World War II Observation Tower, South Bethany Beach, Delaware.

View from a low vantage point

Educational Design
World War II Observation Tower, South Bethany Beach, Delaware.
View from a low vantage point
Among the various interesting conversations in our last forum, a question came up related to the need for timely and effective professional development to support differentiated instruction. The participant asks,
“How do you change the culture of the school to embrace a technique that is known to have excellent results without overburdening teachers that are already stretched to the the limit?”
Another participant responds to the question: “So many times teachers are provided professional developments and expected to implement them immediately after 6 hours of instruction – as well as continue to teach everything you already had on your overflowing plate.”
Changing the culture of a school or group requires a “systems thinking” and change theory viewpoint. In our series we examine the research of Donald Ely and Everett Rogers for markers of successful innovations in schools.
Another question surfaces: How can we as professionals make informed decisions to successfully plan and implement effective professional development (PD)?
We have learned that K-12 professional development should be treated as a “process” and not a “product.” Spirrison (2017) asserts, “In this environment, continual and perpetual education is essential.” We hear the latest buzz words in professional development: “Continuous Learning Platforms.” Check out Spirrison’s recent brief article, “Five Reasons Continuous Learning Platforms are the Future of PD” (Participate.com).
Sources Ely & Rogers on Change Theory
Ely (1990) Conditions of Change: https://sites.google.com/site/elysconditionsofchange/history
Rogers, E.(2001) Diffusion of Innovations: https://www.enablingchange.com.au/Summary_Diffusion_Theory.pdf
A Formal assessment, pertaining to an exceptional population, may be commonly thought as an IQ test. Depending how we view IQ tests, these tests can help predict how a student will cognitively perform in school. For example, in order to be considered academically gifted, a score of 130 is required on Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). Students having a score of 130 or more on the WISC generally have a high level of academic success. Conversely, children receiving a score below, 80 for example may learn at a slower rate and may not be able to master higher level concepts. Of course there are many factors that influence academic success.
The other types of frequently used tests in schools are achievement tests. Simply put, achievement tests give us information on how a student is achieving in the classroom compared other students in a number of measurable skills areas. We may compare by age, grade, or aptitude. For example, if a fifth grade student with an IQ of 130 has scored on a third grade level, there may be other factors that could interfere with his/her ability to learn. What are those factors?
“Current teachers are able to get a deeper and more granular understanding of who the individual is as well as the “hard” and “soft” skills and dispositions he has demonstrated.” (Fontichiaro and Elkordy, 2015*)
We can look to educational psychology to explore additional factors that could possibly impact learning. Heckman & Kautz’s Hard Evidence of Soft Skills (University of Chicago, 2012) delve into “the important skills that achievement tests miss or mismeasure” (p.2). The authors assert, “Achievement tests do not adequately capture, soft skills— personality traits, goals, motivations, and preferences that are valued in school, and in many other domains. Children who are more academically motivated and more curious learn more and have higher test scores” (p. 2). In addition, Heckman and Kautz believe that, “Personality traits foster the development of cognition but not vice versa” (p. 37).
Let’s briefly summarizes these factors:
Achievement tests miss Soft Skills that are valued in work and life:
Soft Skills:
In summary, the soft skills of conscientiousness, perseverance (persevering on tasks), sociability (extraversion, cooperation), and curiosity (openness to experience, imagination) are indicators found in student personality traits, goals, motivations, and preferences. It is valuable for us as IT professionals/educational technologists to be aware of the potential impact of soft skills on student achievement and on choosing ed tech/assistive technology (AT) in formal and informal assessment. For example, the use of digital badges in K-12 and higher ed has the ability to “formalize” student soft skills: ISTE asserts,
“Digital badges have the potential to be the effective and flexible tools teachers have long sought to guide, recognize, assess and spur learning. And they can recognize the soft skills [my emphasis] not captured by standardized tests, such as critical or innovative thinking, teamwork or effective communication” (p.2).
A storm approaches the neighborhood in the early evening. The white spots are raindrops on the camera lens. The out-of-place lighter values of the tree in the right foreground edge of the photograph and the small tree in the lower left mid-ground is created by the effect of the limited “throw” of the flash in the landscape.
Freezing rain and light snowfall creates a glaze on the snow in the yard resulting in the reflection of the tree trunk of the trimmed tree in the lower right-of-center mid-ground.
The repeating shapes of the towering trees dominate the center of the composition reinforcing the vertical motif of the photograph.
Center of Interest
The implied lines of the surrounding landscape, other houses and street/sidewalk shapes tend to converge in a general one-point perspective at the center of the photograph at the house. The contrast between the warm colors of the house reflecting the morning sun and the surrounding cooler colors add to the area of emphasis.