[Air-L] Your Opinion

[jcu]

HI Elaine,

I am not sure if this will make sense to you. But consider
the pedagogies currently in play within public education
K-12.  (I am assuming you've taught there, as opposed 
to private systems). I would consider constructivist 
approaches to knowledge-building and also consider 
reflective practice as a mindset for your project. If you
can accept this as a frame for public education (and I
do beleive it is possible for a teacher to metaphorically 
close the door to their classroom and teach a programn 
that is child-centred, and create a learning space where 
everyone (students, teachers and all peripheral stakeholders 
(like parents, school admin, etc.) is a co-learner and 
co-researcher ... if so ...then I would investigate the notion 
of emergent curriculum. Re-view public education from
this perspective. The Ministry driven curriculm will still
get covered with an emergent curriculm approach. But 
the process of learning (even for JK/SK kids) becomes 
one of research. 

If I were working on your project, I would ask myself 
how an emergent curriculm could be adapted to higher
grades (take some tips from the Italians like Loris
Malaguzzi, search Reggio Emellia or the reggio 
approach to early learning). Currently, there are 
public school teachers who are trying to 'trickle it 
up" into higher public school grades.  

Think about it ... students and teachers working 
together as researchers. Co-researchers. Building
research skills, making thinking visible, etc.... As 
opposed to teaching to the test, etc. 

Just some thoughts.     

I'd be interested to learn what you decide upon
to investigate your question.



From: "jeremy hunsinger" 
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 9:34 AM
Subject: Re: [Air-L] Your Opinion


this worries me.... what if there really is no 'single student', but  
individualism is just an ideology and really we work best in small  
groups without that individuality that allows us to construct the  
'single student'.   there has been a significant amount of research  
and writing on the problems surrounding the construction of the  
individual subject in modern society, and a good bit about tribes,  
groupuscules, and related matters also, but overall i see there are  
some possible benefits toward pushing against the model of the 'single  
student'  as the target of our learning systems.
On Apr 15, 2009, at 9:03 AM, Alex Halavais wrote:

> I'll bite. I think we need to figure out what the extremes of
> personalized learning are, and what implications these have for
> learning in groups, institutions, and on the network. Yes, that is a
> broad task, and one that is probably closely associated with Howard
> Gardner, but designing a good educational system for many means, I
> think, understanding how to design the best educational system for the
> single student.
>
> - Alex
>
> On Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 8:02 PM, Elaine Studnicki
> <elainestudnicki at comcast.net> wrote:
>> Colleagues,
>>
>> I have hovered in the background for quite some time reading your  
>> extremely
>> rich and diverse areas of interest/research. As a K-12 educator/ 
>> doctoral
>> student I am interested in the connections between higher ed.  
>> research and
>> the daily classroom instruction/environment that composes our  
>> national
>> educational system.  I am compelled to ask this question:
>>
>> In your opinion what do you currently think is the most important  
>> area of
>> research or perhaps the most important area "needing" research for  
>> our K-12
>> educational system?
>>
>> Thank you for your help and time,
>>
>> Elaine
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>