If we look at the heart of progressive education, we see an revolving door of philosophical and methodology changes. This dates back to the 1800s. Some of these changes are a result of federal mandates. Much of what the collective "we" can remember related to educational reform started with the launch of Sputnik in 1957 (Molnar, 1997). From there we transitioned into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965 and the need for accountability of federal funds with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tracking in the 1960s (Standerfer, 2006). Educational reform continued with the Goals 2000: Educate America Act (Goddard, 2002), the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001 (U.S. Department of Education, 2008), and now the Common Core State Standards of 2014 (CCSS Initiative, 2017). Education and the expectations placed on teachers is in a constant flux, and there does not appear to be any signs of slowing down.
Education Under Construction
The idea for this website and the desire to share thoughts, perspectives, reflection, and best practices, came from this constant paradigm shift that the education profession is in. As we peel back the layers of standards, lesson plans, performance expectations, behavioral modification, differentiation, and the trendiest technology gadgets, we have teachers with a heart to reach every child in an authentic, engaging, and purposeful way. Education is constantly "under construction". So where do we go from here?
I don't have all the answers, but I have a few! It begins with this blog and developing a Personal Learning Network (PLN) for Education Under Construction. I am inspired by many people I have crossed paths with, both face-to-face and virtually. If you are looking to see where my inspiration comes from, check out the Hash it Out page on this website. I'm constantly add new items and people to follow. You could also follow me on twitter at @JenEduTech. I look forward to sharing my knowledge, my reflections, and my creativity with each of you. While our industry is ever evolving and under construction, we can use this to our benefit to be innovative and inspiring to the students and colleagues around us.