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Post by paulgenge on Dec 21, 2013 20:07:02 GMT -7
This graph from What did you do in School Today, demonstrates very low student engagement, especially after grade six when it declines to about 30% in grades 9, 10 and 11 with a slight bump up in grade 12. That bump is believed to be caused by the fact that 25 to 30% of students have dropped out of high school and are no longer present to report their disaffection on the survey.
What is the greatest cause of student disaffection in our schools?
I like Parker Palmer's quote on this:
He goes on to say that these are "student stereotypes that grossly distort reality and widen the disconnection between students and their teachers." That they "place the sources of our students' problems far upstream from where our lives converge with theirs" and "conveniently relieve us of any responsibility for our students' problems -or their resolution."
Do you think a ~30% rate of engaging our students is acceptable in education? We trot out our Diploma Exam and PAT results as evidence of how well our system is working. Imagine what students could do if we doubled that number? Or more? Are those of us who believe it is the system that is so disengaging simply naive?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!Attachments:
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Erin Couillard-Piper
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Post by Erin Couillard-Piper on Jan 8, 2014 15:21:31 GMT -7
Hi Paul -
Great thread. I have been contemplating 'teacher engagement' recently. From my own experience, I can note topics/projects/days where my engagement was low and the effect that had on my students vs. the alternative. How do we work with and inspire teachers to engage in the work in their classrooms with the lense that their own attitude/engagement drastically impacts the 'buy-in' from their students. While the EdCamp model/unconference model is fantastic, it seems that it is primarily reaching the converted audience. I like the 'bring a friend' method...what other approaches can we take to increase teacher engagement?
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Post by graingered on Jan 12, 2014 10:14:36 GMT -7
Hello Paul, Erin... I recently had a conversation about student apathy that really made me think. You can read about it here www.karegivers.org/2014/01/conversations-that-really-make-me-think.html#moreSo many variables to this issue. My grade partners and I are addressing it directly in grade 7 at our school. Although I don't believe disengaged students are a new phenomena, (I was one of them many years ago,) I do believe student apathy exists and needs to be tackled explicitly, especially as the new curriculum emerges, a change that I think will help reduce student apathy. We're one week into our action research around student disengagement and how to mitigate it in our classes. We'll be sharing as we go. Thanks for starting this forum... great idea, and hope to see you both at #redcamp @glendaleschool May 31... bring a friend:) |
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Post by paulgenge on Jan 15, 2014 19:18:24 GMT -7
Thanks for the post, Sean!
The student apathy question is obviously a huge one. It has always been present for sure. Part of the difference, now is that learning is at students' fingertips. Contrast that with their school experience of committee selected content by people who never met them which leads to a passive form of learning and what else could we expect? There is a certain inertia present that leads to us subjecting more and more cohorts of students to a mindless processing whereas we should be thinking about what we're trying to achieve here.
I look forward to updates on your research. The skateboard shop guy example is widespread.
Paul
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Post by paulgenge on Jan 15, 2014 19:53:07 GMT -7
Hi Paul - Great thread. I have been contemplating 'teacher engagement' recently. From my own experience, I can note topics/projects/days where my engagement was low and the effect that had on my students vs. the alternative. How do we work with and inspire teachers to engage in the work in their classrooms with the lense that their own attitude/engagement drastically impacts the 'buy-in' from their students. While the EdCamp model/unconference model is fantastic, it seems that it is primarily reaching the converted audience. I like the 'bring a friend' method...what other approaches can we take to increase teacher engagement? Hi Erin, Thanks for your thoughts....really making me think. It's a bit disheartening to think we are primarily reaching a converted audience. I think things are growing pretty steadily. These are early days of a big shift in education. Curriculum Redesign is the next big piece, in my opinion. That needs to be written in language that is clear, vivid and appealing and we have to get that right on many fronts. I think there will be a big push once the Curriculum Redesign is complete. There are so many conversations that are relevant to education reform/transformation that we have to consolidate what we know and decide what Inspiring Education will look like in a Program of Studies document. It makes my head swim, and that might be part of what is holding some of us back. Those teachers who may not yet be here or on Twitter or what have you are still among the most creative, generous and caring people that I know. I see there being a great deal of communication that will come out from Alberta Ed, Boards and districts with the Redesign. I think that wall of resistance will break down and we'll capitalize on that influx of energy and ideas. Other than that, I think we could brainstorm ideas on a site like this. A group of people could connect around "Genius Hour" or "Student Blogs" or a "Community Based Challenge", anything that has teachers experimenting with that new set of principles around competency based learning, and seeing the difference it makes. |
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