As a current high school educator, I can’t possibly be more
excited/nervous for the changing in the landscape of education. I've heard a particular joke at conferences
more than once. The joke involves a “Back
to the Future”-type scenario where a man is catapulted from the 1950s into the
future. Obviously, I can’t tell the joke
verbatim but the punch-line involves the man from the past finding refuge in
the local school because that’s the only thing that hasn't changed. The
premise of the joke suggests that in an ever-changing world, our school systems
have remained unbothered. Well, it looks
as though that is not going to be the case for very much longer.
I’m not quite sure that all schools are going to be able to
handle the changes, but after reading the documents on Michigan Online Learning
and Section 21F, it appears that the state is giving schools a heads-up and
allowing them time to grow with this adjustment. These changes will most definitely not occur
rapidly across the board. I’m sure the
districts with the most money and support will hit the ground running and the
lower-income schools will take more of a crawl-walk-run approach to the
inevitable change. Nonetheless, the
change will be for the better. Districts
have to worry about many issues at this point, but training and preparing their
staff should be a MUST at this point. So
far, my colleagues and I haven’t gotten any “official” word for what’s on deck
for the future.
I've had to do my own investigating these past few years by
pestering my administration with questions about the future of our school. Per usual, I got a lot of beating around the
bush, but I have heard buzzwords like blended learning, virtual study,
etc. More recently I sat down with my
principal to pick his brain about the upcoming years. He alluded to more concrete change in our
talk. Essentially, we will be
implementing a blended format. The school
week would consist of 4 days. Fridays
would only be for students that require various intervention. This would open up that weekday for
upperclassmen to do a variety of things that include but are not limited to
independent study, dual-enrollment, and co-op programs. Clearly, we aren’t ready yet. However, with the necessary infrastructure
updates and teacher/stakeholder buy-in, this change will be beneficial to the
students we teach and I am eager to welcome this transformation of our schools.
Shaun I enjoyed reading your post it was very informative. I have found that a lot of schools are leaning toward the 4 day traditional and 1 day online type of schooling. I think that works well for students who do not have computers or internet service at home and need to come to class to meet the online requirement as well as provide students who may have a coop work program to get some on the job training or even take some college courses on that friday that they may have caught up on their school work. I have found that most parents also like the shorter week.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt. It is an exciting idea. You're absolutely right in regard ti the parents liking a shorter week. Save that gas money!
DeleteI agree with you. Schools with the most money are probably prepared and already made the adjustments. The school districts that are struggling with closures will have a harder time keeping up with maintenance and probably even meeting the requirements. I believe eventually over time, all schools will have blended learning and virtual courses as the norm and it will be budgeted along with the lunch budget.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad for those lower budget schools, huh? I remember starting my career at a low budget school and PAPER was a commodity!
DeleteI think you hit some important things here. The biggest question that your comments bring to mind for me is this: if the districts with resources are gooing to have the advantage-which I agree with-does hat mean he gap between those schools and the low income schools will grow further apart in terms of funding? If students go where they have this opportunity to take advantage of online classes, then the state money will go with them.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, a gap (or gaps) will always exist in multiple areas of public education due to the structure. On the bright side, schools that don't have the funding can learn from the miscues of the schools that do in order to prepare for their futures.
DeleteI like that idea of a four day work week. I and my CTE director have been trying to get Co-Op up and running again, this sounds like away to do that.
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DeleteAbsolutely. The eighth semester of high school is completely useless for the majority of seniors, and has been that way for generations!
ReplyDeleteHi Shaun. I enjoyed your post. As far as the state giving districts a "heads-up", it was out of necesity, not kindness. It turns out, from what I have read and heard, the state was to institute these changes in tech and level of assessments this year or the next. It turned out that a state led projection said that if these new goals were implemented now or next year 99% of public schools would fail AYP. Almost every public school in the state. So, in other words, the state had to slow down the plan. Are the schools going to be redy in a few years, many wont be. The smart money is on the smaller distrcit schools who can turn on a dime and that have mroe say over their resources. They may have a shot.
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