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Defining the Endgame

10/28/2012

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This afternoon, I had a great conversation with my wife, who is a Civics and Economics teacher (she teaches Psychology, too, though that didn't enter into our conversation).  She's taught C&E for nearly 8 years -- 3 times a day, 2 semesters a year -- which amounts to having taught the same class almost 50 times. 

And since she's a great educator, one who is always tweaking and refining her practice and has never taught the class the same way twice, I felt comfortable asking her a pretty simple question: what should your students (in NC, C&E is a sophomore class) be able to do when they leave your class?

Here's the list she came up with.  Students should be able to:
  • vote
  • filter the BS from both political parties (this could be done alongside English classes)
  • do the things you have to do as a citizen
  • do the things you should do as a citizen (or articulate why you aren't)


  • direct a complaint about anything, esp. gov’t-related, to the person or office that actually has the power to do something about it. (so, knowing who to complain to, and the proper tone for said complaint-- an effective tone that’s not going to get you arrested)


  • articulate the principles of the Constitution -- checks & balances, separation of powers (and recognize when certain commentators are twisting them for their personal/political gains)
  • enforce their rights if they get arrested (and just in general)


  • articulate how prices are set (and who/what controls them -- i.e. President has nothing to do with gas prices)
  • do a personal budget
  • save money (and know why they should)
  • understand & utilize knowledge about investments/portfolios/stock markets/CDs (all this is Personal Financial Literacy)


That's a really, really good list. And it would be an incredible class, if she were allowed to teach it that way. 
This speaks to a couple critical principles.

First, she's an expert, and she should be treated that way. We've already covered how many times she's taught the class. She has also (voluntarily) helped write both the Civics End of Course test and the MSLs (the end-of-course exams that are replacing the EOCs for most NC classes). In that position, however, she has to write & review questions that match the SCOS -- never debate whether the SCOS is aligned with what students should actually know. 

Second, the compulsory structure of the class indicates a contradiction of educational principles and good educational practices. The Standard Course of Study was designed (as it is in most states, I fear) with an endgame List of Information Students Should Know instead of Things Students Should Be Able To DO. Knowing what the Franking Privilege is as it relates to Congress is not a hallmark of an Educated Citizen. 

There exist thousands of points of useless minutiae like that one we are demanding students memorize in ALL our disciplines. And there's just no need for it. We have Google. 

Let's spend our days helping kids figure out writing a personal budget, or how to invest in the stock market, or how to communicate about something important to them in a clear, compelling way. 

Let's let them leave our classes knowing-- really KNOWING-- something that actually matters. 

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The Wisdom To Know The Difference: An Educator's Serenity Prayer

10/26/2012

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God, grant me the serenity 
to accept the things I can't change, 
courage to change the things I can, 
and wisdom to know the difference. 

A very animated conversation in class today about the meaning of school left many students excited, but just as many frustrated.  The students generally divided between two positions.  Some said that school was boring, inhibited creativity, and we should Definitely Do Something About This.  The other group, generally speaking, also expressed frustration with the structure of school, but thought we should keep our heads down, mouth shut, and do what whomever in charge told us to do, because it wasn't going to make any difference anyway.

In a post-class tweet convo with Cheryl and Brian Bennett, I recalled the Serenity Prayer, and was surprised and gratified by the obvious applications to our in-class discussion. 

Some kids wanted us to Accept The Things We Cannot Change. 

Some wanted Courage to Change The Things They Can.  

I want wisdom to know the difference. Because contained within the kernel of this prayer and this conversation is also the inverse principle: if we can change they way things are, we have the responsibility to try to do so. 

And the way these things change is teaching students to not necessarily accept the status quo.  In pushing them outside their bubbles. In teaching them how to disagree in a non-confrontational manner--to disagree without screaming or hating your opponent. And by teaching kids to think for themselves. 
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I Dip, You Dip, We Dip.

10/23/2012

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Over the past couple weeks, I have engaged with what Seth Godin calls the Dip-- and what Cheryl and I call The Wall.  A lull, a hard stretch, a seemingly immovable object standing between me and Real Flipclass Funtimes. 

There are many reasons for this, among them my natural inclination for Not Much Structure as well as a very full life.

I have also, however, engaged in multiple conversations with Cheryl, as well as Karl, Brian, and Crystal, with respect to these difficulties.

And the conclusion we've come to is not particularly glamorous, but it needs to be shared:

Flipclass is hard. 

We don't want to lie to the wide world about it -- it's not a panacea. It's a step. And it's a very difficult step.

It's difficult for the students, who have had everything they've ever learned about playing school in the last 11 years ripped away from them (in just one class, mind you).

It's difficult for the teachers, too-- the building of infrastructure, finding the balance between giving kids freedom to follow their passions and making sure that they are actually learning how to read and write and think in a powerful, critical kind of way. 

What the Theory of the Wall says (which echoes Godin) is that better things lie on the other side of the Wall (the Dip), and the reason that not many people are able to enjoy wild successes in their (professional and "real") lives is that most people don't have the fortitude and patience and support from friends and colleagues to ride out the Dip and break through the Wall. 

So thank you to those people who have shared experiences that echo my own--difficulties with student engagement, student buy-in, exhaustion and eyes-crossing-at-the-computer-screen-late-at-night kinds of work. 

The Wall is breaking. And it's because of you all. 

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