E3: Embedded Everywhere by Everyone

Whose job is it to teach the NETs and AASL standards to students?

This question is pretty simple for me, given that we’re currently functioning in a standards-based setting at ISB. I believe the related knowledge, skills and understandings of these standards should be embedded, everywhere, across all courses. Ideally, everyone, all teachers, would be involved. The AASL standards state that we’re developing students to . . .

1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
2. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.
3. Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.
4. Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.

Therefore, who could oppose embedding the learning targets of NETS/AASL where they naturally fit, working in concert the content-based learning outcomes already established in a given context?

However, my response is based on the following two assumptions:

Assumption #1: That these knowledge, skills, attitudes, and understandings are the underpinnings of "life-long learning literacies" and therefore should be embedded in all learning contexts. Ideally, it would be the way of “doing learning,” regardless of the curricular focus.

Assumption #2: That teachers actually philosophically agree with the underlying beliefs upon which these standards were built (i.e. wanting kids to think critically, create, be self-directed, etc.) Therefore, as with any set of standards, this one needs to be aligned with a school’s mission, vision, and definition of learning before the knowledge, skills, and understandings can be embedded and then actualized by teachers who believe in these foundational tenets.

Why not?

Ultimately, why can’t we have all learning standards embedded in authentic, interdisciplinary, relevant, collaborative and creative learning tasks? Why can’t students learn by doing and show their level of knowledge, skills, and understanding by what they are able to apply in coherent, engaging, and meaningful undertakings? Why can't we do away with the many walls and categories that break up the "whole" into seemingly endless "parts" (what David Perkins refers to as "elementitis" in his book, Making Learning Whole)? Doesn’t such an alternative approach have the potential to simultaneously reach the AASL vision above, the ISB vision, and the vision that we want all global citizens to become collaborative, self-directed, reflective, life-long learners? Just imagine . . .

• We would no longer need grades--the learning evidence would be constantly evident and used to facilitate next steps.
• We would automatically be meeting kids where they are and helping them learn in their zone of proximal development, maximizing learning time for everyone.
• We would be engaging all learners and therefore democratizing participation in creating the future.
  
• We would collaborate to solve real world problems in real time, accessing the knowledge as needed, developing the skills needed, and developing habits of mind that will last a lifetime.

This doesn't have to be a dream--it is already happening in many places around the world. (See examples in The Global Achievement Gap) Are we ready to be the risk-takers and inquirers necessary to make this a reality here and now?

Ultimately, why shouldn't we become life-long learning collaborators with our students to research and rehearse, prepare for and practice preferable futures?

Final Project Reflection

It was nice to have the option between planning for or completing a product for our final project since I still have much to learn in terms of tools to make the plan of a "Literacy Central" (a central local for video tutorials and exemplars of key balanced literacy components) a reality (this will undoubtedly be a multi-year, multi-contributor project). Luckily, many of my colleagues, amazing literacy leaders, are already creating some of the pieces that could be plugged into it, such as those highlighted in each section below:

Teachers, IAs, substitutes: Video exemplars of the following with text and voice-overs explaining key points:

• Reading workshop: We have a lot of footage of Maggie Moon, our visiting literacy coach modeling and coaching key components of the reading workshop. Vu Lam, a stellar 1st grade teacher has already edited footage of him leading an interactive reading session while coached by Maggie. Once I am more iMovie fluent, I will begin to edit and upload the footage we have of each component of the reading workshop at various grade levels

Administrators, Parents: Videos explaining the rationale and research base of using the balanced literacy framework and building an understanding of how readers and writers develop:

• I count on being able to find many of these already created on YouTube or other sites rather than starting from scratch. This one may be a place to start (it is highly rated) but I suspect there are even better ones out there.

Students: Video exemplars of strategies for selecting and planning for reading, effective ways of tracking and sharing thinking with others, collecting and presenting evidence as to how they're progressing as a learner in the area of literacy, etc. Such videos would include:

• Reading buddies: KG friends and excellent educators, Cindy and Susi, did a delightful video showing exactly what good reading buddies do and look like. Check it out here.
  
• How to choose a just-right book: Our upper elementary group in this course created an unBEARably kid-friendly guide. Check it out here.

Now to mastering iMovie and screen casting to begin making this plan a reality.