EducationWorld is pleased to present this professional development resource shared by Dr. Jane Bluestein, an expert in relationship-building, positive school climate and effective instruction.
Dr. Bluestein points out that many educator beliefs and behaviors present in today's classrooms actually have roots in the 19th-century Industrial Age, when schools had much in common with factories.
Read Dr. Bluestein's comprehensive side-by-side comparison of Industrial-Age vs. Information-Age approaches as they apply to the classroom, and learn how updated thinking and practices can better prepare students for success in a 21st century world. For example, in the Industrial Age, student Independence was seen as undermining the teacher's role as disciplinarian. In the Information Age, student independence is seen as supporting a cooperative teacher-student relationship that frees the teacher for instruction and guidance.
The handout makes a great conversation-starter for a professional learning community. Educators should consider whether the typical school experience is a positive one for students with “vision and attitude” and other skills desired by the 21st-century (Information Age) workplace. Then teachers and administrstors can brainstorm action steps for changes within their school that would better reflect Information-Age values and priorities.
The handout is excerpted from The Win-Win Classroom (2008) by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Also from Dr. Bluestein:
Is Your School Emotionally Safe?
Accommodating Student Sensory Differences
Tips for Positive Teacher-Parent Interaction
The Art of Setting Boundaries
The Beauty of Losing Control, Part 1
The Beauty of Losing Control, Part 2
Stressful Student Experiences: What Not to Do
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