Reconceptualizing 21st Century Education

"Self-driven and Classroom-based: Professional Development in the 21st Century" from the K-12 Online Conference.
Konrad Glogowski begins his video where it all happens for most of us - in the classroom. His focus is on the teacher and classroom-based professional development. Most professional development is focused on learning new tools and new methods and then applying it in the classroom. Glogowski sees a need for educators to spend more time and effort reflecting on their practice - both content and process. Though it's great to be exposed to new ideas by following other educators on Twitter or reading blogs, that is passive ( "learning from"). In his view, learning and growth are best achieved by connecting with and engaging in meaningful conversations about practice with 2 or 3 critical colleagues ("learning with"). I absolutely agree. I learn so much by working with colleagues (co-teaching a class) or just observing a class then sharing ideas and insights . I / we need to make more time to do this!

I liked the way Glogowski summarized the steps of the reflection process:
1. DESCRIBING ... what is happening? Is it working? For everyone? Am I proud of my classroom?
2. QUESTIONING .... After we describe our practice, we uncover beliefs that cause us to teach the way we do. Notice our limits. Try to take others' points of view .. parents, students colleagues. This helps us identify the limitations of our own point of view
3. CONFRONTING .... Learn to recognize that our practice is not a group of tools it is very personal. What does it say about our values? What should we be doing?
4. RECONSTRUCTING OUR PRACTICE ... restructure, redefine, How can i change?

Glogowski concludes with:
We need to reconceptualize education in the 21st Century. Key elements:
1. builds on relations with students
2. involves teachers as learners
3. classroom is not a stage - it is an organic environment that leads to learning. A place of inquiry and perpetual experimentation.
In this environment, both students and teachers are stack-holders. The more input students have in content, organization and evaluation of learning the more they will be vested in the process.

Glogowski's final thought: Students don't need prepackaged knowledge. They need classrooms that are sites of inquiry where the teachers and students are learning together in communities of learning.

My thoughts:
How can I make time for reflection on my practice in the Achievement Center? It should be regular and scheduled or it doesn't happen. Who are my 2 or 3 critical colleagues? What would happen if I scheduled one period a week to observe another teacher's class and then had lunch together to discuss it? More questions than answers but then again that is what this activity is supposed to do .. make you think!