In this introduction from Text Structures and Fables, Gretchen Bernabei and Jayne Hover outline the many ways fables are the perfect teaching tools to encourage thorough, exploratory thinkers and writers, and preview practical teaching methods to introduce fables to your classroom.
This interactive webinar presented by Dr. Tommie Mabry provides teachers with real-world insight into how shifting their own perspective on their students can transform the educational process. By taking a deep dive into what shapes students’ perspectives, educators can better understand the beliefs, values, and experiences of students who have been labeled as “troubled” or “at risk.”
Every story in Change Agents describes a team effort, and that’s intentional; no single person gets to be the savior in the story of school change. We are stronger together, and having a crew ensures that there is no singular person upon whose mental state the entirety of a school’s future hinges. That said, transforming a school requires each of us to reach beyond our current abilities, fears, and limitations. This chapter is about the personal work and growth that must happen in tandem with school transformation.
In this excerpt from chapter 1 of Change Agents, author Justin Cohen introduces readers to educators in a "persistently failing" school in San Jose, California, presenting their experiences within the context of 30 years of school improvement policy. As educators everywhere struggle to make sense of the chaos wrought by unprecedented times, Cohen asks, "What would it actually look like for teachers to be at the center of discussions about school transformation?"
Our public school systems have built-in inequities, and the challenge of dismantling those structures is larger than any one teacher, principal, school, or district. But the truth is that teachers and leaders are the most underestimated force for transformational change in our country. They are already everywhere where improvement is needed. They are at the needed scale, equipped with a will to serve, and possess a myriad of competencies that position them to build relationships needed for lasting community transformation. Learn more about power of educators to lead change in this article.
"The way we see the problem is the problem. —Stephen Covey (1989)"
To determine if implementing mastery learning has led to meaningful change and positive improvements requires some form of evaluation. We need to verify whether or not intended outcomes were achieved and also if there were positive or negative unintended consequences that resulted from implementation. This resource includes a discussion on three types of data you can collect to evaluate mastery learning.
The first task in implementing mastery learning is to clearly articulate what we want students to learn and be able to do at the end of each learning unit. In other words, we need to begin with the end in mind by clarifying our learning goals. This resource will support you to begin this work and includes a practical example and a discussion of how implement learning goals in the context of mastery learning.
As educators, our task is find ways to respond to students’ learning problems so that learning outcomes become much less predictable. Although there are limitations to what we are able to accomplish, we should be trying to defy prediction. We should be searching for ways to intervene in the educational process in order to guarantee a higher quality of learning for all students. Mastery Learning can help us accomplish this.
To truly appreciate the importance of mastery learning, you need to understand the context in which Benjamin Bloom developed the idea and the boldness of what he proposed. Bloom not only challenged long-held notions about the development of talent in young people and the influence of educators; he proved himself a courageous and steadfast champion of equity and social justice.
"Leaders can evaluate the quality of teaching by asking the four sets of questions implied by this definition. The questions focus on (1) intended learning outcomes, (2) alignment, (3) student engagement, and (4) student success."
"In a world where the responsibilities of educational leaders are constantly expanding, where today’s to-do list is displaced by unanticipated crises, interruptions, and new external demands, it is easy for educational leaders to lose sight of what, among all the important things they could be doing, is more important than the rest."