Discovery Phase: Connecting New Ideas to Past Experience

There was a lot of new information to process this week from the podcast and links. I thought that Antoinette Carroll had several thought provoking statements that caused me to think about my teaching and learning and start to see how I could reevaluate and change things. One thing that I thought was really important that she said was that she does not go into communities that she has no knowledge of and that she would consider that a colonization. She mentioned that she has had offers to move her lab to other cities, but has refused. This got me thinking about the education system in general. There are overall general things that most schools follow- like the CCSS, certain standardized tests, etc. One of the biggest effects on our school is the community. We live in a very different community than most, and a lot of our themes focus around the area that we live in. If someone from New York City were to come in, they would have a completely different viewpoint of our town. I think within each school and with each teacher, the environment around you influences how and what you teach so much.

One of the biggest aha moments I had listening to her, was when she mentioned that most of the time teachers and adults will ask the question, "What is 4 +4?" instead of asking "What equals 8?" When we open up the question to what equals 8, students have the freedom to show what they know about what can equal 8 and show it in a way that suits them. This year especially, I am trying to expand my thinking of what it means for a student to show that they understand a certain standard or content area. I really want to be more purposeful with my teaching and allow students to have ownership over how they show what they know. She states that the youth are decision makers and are the architects of change.

How do we shift to realizing and recognizing that youth are powerful decision makers and the architects of change?

Lastly, I will leave with this: What have you unlearned? This is an important conversation to have, even if only with yourself. It's another reversal of thinking. No one has ever asked me if I have unlearned something and it's never been a thought of my own. However, it IS important to unlearn things and realize that what you've always know or the way you've always done things isn't necessarily the best way of doing or thinking. This seems like a great way to grow in many areas of life. I see this applying to my personal beliefs, the decisions I make as a teacher and many other avenues.