1 - How Inspiring

First posts tend to be introductory. As I would explain on the first day of class, my name is Mr. Lemko, and I teach high school....specifically math. While I have only been teaching since 2006, I have been very fortunate in my career. I have had the opportunity to: work as a substitute, teach in an outreach school in rural Alberta and at a large high school, complete a year-long leadership course, create a CTS media broadcasting course that streamed a live news broadcast each morning, and serve as my school's Math dept. head, AP Coordinator, AISI lead., all while sitting on various committees. 

As I said prior to my mini-resume, I have been very fortunate in my 8 years of teaching. I feel as though I have grown considerably since being told (by my first principal) that I am a "terrible interview". I am humbled at the opportunities my current school and district has provided me. Though I feel as like I am finally understanding the subtleties of the profession, in recent years, the footing upon which that confidence stands, has begun to waver. I guess my reason for finally putting some mind onto matter (writing a blog) is because of growing questions, concern, and confusion. "Inspiring Education" is the growing tagline for Alberta Education. On their website, they say "Everything Is Changing".

"The world around us is evolving at an unprecedented rate—and this speed of change is increasing every day. We don’t know what new problems and opportunities we’ll encounter tomorrow, let alone in ten or twenty years. We need to prepare Alberta’s students for this unknown and unknowable future. The way we've delivered education in the past is no longer sufficient. So we’re changing our way of thinking."

Part of me is excited to not use curriculum as a crutch for "why we have to do this". Part of me understands that the ability to memorize, does not make one intelligent in our society anymore. The age of "information deprivation" and encyclopedias-as-the-all-powerful is over. The age of "information surplus" has shattered our notion of what it means to be intelligent and thus, inspiring education is the byproduct - perhaps the solution?

I end my last statement with a slight inflection as I have reservations in my excitement. We are but a handful of semesters from implementation; yet, almost no one speaks of the catch-phrases that loom on webpages yet to be explored by most teachers.

Whether the changes involve: curriculum redesign (report) and its belief in competencies for the 21st century learner OR high school redesign OR the dual-credit strategy OR PAT modifications OR the 25-hour credit flexibility OR diplomas, etc.,  inspiring education means change. 

("By the fall of 2017, all diploma exam sessions will be offered electronically. Piloting of electronic diploma exams, including the use of an online system and digital marking, is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2014.")

Depending how far down the rabbit hole I peer, the more nervous I get. Understandably, the phrase "everything is changing" should instill emotion into anyone involved in education. It will affect students, parents, teachers, post-secondary, government, and any educational body looking to Alberta for direction. The implications are vast.

With such great potential for change, one would expect everyone involved to be actively engaged in discussion about what is possible, what are some concerns, and what inspiring education SHOULD look like. Teacher's Convention this February (2014) was, for the most part, absent of any tangible content related to what the vision will become. #disappointed 

This has become the point of "More than Math". Over the coming weeks/months/years, I aim to discover what Inspiring Education means. I hope to learn what Alberta Education's leaders will do to retrain an entire profession who is growing fearful in a time of cuts and large class-sizes. Will we be expected to change the profession in a handful of PD days and on weekends? How much input will an individual teacher actually have in a decentralized curriculum? How will post-secondary react to these implications? How can a first-year teacher walk into all these changes? Too many questions to even articulate!

Anyway, I'm teaching the ambiguous case in 20-1 tomorrow - I can research and investigate another day. Until then...feel free to start talking. Ask questions. Start Committees. Request PD. Start some dialogue on twitter. Comment below.

And if you don't believe me, try to buy something from the LRC.

http://www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca/pro/default.html