Sunday, 4 October 2015

Learning to BE

“to KNOW something, we believe one needs to do something active with it.  In addition, it is impossible to DO something unless there is some content involved (KNOW).  BE reflects what an individual does with the KNOW and the DO” (Drake & Burns, p. 35).


Throughout my experiences in the Concurrent BPhEd (Honours) / BEd Intermediate Senior program, I’ve had the opportunity to be exposed to curriculum throughout various courses. Nonetheless, until now it has always been understood as a sort of framework or standard teachers had to abide to, and I didn’t really conceptualize idea of interpretation. Drake, Reid, and Kolohon (2014) elucidate how the concepts of Know, Do, and Be (KDB) allow teachers to make meaning of outcomes outlined in the curriculum. In EDU 6363: Key Ideas – The KNOW/DO/BE Bridge, Jimenez (2013) refers to Drake and Burns (2004) image of Know/Do/Be Bridge in order to exemplify the fundamental connections between these three entities.

Retrieved from https://apriljimenezbporfolio.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/edu-6363-key-ideas-the-knowdobe-bridge/; Drake, S. M., & Burns, R. C. (2004). Meeting standards through integrated curriculum. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, c2004.

In turn, although the Know and Do are foundationally important in creating this framework, I find the Be to carry underappreciated importance. The Be calls for character education and citizenship as a key to twenty-first century platforms. Since the Be is implicit throughout curricular outcomes teachers may overlook this section (Drake, Reid, & Kolohon, 2014). Generally, the Be holds grave importance in creating a student who is not only knowledgeable of the subject, but knowledgeable of the world around them. For example, to select a class valedictorian grades is not the only factor, often selection is also based upon the level of participation in extracurricular activities and a personality that can be a unifying representation of the graduating class. I remember my High School class valedictorian was one of the most upbeat, personable, approachable girls anyone has every met, and it came to no surprise she was selected. Therefore, success is not only measured by grades, but it also conveyed through the kind of person you represent yourself as. The following video indicates the importance of the Be, because no matter who you are somebody is learning from you. The boy indicates to teachers that although History as a subject is important, students should be taught how they can make history, and how they will impact the world in the future. Teachers have to help students see who that are going to BE someday (i.e. writer, doctor).

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlhUcSGqgs

            As a future teacher I intend on implementing character education throughout my lesson plans. First, it is important to know your students and integrate the multicultural values that may be present; this will ensure that your values don’t become dominate. Focused within a physical education setting, I think two important characteristics to focus on would be anti-bullying and inclusivity. For example, implementing a lesson on wheelchair basketball will allow students to ‘put themselves in someone else’s shoes’ and experience how difficult it is to play the game with certain restrictions. I know in one of my university classes we did this, and I had a newfound appreciation for Paralympic athletes, which in turn sparked my interest in working with children with various disabilities. Overall, although implicit, I truly believe values woven throughout the Be is the true determinant in creating students who will be successful throughout life.

References

Drake, S. M., & Burns, R. C. (2004). Meeting standards through integrated curriculum. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, c2004.

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Jimenez, A. (2013, January 20). EDU 6363: Key Ideas – The KNOW/DO/BE Bridge. Retrieved from https://apriljimenezbporfolio.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/edu-6363-key-ideas-the-knowdobe-bridge/

Kid President. [SoulPancake]. (2013, September 12). Kid President’s Pep Talk to Teachers and Students! [Video File]. Retreived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlhUcSGqgs