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Update: I got to be featured on the podcast I reference in this post regarding everything I wrote below. Listen to the podcast here: https://soundcloud.com/don-wettrick/crucial-conversations-we-have-a-guest-teacher
I am writing today's post for a few reasons:
1. As an accountability tool for myself
2. As a token of gratitude for the work being done at StartEdUp.
3. With aspirations that my writing will add fuel to this very important fire
As concisely as possible, here is a review of my teaching:
If you were to ask me what I teach, my first answer would be students.
My second answer would be shop, Spanish, CAD; in order from most hours to least.
I teach shop to grades 6-12;
in Spanish, I teach grades 9-12, 1st and 2nd level;
and in CAD I teach grades 9-12.
In both CAD and Shop, year 1s, 2s, 3s, and 4s, maybe placed in the same hour. MS and HS is kept separate, but the grade levels are not.
I am in one of those rural schools (about 115 students total) that utilizes a four day week and my class sizes max out at about 15 and I've had classes as small as 4.
With that in mind, let me run you by a plan I have in the works that I hope would garnish your support, as well as your advice and criticism.
Many shop classes operate under a "shop fee" system. If you build a cutting board, you calculate the cost of the material and pay for the material. Here, we've created an artifact of the student's learning, and the $5 fee is a completely different amount of "skin-in-the-game" from student to student.
Secondly, it makes room for failure a very tough thing to dance around. Lastly, when I do allow failure, I risk losing the funds to run the project with the next kid.
I want to nix the whole "shop fee" system.
I want to replace it with a shop economy.
You build a project. You price it. I sell it. Profits and losses are credited to your account. You want to be your own middle man? Fine. Price it at cost, and buy it from me at cost, and mark it up and sell it for cash at home. But, you must have something in your account to start your next project.
When you don't, you will be delegated a service project. That service project is for the school, community, another teacher, whatever will put credits back in your account upon completion.
I crowdfunded for a Square cash register and acquired compatible "gift cards" to help with managing this economy. Each student has their own "gift card" and credits will be managed through the Square cash register software using said "gift card."
Collaboration will be allowed. Account balances will be public.
Level 2
Students are allowed to build beyond their balance. IF, they can achieve the investment of their peers. At a certain point (I haven't decided how yet) students will invest a certain percentage of their balance in their peers. They will make their investment decision based off of pitches that their peers make.
I plan on having students write to local businesses at the end of this year to help build up this student fund. I also have loose ideas of running periodic "auctions" where we auction off donated tools students can purchase and take home with their funds and be empowered.
A podcast I listen to recently discussed what changes would you make to K12 education if you had a magic wand. For me: There is a shop in every school. Yes, Makerspaces are a thing, and there is some overlap, but I want every student adequately exposed to the trade jobs that are out there. I am convinced that if you surveyed students about the actual jobs available they would only be aware of 1% of the jobs available: the cliche veterinarian, marine biologist, astronaut, journalist, etc. They would be ignorant of the CNC machinist, the grader operator at the local mine, and the line man replacing power-lines after any major storm.
But, if every school had a shop focused on the jewelry-making, timber, home-building, plastic injection, or whatever the local market is booming off of, then small, rural areas like ours who take some major hits by sending all our best youth to colleges, could thrive.
Some of these kids just need an environment to manufacture and sell, or build and sell, or service and sell, and they should have a manufacturing/service/skilled trade lab to work out of to do so. Also, many of them could care less about selling, so let's give them the trade skills to work for someone who is willing to sell.
Some trade skill elements will be automated, yes, but there is not going to be a robotic plumber showing up to your house... not any sooner than you'll correspond with a robotic lawyer, anyway. I guarantee that. Home improvements are a gig economy. Artisan products will have a place. And if nothing else, hustling custom cutting boards at 12 years old, will make you better at hustling "custom" cutting board "artisan" manufacturing AI at 21 years old.
Many of the ideas here were inspired by the podcast hosted by Don Wettrick called StartEd Up.
I highly recommend this podcast. It has me fired up and motivated to commit even more to my ideas. Innovation is tough within the school system. Risks are hard to take. It feels like swimming upstream compared to the many other industries I have worked for, but I am committed and the narrative of that podcast has helped to refuel the sense of urgency in tackling these issues.
Update: I got to be featured on the podcast I reference in this post regarding everything I wrote below. Listen to the podcast here: https://soundcloud.com/don-wettrick/crucial-conversations-we-have-a-guest-teacher
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