Becoming a Well-Rounded Educator: Synthesis Essay
I have been looking forward to continuing my education ever since I completed my undergraduate degree in science and mathematics ten years ago. You can see my passion for science, in particular work experience and even this website. Yet, as my “Showcase of Work” page and “Annotated Transcript” page show, for most of my time in the Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program at Michigan State University, I took courses in subjects and topics outside of the science realm. This was intentional. I realized that in order to become a well-rounded educator that I would have to learn and take courses outside of my interests and comfort zone. I took many technology-based, pedagogy-based and literacy-focused courses, knowing that these were where I needed to gain more knowledge. I stretched and challenged myself in order to ensure that I am not just specialized science teacher, but rather a well-rounded educator. This is vital for all educators, but even more so for myself. Since our family moves often, I need a versatile skill set that I can use to gain experience in any classroom environment. Choosing topics outside of my strengths, although more difficult, allowed me to grow personally and professionally, which I believe fundamentally is the purpose of a master’s degree. In this synthesis essay, I will examine three classes that helped expand my thinking the most. These are concepts and topics that I had not yet thought about in-depth before the MAED program. These classes revolved around the concept of learning, teaching, and motivating students. I found myself questioning: How do you actually learn? What is the purpose of school? Can you actually make a student do their work?
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How do you Actually Learn?
In the course EAD 860: The Concept of the Learning Society, we analyzed what makes up a learning society. One of the ways that we explored this concept was by how individuals learn. Learning can loosely be categorized into the two ways learning occurs- either through formal education or informal education. Is one better than the other? Is one more useful than the other?
First, what exactly is formal education? Formal education refers to learning in schools, colleges, universities and programs, resulting in a degree or accreditation. Formal education can be overgeneralized as serving and focusing on economic needs and learning for occupations. In “Learning In School and Out”, Lauren Resnick states that, “The simplest view of education as a means of improving economic productivity treats schools and classrooms as places in which to prepare students directly for jobs.” This is also echoed in “The Theory and Rhetoric of the Learning Society” by Mark Smith, where he claims that, “The aim is for a market in learning opportunities to be developed to meet the demands of individuals and employers for the updating of skills and competences.” Even further, Daniel Pink, in “School’s Out”, expresses that “Compulsory mass schooling equipped generations of future workers and middle managers with the basic skills and knowledge they needed on the job.” Formal education is tangible and quantifiable.
Next, what is informal education? Informal education refers to learning outside of formal schools, and often includes individual motivation and the basic desire for knowledge. In the text “The Learning Society: Executive Summary” by Cisco Systems what is needed beyond formal education is emphasized by stating that, “Globalization and new patterns of working and living are increasing the demand for specific skills and knowledge. But to be ‘knowledgeable’ will no longer be good enough… [one will] need to have advanced capabilities for critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving.” This is echoed in the chapter “The Right Stuff- Tubas and Test Tubes” by Thomas Friedman. Friedman explores five attributes that lead to “success” in today’s economy. Not one of the five attributes lists a specific degree or school. One of the skill sets Friedman highlights is, “the ability to ‘learn how to learn’- to constantly absorb, and teach yourself, new ways of doing old things or new ways of doing new things.” He also elaborates upon the importance of passion and curiosity. He states that the, “… intelligence quotient- still matters, but… curiosity quotient and passion quotient matter even more… Curious, passionate [individuals] are self-educators and self motivators.” Informal education is intangible and unquantifiable.
What did I learn from this? I, as with many people, am guilty of valuing formal education over informal education. Formal and informal education may be presented separately, and sometimes even pitted against each other, but I think that both are important in order to be a well-rounded individual. As educators, we need to ensure that our students have the opportunity to experience and value both formal and informal learning.
In the course TE 818: Curriculum in its Social Context, we explored what influences the curriculum in our schools and the goals of education. Education is viewed as the key to opening opportunities. But what is the true purpose of education, and what should our curriculum be geared toward? Is it mastering a trade, earning a college degree, or something greater? In “Public Goods, Private Goods: The American Struggle Over Educational Goals”, David Labaree highlights three main goals for schools or education: democratic equality, social efficiency and social mobility. Which is best? Or do we need a combination of these goals?
What is the Purpose of School?
First, the democratic equality goal views education as a public good. Democratic equality “…sees schools as an expression of democratic political ideals and as a mechanism for preparing children to play constructive roles in a democratic society” (Labaree, 1997, p. 43). We see this with focus of teaching about governance at almost every level of education. This starts in early elementary as viewing the classroom as a community, expanding to local, city and state levels, and finally the exploration of the federal government in later grades. Democratic equality teaches students to view their actions and education, not just from an individual standpoint, but also as a part of something “greater”.
Next, the social efficiency goal also views education as a public good. Social efficiency “…argues that our economic well-being depends on our ability to prepare the young to carry out useful economic roles with competence” (Labaree, 1997, p. 42). This goal ensures that schools teach the skills and subjects that students will potentially need in future job positions. This benefits both the individual economically, but also society as a whole. We can currently see this goal in work with the emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum in classrooms.
Third, the social mobility goal views education as a private good. The social mobility goal “… asserts that schools should provide students with the educational credentials they need in order to get ahead in this [socioeconomic] structure” (Labaree, 1997, p. 50). This goal facilitates opportunity and emphasizes individual achievement. Students’ future success is based on schools’ reputation and available resources. This goal can be seen both positively and negatively. It can accentuate the achievement gap, but also facilitates the idea that everyone can achieve through schooling.
What did I learn from this? I believe that while focusing solely on formal education, the purpose of K-12 schooling is to produce well-rounded individuals that can sustain themselves, are able to interact well with other individuals and have an understanding of how the world around them works. Therefore, all three of the education goals, although sometimes seen as conflicting, have a place in the classroom. It is vital to understand how our society and democracy work, and to ensure everyone has the right to education and schools. It is also important to be properly prepared for the workplace. In addition, as individuals, all students have the right to pursue the best possible school and education available to them. We should strive to incorporate as many positive aspects of all three goals into the classroom as possible.
Can You Actually Make A Student Do Their Work?
Can you actually make your student do their work I the classroom? Technically… no. But, there are many strategies that educators can use to help encourage and motivate students to behave in ways that optimize their learning and the classroom environment. In the course CEP 802 Developing Positive Attitudes Toward Learning, I was able to learn many of these helpful strategies. These strategies can be categorized into four approaches: extrinsic, intrinsic, cognitive and motivation to learn.
This Essay as a "Bookmark"
Why try to answer these questions? These questions serve not only as an assessment of my growth and as a review what I learned in the MAED program, but they also function as a “bookmark”. The topics of how we learn, the purpose of school and student motivation will allow be to become a better and well-rounded educator in the future. I want to be able to revisit them once I am in a classroom.
First, the extrinsic approach focuses on externally imposed goals or tasks- in the classroom this is usually a task given to students by the teacher. “Extrinsic goals are typically viewed as objectives that individuals would not pursue if given the choice” (Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 41). An example of this in the classroom is using a rewards system for the desired behavior, such as giving students a reward for reading a certain number of books. This reward could be an object, free time or praise. For educators, “The key to rewarding effectively is to do so in ways that support students’ motivation to lean and do not encourage them to conclude that they engage in activities only to earn rewards” (Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 48).
Second, the intrinsic approach focuses on the natural interest and enjoyment found in tasks or learning. “Intrinsic motivational strategies apply when students already value (or can learn to value) the activity itself” (Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 69). An example of this would be a student that already enjoys reading books, whether the teacher offers a reward or not. For a student that may not be intrinsically motivated to read, the goal is to use extrinsic rewards to stimulate interest and to transition to extrinsic motivation. Teachers can support this by focusing on “self-determination”. Self-determination requires three things: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Wentzel & Brophy, 2014).
Third, the cognitive approach addresses beliefs and expectations. Using the extrinsic strategies and intrinsic approaches are not adequate to aid students to reach their goals in the classroom. “It is not enough to want to do something, think you are supposed to do something, or find activities enjoyable and of value. In addition, students need to believe that they can actually accomplish their goals…” (Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 141). Students need to, “expect to be able to perform the activity successfully if they apply themselves”, and students need to, “value… the opportunity to engage in the processes involved in carrying out the activity” (Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 142). Teachers facilitate this by promoting a “self-expectancy” or “growth mindset” environment in the classroom, and emphasizing task value.
Lastly, students need the motivation to learn. All students need to develop the motivation to learn because deliberate efforts are required to power through when work is no longer fun, interesting and becomes difficult. Developing the motivation to learn also makes learning lasting and meaningful. Students can be motivated to learn even if they are not interested in, or do not enjoy the task or assignment. “They may not get to choose the activity or its content, but they can choose to make the most of the learning opportunities it affords” (Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 218). Teachers can shape classroom activities through the use of modeling, coaching, and scaffolding the motivation to learn.
What did I learn from this? I learned to view motivation as a continuous line- as educators we want one strategy to lead to the next. Extrinsic rewards can lead to intrinsic motivation, which can lead to the motivation to learn. Most impactful I learned that, “Students do not need to enjoy school activities in order to be motivated to learn from them, but they do need to perceive the activates as having value, being meaningful, and worthwhile” (Wentzel & Brophy, 2014, p. 82).
Resources:
Cisco Systems. (2010). The Learning Society: Executive Society. Retrieved from https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/about/citizenship/socio-economic/docs /LearningSociety_WhitePaper.pdf
Friedman, T. (2007) The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New York: Picador.
Labaree, D. (1997). Public Goods, Private Goods: The American Struggle Over Educational Goals. American Educational Research Journal, 34(1), 39-81.
Pink, D. (2001). School’s Out. Retrieved from https://reason.com/2001/10/01/schools-out-2/
Resnick, L. (1987). Learning In School and Out. Educational Researcher, 16(9), 13-20.
Smith, M. (2000). The Theory and Rhetoric to the Learning Society. Retrieved from http://infed.org/mobi/the-theory-and-rhetoric-of-the-learning-society/
Wentzel, K., & Brophy, J. (2014). Motivating Students to Learn. New York and London: Routledge.
