Panel Discussion Topic #4

Pick one panel discussion you find interesting and discuss how it connects to the Task Force recommendations.

The panel discussion I choose to look at was improving international support for education. The reason I picked this panel discussion is because I feel it closely related to many of the task force recommendations discussed.  At the beginning of the discussion, the Global Monitoring Report was addressed. Mr. Antoninis stated, "A lot of people have focused more on some of the projections we have made for some of the poorest and most vulnerable children who perhaps would not be able to reach the education for our goals well into the century, in the case of lower second education even well into the next century." I believe this statement to be true yet scary.  No matter how often we try and predict the outcome, it is always just that, a prediction.  Teaching is like the weather, very unpredictable.  Now, school systems are trying to be on the "same playing field" as other schools. But each playing field and its given conditions are different depending on where they are located.  What do we lose when we require everyone to test the same and learn the same information?  Do we lose anything?  I believe we lose the essence of how students learn. As Heidi Hayes Jacobs stated in our discussion, "the question should be what is the experience we want our students to have."  Below are four task force recommendations and how I feel the discussion connected to them:

Recommendation 1: A Global Paradigm Shift 

The task force recommendation discusses the shift from globally opening the door to access plus learning. The discussion panel addressed this recommendation numerous times.  In one statement the panel discussed, "of course, as we know, that is the lion’s share and it will grow, and I think for an organization like Save the Children our view is increasingly our role is going to be targeting our advocacy at the country level to empower our partners to advocate to their own governments for the better spending of their taxpayer’s money on education and other basic services".  The word empower stuck out at me.  How can we empower our teachers and also our students.  The global paradigm shift suggests just that.  Learning on a deeper level is an idea many teachers are pushed to pursue.  Yesterday, my school had a faculty meeting regarding the "flipped classroom."  The man who invented the flipped classroom spoke.  In his closing statements he said, "if any teacher can be replaced by YouTube, they should be."  At first I was taken back by that statement.  But looking at the statement more clearly, I realized his meaning behind what he said.  The speaker challenged us as teachers to be irreplaceable.  Everything we teach is on YouTube.  Knowing and understanding is a basic concept students can do at home. It is the applying, creating and empowering students that makes us as teachers irreplaceable.

Recommendation 2: Learning Competencies

The task force recommendation, learning competencies, talk about the various levels of learning and the connections made based on a variety of set standards. This task force connects with the panel through various discussions.  The panel stated, "I do think that we need to help our countries work on the efficiency piece in addition to how much money’s being deployed".  As stated in a previous response, my school has been given devices for both the teachers and students as well as an updated technology system.  Does this help our students be on the same playing field as some other affluent schools?  What does learning competencies look like then at our school?  I believe learning competencies are different depending on the schools make up.  The only way schools can be on the same learning competency from district to district is start with the demographics and address the necessary need of learning.  For example, it is my experience in my school, that the main goal is connecting with the students.  Once there is a trust, learning can be endless.  If the trust is not there, the students will be resilient to learning from the teacher.

Recommendation 5: Equity

This recommendations discusses the equity between our students and the globally connected world as well as connecting our students to the world on an equal level. The panel stated, "So, I think we’re at a tipping point now, and the replenishment would be fantastic if we came out of that replenishment with real mutual accountability on both sides of the table, this is the money we’re committing, this is how we’re going to report on it, and this is how we’re going to make sure it reaches the poorest and the most marginalized children in this country."  I believe many schools do have funds to provide students with adequate education. I also believe not all schools provide those resources equally and nessecary to the programs in need. For example, my schools has made many budget cuts. Programs that once flourished are now gone; however, each teacher has a smart board and each student has a Samsung Galaxy. Does this provide our students with an equal opportunity as other schools? I am not sure I have that answer. Every school is different and therefore needs to be looked for their needs and not what every other school is getting. By losing teachers and classes the students miss out on smaller classes as well they now have a less variety to choose from.  At the beginning of the school year a speaker stood in front of our staff and discussed discipline in our schools. Once statement stuck with me. The speaker said, "treat every child fair but do not treat them equal." Powerful statement that to this day, still makes me think.

Recommendation 7: Taking Action

The last recommendation I would like to discuss is task force seven, taking action. In my opinion, this task force recommendation is the most important. The recommendation discusses applying all the recommendations to become a globally competent school. The panel addresses all of the task force but the most important one they discuss is applying the information in schools. Discussing the issue is one thing, acting on it is another.  The panel says, "a lot of time and effort wasted in reporting. When governments have to do a multiple of reports to all of their donors every year, they’re taking effort away from what they ought to be doing sort of as their day job, which is promoting better education". Many times schools focus on implementing initiative after initiative. Before we know it we have many different initiatives, but none are applied to the full capacity.  The panel touched upon some important questions we need such as, "does the child feel safe? Is the child learning to learn? Is the teacher focusing on the child? Is the teacher punishing the child?" Those are the driving force behind what education should be. I believe we can meet these goals and objectives as long as we continue to ask, are MY students led to learn.