"A New Culture of Learning"

I think Douglas Thomas in his TED talk, “A New Culture of Learning” hit the nail on the head with so many issues, especially the issue of standardized testing and context. He spoke about the keys to learning are imagination and passion and how standardized testing ruins this. Every teacher in a tested subject can attest to the extreme limitations on class time. There’s not enough time to thoroughly teach every 8th grade history standard let alone to let students truly pursue their passions and interests in every unit. While I unfortunately cannot take away the high-stakes testing at the end of the year, I do have control over how my students learn the material, which leads me to the point Thomas made about context.

American history has become a hot topic at school board meetings across the nation, and a lot of it has to do with parents wanting to control exactly how history is taught. What parents and the nation needs to be reminded of is exactly this issue of context. Teachers are providing a historical context to events, and students need to be taught how to think critically and balance what they are taught at home with what they are learning at school. I love being reminded that I am not the sole source of content for students anymore, and that instead I am free to provide historical context to events and issues. With all the resources now available online, I do not have to rely on the biased, singular story that the textbook tells but can present perspectives from people of color, from women, from immigrants, and from anyone else whose story historically hasn’t been told. My job as teacher will be to move away from being the expert in the room to being the guide who helps students make sense of all the different contexts. This move, while intimidating and a bit daunting, is the reason I am in the ADL program.