Post by Nancy Emmerson: Nancy has been teaching Language Arts for 21 years, 17 of those years at Bettendorf High School. You can follow Nancy on Twitter @NancyEmmerson
This is the story of a journey within a journey. The larger
trek is my personal journey as an instructor born and schooled in the era of
books and pencils slowly adapting curriculum to today’s technologies. It has
not always been easy, and sometimes I have felt overwhelmed, but ultimately it
has been and continues to be a positive, transformative journey.
The Greater Journey
Last December my husband Tim came home from work with a
small chrome rectangle, and said “Check this out.” My family gathered around
the device, Tim pushed a button, and a red virtual keyboard appeared on the
table. “OOH!” we said. Tim synced the keyboard to the iPad, and typed. “No
way! “ we said, looking at one another in disbelief and amazement at this crazy
tool. “The future is NOW!” I said.
So the future is now, which is very nice for many teachers
who embrace and easily adapt to teaching with technology. Yet I come from the
era of books, and as a Language Arts teacher happen to love books very much,
thank you. I will continue to read, teach, and analyze books for a long time to
come. Therefore the leap to technology is greater for me than it might be for
others, who all around me seem to be seamlessly integrating it into their
classes, while I wonder what to use, how to use it, and most importantly, how
technology can make learning better for my students, who are from, and live in,
the future.
The Journey within the Journey
Obviously the larger pilgrimage in this story is me as a
teacher over the course of my career. The journey within the journey is a 74
hour trip to Educon 2.6 in Philadelphia to a school called the Science
Leadership Academy. Going in, the question was, how can attending a conference
hosted by a Science Institution and school apply to me, my subject area of
Language Arts, and my students? I am pleased to report that it does, and that I
was enriched and inspired by what I saw and experienced.
At the Science Leadership Academy there was a great deal of
freedom and choice on both days; go where you want, ask questions, visit
classes and students. Each grade level has only 125 students, who apply and go
through a rigorous interview process in order to be selected. During the site
visit the school buzzed with the energy of a hive. The students were attentive,
well spoken, friendly. It was hard to tell who was in class, as students were
everywhere, with backpacks and hats, sitting on sofas or floors, giving tours,
making coffee. One teacher ate lunch in the back of the room while her class
was conducted by a student teacher; they were so busy! And although the school
didn't look as shiny and new as BHS, there was a sense of purpose and pride.
Class atmosphere was inclusive and serious. The students liked being there and
loved showing their school to us.
According to their website, the School District of
Philadelphia is the eighth largest school district in the nation, by
enrollment. As of December, 2013, they have 16,827 Employees, 8,390 Teachers,
and 293 Principals and Assistant Principals serving 214 District Schools
educating 131,362 K-12 Students. The student population is 87.3% Economically
Disadvantaged. I gather that the Science Leadership Academy and other magnet
schools are a response to a serious dropout problem in horribly failing public
schools. Students want to be in a magnet school if not only to escape a
dangerous neighborhood school, but also, to feel as if someone cares. SLA receives more applicants than they can take.
There seems to be no special education, and no behavior problems. One boy I
spoke to said he rides a bus and then a train to get to school. Another student
said they can’t go off campus unless accompanied by a teacher, and that she
often eats lunch off campus with her adviser. Clearly, student life in
Philadelphia differs from student life in Bettendorf.
I was fortunate to have a few hours of free time after the
site visit on Friday to tour Independence Hall with a few colleagues. As I listened to the guide I suddenly felt a
new, symbolic significance to being in Philadelphia as an educator. The guide
explained that the 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia in 1787 to try to
write a constitution. They came from different places and had different needs
and goals. The delegates deliberated over the document for four months. They
argued, they disagreed, and before they voted, Benjamin Franklin articulated
that neither the document nor its framers were perfect, but he believed in the
perfectability of both. In the end they signed, for although the document may
not have been perfect, they hoped for a better future together; reaching a
compromise was best for all in attendance.
See the entirety of Franklin's speech here: http://www.usconstitution.net/franklin.html
That future is now. The analogy is that just as the founding
fathers strove for equality in the nation, teachers and students today strive
for equality in education. It is a highly democratic idea that everyone
deserves access to information. With 1:1 our students have access. They also
need continued guidance on etiquette and navigation of the brave new
transparent world we are living in. Another way we see the democratic ideals in
education today is the idea of student choice and student voice.. Students will
be more involved if they feel their opinions matter.
Our forefather’s desire for freedom and equality parallels
what I am seeing and hearing in education in ways besides leveling the playing
field by providing access to technology. At Bettendorf, teachers and
administrators all have different opinions and voices; we come from differing
disciplines, yet have the same shared goal, that of improving student
experiences and achievement for every student in our district. How Democratic
is that? Like the framers of the constitution, we also trust that moving
forward together is better than going forward alone. Collaborating and
discussing ideas for change and generally getting to know colleagues better was
also a highly inspiring and honestly, the most enjoyable part of my experience.
One more analogy came from my visit to Independence Hall.
Again, before the delegates voted on the final draft of the Constitution,
Benjamin Franklin addressed the group.
Franklin, 81 years old and in poor health, had been carried to and from
the meetings all summer. George Washington had headed the group, and was seated
at the front of the room in a chair with a carved image of a sun. Franklin
said, "I have often looked at that (sun) behind the president without
being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now I... know that it
is a rising...sun."
See the rising sun chair here: http://www.ushistory.org/more/sun.htm
The chair symbolized hope for Franklin. I believe educators
also channel the spirit of Franklin in our great hope of making education a
personal, meaningful journey for each student. Like Franklin, we worry that our
efforts may not come to fruition. Like Franklin, we must remain optimistic, and
listen to voices of dissention. We know that we may not see the end results for
our students, whether they will achieve success or experience failure. The most
we can do is to provide a good foundation so that each student can be his or
her own rising sun.
Journey as Transcendence
Before I left for Educon, my American Literature class was
studying Transcendentalism. The concept under discussion was how Emerson and
Thoreau were inspired by nature and intuition. I assigned my students a
project, and off I went on my trip. I returned from my Educon journey and
rejoined my teaching journey. My students presented their projects. A few
people really went above and beyond. One student in particular blew me away
with an original song he wrote, composed, and performed. He played his
mandolin, and the class and I delighted in this creative culmination
experience. My part in this was so little, but what he did was amazing! He took
a quote from an author from the past and created a beautiful masterpiece. It
was a live performance, a special moment in time, a snapshot. His song is a
beautiful product that transcends the classroom. It matters; it humanizes those
of us who come into contact with the melodious creation. Some talents cannot be
scored by a standardized test. So finally, I strive to improve my instructional
practice because, though I have been here a long time and plan to be here for a
while longer, my students have one shot at it, and I want their education, and
their future, to be rich and meaningful.
Nancy -- This is a beautiful story of your journey and, really, everyone's journey! Being a former English teacher, I can appreciate where you have been, are and are going and, no matter how difficult it is for one personally, it is for the kids we take on such challenges. We want, as you said, to make education meaningful and rich for them! Thank you for all you do for our students! I appreciate you!
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