This link provides more information about Collected Learning, along with a short video discussing it: https://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/connect-learning-a-new-research-driven-initiative/
Quotes and Questions to Think About
“Culturally
sustaining pedagogies require that we hold onto hope, that we believe that
change is coming, and that it’s on its way right now and needs our action”-Randy
Bomer 2017
“To be a
liberating educator, you need above all to have faith in human beings. You need
to love. You must be convinced that the fundamental effort of education is to
help with the liberation of people, never their domestication. You must be
convinced that when people reflect on their domination they begin a first step
in changing their relationship with the world.”- Paulo Freire 1970.
Have any
of your past teachers from elementary, middle, or high school been “hackers”?
Have you
ever been in a classroom that was facilitated by Connected Learning? If so, how?
How can we
take control of our unconscious bias? Is it even possible?
It has been clear in American Education; students who aren't in the dominant group have simply been left behind. Why does it seem like a lot of curriculums do not want to adopt culturally relevant/sustaining methods? This is most likely because the education system in America wants all students to assimilate to the cultural norms (aka "whitestream".) How do we as teachers shift the culture of learning, so all our students experience academic success? Here are some ways:
A hacker in the education profession is a teacher who puts major emphasis on culturally proactive teaching and going against the traditional methods (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen, p.33). As I continued reading, I believe being a hacker means the teacher believes the education system is unjust and are pursuing a systematic change. Examples of Teachers as Hackers:· Develop a classroom environment that promotes vulnerable learning (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen, p.34)· Looking at your classroom as a production and the students are the “makers” of the production (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen, p. 34).· Going against the systematic constraints that may oppress your students (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen, p.34).What is Vulnerable Learning/Teaching?There are a lot of educators who would probably rather ignore the complex issues and just go with the “flow.” This can be an extreme disservice to your students because they know the teacher is just choosing to ignore what is right in front of them. I liked the one the examples stated in Possible, Wobble, Flow as an example of vulnerable learning/teaching, “Unwilling to play it safe.” From looking back on my schooling experiences, I can think of a number of teachers who did “play it safe” and not create a space for vulnerable learning. If a complex issue came up most teachers would simply respond, “this isn’t the right time or place.” Almost all my classes throughout school were the same, all the teachers did pretty much same thing every day. Imagine how much more enlightening schools would be if teachers played more of a facilitator role and allowed students to help guide their learning with their own experiences.One Last Key ConceptTeacher as Hackers will push the elements of Connected Learning. The six elements of Connected Learning are:
· Interested-driven learning· Peer supported Learning· Academically oriented learning· Production-centered classrooms· Openly networked learning experiences· Learning around a shared purposeCollected Learning was first developed for informal education settings (Garcia & O’Donnell Allen, p.42). However, Connected Learning has been proven to be extremely beneficial in classrooms. I think Collected Learning allows for all students to branch out on their own to guide their own, but also able to come together as a collective community to give feedback and support. This link provides more information about Collected Learning, along with a short video discussing it:
Quotes and Questions to Think About“Culturally sustaining pedagogies require that we hold onto hope, that we believe that change is coming, and that it’s on its way right now and needs our action”-Randy Bomer 2017“To be a liberating educator, you need above all to have faith in human beings. You need to love. You must be convinced that the fundamental effort of education is to help with the liberation of people, never their domestication. You must be convinced that when people reflect on their domination they begin a first step in changing their relationship with the world.”- Paulo Freire 1970.Have any of your past teachers from elementary, middle, or high school been “hackers”?Have you ever been in a classroom that was facilitated by Connected Learning? If so, how?How can we take control of our unconscious bias? Is it even possible?
When thinking about my past teachers as being hackers, I can only think of a few who may have come close to being like a hacker. I had a few teachers here and there that would really dive deep into class discussions where students were creating questions that we would explore. That was the case in my AP Psychology class and my honors English class in high school. While I don’t think my teachers in those courses did all they could to be hackers, they did better than my other teachers who only contributed to the banking model, “wherein teachers deposit knowledge that students must passively consume, then withdraw and return to the teacher upon demand” (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen, 2015, p.34). In my opinion, this reflects what you said of teachers doing a disservice to their students. And I feel like chapter 2 of Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen flows well with the article written by Bomer as teachers who feed information to students rather than creating an opportunity for vulnerable learning are most likely not contributing to culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogy. A quote from Bomer that stuck out to me was, “…these students deserve to see themselves in academic content, deserve to have a curriculum that is inclusive of their cultures” (2017, p.11). If teachers are avoiding the hacker position and are continuing to perpetuate the system of just feeding information just to get that information back, then there is no connection with students. How do teachers expect students to want to learn and gain understanding when teachers themselves don’t seem to care? As educators, we need to eliminate this banking model and get to know our students so we can create a positive and relevant learning environment.
ReplyDeleteCitations
Garcia, A., & ODonnell-Allen, C. (2015). Pose, wobble, flow: a culturally proactive approach to literacy instruction. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Bomer, R. (2017). What Would it Mean for English Language Arts to Become More Culturally Responsive and Sustaining?
Analogous to the majority of the educators you had, most of my educators contributed to the banking model ideology of teaching. Personally, I do not find this approach to learning as effective because even if the students acquire and remember the information presented, this approach does not engage the learner in true understanding. Moreover, this often happened to me in math classes. Before last semester, I didn’t recognize and understand the critical thinking elements of math because my math educators simply presented equations and procedure rules. Therefore, I did not perceive math as meaningful in the world outside of school despite frequently performing well in math classes. Additionally, I agree with you that educators who merely feed information to students are more likely not contributing to culturally responsive and culturally sustaining pedagogy. How can students of the non-dominant group develop cultural competence when they are given information from only the perspective of the dominant group? The students cannot because their cultural stories and learning experiences are ignored. How can students develop critical consciousness when they’re not allowed to examine modern society critically? While presenting information about past injustices are critical, when students are not given a chance to see how these past injustices are connected to the contemporary social structure that exhibits differences in power dynamics, students may not understand the significance of examining these injustices as they may become seen as mere injustices of the past, which do not extend to modern society.
DeleteOlivia, something that really stuck out to me in your response was which teachers you noted did "better than your other teachers". Both cases you mentioned of teachers diving deeper were "advanced-placement" (or whatever you want to call them) classes. I noticed the same trend when thinking back through my school career. The teachers I found doing the most were in the "advanced-placement" classes. In elementary school and in high school, I remembered them doing more than my other teachers. However, I had the pleasure of being a student-assistant for my AP English teacher in high school. The class I was helping her with was not an AP class, it was just freshman English. I noticed to my dismay that she didn't push her instruction nearly as far. She was still a good teacher, but a much worse hacker. My question is why that happened? Was she allowing her unconscious bias for the non-AP class to cause her to think these students couldn't handle as deep insights as her AP classes?
Delete"Unknown" is Brandt Hatcher
DeleteError- Where is says "Collected Learning", it is supposed to say "Connected Learning."
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOne of the intriguing main points you mentioned was the need for educators to examine their unconscious bias and to use the student’s funds of knowledge as a necessary asset for academic excellence. Examining unconscious bias is essential for educators because these internalize beliefs affect the expectations educators project towards students, which can either build or destroy the student’s internal motivation. For instance, although you would think that a math educator would hold high expectations for students in an honor class, my eighth-grade honors math teacher told me that I would become nothing in life. Furthermore, the reason I believe this incident may have occurred was because of my math teacher failure to acknowledge that I was often bored in class, and before my diagnosis of ADHD, the math educator perceived my impulsive behavior with a bias because I did not fit the norm of an honor student. Following the low expectation exhibited by my math educator, my motivation for academic success deteriorated throughout high school with the exception of the few educators who saw the creativity in my apparent all-over-the-place thought process and encourage and challenge me to use it in a constructive manner. Additionally, Boomer (2017) concludes, “From their own cultural experiences, teachers plan instruction with certain predictions about how students will respond, and these predictions have to do with patterns the teachers has internalized from her own social life” (p. 11). Educators must reframe from implementing this ideology into their instruction as even students living in the same household may have different cultural background knowledge. For instance, despite my brother and I living in the same household, a couple of significant events alter important aspects of the funds of knowledge we received. My brother was about to leave the house when my parents got divorced, therefore unlike myself, my brother did not suffer the effects as greatly of a single-parent household, living in lower socioeconomic status, or an absence of Filipino culture passed down from my mother’s side of the family. If the funds of knowledge in the same household can differentiate, how do we expect educators, who are predominantly white, middle-class females, or the typical colorblind curriculum to predict the knowledge students from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds should exhibit? Therefore, as you mentioned, educators as hackers should give students the opportunity to become the maker of their own knowledge which incorporates the student’s funds of knowledge since it is the students’ cultural and personal beliefs which influences the organizing of the information the educator presents. My belief and support for the self-construction of knowledge, rather than the educator trying to force students to obtain the information they deemed is valuable based on their perspective and positionality, is analogous to the saying, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink it.” While the educator can lead the students to the concepts they want the students to know, for true understanding, the students are the ones who ultimately determine if the information makes sense and is accepted or rejected alongside their conceptual framework.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Boomer, R. (2017). What Would It Mean for English Language Arts to Become More Culturally Responsive and Sustaining?
Brandon,
DeleteI appreciate you sharing you own person accounts of oppression in school. You recount on this reminds me of the video we just watched in our math class this past Thursday. It shocks me teachers actually have made these remarks towards students. I can't really recall seeing those comments being made in school, but that may be just because it wasn't happening to me. The question you ask about teachers from different cultures and statuses connecting with students that differ is a great question. I think by getting out of their comfort zone and entering the "Third Space" would be a great start. Rather than thinking you're going to be giving all the knowledge to your students, use their past experiences and knowledge to help them grow.
One idea from the readings in Pose Wobble Flow that I think you represented really well is how students should not just be recipients of the teachers current knowledge, but should have a more active roll in the classroom by investigating and taking a bigger roll in their learning, and how the teacher should be learning along with them rather than being the expert in the room. This is described in further detail on page 34 where it states "Teachers disrupt the commonplace view that they are the sole experts in the classroom." (Garcia & O'Donnell-Allen, 2015) In the past, I can only think of a couple of teachers who I would consider a "hacker." One of which was my high-school agriculture teacher. Instead of giving us information and telling us how to use it, she often set up her lessons so that we could deeply investigate areas of our subject matter and would provide us with resources to do so in real life. It was a very hands on class, and because of her approaches to this type of teaching, many students were interested in taking her classes, even if they weren't interested in agriculture. Aside from these few classes, most of my teachers would use the banking model. Often in classes, my teachers would do a presentation on subject content and that would be it. There often wasn't an opportunity for inquiry or investigation with both students and teachers. When thinking of connected learning, I would also say the 6 elements were present in this high school agriculture class. We were allowed to explore further into parts of the content areas that interested each of us as individual students. We were often asked to experiment and do physical making of things to test our ideas. This also includes the idea of "makerspaces," as described on page 41 of Pose Wobble Flow. Although I did not know the term at the time, our class incorporated makerspaces as described in the book, "students as makers of artifacts they value." (Garcia & O'Donnell-Allen, 2015) We both studied literary materials about the things we were interested in, but also created artifacts that supported our learning.
ReplyDeleteGarcia, A., & O'Donnell-Allen, C. (2015). Pose Wobble Flow A Culturally Proactive Approach to Literacy Instruction.
I loved the idea that you restated and remember reading about it. I don't have many memories of being able to take learning in to my own hands when I was growing up in school so I think that is it s great thought. Most teachers like to just simply get the lesson taught and have the students do what they are told. It is almost like a checklist. Students and teachers are both going to be learning and growing together so they might as well let that process happen. It benefits both individuals. I would have to agree with you when you talked about how your teachers used the banking model majority of the time. It was easy for them and took up time in class but in reality it wasn't helping many students grow and learn. For me personally, those types of teachers made it more difficult for me to understand the topic or lesson.
DeleteLyssa I had some of the same experiences in my classes. Most of my teachers were banking model teachers, the powerpoint and note taking types. I had a few teachers that were hackers, they were hands on and involved in our learning, they taught us in a way that made you want to continue to learn. Honestly the teachers that were more involved in our learning and allowed us to direct the learning we were doing, is the class/teacher I took the most from! In a classroom with 20-25 students it becomes hard to find the type of teaching or activities that every student likes or gets the most out of. There are a couple reasons to this, some include the curriculum in itself, the way it is introduced and the students learning ability. Some students are afraid to be vulnerable in the school setting which can hinder their learning. In Pose Wobble Flow it states, "By taking on the pose of teacher as hacker, you can be a powerful model for your students that learning involves vulnerability, uncertainty and change". (Garcia & O'Donnell-Allen, 2015) When teachers become hackers both them and the students become learners. This is when the teacher takes down their own walls, they become vulnerable so their students can become vulnerable and ultimately increase learning and allow EVERY child to feel important and be successful.
DeleteGarcia, A., & O'Donnell-Allen, C. (2015). Pose Wobble Flow A Culturally Proactive Approach to Literacy Instruction.
I was thinking back on my educational career and came to the conclusion that I don't think I could consider any of my teachers "hackers". Like stated by a few others, their teachers growing up did mostly the same things over and over again. As we know and are learning, that does no one any good. Giving students the ability to learn and grow within your classroom is essential to the process of schooling. If I am being honest, while reading the Bomer & Bomer text I began to think about how difficult it is going to be to not have biases when I am in the classroom with my students. I know how important it is to push all biases aside but that is something that I think will be challenging at times for me to do. "...the separation between the roles of teacher and learner often represses the use of demonstration: the teacher questions and students answer, the teacher assigns and students carry out," (2017, p. 20). This quote about demonstration was interesting to me because it shows us how demonstrating should be done and how it will benefit our students if done the correct way. I liked how you listed the six elements of connected learning. That was one of the main topics that I highlighted in my book. The idea that connected learning allows students to have their own thoughts or ideas but also allows them to get feedback from classmates is great. Vulnerable teaching can be very scary but at the same time can change the classroom positively. "I feel like I always had to start with relationships and trust-building and allowing myself to be vulnerable and try to change students' ideas that they sometimes came into class with from previous teachers..." (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen, 2015, p.37). I liked how Nicole Mirra (high school English teacher) shared her thoughts on vulnerable teaching and learning. She later shares how it has made a world of a difference in her classroom to begin by making strong relationships with her students.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Bomer, R. (2017). What Would it Mean for English Language Arts to Become More Culturally Responsive and Sustaining?
Garcia, A., & O'Donnell-Allen, C. (2015). Pose Wobble Flow A Culturally Proactive Approach to Literacy Instruction.
I didn't think I considered any of my teachers "hackers" either. I really like the quote you pulled, that is actually something I had highlighted as well, because i think that is significant. I wish I would have had more connected learning opportunities throughout school. I feel that would have made some thing easier, and eye opening. Why do you think vulnerable teaching would be scary? I absolutely agree, just wanted to know your reasoning on why you thought it would be scary.
DeleteI agree Abby! I think the 6 elements of connected learning are super important for those reasons. Because when using it, their academics are interest driven and are supported by their peers and their teachers during the learning process. Also, as potentially future urban teachers, I also think this is important, because as stated in Pose Wobble Flow, "connected learning is under-girded by a focus on equity and access, especially for nondominant youth." (Garcia & O'Donnell-Allen, 2015) So, using these 6 elements would help us as future teachers when working with a diverse group of students, and being able to accommodate all of their learning styles and interests. I am interested to see some examples of lessons planned with these elements of connected learning in mind!
DeleteGarcia, A., & O'Donnell-Allen, C. (2015). Pose Wobble Flow A Culturally Proactive Approach to Literacy Instruction.
I agree with you, Abby. I don't remember any of my teachers being hackers or teaching material in a non-traditional way. I also agree with Mackenzee, the quote you pulled is one I highlighted while I was reading. The banking concept seems like it's not very productive, we deposit information and then withdrawal whenever we test them. This teaches more to memorize instead of retaining the information.
DeleteVulnerable teaching seems very helpful but also scary and difficult to incorporate in the classroom. As first year teachers, I think we would want to seem like we have all the answers and we are the leaders in the classroom.
Abby, I agree with you when you say vulnerable teaching can be scary. Kenzee, I'd like to offer you my perspective on this. From the quote that Abby pulled, vulnerable teaching requires building a relationship with those being taught. As someone who finds it difficult and emotionally taxing to open up to others, building relationships with others has always proved to be a challenge and a source of anxiety for me. My fear in regards to vulnerable teaching is that I'll be forced to share things about myself that I'm not comfortable discussing for the sake of a successful lesson. I fear that I will be put in a position where some of my most personal and guarded experiences will be the only thing that will help my students learn.
DeleteI had a very similar experience as well. Most of teachers taught in the same "paper and pencil" manner with almost no interruption. In taking these classes I find myself questioning how different my school could have been if it had more vulnerable teachers. The quote above from page 37 is also one that stuck out a lot to me because I feel this is where my past teachers failed.
DeleteI attended a school system that was extremely diverse. In all my years of school my schools compasses were always roughly 40% Black, 35% White, 15% Latino, and 10% Multiracial. This being said, I feel our school should have been one that embraced and celebrated the many cultures inside its walls. Instead, our school days consisted of white, female teachers banking knowledge into us. There was never an effort made to build relationships with students. And for the 65%of Non-White this likely played a huge role in their feeling of lack of support and involvement.
I feel like as elementary teachers, this is where we can really try to start things off in the best way possible. By inviting culture and individualism into our classroom we can set our students up for the best success possible.
When I think back to my past experiences with my teachers the closest ones that came to being "hackers" were my high school Spanish teachers. They were always pushing us into digging deeper into Spanish culture, and whatever Spanish speaking country we were learning about at the time they would give us examples of their experiences traveling there. They would teach us things like what people from those places find "rude" compared to what we were think is considered rude. They would encourage us to travel to those places if we ever got the chance but other than that those are my only memories of digging into culture at all.
DeleteWhen you wrote, "There are a lot of educators who would probably rather ignore the complex issues and just go with the 'flow.'" It made me think back and remember a lot of teachers talking about lessons at school and then saying that we should go home and talk to our parents more about the lesson. Looking back I now I think that was my teachers way of ignoring complex issues because they did not want to dig into a topic that might cause controversy or offend someone in the classroom. Maybe they did this because they were not confident in talking about complex things with us? Or maybe that was what they were taught to do?
This was very put together and thought out. I really liked the section on what is Vulnerable Learning/Teaching. It was just very interesting to me. My kindergarten teacher was amazing with this. The environment she created within her classroom was great. She had flexible seating, and different areas we could go to, when we could read (ex. she had an old wooden bunk bed with pillows and blankets in her room).Something about the atmosphere she created helped with being engaged a lot. I feel like that classroom was facilitated by connected learning. I do not believe any of my teachers were hackers, because they pretty much all did the same things.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very difficult to not have bias' in the classroom, or anywhere really. I do not think that you can completely shut out your bias' and not have any, I do however think that as a teacher you should be able to set them aside and not let those bias' get in the way of your classroom, and your teachings.
Mackenzee, I'm very glad you are able to remember to remember one of your former teachers practicing this. It sounds like your Kindergarten teacher was also practicing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. For example, I believe flexible seating meet the first tenet of CRP (all students will experience academic success). By students being able to choose their seat, it could help students focus and allow them to gain more knowledge. Just little adjustments like that can go such a long way in the classroom. A lot of my teachers were the same in my classes as well. I remember one teacher being completely different than the others and I would classify him as a hacker. However, us students actually didn't respond that well to him.
DeleteMackenzee I love that your teacher did this and you were able to have that experience. I never thought of having a bunk bed in the classroom to make it a cozy space for the students. One thing I would be concerned about now would be the liability issues if a student falls out of it. So what could be some other ways we could do this cozy space? Are we going to be cautious if a student has lice? So will it involve pillows or something like yoga balls? I know these sound like ridiculous questions but they are things that we will come across. I agree that it can be difficult to shut out your own bias'. These are things we have had since we were born and grew up learning. I think the most interesting part is just getting to challenge them and allow for us to re-teach our selves and make new ones.
DeleteMackenzee, I too had flexible seating! By what I remember, I felt engaged and had great memories in my teachers classroom. I feel this is so important because the students could be more engaged by having the flexible seating. They can also sit by someone that they have not before and gain social skills and see how other people are learning the processes.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBilly, I feel that you brought up a great point, under, "What is vulnerable teaching/learning", you discussed educators going with the "flow". Going with the flow is a great motto, but in education that just is not the motto to have. As an educator you need to go in with a set plan, however this plan needs to be flexible. You added the quote of teachers needing to be "unwilling to play it safe". This is true, this is something I can see myself having to refer to often, as a human being sometimes the safe route seems easier and quicker. However, when it comes to teaching students and giving them equal opportunities as the leader you can not play it safe. It's only going to teach your students to play it safe, in life. By not playing it safe as an educator it open's the classroom up to be more vulnerable this then allows students to feel equal and that they have a purpose. Students will want to be more involved and engage in learning, they will even be able to guide some of their own learning in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteBrinkley, I completely agree with what you stated above in agreement with the point Billy made. I also wrote something similar in my blog reply! As humans, let alone educators, it is always easier and more appealing to take the path that takes less work. It is easier to just "go with the flow" and follow what has always been done. However, as teachers who shape the minds of young children, we cannot simply just take the easy way out. This is a disservice to our students. I agree with what you said about "playing it safe". If we play it safe as teachers, we are setting the expectation for our students to do the same. This will not teach them to question society's norms and think outside of the box.
DeleteBrinkley & Sophie, I think you both make great points on why teachers don't branch out for their students. When we discuss in about Culturally Relevant/Sustaining Pedagogy, it is just not possible to "go with with the flow" and be a successful CRP/CSP educator. I would assume most teachers want the best for their students want them all to succeed, but how many teachers just say that but not do anything different in their classrooms to make learning equitable? It is very easy to make all those statements and claims, but is completely different story when teachers act on those statements and claims.
DeleteSophie, I loved how you brought up that "going with the flow" is a disservice to our students. Our entire lives, we have been taught to try and find the easiest way to complete something and to try and look for shortcuts. However, creating a classroom that promotes inclusion and equity is not always going to be an easy task. We want our students to have a burning curiosity and the desire to better society/change it, and our students learn by example. If they see us constantly playing it safe and staying in our "safe space", they are never going to step outside of their own comfort zone.
DeleteBrinkley and Sophie, I think you guys have hit it spot on. We have to be willing to be flexible and go with the flow in the classroom. The planning is important, but it isn't always going to go that way as much as we would love for it to always go our way.
DeleteBrinkley, I love that you speak about playing it safe and how it is easier that way, but you're so right that we can't always play it safe because we have to open our classroom to make sure it's a safe and equal learning environment for all. As a future educator I want to make sure that I allow for my classroom to be a safe, equal, and engaging environment.
I can confidently say that unfortunately none of my teachers from elementary, middle, or high school, came to mind when reading about “hackers”. I feel as though most, if not all, of my teachers through my primary and secondary education did not stray away from the “mainstream” way of teaching. I feel as though, like you stated in your above blog, that many educators tend to just ignore issues and go with the flow. It is the easier way out, so why not? However, this mindset does put students at a disadvantage. It wasn’t until I started attending college courses, that I really started to see some professors act as “hackers”. In my college classes, I felt more included in discussions, as well as we were able to dive deeper into topics than in high school. Your last question that you presented really gave me some things to think about. “How can we take control of our unconscious bias? Is it even possible?”. I do feel as though it would be possible to do this task, but it may be uncomfortable or difficult for most educators. As future educators, it is important that we examine our unconscious bias more intensely in order to gain a better understanding on how to create an inclusive classroom, where all students feel welcome and supported. In order to do this, we need to make sure that we are educating ourselves on different social issues and cultures/beliefs. Growing up and being part of a minority group, I did feel left behind. Moving forward it is important to adopt culturally relevant and culturally sustaining teaching methods to help our students become successful.
ReplyDeleteI think every student should get the opportunity to have a teacher who is a hacker so I am so sorry you didn't. I agree with the statement that says that teachers don't want to stray from the mainstream teaching. I'm pretty sure all of my teachers did this but a few. They would sit with a huge binder in front of them with the standards and what they were doing because it would be the same old lesson plan from the year before. I love that you brought up that we need to examine our unconscious bias and that it may be uncomfortable. I think this is something every new educator struggles with. If they don't then they aren't doing it or not doing it well. I 100% agree that we need to have those relevant and culturally sustaining teaching methods because this will make our classrooms more inclusive and will, like you said, make our students more successful.
DeleteI don't think I could say with full confidence that any of my teachers were "hackers," but there is one teacher who stands out to me when I think back on my educational experiences. My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Williams, was one of the best teachers I ever had. She was always coming up with new activities and created a safe and welcoming environment from the very first day. She was not a "go with the flow" teacher. She always made sure that her students knew that they came first and she was never afraid to go against what a traditional education looked like. She acted more as a facilitator and a role model than a teacher, she always gave us time to collaborate on our classwork. She was also never afraid to answer hard questions to the best of her ability while having the explanation remain modest enough, but also making sure that the students understood the answer.
ReplyDeleteI also remember a cultural unit we did where we looked at Christmas Around the World. As I see now, this could be culturally insensitive to those students that do do not celebrate Christmas. However, I do believe that it was a good effort to incorporate other cultures into the classroom. Each pair of students chose a country and researched how that country celebrated, then we all walked around and were able to learn about the different countries. I feel that this activity was able to support, interest-driven learning, peer supported learning, academically oriented learning, and learning around a shared purpose, 4 out of the 6 elements of Connected Learning (Garcia & O’Donnell Allen, p.42).
Kati, I appreciate the example you present that shows the teaching trying to practice culturally relevant pedagogy. I agree that it is a great way of allowing students to explore other cultures. I believe an assignment like this will generate students to be more openminded when they are situations they are not comfortable with. Learning different cultures holidays I think is a great way for students to begin learning cultures because holidays are a huge part of a cultures identity.
DeleteMuch like everyone else, I can only remember maybe one or two teachers who were hackers and really embraced this. One teacher who I really remember being this was my high school theatre teacher. This seems kind of cliche when I say that, but he was really the teacher who always had a safe environment, was always very welcoming of new, current, and old students, and always questioned what was happening in the school system or even school. He never let us not question what was happening and if he didn't have the answer to it her would find it, maybe would take him a few days but he would. One of the quotes in the reading that really stood out was, " This pose can keep you from seeing yourself and your students as no more than cogs in a system beyond your control. It reminds you of your capacity to survey the system you and your students are inhabiting and then, in Bud's words, figure how to "fiddle with it, in order to improve it." (Garcia & O'Donnell Allen, p.33). This quote stood out because it really reminded me of him. He had been teaching for so long that he figure out how to start fiddling with the educational system to better it for him and his students. He soon found ways that were better and the classroom was the best educational area I had ever been in.
ReplyDeleteI think what is amazing is that we have already become hackers in some ways and have also done the start to the shift of culture in the classroom. We are trying to do all of the things that some of our educators have done for us which could have been the hacker teacher. Unfortunately some of us haven't had that. So the question is, what next? I think while we are student teaching, we should see if this is happening in the school. I have seen this happening or starting to happen with Mr. Wirth becoming the new principal at Christian Park. But is this happening with other teachers? Do we see it happening with newer teachers or older teachers? How do teachers feel about this approach? Is it something you can see without having to converse with the teacher regarding it? I think these are the start to some great questions and observations that was can do in the school.
Naomi your second paragraph was great to me. I often think things like that as well. I honestly had never even heard of the term hacker until these readings but I do think it is great that we are learning so early on in our teaching career how to change the ways culture is brought into the classroom. I also wonder the same things as your questions at the end of your comment; and to tie them to the quote, “Culturally sustaining pedagogies require that we hold onto hope, that we believe that change is coming, and that it’s on its way right now and needs our action”(Randy Bomer, 2017), I think that we can see at Christian Park how actions are being made. The staff here seems willing to make the changes necessary for culturally sustaining pedagogies to be present at this school, and I think that it is important for is as future teachers to take note of the things they are doing so that wherever we end up in our teaching career we will be ready to have ideas to take action.
DeleteWhen I think back to my experience in elementary school, I don't recall having a teacher that was a "hacker" in terms of being intentional about going against traditional teaching methods and putting special attention to culturally proactive teaching. However, I have volunteered at my former elementary school for three years, have substitute taught, and my sister attended the same school for 4 years after I moved on to middle school. In the years since I have been a student in my elementary school, I have noticed many changes. My sisters fourth grade teacher could seem to have adapted a "hacker"-type teaching style when teaching math. I remember my sister explaining how her teacher guided them through math notes by posing questions, whereas I recall being plainly, explicitly given directions to problems. Another example where I could see this type of teaching overlapping some is the program I volunteer for, HOSTS. Students are paired with mentors who facilitate them in working through reading and writing skills. While I can't recall having ever been in this type of classroom, I can link what I think of as "smaller" examples of "hacking."
ReplyDeleteMeagan, I too was in the HOSTS program! I did not even think about that until I read your post! It made me realize that I was a part of a "hacking" program. When we gave our students games to play in order to enhance their literacy level, that was revolutionary. It's especially sad to think playing a few games each session can be revolutionary, or reading different poems relating to current events is special. Everyday classes should include these things and more! The HOSTS program made me see how we can include poems and diverse games into our lessons while at the same time, evaluate their literacy progresses.
DeleteAfter reading your response Billy, I feel like I did have a teacher in high school that I would consider a "hacker". In tenth grade, I took a course called American Experience that was English and history combined into one long, two class chunk. My teacher (whose name I unfortunately have forgotten) was extremely intentional about not following our set curriculum and speaking about current issues that were occurring in our country. She spent an entire unit educating us about the women's' rights movement and we also learned about the euthanasia "crisis" that happened in the USA. I was strongly discouraged from taking AmEx because it didn't follow the rest of sophomore year English and history curriculum and wasn't Honors credit-but taking it was one of the best decisions I could have made.We had classroom discussions debating current events and political issues in our country and I learned more my sophomore year of high school than I did any other year of high school.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I really want to improve on personally is my implicit/unconscious bias. Since I grew up in a suburban, prominently white area, I have found that I have implicit bias towards situations or places that I might not necessarily be familiar with. I try to erase any implicit bias I may have as a future educator must be supportive of every student that comes through their door and seek to create a completely inclusive classroom. I need to remind myself to continue to be educated about social issues and cultures/beliefs that may differ from mine.
Vulnerable learning can be stressful for both student and teacher; we, as a whole unit, would have to accept our own mistakes and failures. To be unguarded is asking for bravery. The "maker mindset", as described by Dale Dougherty, "Makers have a sense of what they can do and what they can learn to do. Like artists, they are motivated by internal goals, not extrinsic rewards. They are inspired by the work of others. Most importantly, they do not wait until the future to create and make. They feel an urgency to do something now-- or lose the opportunity to do it at all". Teachers as hackers, signifying a production-centered view of learning, will give students ownership of their own personalized and individual artifacts. This quote immediately inspired me because of its reliance on art. My views, as a future educator and as a creator, will shape my teaching philosophy. Art can make us all vulnerable, but collaboration and the physical aspect of creating can teach us critical thinking, responsibility, ownership, socializing, etc. Interested-driven learning, peer supported learning, academically oriented learning, production-centered classroom, openly networked learning experiences, and learning around a shared purpose can all be learned through a "maker mindset".
ReplyDeleteI have never had a past educator as a "hacker" nor have I experienced connected learning in the classroom. School is supposed to be a place for many opportunities for growth and freedom of expression. We all have had experiences where classrooms were defined by their curriculum and structured similarly, with the absence of creativity, originality, design, and innovation. Again, this single quote has enthralled me to shape my future classroom by embracing the "maker mindset" in hopes that I could be a hacker.
Your blog post was interesting. I want to start off with answering one of your questions because throughout your whole post I was thinking about it. I never had an educator who would be perceived as a hacker. It wasn't until I did the readings and read your post that I truly understood what a hacker is. A lot of my teachers followed that curriculum and there were only a few who didn't follow it as close as they were supposed too. I wouldn't consider those teachers hackers though.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that stuck out the most was diving deeper. I think it is so important that we put ourselves in their shoes and allowing our students to bring their culture into the classroom. I found it important not to let our bias into the classroom. I do think we can't completely lose our own bias because we are all human, but I do think it is possible for us not to have them in our classroom. We should leave them out the door. We have to allow our students to reach academic success and whatever we can do to make sure the reach that point than we have to do that as future educators.
Jessica, I was the same exact way before reading the chapter. I had never heard of the term "hacker" in the education profession. I think of a lot teachers believe in equitable teaching and say how important it is, but not many actually do it. They may think they are but aren't, but also some educators don't want to do what it takes. For example, you make the point of stepping into our students shoes and how important it is. I feel like a lot of teachers don't do that because that would stepping too far out of their comfort zone and they wouldn't know how to react. I think I am fortunate that we learn about how to be a culturally proactive teacher and have these conversations, so I am more comfortable with different situations when I am a teacher.
DeleteI agree with what you say about the "whitestream". It is very common for us as teachers to get caught up in the norms of teaching and only focus on what we know as educators. What would be your first response if a parent or administrator called you out on "whitestreaming" in your classroom? Also, I have had very few teachers that were "hackers" because it is easier to go with what you are used to and not change the way of thinking in your classroom. What will you do to become a "hacker"?
ReplyDeleteErin Lenox
ReplyDeleteBomer’s “What Would It Mean…” article and Pose, Wobble, and Flow had so much that made me rethink what I imaged lessons in my future classroom. It’s encouraging to note that even Bomer himself admitted that he still has challenges to face and room to transform his curriculum. I’d have a difficult time saying that any of my teachers were hackers. I know my English teacher implemented a practice reminiscent of the Hamlet unit in Pose, Wobble, and Flow, where she had us compare and contrast a short story and a movie based on it; we analyzed what interpretations were lost in the adaptation and the like, but it wasn’t applicable to our lives. One of the phrases that stuck out to me was Bomer’s statement that we must impress upon our students that the world is unfinished, which goes well with the Teacher as a Hacker examples you mentioned: Looking at your classroom as a production and the students are the “makers” of the production. Through their reading choices, they obtain insights into the world and exactly how they can bring about change and be a force for good.
Billy, I thought that your blog was well organized. I have never thought about how teachers are hackers until this reading. The majority of my teachers followed the textbooks and curriculum, like many other people in out class.
ReplyDeleteMy first grade teacher Mrs. King had flexible seating. One of my favorite things was to just sit on the floor or be on a bing bag chair. I feel by doing this we are allowing our students to feel more comfortable and engaged in the topic that you are discussing. By being a hacker as a teacher, we are more than just helping our students learn, we are allowing them to bring in their own culture. I think doing this is so important because all of our students have their own thoughts and backgrounds. These all are crucial to let your students bring into the classroom.
I agree that the readings this week bring in the tenants of the culturally relevant pedagogy because in the Bomer article it says that we should let students bring their lives into the classroom, which fits into the tenants of cultural competence and sociopolitical consciousness. Not only does it fit the tenants, but it helps the students relate to their schoolwork. The Bomer article stated that culture has always been a part of literature, but as future educators we need to make sure we include our students’ cultures and fit it into the literature that they read and write about. Culture needs to be talked about. The classroom should be a safe space for all voices to be heard, even if it is a sensitive subject. It tests sociopolitical consciousness and culture competence when students have the chance to talk about these subjects in a way that is judgement and bias free.
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