January 24 (#1)…Teaching Toward Freedom, pt. 1

Ayers: "Teaching, at its best, is an enterprise that helps human beings reach the full measure of their humanity" (p. I). Have you thought of teaching in this manner? React to this claim. How does this way of thinking challenge the ways in which people tend to think about teaching/teachers?

January 24 (#2)…Teaching as a Profession

Do you think of teaching as a profession? If so, what does this mean to you? Does your idea of teaching as a profession relate at all to the first blog prompt (on Ayers)?

January 31...Teaching Toward Freedom, pt. 2

Ayers: "Teaching ignites enduring questions and concerns: Who in the world am I? What does it mean to be human? What is good and fair and just? What kind of world do we live in...? What should we bequeath to the coming generation? What might we reasonably hope for?" (p. 31). Is it easy or difficult to imagine that as a teacher you will (or do) address such questions in your class? Can you think of any experiences from your own schooling or as a professional that either did or glaringly missed a an opportunity to contend with these weighty issues? If not, why do you think you haven't seen an of this in play in schools?

February 7…The Competing Purposes/Aims of Schools

Are there any major purposes of schooling left out by Labaree? What do you make of his conclusion (Is there any hope to push back against the predominant notion of education as a private good?)?

February 14...Brainstorming Potential Projects

Here's the place for sharing ideas about topics for our Inquiry-to-Action Projects. Please feel free to share any and all ideas and know that, at this point, nothing is too outlandish for consideration.

February 28…Rubrics

How do you feel about rubrics. Kohn is clearly in the minority, as rubrics have become a mainstay in schools of education. Will this article change how you use rubrics in your professional practice?

March 14... Inquiry-to-Action Groups (requires posting twice)

Post #1: Share something interesting/disturbing/etc. that your inquiry to this point has uncovered. What are some new questions that have arisen as a result of this discovery?
 
Post #2: Respond/react to a classmates first post.

April 25…Education and Social Change

Do you think that it is the educator’s role to overtly work to make the world a better place?  What are some things that you could/will try to do as an educator to work toward social improvement/justice? Be as specific as possible. (Yes, I know you have a lot to do at the end of the semester, but I think it’s worth taking a few minutes to think about it!)