My Future Vision of an Elementary Classroom

COURTNEY M. SMITH

505 FUTURE OF EDUCATION

JENNIFER WOJCIK

Achievement First Hartford Academy Elementary School

History

Current State

Opened in August 2008 Created for a reform plan for Hartford Public Schools Public charter school

K 4th grade Served 429 students in 2012-13- including ELL and Spec. Ed students 100% African American/Hispanic students

Part of Achievement First schools network in CT, NY, and RI and 25 cities
Mission to educate all levels and learners despite socio-economic backgrounds Focus on college prep Believes the achievement gap can and must be closed

66% Free or Reduced Lunch

Data drive instruction and a rigorous curriculum 7a to 4p school day/before and after school programs

3 hour reading block-small group instruction

Elevated CMT results compared to city/state (37 and 5 points)

Future Technologies
3D Printing

Generates creativity

Promotes ingenuity and design

Creates new learning Every student can be an inventor and amplifies the learning experience for underprivileged students

Virtual Laboratories

Can experiment repeatedly Virtual labs can help schools save money on science equipment

Students can remain safe using virtual science equipment

Flexible: can be used in any internet capable classroom

Futuring & Futuring Tools

Futuring

Scenarios

Scanning

the act, or science identifying and evaluating possible future events (World Future Society, 2013). Techniques used to foresee the future. People who study futuring are called futurists. Futuring can be applied to various work fields.

description of a future situation and the course of events which allows one to move forward from the original situation, according to Mietzner and Reger (2005). Uses data to create multiple alternatives to the future.

changes that occur through time and identify significant changes in the world (World Future Society, 2013). Uses trends to derive data from the past and present. Uses literature, web sites, and media as sources (World Future Society, 2013) Scanning is part of the planning process of futuring. Data should be examined for trends and relevancy to future projections.

They allow one to thoughtfully and critically plot possible futures.

Many different kinds of scenarios. Can be used in various work fields including education.

The future is not affected.

Pros & Cons

Scenarios Scanning

Positives
Projects alternate futures Improves decision-making Improves organization Improves preparation Recognizes weaknesses Considers several futures

Positives
Analyzes trends
Uses a variety of formats to retrieve data Uses the past and present to project the future

Negatives
Time-consuming Need knowledgeable operators Not easy to gather and decipher data

Negatives
Time-consuming Need knowledgeable scanners Not easy to gather and decipher data

Educational Technology Trends

Children are consuming more technology.

Children are handling more than one technological device at a time.

Students will need more technological interaction in the classroom.

Students can become independent learners due to their familiarity of devices. Will integrate subject-matter, increase collaborative and concrete learning, and curriculum relevancy.

Economic & Public Policy Trends

Economic Trend
More debt will lead to more tax hikes and budget cuts. This will limit resources to service students negatively impacting today and tomorrows education. What is the best action to take?
Learning should be learner-centered and less teacher-directed.

Public Policy Trend

Encourages learning through interactions to increase social sources and independence.

Future students will achieve more success with additional programs, materials, and technology. More educational programs and resources will require more funding. The more money that is spent, will lead to higher debt.

Lifelong

Learning
Lifelong learning will create a desire to learn affecting academic and work skills.

Demographic Trends

Increase of ethnicities in the world and educational setting. More non-White students are enrolling in school. Hispanic community rapidly increasing. Urgency to service students of various backgrounds, upbringings, languages, and cultures. Increase in Special Education students. Special Education: Overrepresentation of African-American and underrepresentation in Hispanic and Asian students. Varied level learners may present a challenge when students collaborate together. Teachers will need more training in educating various learners.

Pros & Cons to the Future Vision

Five Opportunities

Five Challenges

Students will take a more active role during learning. Students will be less reliant on the teacher to provide knowledge. Students will use each other and other resources, including technology, to produce their own learning. Learning will be more flexible, more engaging, and less lecture. Multimedia will bridge the gap between students and the teacher through its usage.

An adjustment for teachers to have less teaching control may be difficult. Professional Development will be needed to train teachers on student-centered practices. It may take much time to see real results and nationwide implementation. Students will need practice learning from each other. Varied-leveled learners may have difficulties learning from each other.

1.

Offer training to teachers to educate and prepare for student-centered learning. Learner-centered standards need to be created for nationwide implementation. Use modeling from other experienced schools. Get students familiar with technological devices individually or in small groups.

Steps Toward the Future

These steps will prepare and lead Hartford Academy in a direction that is more student-based and technology savvy.

2. 3. 4.

5.

Create a union with Sped and ELL instructors to gather resources for collaborative work.

Call to Action
1.

With these next steps, Hartford Academy with reach more learners by putting the students needs first. Support teachers by informing them of the benefits of student-centered learners to move away from teacher-based teaching. Begin training and modeling what it should look like in the classroom. Collaborate with ELL and Special Education staff to gather resources, tools, and materials to help support students that require more attention. This will help with including these students in learning groups and interactions with other students. Taking these steps in a new direction for education will raise educational expectations.

2.

References

Achievement First. (2013). About achievement first hartford academy elementary school. Retrieved from http://www.achievementfirst.org/schools/connecticut-schools/achievement-firsthartfordacademyelementary-school/about/

Achievement First. (2013). The achievement first approach: curriculum and instruction

Retrieved from http://www.achievementfirst.org/our-approach/curriculum-andinstruction/

Becta. (2008). Analysis of emerging trends affecting the use of technology in education. Research to support the delivery and development of Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 200814. Retrieved from: http://schoolicltvision.wikispaces.com/file/view/consolidated_trends_analysis1.pdf Carter, C.J. (2011). Lessons learned in dreamland: how a small urban charter school overcame start-up woes to increase reading scores 28 percent. Schools: Studies In Education, 8(2), 285-310. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/662116

References

Educational Technology Picture. Retrieved from: http://www.edudemic.com/edtech-doom/ Frey, W. H. (n.d.). Census projects new majority minority tipping points. Brookings - Quality. Independence. Impact. [Graphic] Retrieved October 12, 2013, from http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2012/12/13-census-race-projections-frey Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., and Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC horizon report: 2013 k-12 edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-report-k12.pdf

Kendall, M. (2005). Lifelong learning really matters for elementary education in the 21st century. Education Information Technologies, 10(3), 289-296. doi:10.1007/s10639-005-3011x

References

Leachman, M. & Mai, C. (2013). Most States Funding Schools Less Than Before the Recession. Retrieved from: http://www.cbpp.org/files/9-12-13sfp.pdf Mietzner, D., & Reger, G. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of scenario approaches for strategic foresight. Int. J. Technology Intelligence and Planning, 1(2), 220239. http://www.lampsacus.com/documents/stragegicforesight.pdf Ringsted, Mette. (1998). Open learning in primary and secondary schools-towards the school of tomorrow in the information society. Educational Media International, 35(4), 278. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/85663

Sagi, J. (2007). Lessons from management: using strategic planning concepts to develop a universal futuring model. Futures Research Quarterly, 23(3), 39-45. ISSN: 8755-3317

References

World Future Society. (2013). Dictionary. Retrieved from: http://www.wfs.org/dictionary Yates, J.R. (2008) Demographic imperatives for educational reform for culturally and linguistically diverse students. [Article] Multiples Voices for Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners, 11(1), 4-12. ISSN: 1547-1888