Divergent Thinking.... (The Ability to see multiple ways to solve a problem.) this is an outstanding idea that really speaks to possibility and the solutions that are needed to step out of the old Paradigm in Education! The Sooner the Better (See video link below)
Not to long ago, I was the chair of my Children's School Council as well as the chair of District School Council and on the board of the Provincial Home & School Council. For many years I was consumed in these positions and completely dedicated to supporting the Principals & Teachers in my province.
The provincial perspective offered me the ability to observe and appreciate how well our local schools were run verses some others in the province. However, as I was thinking about running for Trustee, I began to wake up to the idea that perhaps there were many better ways of creating solutions for our nations youth rather than sticking to the old ways of thinking simply because it worked for our parents and our parents parents. My views expanded to include and understand that we need to stop treating our kids like they all have the same needs at the same time. Our Students are on an assembly line to become "Employees" rather than functioning People and creative, contributing members of society. Instead of creating cookie cutter molds of what each teacher thinks that the government tests require our children to learn. We live in a system where we are more concerned about the Provincial Exam results are because those numbers will effect funding.
Don't get me wrong.... I LOVE Teachers who Love what they do! Who serve with Passion, Dedication and Inspire Creativity. The Teachers who are leading by example and who are LIFE long Learners themselves. However, I think where the big big road block is... is those Teachers who are in it for simply the pay check. Working to live instead of Living to Work.
After multiple years of service, I stepped down from all of those positions because, I started to think that Perhaps .... there is a better way...
Please talk a moment to watch this video:
Changing Education Paradigms Video
"This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award."
Do schools kill creativity? I think that young people are going through a creativity holocaust perpetrated by teachers especially ones who hate their jobs.
For more information on Sir Ken's work visit: http://www.sirkenrobinson.com/
I found that my voice is much more powerful as a Parent ... rather than a Chair. Instead of banging my head against a broken system that is stuck in the same cycle of conveyor belt students, I have found my actions much more effective by spending more time with my kids rather than being stuck in so many meetings talking about the same issues (some times for years).
The reason that I really wanted to share these two videos with you today is to inspire YOU to use your voice. Parents need to start speaking up and expressing their Cheers & Concerns about their children's education. Parents need to SUPPORT Great Teachers who LOVE what they do. Parents need to back Schools in creating Solutions, Parents need to share their ideas and then be willing to do the work necessary to get all of our kids out of the cookie cutter system.
Even more so... School Districts need to be HONEST in their news releases about class sizes, (and stop averaging all classes including non-core classes in those numbers. Example: averaging Shop classes with 15 students in with the 33 student class rooms of English class . ) We must be TRANSPARENT in painting the real picture of what is happening in Classrooms so that the voting population (Seniors with no students) feel that changes are necessary. Unless this changes, Councils across the nation will continue in the same cycle of not being as effective as they truly want to be.
Together, we CAN make a real difference in our Children's Futures... but the work starts now.
Humbly,
Marcia
http://www.twitter.com/Marciajk
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