The following is a list of reflections from some provided material in my EDPR 3200 Course (Educational Foundations). The provided material is a series of case studies in which the following are my reflections and responses.
My response to the material was commented upon by university professionals and as such, upon reflection, sections have been edited from the initial ‘handing in.’ As a lifelong learner, it is important, even as an adult, to always reflect upon the material, adapt with that reflection, and to continue to progress.
The Future is Now
The Future is Now is a case study regarding the implications of technology in the classroom and what this means for educators now and in the future.
Response to ‘The Future is Now‘
The future is now is a pretty apt shorthand for my opinion on this subject of technology in schools.
The pandemic we are currently in, as of 2020 in which we are engaging in social distance learning, is a good example of this: those who are more comfortable utilizing the platforms when schools were closed struggled less with giving out assignments, creating websites, using webcams, marking online assignments, etc. This is from my personal experience as an Education Assistant in School District #70, but the most confident staff members were the most computer-literate or the most technology adaptable staff members. We do our students a disservice by not keeping some pace with technology. In short, the question should be, ‘what do schools have to lose by not adopting technology?’
Mr. Perez, though, is not actually against technology so much as he’s worried about the student’s and staff’s privacy. Truthfully, I don’t think the fact that the students having cash is the reason they’re being bullied. It’s a bit like saying ‘you wouldn’t be harassed if you dressed more appropriately’ and shifts the fault to the victim and not the perpetrators. This feels more like Mr. Perez is being gaslit and that his very viable concerns are not being listened to. It also feels like the school is not willing to address the underlying causes and is looking for a simple solution to a very complex problem.
In terms of my practice, I am more than happy to engage with new technology but every time we engage in the implementation of new technology we must do so with two questions in mind: whose needs are we meeting and how do we protect our students (and our own) privacy in the digital landscape of this century.
A Stitch in Time
A Stitch in Time is a case study about Jayce who is a child with some challenging behavior. In response to his behavior there are consequences both for Jayce and the student he had an altercation with, but there are also consequences to the trust placed in the school by the parents in question.
Response to A Stich in Time
I had the privilege (and it is indeed a privilege) to work with students that are similar to Jayce when I was an Education Assistant. Professional practice dictates that I can’t clarify beyond that, but I wish to clarify that I have some experience with students in similar situations.
Jayce would likely face what is known as an ‘in-school suspension’ if such a thing exists within the school district or school. He will be isolated from his classroom, doing his work, and have one-on-one supervision. Due to the seriousness of the situation, there is little recourse without some form of strong disciplinary action, and this is likely the most equitable scenario for Jayce’s mother. In an ideal world, his Safety Plan will be altered with the school-based team where they will look for the anteceding situation that led to the behaviour. They will then try to find a way to not have that behaviour start. Since the antecedent event is likely ‘tight spaces’ this will be further addressed. The substitute staff member should have called for additional support or moved Jayce with him to the student having an allergic reaction. Clearly, the administration should have clarified that the support staff read the document carefully.
The administration should remind Audrey that the staff members strive for equitability and not equality. There are different expectations and modifications for students in Grade One versus in Grade Seven, for example. The same is true for Jayce, Gerald (a student with autism whose situation Jayce was compared to in the text), or a student with no exceptionalities or differences.
In terms of my own practice, this situation falls upon the administration and unless the administration was outside the bounds of professional practice, it is not for me as a teacher to intervene in this process. If I was asked I would advocate for an in-school suspension and for a review of his Safety Plan and in the future remind any on-call teachers or educational paraprofessionals to keep Jayce within an arm’s distance at all times.
Flipping Burgers
Flipping Burgers is a case study about internalized helplessness, conflict about assumed abilities from other staff members, adapting the curriculum for UDL purposes, and utilizing more modern teaching practices. My response is specific to internalized helplessness.
Response to Flipping Burgers
It’s actually a little bit tricky to find students with this sort of self-stigma at the adolescent ages regarding internalized helplessness. At that point in time, students often just wish to fade into the background if they are struggling rather than draw attention to their own perceived inadequencies. In the primary age group, students are a little bit more open about their flaws, but as students age into the intermediete grades this changes. This can make it tricky to find students at risk of this sort of, colloquelly-speaking, ‘negative self-loop.’ I say ‘negative self-loop’ as the experience goes: I can’t do it so I won’t do a good job on this, I didn’t get a good grade on this, so I can’t do it, etc.
Thankfully the new grading system that is being adopted by the British Columbia education system should assist in helping students in this category because the process is no longer about ‘tiering’ ‘A, B, C, or D’ students so much as it is showing the skills that will help them move forward with emerging through extending criteria.
Additionally, we can provide scaffolded support to build confidence, show evidence of their accomplishments so they can break through their stagnated mindset, point out their growth in the areas involved, point out their accomplishments in other areas and utilize that as an example of how they improved in that area, provide mentorship opportunities and teaching opportunities where they can build confidence, and look to see if the ‘negative mindset’ has an environmental factor we can alter. Sometimes a ‘negative student’ has an underlying learning disability.
A negative mindset can often be a symptom of another underlying cause, be it systematic, environmental, cognitive/learning, or otherwise, and it’s our jobs as educators to assist our students to the best of our abilities, adapt our approach to the curriculum when needed, and to advocate for our students when other professionals have a more negative mindset of their abilities.