Exploring Issues of Power in Schools

Earlier this week, I guest blogged over at Joel’s blog, and quite a discussion is taking place. Check it out and join in. Here’s an excerpt of my original post:

Power. I can’t stop thinking that it is all about power. This thought surfaced after reading the article, “Why Content Literacy is Difficult to Infuse into the Secondary School: Complexities of Curriculum, Pedagogy, and School Culture.” The article is a bit dated, 1995, and thank goodness I read it amongst a community of learners. It was a challenge to get through. It is less what the article says, and whether I agree with it or not, and more about the conversations that grew from the collaborative reading process.

In secondary schools, sub-cultures grow out of the separation of content areas and a sense of hierarchy is created through this separation. This, along with the structures within a school, help create this inequity of power. As long as this separation and hierarchy exist, school change will be difficult. In fact, I wonder whether those changes that do happen can be sustained if they exist in a culture and structure that contradicts them.

And from my comment in the discussion . . . But, for me right now, it is this term–content area teachers. Who does it include and who does it exclude. And what does this term say about those who aren’t included in this group? Do they have no real content to teach. These are the issues of power in schools I’m trying to explore.

So, here’s a question I have for teachers out there. What does power look like at your school? Who holds it? Who doesn’t? How does it effect the school culture–educationally? I’d love to hear from you. And, I’d love for you to invite more teachers into this conversation. Spread the word.

Virtual Travel

“Equal parts lighthearted jaunt and in-depth journey, this intimately documented trip around the world has one goal: to bring you along for the ride.“  Got the winter blues?  Jump on board this virtual around the world journey LongJaunt at the Boston Globe with three of my former high school students.  They’re in Mexico now and off through Central America next and on to Brazil.  The photos are fabulous; the writing is inviting!  I see great possibilities for the classroom with this this project: study of people, places and culture, the genre of travel writing, and the study of history.  I could see a classroom blog using this as a model as kids write about their own travels or their sense of place called home.  If you end up using Longjaunt let me know, and I’ll pass it along to the boys.  They’ll probably write about it!  And since they’re financing the trip themselves and only being paid by the number of hits on the site–click away and pass the word.  Happy travels!