In replying to a philosophical article response, I came across the question of those reluctant to practice reflective teaching, and refusing to change even in the face of evidence of a better method.
It made me think of two resources I've used in PME 801 that I'm also currently taking. In the article depicted above (and linked below), DuFour describes the traditional teacher position of working in isolation. A teacher's professional practice was kept under a veil. The movement today is towards a collaborative model, but how do we encourage this? Donohoo and Velasco contend that collaboration should be voluntary to promote the best engagement from a sense of ownership, that mandating this would result in resistance. DuFour however argues the opposite. The time for polite encouraging is over, it is a professional and ethical responsibility of teachers to engage in collaboration, ever seeking methods to better themselves for the betterment of their students. Indeed, Donohoo and Velasco cite many sources that state student benefit gains is quadrupled when teachers collaborate, and use evidence from this to adapt their practice. In this regard, DuFour continues his argument, stating that evidence trumps precedent, again following that such change is the moral and ethical duty of the teacher. Of course there will be growing pain as collaboration continues to develop, but that's a different problem, one that will be a happy result as it means collaboration is at least beginning. So I pose the question, should collaboration be considered a voluntary endeavor as Donohoo and Velasco believe, and as is endorse by Learning Forward Ontario, or is it time to take a stronger stand with DuFour and demand change? http://www.jstor.org.proxy.queensu.ca/stable/pdf/27922512.pdf Donahoo, J. and Velasco, M. (2016). The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry: Realizing Change in Schools and Classrooms, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
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AuthorI teach Paramedicine at Cambrian College, in Sudbury, Ontario. I also continue to work as a paramedic, and ride bikes. This is my third semester in the PME program, and I look forward to learning with everyone! Archives
March 2017
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