I found the idea of revisiting and reflected my initial thinking from the begging of the course very insightful and interesting. In lesson one, I believed that economic stability and safety were a large part of creating a successful learning atmosphere. I stated that, “when [stability and safety are] compromised, students lack the ability to focus on academics. A student’s home life is one of the main factors to controlling what happens in school.” I believe after this class, I am more aware of the roles teachers and administrators play on the atmosphere of school. It can be incredibly hectic for a student at home, but if we offer a structured, safe, and consistent, this will bring comfort and stability in school. Therefore, we are creating a successful learning environment.
I also mentioned that, “a traditional family structure is less common. More families are single-parent families and the amount of grandparents and older siblings at home has decreased. Therefore, children rely on their peers for social interactions and guidance. The traditional authority that once controlled youth activity has lost its power and is replaced by peer power. Students care more about fitting in than following authoritative order. Teachers must adapt education to fit this change by increasing positive interactions among peers and utilize communication skills.” I still believe this to be very true, but I am even more aware of how important it is for teachers to enforce these behaviors and how powerful a teacher’s influence can be.
I also discussed the idea of technology in lesson one. “What once was thought of as luxury and rare, is now the norm. Rarely do students come to school without a smart phone or some way to connect to the Internet and social media. As teachers, we need to utilize the increase in technology use. We must teach how to use it positively and as a learning tool. We must adapt our teaching to fit students’ interests and current lifestyles.” From the results of my inquiry and with the idea of creating a flipped classroom in the upcoming school year, I am cognizant of the true positive power of technology. I got to discuss the ideas of technology with other students, and I learned that they want to tools to utilize technology appropriately for education.
In lesson one, I stated that, “the understanding of learning and teaching is also always growing and changing. As schools, we need to transform what we are currently doing to utilize the new information and maximize student learning. Reform done to an already existing system doesn’t often pan out and things revert to old ways. We are responsible to make a total transformation that is performed completely and upheld. The lack of the change needed in the public school system is what is putting us behind the other schools in other countries. Teachers are responsible in following transformation plans in the entirety. When we focus too much on test scores, we don’t give enough enforcement on creativity and intellectual learning. We emphasize tested material and drilling and not enough of the characteristics that are needed to make successful contributions to society.” This is something I do not believe I changed my opinion on since I wrote this. However, I now know so much more about how to properly and effectively transform a school and to move towards creating a learning organization in school.
I would like to pursue a few questions after taking this course. First, I would like with all of the information about effective, positive, and efficient schools in not only our country but in other nations, why are we not adapting what we are doing to make this our new reality? What is holding us back from making this transformation and trying to provide our county’s students with a better and more competitive education? Secondly, with all of the knowledge I have learned about learning organizations in school, I would like to discuss this with my current administration. Why are we holding back from transforming into a learning organization? Why does it seem that our school is moving more and more away from this style when we should be moving in the opposite direction? These are some things I would like to purse clarification on.
