Midterm Challenge: Question 1
Our initial conversations in Special Education 312 involved the changing classroom and the changing role of the teacher, especially with regards to computers, new media, and new perspectives on literacy. For one perspective on this shift, please watch this video from Sir Ken Robinson.
Now it's your turn. Please provide a comprehensive review of this evolution given your background knowledge and our course discussions, and offer up a bold description of the modern special education teacher. Pay careful attention to current and predicted job trends, the phenomenon of globalization, and the use of standards to set goals for both students and teachers.
Our Reponse: in collaboration with Meg Collins and Rachel Freedman
Within this video clip, Sir Ken Robinson focuses on the education system and reevaluating how teachers and others structure the educational system. One of the first things that he focuses on is how we should educate our students currently to prepare them for the future. Many teachers repeat the structure of the classroom and instruction based off of things done in the past. For example, many teachers believe that reading and taking notes is an effective way to retain information because once before it proved that students were actually able to learn from this method. However, currently, many students are not able to positively benefit from this. Occurrences of ADHD increase over time because students are not interested in the instructing methods that teachers are utilizing. Instead, teachers should capture the attention of their classroom and find various ways to motivate and engage their learners by adhering to their talents and interests. Teachers who do not use this method to create their lesson plans limit their students and the creativity the students can demonstrate through multiple projects and assignments. In addition, the school system tends to group students in batches, preventing others to reach their potential or get needed assistance for instruction. Leaving projects open ended cannot restrict students to how they are grouped, but it allows them to work at rate and level they are capable of achieving.
Within the first four minutes of this video, the speaker says she has no interests in school content because she just wanted to excel, instead of actually putting in the work to absorb and learn the instruction at hand. In the school, they are expected to be the same because they are grouped together and to succeed at every standardized tests, and if people are seeing life with a different lens they are seen as useless in public education. The school systems want all students to conform to the educational system’s methods and to put down originality. A school trains you more than inspires you, molding students into robots and not learners. The speaker talks about how most students are brainwashed by the school system and how she wants to make sure that no other students have to be suppressed by the education system.
Within the first four minutes of this video, the speaker says she has no interests in school content because she just wanted to excel, instead of actually putting in the work to absorb and learn the instruction at hand. In the school, they are expected to be the same because they are grouped together and to succeed at every standardized tests, and if people are seeing life with a different lens they are seen as useless in public education. The school systems want all students to conform to the educational system’s methods and to put down originality. A school trains you more than inspires you, molding students into robots and not learners. The speaker talks about how most students are brainwashed by the school system and how she wants to make sure that no other students have to be suppressed by the education system.
The next topic that Sir Ken Robinson highlights is the theory of divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is described as different ways to interpret the question, approach the situation, and compute answers. Presenting students with a simplified question can guide them to activate their divergent thinking and establish a variety of answers that would still be a valid answer to the question. In the video, the purposes of a paperclip are explored, exposing the endless amount of uses for a simple object. This conveys how students can have the capability to create ideas that are original. The objective of teaching our students this way is to establish gateways for our students for job opportunities. The career world can be competitive, so if an individual can propose new and inventive ideas, they may have the upper hand in the job market.
This picture shows how students perceive schooling as merely taking tests and having one right answer to a question. This puts down the
thoughts of divergent thinking and how to have multiple answers and creativity in their responses. Students’ divergent thinking will diminish if education
systems keep testing students at a standardized level.
This picture shows how students perceive schooling as merely taking tests and having one right answer to a question. This puts down the
thoughts of divergent thinking and how to have multiple answers and creativity in their responses. Students’ divergent thinking will diminish if education
systems keep testing students at a standardized level.
For the modern special education teacher, they need to be aware of multiple things within the classroom. Many teachers need to differentiate their instruction in order to apply their instruction across various types of learners. This way visual, audio, and other learners can be attended to through a single lesson method. Teachers should encourage peer collaboration with each other in order to allow students to teach each other their understanding of a context, ensure a student’s comprehension, and share ideas to expand off of others. Teachers should break free from the traditional learning structure and incorporate ideas that engage students. Instructors should also create an environment that encourages learners to be motivated and accommodate the needs and services of each, individual student.