Social discussion of CS in K-12

["Reese, George Clifford" <reese AT illinois.edu>]

Just now catching up on some of these conversations, and I look forward to pursuing them more tonight at 6:30 at the Blind Pig.

 

Personally, I think the worry of 50 years is something of a trap. It’s good to plan, to prepare, to ponder, but we can get caught in the snare of preparation and not actually address what’s in front of us. Our group has very particular concerns with classrooms, students, teachers, and curriculum. Those concerns are present now and even urgent. The joys, successes, and collegiality are coming from watching those being addressed in the here and now.  Martin mentioned Experience and Education. Here is one of my favorite quotes from that book. Chip Bruce would recite it from memory.

"We always live at the time we live and not at some other time, and only by extracting at each present time the full meaning of each present experience are we prepared for doing the same thing in the future. This is the only preparation which in the long run amounts to anything.”

Dewey, J. (1938/1963). Experience and education. New York, NY: Collier Books. (p. 49)

 

-George

 

From: ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu [mailto:ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu] On Behalf Of Todd Lash
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2015 7:30 PM
To: Smith, Kathleen Rapp; Charles Schultz; Wolske, Martin B
Cc: ctrl-shift AT lists.mste.illinois.edu
Subject: Re: [Ctrl-Shift] What will education look like in 50 years?

 

As a Central alumni and semi-serious class officer. I would be glad to give my input as well. Once you know the whole story, you may discount it, but hear me out :) I was young!!!! I'm totally different now....I swear!
Todd

Sent using OWA for iPhone

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From: ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu <ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu> on behalf of Smith, Kathleen Rapp <smithka AT illinois.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 9, 2015 2:46:59 PM
To: Charles Schultz; Wolske, Martin B
Cc: ctrl-shift AT lists.mste.illinois.edu
Subject: Re: [Ctrl-Shift] What will education look like in 50 years?

 

Some thoughts.  I taught at Central for 15 years.  Regardless of what you might hear, there is "family" in the school.  There is a past (good, bad and ugly) and always a future.  I have spoken to some of my students from those past days ('91 to '06) and they are very saddened to think that the school will leave "old Champaign".  It does not really matter where it goes, they will just feel the loss.  That area belonged to no one.  Walk six blocks in any direction and you would see the diversity that is Champaign.   I don't doubt we need a new facility, but do we need to lose the spirit to get it?   I loved my time at Central, and the students were the best part. 

I agree that if the students do not see how their education will better their family and the community, then they are less engaged.  I know several students who are now in their late 20's who would probably be happy to come to the Pig and talk about their feelings.  Not so much about where the "new" Central should be, but how the culture of the old Central should be restored.    Kathleen

 

Mathematics is the Language of the Universe.

Kathleen R. Smith
University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign
Department of Mathematics, Retired
217 687-2889

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From: ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu [ctrl-shift-bounces AT lists.mste.illinois.edu] on behalf of Charles Schultz [sacrophyte AT gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2015 2:18 PM
To: Wolske, Martin B
Cc: ctrl-shift AT lists.mste.illinois.edu
Subject: Re: [Ctrl-Shift] What will education look like in 50 years?

Awesome, I love this! Thanks for such a thorough response. 

 

Now how do we get community leaders to read and understand what you have written? :)

 

On Mon, Feb 9, 2015 at 2:07 PM, Martin Wolske <mwolske AT illinois.edu> wrote:

We were talking at our digital literacy for all learners team meeting today about recent conversations with teens at one site in which they were expressing their dislike of school in general and some of their white teachers in specific. This brought to mind the introduction to bell hooks' Teaching to Transgress (attached) and also John Dewey's Experience and Education. Both highlight, each in their own way, that education that insights passion is one that centers what is learned in the issues and opportunities of the community. hooks in particular brings the point home for me as she relates the passion she had for learning in the segregated, woefully under-resourced school that made it clear she was learning to make a difference for her community, and how she lost that passion as she moved to the integrated school that emphasized the individual superstar -- which by the way as a person of color she would never be. Dewey's community school movement understood this need to make education relevant to the community context and issues as well. Ultimately, let's fight for well resourced, modern schools by all means. But the cool *things* won't mean squat unless we also get the community aspect right. From day one what attracted me to Kenwood was their founding on principles that situated technology and literacy as something done for the community. Their Collaborative Discussion framework is but one significant way they operationalize this core principle. As another example, George has been highlighting the participatory democracy framework used by Mission Hill. Ultimately, these take the historic strengths of the community schools approach and marry them to 21st century contexts.

-- Martin

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Mozilla Thunderbird makes it easy to share large files over email.

 

On 2/9/15 1:01 PM, Charles Schultz wrote:

Good afternoon, Shifters!

 

I am having a conversation with a friend about the location of the high school that is dominating local education news, and we are both saddened that more important issues are not in that conversation (Kerris, sound familiar?).

 

What will education look like in 50 years? Heck, what about 100 years? While the draft versions of the new high school have "modern" elements that include open work/collaboration areas, does the overall design take into account how the very fabric of education is changing? Will it support EdChats and EdCamps? Distance learning? The funny thing (to me) is that you can do EdCamps and distance learning in any building, new or old. Right?

 

True, nobody can accurately predict the future ("cloudy the future is, always changing"). But the current trends can at least give us an idea of where it is headed. So what do the current trends say? Is a $94 million high school a wise investment of our future?

 

PS - there are no wrong answers, I am truly inquiring. :)

 

--

Charles Schultz

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Martin Wolske, Senior Research Scientist and Adjunct Faculty

Graduate School of Library & Information Science

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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--

Charles Schultz