response paper - trans formative curriculum leadership

8/4/2019 Response Paper - Trans Formative Curriculum Leadership

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Tom Johnson | ict-design.org Transformative Curriculum720026373 EDL630

Brother Tom, PhD

Write a response paper to the text in which you identify three ideas that you like a lot and agree with.State each of the ideas (reference page numbers), and in one to three paragraphs state why youreally like this idea. Indentify three ideas that you do not agree with. Again, state the idea (referencepage numbers), and in one to three paragraphs state why you disagree with this idea; so for eachidea, one to three paragraphs. Then in two paragraphs, present your personal response to this book

helpful, useful, idealistic, etc.

12 font, double-spaced

Agreement:1.

According to Dewey (1938/1963), traditional approaches to education are, by definition,focused on obedience to past authorityHe notes that progressive educators whoreject such passive learning face an enormous challenge: When external control isrejected, the problem becomes that of finding the factors of control that are inherentwithin experience. When external authority is rejected, it does not follow that allauthority should be rejected, but rather that there is need to search for a more effectivesource of authority (p. 21). (p. 4)

This is especially true in the search for potential discourse and direction against status quoEssentially new ideas need to emerge in order to replace the old. In many cases the new ideas maybe that of the student, however, they may and probably are guided by the transformative educator ortheir new theories. As this process progresses and the learner learns how to break free of normativethinking, they take more and more authority unto themselves. They establish and guide theirprocesses though competent, creative realms that may skew more and more away from standardprocedures. This may prove to be complex to a learner who has been taught through and bytraditional means for a long period of time. It may demonstrate to be especially difficult for a learneto give to him or herself autonomous authority in order to realize an authentic expressions or originaabstractions.

2.Transformative leadership must be conceivednot in terms of control, but rather interms of guiding others to higher levels of judgment and self-governance (p.15)

I am continually facing a battle either with management or with other teachers perceptions aboutwhat restrictions should be placed on students using computers, either through social networks,through websites that are blocked, through the use of Youtube and so on. I also debate these ideaswith the use of phones, PDAs and other gadgetry in terms of the education surrounding them. This isversus the notion of control governing their use, misuse or non-use altogether. The argument fromauthorities and teachers alike is the same the book mentions, consequences of free actionare to a

large degree unpredictable (p.16) but with proper guidance and guided levels of freedom, childrenare enabled to make good decisions. This cuts down on a multitude of problems, because we, theleaders and authoritarians, are not creating systems that will require disciplinary measures to beapplied if and when a learner doesnt adhere to the rules of control we are building. We have creatingguidelines to work within, rather than strictures to fight against or work around.

3.Cultivate your own critical awareness by reflecting on the following question: Howmight your own inquiries help to eradicate overt and embedded forms of bias related togender, race, class, sexual orientation, and other significant human differences? (p.54)


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Brother Tom, PhD

While I feel that the curriculum, the benchmarks and objectives need to be met, I agree with Liv in herreflection which mentions her fighting for the underdog. In my own classes, I frame many of thepractices, examples, articles, and especially discussions to argue against societal bias. There are somany injustices still taking place in society today that are considered the norm. I especially see theseideas practiced and reinforced in Asia, where common sense ideals are bigoted. I have a problem

when I hear and read that certain people or establishments are sending messages to society andespecially children hidden behind the term ethics or morals. Therefore, this is a question I pose tomyself when I procure messages to my students both overtly and covertly.

Disagreement:1.

What if U.S. education focused less on standardized tests and more on authenticperformances? Would the quality of education improve? (p. 8)

I dont disagree with this stated question as a whole, but I do argue that there is a need and rationalefor students to learn to take standardized tests. Whether the education system does away with them

completely in a utopian society or not, there is still validity to learning tests taking, practicing skillsagainst one another and eliciting the idea of competition. I have heard many arguments thacooperation will attain a more synergistic result, but I disagree that because I have seen thatsometimes competition in itself is a driving factor for many students. I would argue, if possible, to addan Intelligence to Gardners MIs and that would be one of Competition. The standardized test is theepitome of this, in regards to education.

2.To be truly artistic, a work must also be esthetic that is framed for enjoyed receptiveperception. (p. 44)

This argument can be summed up with the phrase, Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder. I contendthat through transformative education we are fighting tooth-and-nail against this rationale. For what isbeauty? Who is defining this? Will it not change?

If we lend beauty to the metaphor of a classroom, then wouldnt an authoritative, silent, extremelyordered classroom be the end goal towards artistry by the conservative, mainstream leader? Theesthetic would be present. However, everything the book defined as progressive would not.

I argue this is the same for the artistic product. Why should it be framed for enjoyed receptiveperception? For example, I point to Jubal Browns responses of vomit in primary colors against statusquo esthetic pieces of artwork. He puked in Red, Blue, and Yellow on different art pieces in

established and well-regarded art galleries. His retort was neither enjoyed by most, nor was iconsidered esthetic. However, I contend his process and thought to be one of the mosttransformative and artistic of contemporary artists today.

3.The following precept illustrates the type of ethical code that transformative collegialleaders strive to collaboratively establish with their colleagues: (p. 62) I will makesure all people are treated equitably in all possible senses of that term. I will supportthe active cultivation of all constructive human talents, and I will not play favorites withany individual or group. (p. 63)


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Brother Tom, PhD

I would argue that this precept is an oxymoron of terms. In order to be equitable to all partiesinvolved one sometimes has to treat someone as a favorite over another. For example, the abjectperson or group might need a person in a leadership role or with those capabilities to help heightentheir status, their introspectiveness, and their feeling of self-worth. In order to do this, the leademight plausibly play favorites to the underdog in an unequal, but equitable role. This may take place

within structures of curriculum development, hiring practices, teaching practices and even group androle formation.

Personal Response:

I originally found the book hard to get into, but that was probably for two reasons: 1. It seemed dry atthe beginning, giving explanations and empirical arguments and justifications about itself. 2. I wasvery tired. So, after setting some time aside and getting plenty of rest I drudged on. After doing so, found the book quite interesting with its personal stories and intentionally argumentative style.

It reinforced many of my own thoughts and practices about fighting against an established system for

a better whole. However, it also reiterated to me the struggle I face, especially in Asia, where thefundamental ideals and status quo are based upon submission to authority. It articulated thedifferences between teaching in Canada, which I would argue to be more transformative versusteaching in Thailand, which is much more traditional or mainstream in style.

The book made clear to me that many of the practices I was doing or yearning to do already weresteps in the right direction. For this reason, I found it hard to argue against many points the author osub-authors were making. In fact, most times if I felt I had a valid argument I would read on a couplemore sentences or paragraphs and the issue would be confronted with the case I was going to make.

In total, I find this to book to be one that I have earmarked and highlighted quite a lot. It is one that

can see coming back to for many macro structural and specific needs. Although it toted itself as nothaving a lot of cognitive strategies to follow for the right answers, as a whole I would generally argueit is the right answer and the steps, questions, rationales and stories and be applied to thetransformative educator who wants to create those cognitive strategies for his or herself.

response paper - trans formative curriculum leadership

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