The majority of my classroom years have been spent in grade 3. The curriculum did not change a whole lot during this time. However, I found that none of my lessons were taught exactly the same way twice. In light of this week’s documentary, Everything is a Remix (Ferguson, 2011), I have begun to think of the ways in which teachers act as remixing agents themselves.
In order to teach a group of students effectively, a teacher needs to adapt their instruction based on the strengths and needs of their class. “Creativity isn’t magic. It happens by applying ordinary tools of thought to existing materials” (Ferguson, 2011). Each lesson is a remix of previous or other lessons. Granted that copying certain elements does play a role, a teacher is able to transform existing lesson ideas and adjust according to their students (Ferguson, 2011). Accommodations and modifications are key examples of when teachers remix and create lesson plans. For specific groups of students, like special education and English language learners, differentiated instruction enables them to successfully increase their knowledge. For a teacher, it means that they have to be constantly transforming their instruction so that they are able to meet the needs in their classroom.
While this can be a daunting task, “two heads are better than one” and educators can utilize each other in this creative process. By working together, educators are able to share ideas and recreate lessons plans that are engaging, relevant to student prior knowledge, and incorporate the interests in the classroom. Through teamwork, unique ideas and strategies can be shared. This allows educators to transform lesson plans into authentic learning opportunities based on their collective creativity. Furthermore, two teachers may plan a lesson but their execution of the material will vary since they work with two different classes. Therefore, remixing is a necessary part of teaching today’s students. Teaching is not a static process, rather, an ongoing methodology of being creative every single day.
Ferguson, K. (Director). (2011). Everything is a Remix [Motion Picture]. Retrieved: https://vimeo.com/25380454 .