Educational Institutions Need New Blood

In the U.S Virgin Islands we have been plagued with leasing opportunities and a stagnant economy which has in turn caused many of us to ignore topics of great importance for immediate needs that supersede these topics of great importance due to dire need. Well our practices have left us,our children, and our futures in a dark place; the blind eye that we have taken to the deviants of society have left us arrogant and ignorant to a more progressive means of evolving as a society. If we do not take care of such problems now then our ideologies and norms will be lead astray in the future; now is the time to put our futures at the forefront and begin shaping a better future, and what a better place to begin than our educational institutions and educators. Many of our founding fathers ( and mothers) of education spend their entire careers assessing and philosophizing the best practices to utilize for the progression of different children with different needs, and we have only two programs in place within our public education institutions that offer such programs typically to English language learners. Years ago our local government adapted to the common core standards, but our schools have yet to implement them. We need to ‘mobilize the educational movement’ to meet the needs of our students and educational institutions as we do our electoral and violence campaigns for it is just as important if not more so.

The emphasis we have put on standardized testing doesn't help the students,but it makes them timid to know that this test is/can be used to rate their IQ’s. Jean Piaget used standardized testing of reasoning for use with children. His research became the foundation for his method of interviewing; used to study the development of children intellectualism. A method of such sort should be in place within our educational institutions, but they are not, instead we have children being promoted year after year without learning their essentials, as well as children not being promoted at all for ignorance on the part of the educator for not providing engaging/progressive work that would meet that child’s needs. I recognize that within the public school systems it may be hard for educators to this with all students, but with the tenacity and dedication that I've seen educational professionals refer students to alternative programs (just to get them out of their classroom), their should be a program in place that children can be referred to for child centered learning to improve their intellectual standing and eventually prepare them for integration with the rest of the school population once more (as is done within the alternative programs for troubled students). Piaget stated “thus i engaged my subjects in a conversations patterned after psychiatric questioning, with the aim of discovering something about the reasoning process underlying their right but especially wrong answers” (Morrison, 2009). We too need to develop a curriculum which encourages our teachers to utilize such questioning techniques to improve/promote thinking within all areas of education; early learners to intermediate and high school. Many of the actions carried out by adolescents today are the products of false beliefs and norms taught to the young by the ignorant to promote their own norms and beliefs. If we can teach them within the classroom and at home about the different philosophies of life and get them to ask some of the hard questions and answer such questions, many of the outlooks that they've received through ‘distorted lenses’ on the streets can and will change.

Piaget’s theory of learning was based off of cognitive development; it explains how individuals think, perceive, understand, and learn (Morrison, 2009).He viewed intelligence as the process by which children acquired knowledge, not where knowledge is measured by intelligence. Piaget's cognitive theory states through direct experiences with the physical world, children develop intelligence;

• Active learning- children develop knowledge through engaging learning activities (physically and mentally)
• Adaptation- the process of building units of knowledge through interactions with the environment consisting of two processes; assimilation and accommodation
• Assimilation- process of fitting new information into existing knowledge units
• Accommodation - changing/ altering old units of knowledge to update with new information
• Equilibrium - a balance between new and old knowledge, developed through assimilation and accommodation.

While these studies were intended for early childhood learners I don’t see why we can’t implement it throughout our public school systems, Pre-K through 12 grade. Many early childhood programs follow published and recognized curriculum's, in the USVI though we haven’t ,made any such determinations. Most early childhood care takers teach at minimal levels providing children with little opportunity for learning. The program curriculum's that early childhood educators adhere by are out of date and by far not meeting age appropriate standards. A curriculum is a set of objectives that define the knowledge or information that children will be taught; if the curriculum is continued at it’s pace children are the only ones losing. Our curriculum's need to include age appropriate, progressive activities that children can learn from such as health classes, fruits & vegetable awareness, physical fitness, and every classroom or facility should have at least two learning centers for a variety and to keep children engaged within their learning activities. Teaching our children the basics just isn't going to cut it anymore, the world is changing and if we don’t catch up we all will be left behind.

While locally I haven’t heard many ill talking about new common core implementations, I have read quite a bit of controversy via online resources and chat rooms. To the best of my understanding, since I've never taught at elementary or secondary schools,the standards and curriculum provide a process that includes a shared vision of expectations with multiple pathways for attaining them (Strickland, 2012). I don’t understand why so many educators feel that they are being told how to teach now, if in any case they are being told ‘what’ to teach, not ‘how’ and it is for the benefit of the children. While many will not be able to go to Ivy league schools with such standards all children, regardless of class and background, can have the same education levels and opportunities to expand their horizons. Its not about the teachers, but the students.

With the use of underlying factors within Piaget’s stages of development we could adapt his techniques and research to fit our culture and it’s needs.While our government has promised us the use of Common Core Standards it has still yet to be implemented, although it’s being claimed to be ‘progressing’ since it was announced September 30, 2010. Other than Piaget there are many other theories to be considered that fit a wide array of our shortfalls; Vygotsky, Erikson, and Gardner are all influential educators whose lives work were dedicated to many of the problems that we face now; when will we dedicate our lives to the education of the future? We rally and protest for everything except education, but we wonder why our children aren't doing well in schools; we blame teachers, the institutions and even politicians, all of which do have a hand in educational structure, but so do we as the parents and taxpayers. Virgin Islanders we've rallied against eight percent cuts for government workers, drugs, crime, and violence, all topics that are rampant within our society. But it is also time we take a stand for those who cannot stand for themselves due to lack of knowledge; they are unaware that they are behind and will be until we do something to change that. The next time we rally, it should be for our children.

Strickland, D. S. (2012). Planning curriculum to meet the common core state standards. Reading Today, 29(4), 25-26. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/926994517?accountid=32521

Morrison, G.S. (2009). Early Childhood Education Today. Pearson Education, Inc.,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

USVI Educational Practices? Theories?

       As many other institutions that are government based, or educational professionals leading the institutions with the Virgin Islands are doing the minimum to keep their jobs, and the doors open; our children are not the reason for these institutions we are for the intents set forth are not with the children in mind. I've often wondered if our educational leaders have ever read different philosophies/theories with regards to education, and if so which ones do they uphold? For nothing I've ever learned, researched, or read has ever leaded me to believe that the minimum efforts being set for education within our territory is actually being productive on a larger scale. Common core standards were made with territories like us in mind, to ensure all students are being taught on the same scales to ensure progression in all learning environments. I can say personally that our educational leaders here aren't doing their best, if trying at all for many freshman students are having the same problems adjusting as I once had and determination is necessary to succeed. Educational practices around the world are derived from educators who spent their lives work on education and focusing on different ways to ensure success for students, since we all do learn differently. Locally we do offer some private institutions which pride themselves on following these leaders, as does Montessori School, whose curriculum is based on the Montessori Method, a system of early childhood education funded on the ideas and practices of Maria Montessori. Montessori educators implement their method through five basic principles that are lacking in many of our educational institutions (mainly those governments based); Respect for the child, the concept of the absorbent mind, sensitive periods, the prepared environment and auto-education/self education. Now while all teachers and educational professionals practice this to an extent, it should become more of a primary rather than a secondary, it shows both students and parents that educators are engaged in their profession and that it is more than a job, just by taking a little extra time out to prepare/facilitate engaging environments it actually makes the class more engaged to learn. Children should be at the center of each activity, once the environment is ready this gives the teacher adequate time needed to assess each individuals needs and progress. While I am not suggesting that we all send our children to Montessori School, I do suggest we find schools that do hold some of their ideals, as well as those of other prominent educational professionals that have also greatly contributed to early childhood education in many aspects.

       Jean Piaget was another prominent educator from the twentieth century whose ideals are still mirrors in curriculums and schools across the nation today. Piaget's ideas, among other theorist, support the ideals that children actively seek knowledge. Many of us have seen this in an inquisitive child or one who mimics the actions of others; it is their innate actions to learn. These theories provide us with the guidance or will necessary to ponder on those theories/activities that do help children progress and to in turn develop those programs that support and progress children's learning so that others may continue to benefit from it. I personally believe in the power of structured play or the active learning theory which means that children learn through physical and mental engaging activities. Piaget also developed three stages of cognitive development; Sensorimotor (birth-2yrs), Preoperational (2-7yrs), and Concrete Operations (7-12). Using these concepts all educational institutions should structure a scaffold age appropriate progressive activities for all students to participate in daily. These activities would prove to be more effective for they would have been scaffold to fit individual student groups which is much more effective than one size fits all.

       Once more I am not saying that we should all send our children to private or charter schools, what I am saying is that we should require more of the educational professionals in charge of such and the institutions themselves for that path that we are on is destructive. The only people who can fix such a path are those who it directly affects, and since children aren't mature enough to derive to such conclusions this leaves us, the parent to become the responsible party. If we don't then we run the risk of sending our children out into a world that they not ready for by many means; I'm sure many of us has seen how this path can end or where it may lead. Virgin Islands parents I implore you all to check on the progressions of your child within the learning environment that they are, see if materials being used are age appropriate, adequate in terms of safety and the amount needed for constructive use by all children. Find out about physical education, nutritional, and leaning policies or theories if there are any in place; this information can be the future of your child's fundamental abilities and the base of which their knowledge will be based on so I'm sure as any parent does, you will all want the best possible.