in my practice at the same time...those being cultural competency, restorative practices, and new work new culture initiatives. Technology I think has and will play a huge role as these all come together for me.

 

     While I will continue to learn in terms of technology as that is the nature of the beast, I will explore new ways to enhance where I see myself going as an educator and where I see education going. In my honest opinion we are not teaching our students for a world they will live in or really are living in now if we continue to view education in the traditional sense we see in schools today. Working at an alternative high school I know first hand how this is not working for students. While they may be viewed as the students who are the kids that are troubled, ADHD, come from homes that may not be traditional or stable, don’t value education, or get caught up in drugs, and all of that may or may not be true, it is not what brings them, in reality, to us. They come to us for all different reasons but the universal reason is that school doesn’t work for them and they are not alone!

 

     In the day and age where high school is seen as an avenue for getting into college and thus getting a job, we increasingly marginalize and don’t privilege other intelligences and that tests and AP classes don’t fit or work for every student at increasingly higher rates. The skills and mindsets that colleges and employers are looking for are not taught in those classes or are seen on tests. If we look at the graphic below from User Generated Education which identifies essential skills of modern learners we are not teaching students these skills in practical authentic ways in my honest opinion.