Journal on the Foundations and Principles in My Context of Practice
Thursday, July 28th
I received a phone call today from my administrator to announce that I got the Literacy Coach position at our school. I was very excited at first. I applied for this position months ago and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get it. Once I got over the the excitement of my new position, I instantly got nervous. I have taught in lower elementary classroom for 19 years. I knew what my job was, what was expected and how to fill my days. What would this year look like for me? How can I be effective Literacy Coach? Our school focus is using student assessment to guide instruction, how can I help the teachers with this goal? I knew I had to find a professional community that could answer these questions.
I began my search for a professional community on google. I had a clear idea of what type of professional community I wanted to find: a community focussing on coaching literacy.
I found great articles and websites full of information.
http://www.beta.edugains.ca/newsite/literacy2/frameworkforliteracycoaches.html
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/Coaches.pdf
What I couldn’t find was a professional learning community. Then I searched for professional communities for educators. I found many communities. I saw ASCD. I remembered that I was already part of a professional community. I started researching the ASCD communities to see if it was a fit.
Friday, July 29th
I emailed the professor to check if ASCD would be a good fit. There are 2 groups that interest me: Assessment for Learning and Literacy, Language and Literature. I thought they both would fit my new position. Jackie responded, and I was all set to make contact.
ABOUT ASCD
Founded in 1943, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is the global leader in developing and delivering innovative programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner.
The association provides expert and innovative solutions in professional development, capacity building, and educational leadership essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead.
Sunday, July 30th
I joined and contacted two groups.
Literacy,Language,Literature
Group Description:
The ASCD Literacy, Language, and Literature Professional Interest Community serves as a resource for professionals interested and concerned with language arts instruction in all content subjects. PIC members share information, strategies and resources that facilitate the teaching of reading in literature and content areas. The Common Core Standards serves as a benchmark for initiating the skills but does not limit the broad array of topics that can be taught through literacy. Our community recognizes that reading, writing, listening, speaking and visual literacy skills build students’ thinking and ability to effectively ask questions about the learning process and the world that surrounds them.
And
Assessment for Learning
Group Description:
Formerly the Assessment for Learning Network, this group focuses on the development and use of classroom assessments that provide information teachers can use to improve instruction and student learning. Join the group to post comments and questions, and interact with peers.
I spent hours exploring these communities. There is great information in both, that I think will be very useful in my new position.
Monday, July 31
No response yet from my posts. I spent some time exploring blogs in my communities.
Tuesday, August 1
I found an area where members can ask questions. I tried to make a connection there. Hopefully I will get a response soon.
I have also responded to blogs that are of interest. They were posted nearly 1 year ago but hopefully I will get a response.
Wednesday, August 2
No responses yet. I have noticed that most of the blogs that I responded to were months even years old.….. I spent more time exploring blogs in my communities. I found two literacy coaches on the site. I have emailed them in hopes to make a connection.
Professional contributions I hope to make and leadership I hope to provide?
I plan to post my blogs on my learning from this class and my first year in my new position. Because ASCD is one of the largest education associations in the world. It offers me many opportunities for me to connect with educators who share my interests.
“ASCD serves 115,000 educators in more than 128 countries. We are superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, preservice teachers, professors of education, and school board members.
Get involved in one or more ASCD activities or programs that best fit your needs and interests”.
ASCD has a whole section on Educational Leadership. I plan to explore this more.
How the space can contribute to my professional growth?
I think that ASCD can help me deepen my understanding and give me insight/strategies into my new role. I hope to be able to engage in conversations with other coaches and gain their perspectives in their practice. Also, ASCD offers many conferences and events. It also has a huge section for professional learning.
What form of communication is best for this space?
Even though I haven’t been successful yet, I believe that responding through blogs and to communicate through their ASK & SHARE section. ASCD also has Facebook page that is active.
Analysis of the ASCD for clues as to the practice of the site’s participants.
What type of curricular design commonly guides planning, instruction and evaluation?
“In order to meet the diverse needs and circumstances of learning communities, no singular curriculum model, implementation strategy, nor approach to learning will suit all academic settings”(Hubball & Burt, 2004).
ASCD is follows the Individual/Learner Centred conception which comes from the philosophies of Progressivism and Idealism. ASCD fits perfect in the Learner Centred Curriculum Design. Knowledge is seen as “an outgrowth of personal experience” and teaching should be suited to children’s’ developmental level (Ornstein and Hunkins, 1991). Questions foster learning and deep thinking, and mistakes are seen as opportunities to grow and learn. As mentioned in their mission statement, they hope to “support the success of each learner”. ASCD also focus on whole child, “Ensuring that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged”. Many topics are on individual students. "Curriculum outlines should be flexible in nature and enable access to the curriculum for all learners." (http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/).
ASCD also practices the problem-centred curriculum design seems to coincide with both reconstructivism and pragmatism. This educational structure uses real-life problems to address needs in a community, and curriculum extends beyond subject boundaries in order to apply problem-solving procedures (Ornstein, 1991). Many topics are on providing real life problems and inquiry to students. As Shepard (2000) states, this design believes assessment for and as learning. It is an ongoing process – therefore assessment and instruction are not separate. There are many books on this site that support this belief.
References
A. (n.d.). Join ASCD's Community of Educators. Retrieved August 02, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/membership/Community/ASCD-Community.aspx
Hubball, H., & Burt, H. (2004). An Integrated Approach to Developing and Implementing Learning-centred Curricula. International Journal for Academic Development, (9)1, pp. 51-65.
Mitra, S. (2010, July). Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education
Ornstein, A. C. (1990/1991). Philosophy as a basis for curriculum decisions. The High School Journal, 74, 102-109.
Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2013). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues (6thed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Read Chapter 6, pp. 149-173.
Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14. doi:10.3102/0013189X029007004
Summerhill School
http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk
