Changing the Status Quo

Have you ever wondered where the ever expanding layers of bureaucracy are taking us in the field of education? This book challenges us to think carefully about this question. The status quo in education consists of policies, practices, and power structures impacting the way we teach, and prevent students from learning in meaningful and significant ways. Assessment techniques drive our teaching practices resulting in a learning process that students strongly dislike. Technology like PowerPoint presentations and clickers force students to pay attention to lectures, but the end result is the same-memorizing information for exams. It is causing students to become less focused on comprehending what they read. It is also physically changing the way students read focusing on small sound bites on what they believe is necessary to remember for tests. Discriminating against students of color continues to be a prevalent problem as well. Data show that white educators consist of a huge majority often lacking cultural awareness in our classrooms. Reading this book will inspire you to become a courageous educator and implement meaningful changes in your classroom on how to asses your students, what kind and how much technology to use, and how to sensitively treat educators and students of color.

Scott Wurdinger is a professor of experiential education and leadership studies at Minnesota State University in Mankato. His most recent book is The Power of Project-Based Learning published by Rowman and Littlefield.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Courage and the Status Quos
Status Quos
Assessment
Technology
Racial Discrimination
Chapter 2: Battling the Assessment Monster: Status Quo One
Problems With Multiple-Choice Testing
Opting-out
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
Old and New Assessments
Experiential Learning and Performance
Letting Students Take Charge of Their Education
From Students to Leaders
Chapter 3: The Tidal Wave of Technology: Status Quo Two
Pros and Cons of Technology
General Barriers in Education
PowerPoint Presentations
MOOCs
How Technology is Changing Us
Chapter 4: Stories From the Field: Status Quo Number Three
Howard Fuller
Deborah McGriff
Tony Simmons
Dawn Chavous
Chapter 5: Final Thoughts
Perseverance is the Key to Success
Get as Much Experience as Possible
Listen to Your Gut and Stand Up for What is Right
Look for Other Avenues
Build Meaningful Relationships
Don't Let the System Hold You Down
References