ec·lec·tic
əˈklektik/
adjective
- 1.deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources."her musical tastes are eclectic"
synonyms: wide-ranging, broad-based, extensive, comprehensive, encyclopedic;More
- 2.PHILOSOPHYof, denoting, or belonging to a class of ancient philosophers who did not belong to or found any recognized school of thought but selected such doctrines as they wished from various schools.
noun
- 1.a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
This is How We do it!
I wrote a post about this word a couple of years ago. I find myself still drawn to the word, and the application of it in education. As a lead learner I believe THE best practice is to take a little bit of everything that works and USE them all in the presentation of materials for our students. There is NO one concept or method that will meet all of our student's needs. Having a large tool box from which to pull our lessons will only benefit the students with a more complete approach. If we look at our assignment summary or grade book and see a repetitive pattern...read chapter, outline chapter, vocabulary from chapter, quiz or test over chapter, and REPEAT; we are most likely not engaging students. If we are still presenting material in a whole group atmosphere, and never allowing for student choice; we are missing some great teachable moments. If we have never worked with a small group of individual student; start small and work into more individualized instruction! Offer multiple means of assessment. Take baby steps; there is NO silver bullet!
Recalculating...
Our standards are no more than a general compass to point us in a general direction, and our curriculum outlines or maps are to give us our routes in getting at our destination. Ultimately the course we choose comes down to independent teachers. I realized this past summer that some people can get off the easiest route, shut off the GPS, and find their own way to a destination that is much more enjoyable, more engaging, and might only add a few miles and minutes to a journey. People who do this will have experiences that others will not, merely for comfort and safety. Some of our best lessons will be when our students, "think," they have gotten us off topic!
Take the road less traveled! We have, for the past fifteen years been controlled by the test, it is time for us to swing the pendulum of change back towards the middle. Formative assessment is important, and data does help us measure growth, but if we are only teaching to the standards, and ultimately the test, our students are missing a great deal of learning that would go far beyond any standard or test.
