Elizabeth Chaffee Excerpt from masters thesis 7.11.

2013

II. Literature Review and Compendium Artifacts A. A Reflection of My Educational Platform (Foucault) stated that people know what they do; they frequently know why they do what they do; but what they don't know is what what they do does. (1983, pg 187) Bank Street has given me the time, resources, and direction to home in on my own beliefs, knowledge, and assumptions about teaching and learning by challenging me to seek new knowledge and revisit my philosophical understandings and theories that have influenced my educational platform. There were times of frustration when I encountered cognitive dissonance and had to re-evaluate my beliefs and challenge my thinking and reasoning concerning an issue and there were also aha moments that led to progressive ideas about teaching and learning. One of the most salient conclusions is that reflection and experience are intertwined, and in order to make sense of our personal histories, cultures, and beliefs we must reflect on the experiences in our own lives that lead us to those particular attitudes and engage in the realities of the drawn conclusions. One is often afraid to reflect upon these truths because the truth that you once had about a community or culture may prove to be a source of betrayal or lies. You may also find that after reflecting, that your identity and truths are valid and your sense of being connected within a community can be heightened.

Teacher, author, social activist, philosopher, and teacher Maxine Greene has reshaped the way I think about the meaning-making experience and reflection. (Green) discusses that we teachers are to develop a humane and liberating pedagogy, we must feel ourselves to be engaged in a dialectical relation. We are more likely to uncover or be able to interpret what we are experiencing if we can at times recapture some of our own lost spontaneity and some awareness of our own backgrounds. (1995) Greens concept is closely related with Schns theory of reflection-in-action, which is the ability to think about what you are doing while you are doing it. In A Reflective Practitioner (1983) Schn draws on many of the same ideas that Dewey has discussed on reflection. A practitioners reflection can serve as a corrective to over learning. Through reflection, he can surface and criticize the tacit understandings that have grown up around the repetitive experiences of a specialized practice, and can make new sense of the situations of uncertainty or uniqueness which he may allow himself to experience (Schn, 1983, p 61) Now as we look at Dewey we can see the need for inquiry and surfacing understandings if we are going to educate students wholeheartedly and responsibly with an open-mind. Dewey states, reflection is a systematic, rigorous, disciplined way of thinking, with its roots in scientific inquiry. If we want to continue to be disciplined educators we must adhere to these facets of Deweys reflection. We must adhere to this type of thinking to become more skillful thoughtful practitioners constantly seeking to improve our craft. We must teach our teachers how to reflect and

make sense of experiences so they are able to grow professionally and personally. (Merriam and Clark, 2006, p 27-48) My educational platform, Figure 1, has been revisited and revised while at Bank Street. My hope is that my compendium will surface missing key components that would lead to engagement with my local community and school. I am continually developing and working toward an equity pedagogy. (Banks) defines equity pedagogy as teaching strategies and classroom environments that help students from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural groups attain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to function effectively within, and help create and perpetuate, a just, human, and democratic society. (Banks & Banks, 1995) (Equity Pedagogy: An Essential Component of Multicultural Education) Figure 1 My Educational Platform Through the arts, people celebrate and understand themselves, others, and the world in which they live. Art education helps learners to recognize, infer, and grow in their own identity and develop cultural awareness. The creative process encourages learners to reach their maximum potential and enhance every aspect of education by helping students become critical thinkers, and socially engaged, motivated citizens. The arts support the development of trans-disciplinary skills such as reading, writing, and oral expression across the curriculum as well as foster 21st century skills that include creativity, communication, and collaboration. The

main responsibility of art to society is the formation of a worldview that celebrates diversity and interdependence of our local community, nation, and world. Administrators, leaders, and teachers should be actively engaged in preparing students for a future of big ideas. I believe schools should promote environments that encourage students to be respectful and responsible. Students must follow common rules in all parts of the school and make good judgments. Schools must create support systems with clear value systems and strong peer support groups. School principals and leaders should create a school vision that supports governance and leadership through collaborative forums that include parents, teachers, leaders, administrators, and community members. I believe schools should create a learning environment that is nurturing and stimulating with strong instructional guidance. Students must respect everyones right to learn and be kind and courteous and resolve conflicts in a peaceful manner. Schools should offer students an equal opportunity. Students should be creating personally relevant work that is reflective of their culture and history. School administrators and leaders must have a commitment to building sustainable guiding principles that ensue social justice and diversity within the school community. I believe schools should implement classroom technology and the related pedagogy. Technology is one of the most promising innovations for transforming classrooms into more learner-, knowledge-, assessment-, and community-centered environments. An important role of school

administrators and leaders is to stay informed on the latest technological advances in education and share them with staff members as well as continue professional development centered on the best practices of technology in the classroom, school, and greater community. I believe schools should develop students intellectually, emotionally, and socially in a safe environment that supports the exchange of ideas. It is our responsibility as educators, administrators, and leaders to council students through their adolescent development. We must boost students academic motivation and achievement using tested pedagogical and supportive strategies. School administrators and leaders must provide support for teachers so that all learners are able to meet their full potential. I believe schools should welcome parents and guardians to reflect on the communities in which they live. With the development of 21st Century Community Learning Centers we are able to provide enrichment activities that complement the regular academic programs. School administrators and leaders should create a school-family-community partnership that involves active decision-making and a shared responsibility of evaluative practices and learning policies. I believe that schools should establish goals that help students become responsible global and local citizens. We must set high expectations and help students develop problem solving and critical thinking skills that foster co-operation and conflict resolution. School administrators and leaders should ensure that project-based learning and opportunities for

community mentorship are included in students educational experiences. The school curriculum should make connections to the students lives, the greater community, and environment while instilling a sense of responsibility and reverence for all that sustains our lives. I believe the school curriculum should create collaborative learning through reflective practices that enable students, teachers, and leaders to better hear from each other and help articulate a community vision. The school curriculum should promote rigor and excellence that fosters life-long learning, creativity, and flexibility. 21st century learning and teaching requires that teachers provide education that is experienced-based, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and models constructivist-learning environments. Students should make discoveries from observations, explorations, and experiences. Teachers should act as directors of a classroom and facilitate activities where students are interacting with their environment and constantly constructing meaning. Students should often be asked to interpret their experience through the use of many different media and activities. Educators must provide authentic experiences for students that inspire them to construct personally relevant work. Learners come to the classroom with different skill sets, value systems, personal histories, and abilities and teachers must know their learners in order to provide effective educational practices. Educators must modify lessons based on assessing student knowledge of where they

currently are and where they need to be. Teachers must know their students and create lessons that are engaging, challenging, and foster the use of multiple intelligences. Administrators and leaders should create a vision that allows for the use of innovative practices that enrich the classroom-learning environment. Administrators must provide opportunities for their staff to develop and build their repertoires through staff developments and collegial practices. Principals and leaders must also provide observational models that allow for reflection and constant support of the teacher. I believe children learn best when the classroom becomes a place that students can take risks and flourish. Teachers should challenge our students to become risk takers by extending personal boundaries. I believe children learn best when schools enhance student learning by creating lessons that are engaging and provide opportunities for exploration and discovery. Learning is an active process that involves unraveling problems resourcefully and creatively. I believe children learn best when they set goals and are provided with multiple resources to help them reach their full potential. Teachers should help students set goals and create structures that foster learning through self-directed practices with meaningful feedback. Administrators and leaders should establish partnerships with local community groups, organizations, and local governments that create authentic experiences for students. Principals and leaders should help establish curriculum with their staff that guides students in becoming facilitators of their process of learning.

I believe children learn best when lessons are comprised of interdisciplinary curriculum that focuses on trans-disciplinary skills such as learner comprehension, dialectical thought, reading, writing, and thinking skills. All teachers are language teachers and communication skills are important to a students success. I believe children learn best when teachers differentiate instruction because all learners are unique. Teachers should help students deepen their understanding of a subject by providing different methods of instruction. I believe schools should have a committee of supervision comprised of representatives from all parts of the school as well as members of the local community. I believe schools should create a partnership between members of the community, teachers, and students that promote experiential learning. Leaders must promote a learning culture that helps each student reach their full potential. Through collegial supervisory models of observation, we can better understand our learners needs and help them to grow and be successful. The question I am left with is; does my educational platform align with my teaching and learning in the art classroom and school community? The progressive curriculum and multicultural initiatives that I instituted at my school have not found their way into my educational platform and my hope is to explore Banks equity pedagogy more in-depth to further discover how I can create social change at my school.

An education for equity enables students not only to acquire basic skills but also to use those skills to become effective agents for social change. We believe education within a pluralistic democratic society should help students to gain the content, attitudes, and skills needed to know reflectively, to care deeply, and act thoughtfully. (Banks, 1994, pg 17) Maxine Green discusses a need for equity pedagogy. She believes that learners should be treated as agents for social change in a democratic society, which in turn helps them in becoming more reflective, thoughtful and caring human beings due to the skills they acquire through equity pedagogy. (Green) tells us that teachers must make an intensified effort to break through the frames of custom and to touch the consciousness of those we teach. (1995, p 56) A holistic approach to reflection can lead to the improvement of pedagogical practices. It is in the reflecting of the events and decisions that one can change and improve teaching practices. I now have the agency and knowledge to respond to the diverse needs within my classroom and modify my teaching in a way that will help facilitate the academic achievement of students within my classroom and social system. I have discovered many underlying assumptions that impact my practice, core beliefs, attitudes, and understandings. Many experimental theoretical practices will emerge throughout my compendium as I introduce the artifacts that have informed my thinking, action, and reflection of my educational platform.