We had some interesting pushback in the comments of my last post about creating a culture of responsibility in schools. As I read and responded to comments I realized that some people were interpreting my post as one change to make to a traditional school setting. But what I observed at the school was a re-interpretation of how to do school. So I thought I would share the values of a New Tech school by comparing it to a traditional school. Changing only one of these things in a school will not have the same effect as all of them working together.
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What would you add or subtract to these values? Does seeing all of these things clarify how this school creates a culture of responsibility? Leave a comment and I will share what I think is understated in my next post.
How can we truly make the changes necessary in schools until we change the same old graduation requirements. I mean, we're still driven by the four core areas with some of the most crucial and important classes as electives. Not that I don't think the four core areas are important, but can the skills related to some these areas be integrated into different contexts?
ReplyDeleteThe "manifesto" above is great, but can it be accomplished without true REFORM of educational standards and expectations?
400 students, how many teachers? (just wondering in this day of reducing budget by cutting staff)
ReplyDelete@ pshircliff
ReplyDeleteThe recommended ratio is 25:1 so ideally there would be 16 teachers.
@My Musings
This is not a "manifesto" but the values of an existing organization-New Tech schools. They have over 60 high school around the United States. I will be teaching in one opening next fall. These schools integrate elective classes with cores. So yes I believe they can be integrated by schools with some imagination.
I am by no means promoting New Tech as the only model, just as one that I am joining and for the most part am impressed with.
My small, rural school in Ohio is auditioning the New Tech. As part of the grant writing team the possibilities are endless and the learning is infinite. What more can we ask of our students when performing in today's society if they don't have the proper tools to help them? I would love to have more information with regard to other models that are equally impressive and achieve the same results!
ReplyDelete