I had never heard of this team learning prior to the class presentation and various articles which I read, as well as the powerpoints. From all that I have gathered, I can't see why this approach/tecnique should draw any opposition. It seems that the team learning approach is a win-win situation. School systems/districts would benefit in that they would be retaining good/veteran teachers while encouraging new teachers to join the team and most importantly...STAY! As pointed out in the article Learning Teams:Creating What's Next,"the U.S. will lose 1/3 of its veteran teachers during the next 4 years and more than 1/2 in less than a decade. At the other end of the spectrum, beginning teachers are being driven away by antiquated preparation practices, outdated staffing policies & inadequate career rewards."
It would seem to be by utilizing this team approach new teachers would be working with veteran teachers, student teachers working with actual in class teachers as well as interacting and being involved with students in the classrooms, and allowing new teachers to be creative. When I was in nursing school, we had to perform clinical rotations in the various settings or topics that we were currently studying. For example, when we studied the area of adult/pediatric intensive care we had to work in that hospital setting with actual patient assignments and take on the duties/resonsibilities as the nurse for that patient for that 8 hour shift and did that for that whole term. That applied in the areas of psychiatry (inpatient, outpatient, child, teen or adult), we were in labor and delivery areas, emergency rooms, and even home health care. This is all to say that as we studied an area we also had a hands on experience in order to give us exposure and make us aware of the different areas and what that area/field may involve.
This learning team approach I believe equates to teacher preparedeness. Also pointed out in the article Learning Teams..."retention results in improved student learning." Teachers feel supported and not overwhelmed or bogged down. Teachers would be more apt to be happy or at least content in their careers and as further pointed out in the Bank School College of Education video,as stated by Jon Snyder. "research has shown if you have a really talented teacher, a really expertly prepared and supported teacher the kids do better." Isn't the bottom line the education of our children ? In turn the preparation of the future? In order to make them GLOBALLY prepared? To me, the question of funding, teacher preparedeness/development should all lead to the end result of adequate, if not superior, education. Once again, as pointed out in Learning Teams "it is time to build a 21st century educatin system." This would have to start from having those funds available to train teachers and support continuing ed programs in order to stay abreast of new techniques and updated technology therefore leading to innovative and creative teaching approaches thereby encouraging students and hopefully resulting in increased testing scores.
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Celeste, What a great blog! I agree that team teaching and learning teams would be beneficial not only to both veteran and new teachers, but to the students as well. I loved how you equated your nursing school experience and clinical work to the teaching profession. The experience you gained by actually applying your current studies in the field was crucial to your training and learning experience. Guess you could say this was hands-on learning. In the article, “Learning Teams: Creating What's Next”, the teaching profession of the 21st century is no longer a job where you learn to prepare for the career, but learning is the job and career. In this same article, Tom Carroll, president of NCTAF (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future), calls for replacing the solo teacher with teams that consist of new teachers, veterans, interns, media specialists, community members and other professionals with specific subject expertise. “We think our effort to go to scale with encore careers in education is stymied by the current stand-alone teaching model that requires every educator in the classroom to be certified,” he said. “We want to deliver education with teams of certified teachers and adjunct members who have knowledge and experience in the areas of learning that the teachers and students are working on.” Celeste, you applied your current nursing school learning in the field with help from other professionals in the field of medicine. This idea of learning teams in the field of education could only benefit teachers and students much like the nursing model you presented.
ReplyDeleteIt just amazes me that we,as a country, are trying to stay abreast of global issues and new technological impacts, when once upon a time the U.S. was the model for all standards, expectations, and outcomes. We have now fallen so far behind academically and financially,not to mention socially,that it's frightening! What we need to ponder about is what changes can be made today through available teaching, funding and,other resources that are available in order, to maximize our ever persuing efforts of staying ahead as a top leading and advancing nation ?
ReplyDeleteCeleste I agree, our country has fallen behind and I think our competative has slowly slipped into a coma. However, I do think that we can regain our educational independence through the rebirth of the new education reform. We need to have proper use and distribution of monies and keep the priorities clear...educating kids at any cost. How do some "big wigs" sleep comfortably at night knowing the back handed tricks and loopholes used to get an extra bonus, cheated a class of 4th graders somewhere who are reading on a first grade level? Oh, its called lack of conscience and compassion for education. Anyway, I think teaching teams would be a wonderful asset to those on all teaching levels. It opens the door for collaboration and problem solving as a group which can lead to etter outcomes
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