Standards vs Materials

-Opinion-

A recent School Board meeting thinking about the process by which classroom materials are adopted and came up with the following overview:

Step 1 - Education Standards Set.

Step 2 - Ed. Material is created based on Ed. Standards.

Step 3 - LEA's look for Ed. Material that is aligned with Ed. Standards.

Step 4 - Teachers are trained on the Material.

Step 5 - Material is tried in classrooms for evaluation.

Step 6 - Material is displayed for the public to review.

Step 7 - Material is selected for adoption.

Step 8 - Material is adopted, purchased, and implemented in classrooms.

Step 9 - New Education Standards are created.

(Back to Step 1)

Now, there are many steps that are part of the education material adoption process that I have not included, but these nine steps represent an overall picture of the process and raises the following questions:

1 - For how long are the materials effective before they become obsolete?

2 - How can material providers collaborate with policy makers and educators when new standards are needed?

3 - Should the adoption of future education standards be concurrent with the production of new education material that is aligned with these new standards?

I leave this here open for thought and discussion, looking forward to your comments and responses.


Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2017.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Educational Bridges

"The Golden Gate Bridge"
(Photograph used with permission from the author)

What are "Educational Bridges"?

A bridge is a connecting structure that can be utilized to facilitate transportation from one area to another.

In education there are many bridges that exist, in fact, education itself is a bridge.

Education is a bridge that connects those who are seeking to become educated with the expertise of those who are educated and the resources that helped them achieve such knowledge and skills.

Education is rather vast and there are many areas in it, some which can be completely isolated, that can be explored by those who are seeking knowledge, and one way to reach these areas is by building and creating Educational Bridges.

Educational Bridges also include many of the experiences that a person goes through as they obtain an education.  In many cases these bridges lead to a better understanding of the subject and clarity of thought, but sometimes the bridge may truly lead to nowhere and those who travel on it may come to a point where they may have to turn back around before it is too late.

As it is the case in all engineering marvels, such as the Golden Gate Bridge (pictured above), maintenance is of the utmost importance for as long as such structures are to be used in order to ensure safety and security.  If an Educational Bridge is not maintained by those who design, create, and build them, then the safety and security of the students crossing them will be jeopardized.  Trust and confidence will suffer, and in a worse case scenario, the students could fall off the educational path altogether.  That is why it is important that educators do their best to maintain such bridges and be given access to the resources, materials, and tools that are needed to achieve this.


Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2017.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

January 2017

Manuel R. CortezRodas
Educator, MRCR Education.

Welcome

We counted down around the world towards midnight on December 31st, 2016 to welcome the new year.  2017 arrived with the fanfare given to each new year celebration and we turn to it with hope and a positive outlook.  Across the US educators and students enjoyed their much deserved Winter Break, and are now in the process of getting ready to go back to school also with hope and a positive outlook.


Goals

MRCR Education has taken time during this Winter Break to look back and reflect on the goals that were set when we began the school year and how we are doing in reaching each of these goals.  MRCR Education continues to make education a priority for all and remains committed to share its experience in English Learners, STEAM, and HAST education.


English Learners

Learning English is the most important skill that newcomers face.  The acquisition of language skills and knowledge will allow students to become successful in school and as they continue on their path towards both college and career.  It will allow them to create and develop a bridge of communication between the education they have acquired thus far and that which they are currently receiving.


STEAM Education

STEAM education continues to become an integral part of the curriculum across many schools.  As we continue to embrace the idea that interconnecting disciplines leads to critical thinking and problem solving skills, STEAM will also continue to lead the way we approach teaching this methodology to our students.


HAST Education

There is no time like the present to put forth the humanities in all academic areas and levels of education.  HAST, like STEAM, allows for a new approach to achieve this while maintaining high educational standards that allow students to also develop social skills that are critical to become successful members of society such as leadership, empathy, grit, and self-discipline.


Looking Ahead

We look forward to continue to share with you our thoughts and ideas as well as welcome your views, input, and feedback.  Thank you for your continued support by visiting our website MRCR Education Site, blog MRCR Education Blog , and Twitter feed MRCR Education on Twitter.  We wish all Educators, Administrators, Teachers, Coaches, Support Staff, Students, Parents, Mentors, and all leaders and stakeholders in education a wonderful and successful 2017.  Looking forward to the class of 2017 to complete their journey in the near future.


Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2017.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.