the rated-r School
LEARN WHAT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO
I am starting an online school based on the idea of inclusive and honest learning. I spent the last two and a half years teaching high school aged teens an inclusive curriculum which featured content of the LGBTQIA community, people of color, and immigrant communities. I also ran an educational theater company called Project Arts that put on the musicals “Avenue Q” and “Rent” as educational projects and fit into the same content. All of this work had radical content, as defined in terms by mainstream education culture, but to me, it’s just including those that have been removed from history books. My goal is to teach classes that offer this content. I am starting with a class on an inclusive history of Musical Theater that focuses on the contributions of the LGBTQIA, POC, and others. I use the term Rated-R mostly tongue in cheek. What I am actually referring to is the concept of not watering down content to appease parent or religious groups. I will have classes for adults as well. My classes will be designed using a few systems such as Project Based Learning, Self-Directed Learning, and Art integration. These systems fit well with individualized learning and student directed approach in which teachers work more as coaches. I work with students to help develop a process that is of interest to them and utilizes the best ways they process information.
HOW I TEACH
MY UNIQUE TEACHING STYLE
I am going to discuss how I work and what the structure of the class will be. Think of this class as a workshop that you take at your own speed. The goal is not so much to learn or memorize facts but to be present in the learning and learn for the sake of learning.
TEACHING STYLE
I am not really a traditional teacher. There are three methods I will use in this class that are designed to teach you how to teach yourself. This class is meant to be an experiential process and meant to be fun as opposed to having to complete specific tasks. I am trained as a Special Education teacher and therefore have trained to teach students based on setting up an individual process that takes into account the student's particular interest, and how they process or learn information best. Some people do better reading and some do better watching videos or visual learning. That type of thing. I act more as a coach and the process is a partnership between the teacher and student as this becomes a conversation versus a lecture.
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING - This is a process in which a teacher coaches a student through a process of self discovery that is meant to help them organize and guide and own their learning process. It's more about learning for its own sake then learning just so you can learn the next thing.
more info at http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/how-put-self-directed-learning-work-your- classroom
PROJECT BASED LEARNING - This is a process meant to emulate real world learning in working through a simple project that teaches a student how to organize their time, process, and complete a project.
(more info can be found here https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl
ART INTEGRATION - is as simple as using art, music, dance or any expression as part of the project we will be working on.
We will be utilizing all of these in this class.
I am going to discuss how I work and what the structure of the class will be. Think of this class as a workshop that you take at your own speed. The goal is not so much to learn or memorize facts but to be present in the learning and learn for the sake of learning.
TEACHING STYLE
I am not really a traditional teacher. There are three methods I will use in this class that are designed to teach you how to teach yourself. This class is meant to be an experiential process and meant to be fun as opposed to having to complete specific tasks. I am trained as a Special Education teacher and therefore have trained to teach students based on setting up an individual process that takes into account the student's particular interest, and how they process or learn information best. Some people do better reading and some do better watching videos or visual learning. That type of thing. I act more as a coach and the process is a partnership between the teacher and student as this becomes a conversation versus a lecture.
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING - This is a process in which a teacher coaches a student through a process of self discovery that is meant to help them organize and guide and own their learning process. It's more about learning for its own sake then learning just so you can learn the next thing.
more info at http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/how-put-self-directed-learning-work-your- classroom
PROJECT BASED LEARNING - This is a process meant to emulate real world learning in working through a simple project that teaches a student how to organize their time, process, and complete a project.
(more info can be found here https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl
ART INTEGRATION - is as simple as using art, music, dance or any expression as part of the project we will be working on.
We will be utilizing all of these in this class.