Fall 2017 course 2: School Change

Introduction of the School Change course, although it's almost the end of semester!
もう終わりにさしかかってきましたが、秋学期の２つ目のコース、School Changeの紹介です！

（春学期のTCのコース）

こちらはTeachers Collegeのコースで、教授はThomas Hatch。
彼は教育界では有名なLinda Darling-HammondからSchool Changeのコースを引き継いで教えています。

This course is offered at Teachers College, and the professor is Thomas Hatch who succeeded this course from Linda Darling-Hammond.

1. Organization of the course

授業の構成ですが、シラバスによるとこんな感じ。Below is the organization of course, according to the syllabus.

[Part 1 - Key Issues in Educational Change and Improvement]

Week 1 Why change? Why not? - An overview of the course and introduction to key issues in school change

Week 2 What's involved in change? - The nature of change and the complexity of the "change process"

Week 3 How might schools change? - An introduction to using theories of action as a basis for designing and evaluating learning experiences, schools, and other educational programs and organizations

Week 4 How might schools change? (cont.) - Guest speaker and follow-up on key issues raised so far

Week 5 What's changed? What's not? - A brief history of key events and issues in school reform

Week 6 Why don't schools change? - The perils and promise of school reform

[Part 2 - Designs for Learning]

Week 7 How should new schools and learning environments be designed? - Gurst speakers and a discussion of approaches to designing educational experiences and schools

Week 8 Theories of learning - What theories of learning underlie the design of schools and other educational environments? What are the goals? How will they be achieved?

Week 9 Theories of learning - Presentations/discussions of theories of learnin and meetings in design groups

Week 10 Key elements of school/learning design - study groups to explore key elements that need to be addressed in educational designs - culture, community engagement, professional development, and assessment/accountability

Week 11 Peer feedback on learning design

(Week 12: Thanksgiving break)

Week 13 Key elements of school/learning design

Week 14 Guest speaker: Collective Impact Panel

Week 15 Exhibitions - multimedia design exhibitions and discussions

↑を見ると分かるように、学校はなぜ変わる／変わらないのか？という根本的な議論から始まり、
学期の後半ではLearning Designという自分達の理想の学校をデザインするグループプロジェクトに焦点が移っていきます。

2. A focus on the Ground

もう１つのコースCPRLとの違いとしては、CPRLはより政策面から議論をするのに対して、このコースでは現場の目線に立ってどう色々な制度上のconstraintを勘案しながらinnovativeな学習機会を作り出すかということに重きが置かれています。
両方のコースを取ることで学校を変えるといっても多面的なアプローチがあることに気付かされて面白いです。

As presented above, we start with discussions on why schools change/don't change, and in the second half we are divided into groups to deveop Learning Design (essentially an ideal learning environment). The different bet this course and CPRL is that the former focuses on how to create innovative learning experiences for students from the standpoint of schools rather than on systemic policy changes, informing me of two sides of the coin.

また１つ特色なのはこのコースはPass Failでしか取れない（成績にはABC..とつくLetter Gradeと、合否だけをつけるPass Failがあり、通常必修科目は全てLetter Grade）ということ。

教授いわく「これはlearning experienceなので、皆にGradeを気にすることなく学んで欲しい」とのこと。潔いですよね！

Another interesting things is that students can take this course only on a pass-fail basis. The prof mentioned that this is a learning experience and he doesn't wanna students to get crazy about crazy, which I think is very cool!

3. A Unique Lesson Style

また彼の授業スタイルも非常に柔軟で、大抵lectureは30分未満、他はgroup discussion等に費やされます。実はこの教室のテーブルや壁は全てマーカーで文字を書けるようになっています。なので話しながら考えをまとめたり、その後のプレゼンにそのまま使うことが出来るってわけです^^

Also his style of instruction is very inspiring. Most of the time is spent on group and class discussions, accompanied by less than 30 minutes of lecture. Actually you can write with markers on all the walls and tables, which enables us to summarize ideas while talking and make an improvise presentation.

An usual class day

4. Student Background

クラスメートはほとんどが現役教員の方（なので授業は夜7:20～9:00）で、TC外の生徒は私しかいません。なのでpedagogy（教育学）的な話になると全然ついていけないのですが、リラックスした雰囲気で楽しく学んでいます。

Most of the classmates are current teachers (this is a night course, 7:20-9:00pm), and I am the only non-TC student. Sometimes I have difficulty in catching up with pedagogical conversations but am certainly enjoying it!

実は来週が最後のクラスで、私のグループはsustainablityにフォーカスしたカリキュラムを組む学校（学校に農地を隣接させてhands-on experienceが出来るようにします）についてのプレゼンを行います！

Next weeks is our last class, and my group will make a presentation re: a school that is organizaed around an agricutlural land and focuses on sustainability issues.

では今日はこのあたりで。今後は今日これから行く学校訪問について紹介したいと思います！
Let's call it day. Next time I'll recount my school visit today!!

（※本ポストは、2017年12月時点のものをリメイクしたものです。））