Thanks, Joanna! I’m looking forward to weaving this into our final project!

Love the PB&J sandwich video too! (Now I’m hungry)

I agree with this comment, ” In today’s busy times, teachers want a resource they can read, understand and then bring into their classroom with minimal effort and barriers. ” How can you ensure that your project does address this need?

I’m also wondering if you have a particular program in mind to create a pac man game?

Something to think about. Also, what if the layout includes learners who cannot stay in the classroom and need quiet space away from class or need to stay home, but need to remain informed and involved in ways that are not physical?

We actually had one of our junior high teachers work with a flexible seating arrangement for his students for the last two years. He has had some positive and some negative experiences with it. He will keep his flexible seating, however, which speaks to the positive outweighing the negatives.

I know I never put a lot of thought into my class layout and design, and more allowed the students to develop their own space and layout….with the confines of rectangular desks and chairs. If I make it back into a classroom, I will pay a lot more attention to class layout.

Thanks for sharing your interesting points and resources!

I find the “I need a cell phone to be in contact with my parents” argument to be an interesting one, and I’m curious who is more the cause of that- the parent, or the child. You don’t NEED a cell phone to be able to contact your child at school. Parents simply called the school for years! Have we forgotten that’s an option?

P.S. Love the audio clips. You’d make a great podcaster 🙂

They are willing to sacrifice their job stability and have a lower wage because they are committed to the work that High Tech High is aiming to accomplish. The teachers see themselves as part of the greater good, rather than how they are being treated individually. As a reader/watcher, I can admit to myself that I would not be comfortable with this uncertainty – but does this mean that I am not as dedicated a teacher? The research does acknowledge this feeling of uncertainty these teachers feel, but its main objective of creating a project-based-learning and needs based school justifies this feeling of professional insecurity.

…did not sit with me. What’s interesting is that my aversion to the last sentence (which is what was bothering me, really) has nothing to do with any part of my education training.
My first degree, in sociology, explored social justice and social health / quality of life of the individual. Since becoming a teacher, I have become involved with my local union quite heavily, both as a staff rep for my own school and as a member of my union’s contract committee. If I am to put my “union hat” on, no push for a style learning justifies the insecurity of a trained, motivated, quality, and performing teacher, ever. If an individual performs above the bar, that should be recognized, appreciated, and rewarded by any employer. Otherwise, we lose our best teachers and do not recognize merit.

It is interesting that when I take said “hat” off, I then flip my stance and agree with the aforementioned statement. What are we, as educators, really motivated by, and what are we wiling to do in order for our learners to have the best possible methods presented to them? Should not the the best possible education model be my number one goal?

Second, when Hayley wrote how “People are more interested in watching a class build a robot battle arena then watch them master complex algebraic equations – but which group is learning more? Is the flashier learning more valuable than the intrinsic problem solving?”, I was nodding my head in agreement.
At the same time, I was covering my gaping jaw with my hand and held my eyes wide while thinking “am I that guy that’s simply flashy?”
Motivating students to learn is difficult. The satisfaction that comes with the smiles, excitement, and questions students bring when they are excited about a lesson, topic, or unit is the high educators seek. A teacher feels effective, proud, validated.
Personally, I do not ask myself often if the excitement I feel in a lesson is appropriate. Sure, students are excited with the flashy content I’m bringing…but are they learning?
Thank you, Hayley, for posing this transformative question at the beginning of summer holidays where I have two months of no class and therefore am unable to test it.

I appreciate this post because it does raise the point that teachers at High Tech High get to follow their interests and have greater autonomy. I feel very lucky in my own practice that the new curriculum in B.C. allows us as teachers to have greater autonomy in our classrooms and allows us to use our passions to spark interests in students. This allows for a unique experience for our students to become a part of a creative learning culture, and demonstrates that following your passions can lead to lifelong learning.