The challenges and opportunities of building classroom
communities are numerous. With such a variety of opinions within the
educational community it is difficult to focus the conversation regarding
classroom communities in a singular fashion.
Many teachers currently struggle with building a classroom community due
to the amount of variables that exist in education. Some may be within our own control as
classroom teachers, but many things are outside the control of the teacher
which causes frustration and difficulty.
Educators need to focus energy and resources into those areas of which
we can impact students in a positive way.
There are numerous opportunities for building classroom
communities. The article by Schumer
mentioned the concept of differentiated instruction in order to help build a
classroom community for students. This
concept is incredibly familiar to me as it is very popular in my district right
now. Our district, as a suburb of the
greater Detroit, MI area, is growing rapidly in diversity. As our district becomes more economically and
socially diverse differentiated instruction in the classroom has been pushed by
the district for teachers to implement.
Grouping students by ability for activities is one way I have personally
attempted to incorporate this concept into my teaching with mixed success. Although
my results have been mixed, differentiated instruction has helped me focus on
individual students and areas where they struggle. This focus on the abilities of my students
has helped me to become a more focused teacher on specific aspects I can help
students with on a daily basis.
Too often educators are seeking the next best idea or the
silver bullet for fix education. I think
teachers need to be reflective on all instructional principles or ideas they
are using in order to be most effective and build a strong classroom
community. Research suggests that the
ultimate “results” of differentiated instruction are inconclusive when compared
to schools which track students. The conversation
should not be focused on which approach provides the best educational
opportunities for your own classroom but how can any idea help you reach
individual students better as a teacher.
Again, although the challenges are many we need to remain focused on
what we can do instead of what we cannot do in the classroom.
Another opportunity to build classroom community is
through the use of technological advances.
The Khan academy provides a unique perspective on how we can all expand
the educational community and make a world wide classroom marketplace throughtechnology. With students increasingly becoming more connected virtually via
cell phones, social media, and other sources education needs to meet students there. Teachers must strive to find ways to
incorporate their education into this virtual world whenever possible allowing
students to interact in a variety of contexts.
Many of resources available allow students to become an involved member
of their education virtually and for many this can keep them focused on
learning instead of ignoring the entire virtual world. Educators must not ignore the impact of
technology on youth in the world today and must strive to understand it better
and use it as a tool to build a learning community that can be accessed anywhere
at any time. If we refuse to critically
analyze how technology is impacting young people and insist on the traditional
model of education we risk alienating students from learning.
Although I have already discussed how differentiated
instruction may be an opportunity to building classroom community, there are
challenges with this process as well.
One problem I have seen in practicing differentiated instruction at the
high school level is how to make it effective for all students. When I have grouped students by ability I have witnessed that the “stronger”
ability students ends up frustrated with the other student at times. They feel they are being slowed down and
working for the other student. Although
some students have the personality to help and coach their lower ability
partner, it does not always work as smoothly as some would like teachers to
believe. Also, from a practical
standpoint the process is rather slow and takes set up time and explanation
from the teacher to the students.
Teachers must decide when they are going to use this strategy and what
lessons might most benefit for all students.
The most important lesson for teachers in building
classroom community is the relationship between the teacher and the individual
students. We must remember that students
need to know teachers care and will work hard to support them no matter what
the educational policy or approach.
Teachers must remain critical of themselves and reflective of their own
practice in order to constantly improve and effectively educate students. This was the most important lesson I learned
from the resources for this week.
Although there are debates and positives to many ideas and approaches,
each teacher must work to build the individual relationship with students in
order to benefit each student.
Hello Jeff,
ReplyDeleteWhile reading your post I found that we have similarities in how we view many of theories that are out there including differentiated instruction. There is not a golden fix out there that will close the gap and make all students learn. I feel that each theory is only as good as who is implementing it. Reducing or increasing questions on a homework assignment can be considered differentiated instruction and some may be happy with that while others create groups and different activities to suit the needs of the learner. I also liked it when you said “[t]he conversation should not be focused on which approach provides the best educational opportunities for your own classroom but how can any idea help you reach individual students better as a teacher.” That is very well stated.
As for the article written by Shumer, I enjoyed the two sides that were presented. Like most theories it works for some not all. Again, it depends on how they are implemented by the teacher. I found it interesting that the students who are highly gifted preferred to be in a classroom similar to them. This makes me think that there are preferences out there. Some students don’t mind being in an inclusive classroom whereas others may prefer to be in another class. I have experienced both parents and students expressing their unhappiness about inclusive classrooms. Even in a differentiated classroom students question why things are different. Some students don’t like constantly helping other students because they are asked in most of their classes if they would do so. Yet classrooms with differentiated instruction can produce differences among students if not implemented properly. This could result in a poor classroom community where students become frustrated with the dynamics.
As for the Kahn Academy we must be careful because again technology is not a magic tool to create a community that will make all students learn. It can be used to enhance the learning process but again if it is not implemented properly it will not work. I understand what Kahn Academy is trying to accomplish but it is still a direct sit and listen to a lecture, which is the easy part. It does have the benefit that allows students to re-watch the video or pause it but it still lecture based and dry.
If a teacher were to flip their classroom, what kind of community would they be creating if they assumed all students in their classroom had internet access and a computer? What do you do if this is the case? Providing a computer for students during the school day could be an option but it would be singling them out and then they would be behind. How would that student feel?
My other concern with a flipped classroom is that you still have the students who have trouble with completing homework on their own. Again, do you provide a computer for them during class to catch up? Now you have a segregated classroom of students who do their homework, care about their learning or have the support at home doing one thing and the other students who may not have the supplies or the support doing another.
Creating a community in the classroom that is a place where all are comfortable and learning is a challenge in of its self. I don’t think we will ever make every individual student happy and comfortable but we do our best with what we have and that is important. One can make a large impact by just caring about others.
Nice job,
Jessica L. Kulman
Hi Jeff,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post! I enjoyed reading it and the conversation it generated!
I appreciate your openness to so much that has come down the pipeline the past 10 years or so, yet the fact that you retain your critical sensibilities and on learning to understand and meet the needs of individual students.
I think DI might look very different for us as secondary social studies teachers, given that our subjects don't require as much as sequential building up as math or, on the elementary level, reading skills.
A lot of people have talked about DI on the secondary level as the use of flexible essential questions, and choices in resources and final products.
DI often can be geared to ability level, and I think we would want to keep that in social studies. But we can also differentiate by interest and positive ability. I want students to improve in those areas where they need to development, but I also want students to increasingly play to their strengths and interests on the secondary level. Building in a limited number of choices seems like a pretty interesting way to do that to me. In that way, the Academies that you are implementing seem like a pretty idea. The question becomes how we continue to work this out on the classroom level as well.
Great post, I enjoyed reading it!
Kyle