Making the shift from a

traditional 20th Century paradigm

to a more modern 21st Century approach
can be challenging.
Learning Focus
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21
st
Century
It involves a shift in...
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Assessment
Approach
Perspective
Heavy on
curricular content
with some process
instruction.
A strong focus on
process with
curricular content
embedded.
Summative in
nature and
numberically
based.
Focus on formative
check ins and authentic
real-world summative
assessments.
Standards-based.
Students working
independently and
in isolation.
Students working
in groups with a
premium on col-
laboration.
The teacher as
the Sage on the
stage.
The teacher
as facilitator.
Retell. Discover.
Solve this... Copy this... Time based.
Outcome based. Text-book driven.
Research driven.
Teacher centered. Student centered.
Passive
learning.
Active
learning.
Memorize.
Find
the
answer.
Little teacher
feedback.
Self, Peer and
Teacher
assessments.
Curriculum
Fragmented and
taught in discrete
subjects.
Integrated with an
interdisciplinary
focus.
Management
Purpose
Efect|ve c|assroom management bu||t on
estab||sh|ng good re|at|onsh|ps
A des|re to work w|th students.
And continuing to possess...
There is a math teacher on my faculty who approaches teaching from a 20th Century perspective. He
is in his late 50s, from the USA, and has been teaching in the High School setting for over 20 years. His
current assignment sees him working with the upper math students at our school in Pre-Calculus,
Calculus, and AP Calculus. I have worked with him for eight years and have visited his classroom both
as a peer and as a supervisor. I consider him to be an ehective and ta|ented teacher. His students are
actively engaged in his classroom through his typical instructional routine; he lectures, students take
notes, they work on problems, and then discuss their solutions with him. In considering the elements of
this weeks assignment, I felt he would make an ideal subject for consideration.
Subject
The information presented in the info-graphic on the previous page reects what I see as the centra|
simi|arities and diherences of 20th and 21st Century teachers as they re|ate to the individua| in question.
I placed two illustrations, one of a teacher at a chalkboard teaching the abcs juxtaposed with another
of a teacher presenting a lesson at a digital interactive board. The former image represents a 20th
century classroom and the latter a 21st century one.
The words and phrases oating around these images are basic diherences, e|ements of education that
re|ate to one another based on their position around the image. These dihering e|ements are basic in
nature and need little explanation.
The ve terms with ad[oining arrows in the centre of the image re|ate to educationa| e|ements that have
changed between the 20th and 21st Centuries and which are the focus of my recommendations. These
elements are more nuanced and have explanations attached to them.
The bottom two characteristics are common in both 20th and 21st Century teachers and are denite
strengths of the teacher I am considering in this assignment.
Infographic
The teacher in question has a traditiona| approach to instruction. He a|so has exce||ent c|assroom
management that is based on a positive classroom culture and a purposed desire to work with
students. His expectations in the c|assroom are extreme|y high and the qua|ity of mathematics student
he produces through our advanced track of courses is outstanding. This can be seen in his annual
AP scores which consistently sit in the 4.5 - 5.0 average. However, even with these excellent results,
I be|ieve there is room for improvement and increased student connection. I have identied ve areas
where I be|ieve he wou|d benet from a shift in thinking. These areas are |earning focus, assessment,
approach, perspective, and curriculum.
Background
Learning Focus
Current|y, there is a focus that is heavy on curricu|um and product and |ight on process. I be|ieve that by engaging in a conversation about 21st Century ski||s and the requirements of a modern work force, I
would be able to open the door to this teacher seeing the value of process. It is evident that we are no longer preparing students for a compliance-centered, assembly-line-oriented work place but rather for a
work place where they will need to be creative problem-solvers. By encouraging professional reading into current research regarding 21st Century Skills, I believe I can cause this teacher to begin to shift his
learning focus.
Assessment
Currently, there is a focus on unit tests and an emphasis on a numerically assigned grade. With the adoption of the Common Core, and current shifts towards standards-based grading, there is also an
increased emphasis on teachers assessing with performance tasks. Authentic, real-world, summative assessments engage student thinking at a deeper and more meaningful level as students see the task as
having real-work application. By encouraging the consideration of alternate assessments, and the inclusion of one performance task on the next unit test, I can help this teacher to begin to shift his
assessment focus.
Approach
Currently, students work independently and I would like to see a shift to group work. Students have become collaborators, and engaging them in a continuous conversation about what is happening would
help this teacher to hold student interest beyond their current tasks of listening, recall, and application. Taking time to develop lessons that go beyond simple narration and include some sort of interpersonal
interaction during the prob|em so|ving and app|ication stages wou|d be benecia|. Math teachers in our schoo| have access to interactive smart boards and app|ications that can create simu|ations of
mathematical concepts. By encouraging the use of these applications I believe that I can help this teacher begin to shift his approach to instruction in the classroom.
Perspective
Currently, the teacher is seen as the Sage on the stage and I would like to see him shift to being more of a facilitator. Gone are the days of passive learning where students were content to sit in their seats
and not be actively involved in the educational process. Technology can be a way to leverage this participation and get out of the way of the learning taking place in the classroom. Teachers at our school
a|| have access to high-speed internet access and by using web-resources I be|ieve that this teacher can begin incorporating experts in the e|d of mathematics in the form of guest |ecturers, on|ine puzz|es,
or interactive board assignments. By encouraging a broader use of resources, beyond the textbook, I believe that I can help this teacher begin to shift his perspective to that of a facilitator in the classroom.
Curriculum
Currently, the mathematics curriculum is discrete and separated from other content areas. I would like to see a more integrated and interdisciplinary focus develop in math lessons. By explaining
cross-curricular connections teachers can work together to teach students similar concepts from seemingly disparate disciplines. Teachers at our school are currently being given Professional Development
time to work within the grade level to discover these connections and develop performance tasks that tap into various content areas. By encouraging this teacher to work collaboratively with his peers and
engage in the process of creating cross-curricular learning opportunities for students I believe that I can help this teacher begin to see student learning and curricular needs from another perspective.
Recommendations
To Do
Learning Focus
1. Set up a Twitter account and
use #EdChat as a resource
for professional learning.
2. Set up an RSS feed of
profesional blogs.
3. Connect teacher with
p21.org and have him review
the framework for 21C Skills.
Assessment
1. Have teacher review CCSS
(corestandards.org)
2. Arrange to have PD funds
accessible for training
through CC360.
Approach
Encourage the teacher to begin
a self study of interactive math
lessons beginning with this
website: learnalberta.ca.
Perspective
Have the teacher watch the
following videos to help shift
perspective:
1. Changing Education
Paradigms
2. How to Change Education
Curriculum
1. Have teacher refocus his
common planning time to
allow for cross-curriculum
collaboration. Consider the
scheduling of his CPT time
next year and link with hu-
manitites teachers.