An Experience in Educational Blogging

In the most general of terms, blogging is a way to share information and discuss topics online. In education, blogs can be useful for both students and educators. For students, educational blogging can be a way for them to go beyond just learning topics by engaging in discussion about these topics and having the opportunity to creatively express their own perspectives and experiences on the various topics that they are learning. For educators, it can be both a classroom tool and a place to express their own ideas as well. Teachers can use blogs to communicate events and information about their course and post it for parents and students to view. Educators can also use blogs to discuss and engage in conversations about educational topics that they feel passionate about. Blogs being utilized in educational settings can be effective communication and conversation tools.

I had the opportunity to read a few educational blog posts. The first one that I read was written by Saylor Johnson, and it was called "Classroom Management." I have obviously had some experience with the topic myself, but I really wanted to hear it from someone else's perspective. She discussed how classroom management was used in her field placement and how classroom management can go beyond rules and procedures and can create a welcoming environment for students, which I completely agree with. The second blog post that I read was written by Arriane Love, and it was called "Restorative Justice in the Classroom." I had heard a little about Restorative Justice before, but I learned a lot more from her about the process and how it is an alternative to traditional school discipline where meetings are held with the offending students, those they harmed, and sometimes community members. Also, how it gives those that were harmed a chance to explain to everyone else at the meeting how they were affected by the offending student's actions. I went on to learn from her that it holds the offending students accountable for their actions, but also serves as a safe space and a learning opportunity. It was also great to hear Arriane discuss her opinions on how it compares to traditional discipline policies. The final blog post that I read was from Andrea Byrd, and it was called "Music Class is for EVERYONE!" In it, she discusses how students with special needs should have equal opportunities to music education. I really loved how she discussed the benefits for them to have music classes. One of which was that music is a multi-sensory experience. I also really enjoyed learning about her field experience and her opportunity to work with a non-verbal student. I also really liked hearing this topic outside of a math class setting and, in a music and fine arts setting. 

The viewpoint of a person sitting at their desk 
scrolling and clicking through their computer.

Overall, I have really valued my experience in educational blogging. I really enjoyed being able to dive deeper into educational topics that I am interested in and passionate about and being able to share my thoughts on those topics. I am not much of a consistent writer, so if I did use the blogging platform as I have recently in my career as a teacher, I don't know how consistent I would be. I think using it to share information about my future classroom would be something that I would try because I think if I could post a weekly blog about the things happening in my classroom, it would be a very efficient and effective way for students and parents and students to access it. As for my students blogging, I think it would be based on how they feel and their comfort level with it, so I think I would do a trial run. I do think being able to write about math topics would be very beneficial, and I think a blog would be an incredible way for them to do it, so I would allow them to try it out and see how they like it.

Online and Hybrid Learning Versus Traditional In-Person Learning

Learning went through a momentous change at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the closing of schools and social distancing, no or very limited in-person learning was taking place. Though online and blended learning formats existed before the pandemic, the use of these formats became more common as the pandemic required us to become remote in our everyday lives not just in education. There are a variety of learning formats that have been implemented across education. The first is the traditional fully in-person learning format. Courses meet in person for all scheduled class meetings. There is plenty of opportunities for in-person connection and networking, which many learners and professionals find effective. It is also a more preferred option for those who do not have access to technology or do not learn well when it is heavily utilized. The downside is that there is much less flexibility in terms of schedule. A second format is a fully online synchronous format where courses meet online for 100% of their scheduled meetings. There is also the fully online asynchronous format where there are no or limited scheduled meetings where learners complete coursework independently or at their own pace. The fully online formats were popular with online college programs due to their flexibility for students to fit their learning into their busy schedules. This format became even more popular at the start of the pandemic because it allowed learning to take place remotely. Some may find this format less preferable because there is not much opportunity for in-person connection, communication, and networking among students and educators. Another popular format is hybrid learning, which is a blended learning format where part of the learning takes place independently online either synchronously or asynchronously while the rest of the learning time takes place in person. This format is beneficial, and some say more preferable because it offers the attributes of both online and in-person learning. Online and hybrid have both increased access for people to pursue an education, and some even find these options more affordable. It is estimated that 55% of US colleges offer fully online or blended learning courses with a small percentage that continue to offer only in-person learning options. Many students, educators, and institutions have taken the opportunity in the past few years to explore the various learning formats and find out the benefits and drawbacks of each of them.

A young student is sitting in front of a computer
in their home, wearing headphones, using the
computer mouse, and appears to be participating
in online distance learning. 

My experience with in-person vs. online and hybrid learning has been a very valuable experience. The pandemic started at the end of my senior year of high school, so I finished up final assignments and took end-of-course tests and AP tests all online from my home. I do not really count that experience because everyone was just diving in and trying to figure everything out as we went. I was lucky that my high school had already been using LMS programs like Canvas and eLearn, so I was able to efficiently finish up my senior year. Once I came to UTK for my freshman year, I had all online courses that met via Zoom, so it was definitely an interesting experience. For my less rigorous courses, there was not much of a problem, I was able to do well with the online format and get a valuable learning experience. For my more rigorous math courses, I really struggled to get used to learning math more independently in the online format. Going back to the majority of my courses in person has really been valuable because I realized how much an in-person classroom community really helps me stay engaged and focused while learning. I would say that my ideal class schedule in terms of meeting format would be one fully online asynchronous course, one or two hybrid courses, and the rest in-person. I think it provides a nice balance with still forming a community in some courses while still getting experience with working independently and at my own pace. The preference varies from learner to learner, but I think getting experience with all formats is great to find out what works best for you!

Problems with Standardized Testing

At their very base level, Standardized Tests are exams often in multiple-choice, multi-select, or true/false format with a rarity of questions in short answer format. These tests are designed to measure academic achievement. As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, the US has seen a major shift in the emphasis on standardized testing, and the importance of the results that they give. The No Child Left Behind Act introduced four pillars of reform in education. Those were accountability for results, which introduced the requirement for the state and local districts to produce annual report cards to students, parents, and communities to inform them of what the results of standardized testing have shown in schools' progress toward academic achievement, state and local flexibility, which gave state and local districts the freedom to allocate funds to programs that addressed the needs of their schools. proven educational methods, which required the implementation of teaching methods proven effective by scientific research, and parental choice, which provided parents with a choice of moving their children out of schools that have been determined to be low performing. All of these pillars establish required a heavy emphasis on standardized testing to produce results that could be used to determine if the four pillars were being met. Just by that alone, it seems the purpose of mandating these exams is to measure academic achievement in schools to ensure that all students are proficient in their learning, but the problem arises because there is a focus only on these pillars and not the challenges that these standardized tests can bring. One of the biggest problems arises from the fact that a lot of standardized tests are norm-referenced, which computes students' results on how they performed in comparison to their peers. These tests are incredibly biased, especially against students of color, students with whose second language is English, and students with specific learning needs. Another challenge, in general, only allows students to demonstrate academic proficiency in a singular way, which does not take into account students who struggle with taking multiple-choice tests or tests in other large formats and that get very strong test anxiety. It places emphasis on the 4 core academic areas, which leave out students who excel in the arts or other elective areas. Student grades and progress to the next grade level are determined by these tests. On the teacher side of things, it requires them to often "teach towards the test," where they teach students the strategies to do well on the exams rather than teach them the content to do well. They also often need to use vital instruction time to prepare for the tests. They also have their ability as a teacher questioned based on the results of these tests. Although the emphasis on standardized tests was implemented to ensure proficient academic achievement, it has become something that places immense pressure on students and teachers to excel under unrealistic expectations.

Student's Hand filling out a multiple choice
answer sheet for a Standardized Test. 

As a student, I am not an excellent test taker, and throughout my time taking standardized tests, I often performed just well enough to be considered academically proficient whereas my work in class day to day reflected academic achievement significantly above proficient. As a pre-service teacher, the challenges introduced above as well as countless other problems with standardized testing really concern me. Of course, I foresee the pressure of having the results of an exam be used to reflect my effectiveness as a teacher, but even more than that I see the pressure that it puts on students, and how a lot are having their learning progress and success as a student being unfairly evaluated. The more time I spend in the classroom and the more time I study education, my concern grows more and more that students are not being accurately assessed and that their progress and achievement in the classroom are not being highlighted, which, in my opinion, is by far a more accurate representation of academic ability for a lot of students. 

Equity in the Promotion and Hiring of School Leadership

Most people are aware of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act made employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and/or national origin illegal as well as many other legal regulations that ensure equity for the employment of other communities. They are all important components that ensure equity and fairness for the promotion and hiring of school leadership and administration, but they do not cover and define all aspects of equity in the hiring and promotion process. Truly ensuring equity in the Promotion and Hiring of School Leadership encapsulates the entire process, which starts with gaining leadership experience in a current space or position and establishing connections with those who offer mentorship or even establishing relationships with those who offer a spot to apply for the position. This also includes principal preparation programs which research shows are still predominantly white heterosexual male spaces, and have only recently made progress to include a higher percentage of white women, but not significant progress with other communities. It includes all the interview questions and even the final decision made by those hiring in their professional opinion. Most of these do not have regulations that keep them equitable but are more part of the systematic process. The only way to ensure that hiring systems and processes are equitable is to implement change in the entire process as a whole and make sure each step in the process is fair for all.

My own perspective and opinion when it comes to equity in the promotion and hiring of school leadership come from having an interest in seeing all the new hires and changes for local school districts and beyond as well as my own commitment to equity and fairness in my life and in my career as a future educator. Without revealing specifics, there was a situation in my district where a male educator with less than 10 years of experience in the classroom and as an administrator was favored and selected for an administrator position over a highly-respected veteran female educator with over 20 years of experience to the disappointment of students, teachers, and many others involved with the school. It was not a decision that was against legal regulations, but it obviously showed favoritism towards men from the people making that final promotion decision. 

Doors with glass panes that read
 "Office of the Principal". The
inside of the office is visible.

My own experience with having administrators is they have all been white people and predominantly men across the district. None of the students or teachers of color people of other cultures, affiliations, and identities never saw themselves reflected either in the school leadership, and I always saw that as a problem. I personally believe that equity and fairness in the entire process of being hired or promoted to school leadership are of incredible importance. The entire process should be non-discriminatory and not just in the parts that the law says to but in every part of the process. Finally, I will end with why this topic is important to know. In general, equity is important in every space and in every situation, so that alone should encourage everyone to be informed on topics concerning equity. This topic can even be applied to hiring and promotion in other fields as well. If you have any association with the world of education whether you are someone who hires and promotes school leaders, are currently or pursuing the possibility of becoming a school leader, a teacher, a school staff member, a student, or the parent of a student it is important to know that equity and fairness when it comes to who is selected to lead our schools. Assuring those communities see themselves reflected in school and district-wide leadership should always be a commitment by those making hiring and promotion decisions.