Teaching 21st century in the 20th century

Every time I hear the Ministry of Education criticize teachers for one size fits all and the talk about the need for teachers to be facilitators, rather than teachers, that we need to get out of the classroom, we need to use 21^st century technology, teach critical thinking, etc., I think of all of the many times that teachers have done just that. And they were doing it in the 20^th century. These are the times that our children will remember well into adulthood. On a quick look through BC Teacher Archives, I found the following. I have selected only a few, but I could have filled many, many pages with these stories.

I have no doubt that there is a need for training and professional development to help teachers keep up with the

 technological times.  And teachers are eager to learn.  But I would like to ask the Minister not to insult us by inferring that we need fixing.  I ask that he support teachers to be able to teach in whatever way best suits their classes. Support us, don’t tell us how to teach. 

Teacher Newsmagazine

Volume 10, Number 7, May/June 1998

Students mine a rich vein of history

by Werner Kaschel

For three days in early June, school bags are filled not with texts and notebooks, but with camping equipment, small first-aid kits and gold pans. The classroom is the outdoors.

Teacher Newsmagazine

Volume 11, Number 1, September 1998

An experience in environmental education

by Steve Lott

These are Grade 7 city kids and for most of them it is the first time they have been to a beach llike this, even though it's only 20 minutes by bus from our school. I have brought them here in the hope that such an out-of-school experience will broaden their appreciation of where they live and what it means to be a member of a complex ecological community.

Teacher Newsmagazine

Volume 10, Number 3, Nov/Dec 1997

Adventures in Math and Science

by Alan Gregson

Adventures in Math and Science is a multilayered celebration of learning, prepared and delivered by teachers in collaboration with professional services, business partners, community newspapers, parents and a host of other volunteers.

Teacher Newsmagazine

Volume 11, Number 2, October 1998

From Coquitlam to the Yukon

by Chris King and Phil Wright

The value that the students received from the experience can never be measured.

Teacher Newsmagazine

Volume 13, Number 1, September 2000

First Nations students explore cultural heritage

by Jeff Crocker

The Abby Junior students and teachers will have Kyuquot Sound and the beauty of that remote land imprinted on our minds forever.

So it appears as though using the community, both locally and globally has been going on for a long time.  Its nothing new.  However, all of these events are highly dependent on funding, which in the last 10 years, has been woefully inadequate.

Then the Ministry infers that we are all technological luddites.  However it seems that online teaching innovations have been around for years.

In April 1997 May Knapp reported about on online experience between Richmond's Walter Lee Elementary School and Vanderhoof's Evelyn Dickson Elementary.  The schools participated in a workshop to launch a new discovery-based online game for elementary students.

Before the digital natives came around there were many teachers that were digital pioneers!

The following year Shayne Konar, a teacher in Grand Forks reported the following amazing experience to the BCTF Teacher Magazine.

"The results, so far, of this hi-tech, hands-on approach to curriculum and learning have been exciting.  While Lach is currently in Central America, and a long way from home (Castlegar), he's not alone on his journey.  Students "ride along" with him courtesy of a global phone satellite link, digital camera, and computer providing direct voice and data communications to classrooms in Grand Forks.  The alignment of time zones affords the opportunity for real time interaction/conversation with Lach as he travels through diverse cultures, languages, and lifestyles.  The "passengers" on this trip are anything but passive.  They receive and send e-mail, learn Spanish, and research how people live, their environment and history. Diverse questions about politics, economics, the effects of El Nino, ecology, and unique features can be answered on the spot. Students are in charge of their learning: directing Lach, becoming navigators, and plotting co-ordinates and trip direction."

And in September 1997, Lance Read recognized that, "computers are excellent tools for assisting people in the efficient collection of information and the enhancement and presentation of thoughts and ideas surrounding that information."

In the May/June 2000 issue Henning von Krogh wrote about "Technology and the changing role of a teacher."

"How does this affect my workload and the expectations of me?  As the science specialist, I am responsible for students enrolled in Science 8, 9, 10, Biology 11, 12, Chemistry 11, 12, Physics 11, Geography 12, Forestry 11, 12, Earth Science 11.

I am also available to help students in Math 8, 9, 10, 11A, or anything else they might ask.  I am responsible for helping students with technical support, answering any questions, at any point in any of these courses, and trouble-shooting the new system. I am to modify the courses if I deem it beneficial, add in my "best practices," "learn" new material for courses I have not taught before, negotiate alternate projects for students wishing to replace Pathfinder work with more active research and investigation, make the courses more relevant and essentially be a mentor to all students. With 23 years of teaching experience, a solid background in many of these courses and the confidence that comes with practice, it is easier for me.  What of a beginning teacher? Where would one start?"

The Ministry also speaks about the need for teaching critical thinking.  I think we've known about that for years as well.

Teacher Newsmagazine

Volume 9, Number 4, Jan/Feb. 1997

Teaching Children is Labour Intensive

by Janet Amsden

We have altered our teaching to make a system that conforms to the child rather than one that forces the child to conform to the system with class sizes of 30 or less, we know our students much better than our teachers knew us. Education has become child centred, no longer teacher centred.

Teacher Newsmagazine

Volume 11, Number 1, September 1998

Teach critical thinking through historical problem solving

by Linda Clode

Using their critical thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, students can propose alternative solutions to the decisions made in the past.  Applying problem solving to history encourages students to see the importance of careful consideration of the problems facing the nations and to come to the realization that consequences of any decision are inevitable

But what is especially great is that teachers can offer the human touch.  They understand that there are other needs of children as is shown in the following article.  How wonderful!

Teacher Newsmagazine

Volume 10, Number 2, October 1997

The Refuge: one school's heart, all schools' hope?

by Gavin Hainsworth

"In the current storm of passionate interest in technology, one school, Ridgeway Elementary, of North Vancouver, has planted a walled garden at its centre instead of a MacLab.  Appropriately called the Refuge, this sanctuary to students and teachers alike has transformed the school and community in ways that Voltaire (and many others) would approve.  In an otherwise sterile urban environment, students can walk down the hall and open a door to find nature.  The secret garden of Ridgeway is as mysterious as that in Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel of the same name unseen from the classrooms, with only two entrances: a painted doorway and dark metal gate."

Why the focus on "fix the teacher?"

Response to "Collective Bargaining to Sustain a Strong Public Education System."

The Government’s presentation to the BCTF bargaining team has quite a few reasons for teachers , parents and students to be concerned.

1.    Focused on student outcomes rather than system inputs.  How does that work?  Inputs are extremely important.  Without the appropriate resources and supports the outcomes can not be as good as they should be and for some special needs and grey area students they will not be good.

2.    The list of visions is admirable and much of that vision is the vision of most teachers.  So why in the past 10 years has this government been fighting against this vision by insisting on standardized testing or “testing to assess” as they say, which keeps the learning in the classroom?  Ask any teacher, especially of Grade 10 Science, about the pressure to stay within the confines of the classroom.  The pressures of sticking to the curriculum because of the government tests has all but done away with "out of the classroom" experiences.  That’s not to mention the underfunding which has cut down on laboratory supplies, making the default system, out of date book learning.  Ask the Grade 10 Science teachers if that is their choice. Why has the government insisted on data, data, data over the last 10 years? Everything they have done in the last 10 years has been the opposite of what they claim to be their vision.

3.   Then there is the part about co-planning with parents.  Some parents will be able to do this and it will be welcomed, but many parents are not in a position economically or socially to do this.  Where does this plan leave the children of those parents?  This is an unrealistic goal of this plan.

4.    As far as all of the “fix the teacher” stuff.  We have a very  highly rated teacher training system in B.C. and our teachers must be good since our students are among the best educated in the world.  There is an agreed upon process for evaluation in every collective agreement in the province and professional development is best decided by the teacher him/herself. 

If the Ministry wants to support teachers, they can do so by making sure that the system and our students have the necessary supports to succeed.  They can make sure that class sizes and composition are workable.  They can make sure that those who know the students the best have the autonomy to teach in a way that is best suited to the students in the class. They can encourage and support teachers to use the aspects of “personalized learning” in their classroom that best suit the class they have in any given year.  The needs of students are different every year.  Their one size fits all version of personalized learning is not what will work.  The teachers in the classroom need to decide what system will work best.

Why is there such a focus on “fix the teacher” which the Ministry calls “Supporting teachers?” There can only be one reason why the Ministry wants to fix what isn’t broken.  That’s to gut the collective agreement of these very provisions.  They do not like teachers to have autonomy over their teaching styles.  They want control over their professional development, and they want to get rid of the fairest way of dealing with layoffs and recall, that being seniority.  They want to control the length of the day so that teachers can be available all hours of the day and they want to control class size so that teachers can be facilitators to many more students rather than teachers to 30 at a time.