Barriers+Discussion

=Barriers to Implementing 21st Century Teaching and Learning=
 * 1) Divided in divisions - difficult to communicate across divisions
 * 2) Tradition - how subjects have been taught 'forever' - content is most important aspect (esp. in math) of the learning process
 * 3) Lack of experience - nobody feels as if they are an expert - not sure how/why to invest 'time' in learning new skills/strategies/tools/ approaches
 * 4) "Looks good on paper" (uncertainty in delivery) or "one more new thing to add"
 * 5) Time
 * 6) Committed to 'other' things first (curriculum mapping, etc)
 * 7) "Culture that values answers not asking questions"
 * 8) Driven to validate our own expertiese instead of learn to question
 * 9) "We are the 'winners' of the system that we're also trying to change"
 * 10) "We are tryin to change he water we swim in" (while swimming in it)
 * 11) We're already achieving the things we claim that we're meant to achieve; why change?
 * 12) Internal vs. external measurable success
 * 13) Must cover specific content (AP, labs, etc); how to do you add elements when barely enough time to do what is needed already?
 * 14) Being driven by AP's
 * 15) Traditional assessment drives the majority of what we do
 * 16) Leadership - messages can run counter to potential to change ("I don't do Facebook!" while trying to lead a 21st C school/program)
 * 17) Scattered - where do you start?
 * 18) Mindset - we don't typically share our practices in general; we can't 'share' our 'expertise' with our colleagues (perception: not good enough or others can't grasp it)
 * 19) Expectations - we want to be good; parental understanding (based on their own experiences in 'school' in the past)
 * 20) Greater pressure (at younger grades more and more) to hit expectations, therefore sacrificing innovative opportunities
 * 21) We believe that what 'we do' is 'proven' - no 'proven' alternative; an unknown experience if we take the risk
 * 22) The physical layout - focused on the 'front' (hence, where the 'expert' is); knowledge is where the 'front' is located
 * 23) Fear + stubbornness - this causes teachers to be reluctant to change
 * 24) Projects are 'in addition to' the curriculum I must get to
 * 25) Not sure how to let students 'own' the process of learning (vs. 'pouring' the information into them)
 * 26) Most teachers entered the field because 'school worked' for them; minority wants to 'rock the boat' and create changes
 * 27) Intellectual (vs. vocational) expectation of what school 'serves'
 * 28) Teaching profession allows folks to just 'be good at their content' to remain 'relevant' (vs. other professions that would not allow it)

Assume that you are convinced .... What barriers or constraints are keeping this from happening in your local context.
- "one of the things... is that things have always been done this why so, why change them now." "Why go there and spend so much time when things work now" - 1. not having time to really think about it or explore possibilities or knowing what ideas. Ask teachers what they wished they could change in their classroom. 2. lack of knowledge on integration -1. teachers will hear the terms or be familiar and think I need to do that but not understand why. 2. Self directed learning, help teachers to become self directed learners. As teachers we have been taught this is how to teach. (products of the system) - The biggest struggle... is you are a master of ... content you have a sense of urgency to deliver the content... if you recognize that there are other things to learn... you are in a dilemma of what do i choose, because it is all too much. something has to go. They don't want to give up content. you can't do it all. lack of will to choose on the part of the teacher. - Time if we are going to be a self directed learner when and where are we going to do that. in the class room, how am I going to fit this in? How do I deliver the - Re student centered - fear of losing power, shifting the power to the students. - Shifting how you teach, shifting power, shifting control. overall level of comfort. time is hard to come by. - Fear of not being the expert, not knowing how to use the tools. -Time and collaboration, we seem to take on alot of projects simultaneously, ...when doing all, time to find time to explore technology... time is a factor. not making time to talk to people to get ideas. lack of collaboration among teachers. too much negative talk instead of useful. "don't have ade -Time, see kids on a rotating basis., spend lots of time reviewing. felt like she wasted too much time doing the video project. scheduling and time  -Trying to do more open ended projects, it has created individualization for each students. students are used to very specific rubrics. some discomfort with the open-ended nature of the project. as a new teacher and difficulty putting into words what she wanted them to do. the girls and parents want rubric. -Consideration for how things are graded. figuring out how to use this,... could be an opportunity to challenge everyone daily. (parents, structure, culture of school and students)  - Grades and testing make the culture resistant. upper school specifically. easier to test, students know what to expect with traditional methods of teaching. - Barrier is grades. administration wants reproducible grades, students want to make good grades. want to be told what to do to make the grades. Structure of grades is not focused on critical thinking. - Grades and rubrics really get in the way... showing other teacher examples, selling them on the ideas. -There is a gap between the teachers that are not afraid of technology and the teachers that are. Teachers get behind and then shut down. Fear Feedback - rubrics tie kids in, and slows you down Cycle of traditional learning, read read read test read read read read test, read read read project. What if we weren't slaves to the test? if the end product is a test, students use grades to find value within themselves. college prep schools, when colleges start looking at students differently.. if it's not what you make on your SAT. We are losing our ability to think creatively. Finding a balance between knowing and being able to do something with the knowledge.