Education Practices That Are Worth the Time

A recent article discussed several educational practices that produce successful results, but explained how they are not always implemented for a variety of reasons, time and cost being at the top of the list. However, these practices will ultimately benefit our students in the long run, and isn’t that what should be the driving force behind the decisions we make in education? These were a few of the practices mentioned in the article:

Teachers need an extra day to plan and collaborate

One of the biggest misconceptions about a teacher’s job is that it ends when the last school bell rings for the day. What most don’t understand is that this is far from the truth. The majority of teachers spend hours of their own time researching new lesson plans, planning activities, and prepping their classrooms. They spend time collecting assignments, grading papers and tests, and collaborating with their colleagues. With the emergence of new technology, teachers need to not only learn it, but also need to learn how they can best implement that technology into their own classrooms so that it can be an effective educational tool. One of the best ways to do this is by collaborating with other educators and learning from each other how best to do so. As I continue to share and learn at conferences, I find that even the best teachers can’t get what they need from an hour of professional development. Teachers need ample time to learn and practice before implementing new theories or practices into their pedagogy. Even though I often learn new technology alongside my students, I still need time to prepare.

The article recommended a four day school week with an additional day for professional development. We know the difficulty in implementing that for districts across the county. But I appreciate the consideration of making time for teachers to continue to build on their skills. Many innovative instructors, who find themselves at the forefront of technology and education strategies, spend countless hours learning, developing, implementing, reflecting, revising, etc., on their own time. I know for myself I am always on, with no limit to how much time I spend curating my own knowledge. It is my opinion that the rewards of maintaining a successful classroom is worth the effort. My only question is, how long will I be able to maintain it?

Reading should be a high school graduation requirement

Reading is one of those fundamental building blocks that needs to be developed over time, as students gradually learn how to think critically and process information using a higher level of thinking. Too often we discover that our high school students are reading on a 7th grade level, or have been moved through the school system without learning how to read and process information at grade level. Too often teachers assume that students are successful readers and do not spend the time evaluating the students’ skills prior to teaching the content of their class.

Through various reading strategies that I implement within the first few weeks of class, I learned that my 10th grade students are challenged with reading the many technical books I use in my classroom. For this reason, I spend the first several chapters teaching students how to predict, question, read, and review context. We have developed strategies to assist the students in outlining, reviewing and preparing for tests. In our individualized environment, we use computer-based and web-based tutorials to provide training for our software applications; many of which have been written by technical individuals that may not provide as much detail as a high school student would require. For this reason, we teach the students how to scan the context or main headings in the material for words that they recognize, decipher the information to select any important key terms, and paraphrase the information so that they can relate to it in terms that they understand. These strategies have worked successfully in our classroom, as the students learn how to process information by breaking it down into manageable chunks and then reinforcing that information through the application of its concepts.

Tablets and interactive textbooks should be available for all students

In the age of technology where just about everything seems to be going digital, textbooks are no exception. It appears that the most economic and productive solution is to ensure that all students have access to iPads or tablets in the classroom in order to take advantage of the interactive textbooks being developed. Why have students learn from traditional textbooks, with outdated information, when they could be engaged by interactive textbooks that contain embedded videos and diagrams that come to life? The initial cost of such materials may seem counterintuitive, especially with dramatic budget cuts occurring in districts all over the country. However, it is my opinion that students in K-12 will learn more effectively using animated, digital materials rather than the traditional pencil and paper method.

Through my experience of writing the PA Programs of Study for Communications Technologies/Technicians & Support Services, I understand the need to develop materials that will blend the various mediums including web and graphic design, audio, video and television production, as well as photography and presentation technology. I have yet, in my 12 year career, been able to find a single resource for my students to use. Students purchase several textbooks over the three year period in my class; however, often there are chapters that we skip due to the irrelevancy in some of the material.

However, since the release of iBooks Author, I value the freedom I have to develop materials that are updated as technology changes. Through the development of the iTunes U Course Manager, I can provide a single location where I can distribute resources that I have developed (Podcasts, presentations, etc.) as well as content curated from the web. I can reference anything from apps for students to curate their own learning, to links to other courses from educators across the globe. Imagine the possibilities.

Source: Five education practices that should be replicated nationally