Reflection

Susan Moreland
Post University
 Precision in Pedagogy supports the understanding of the process of learning as it calls for

intentional, mindful teaching practices that target specific issues in the realm of education. In

today’s classroom there are numerous students who are capable of passing tests and who score

well on assessments of skills, however, there is a staggering difference between being able to

memorize test content and being able to think critically to solve a problem. This disconnect

creates a teacher-student relationship that is not built upon engaging lessons or a least restrictive

learning environment, things that students need to learn how to become proactive thinkers.

Rather, one that has a pattern of simply “going through the motions” in order to get through the

current lesson and onto the next one. This metaphorical trap in the instruction world produces

students who are bored, who are not stimulated and are less likely to participate in class- all

‘killers’ of the exciting experience that learning can be.

Precision combats these factors by linking members who are directly responsible for

either creating polices regarding curriculum or who are on the front lines with students

implementing lessons based on curriculum content and state standards. Fullan describes

Precision as a practical guiding system to achieving high goals established for learners (2016,

p.88) and further encourages the framework of Coherence to bring the multi-level structure of

educational employees together to target issues and construct a plan for change. Pedagogies used

in elementary schools are not always current and reflective of the needs of today’s world

(Jacobs,2010), but through precision they can be.

 Understanding how to Deepening Learning and use Precision can make curriculum

design a more effective process and will ensure that outcomes are measurable. Measurable

outcomes are necessary to retain accountability for tasks assigned to committee members and to

track results over a longer period of time. Incorporating precision will allow educators to monitor

the shift in the learning environment that will occur as new practices are introduced to promote

engagement and productivity (Fullan,2016). Teachers will also begin to see the skills that they

are learning regarding collaboration be passed to their students who will too, be able to act in

partnerships with one another to accomplish tasks and create dialogue to enhance curriculum

content. Communication is a vital piece of the puzzle when referring to student’s academic

success, including communication between student peers (Sutton & Shouse, 2016). A

measurable outcome for Precision integration would be simply asking the question, are the

students engaging in meaningful, engaging conversations amongst themselves? Through

anecdotal record taking observers could easily witness students’ interactions with one another

and document their dialogue. Note taking is strategy often used in classrooms to chart progress,

create new goals for students by assessing their current skill levels and determining the results of

changes in methodologies.

Open-mindedness is challenging in the realm of education as systematic change is often

only conceptual. Educators who are used to operating individually, without a team and making

decisions completely on their own may struggle to accept Coherence as the new normal but can

be encouraged through continued communication within the organizational structure, building

professional relationships needed to network the process of changing current pedagogical mind-

sets.
 In order to begin using Precision and Fullan’s multi-layered Coherence framework for

collaborative practices, awareness must first be brought to potential committee members to show

its potential. In the initial phases of introducing the framework examples from how it is working

in others schools and organizations should be discussed to show its effectiveness. If there are

case study’s related to Coherence regarding long term applications and results, these too should

be presented to the committee to support the ideals in Fullan’s texts. Student success is largely

contingent on how invested teachers and administration are in their mission statements to support

learning for their diverse enrollees.

Teachers should have a say in the curriculum design process as they are the ones

expected to deliver the curriculum content to their learners to meet state standards across all

learning areas. To continue Coherence’s momentum and effectiveness, curriculum design

committees can incorporate multiple experienced teacher representatives who can speak to the

challenges that they are having with either their current curriculum, lesson planning or

performance issues within their classrooms. It will be necessary to impart to all parties of the

committee how important collaboration is regarding education and how a significant lack thereof

has impacted education thus far. Examples of a lack of engaging student learning can come from

even, the reflection of teachers own classrooms. Careful consideration of the self through

reflection of current operations could be the push that is needed to band members together

towards Coherence and be a stepping stone on the path towards constructive collaboration.
References

Jacobs, H. H., & Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2010). Curriculum

21: Essential Education for a Changing World. Alexandria, Va: ASCD.

Fullan, M. & Quinn, J. (2016). The right drivers in action for schools, districts, and

schools. Thousand Oak: CA: Corwin

Sutton, P. S., & Shouse, A. W. (2016). Building a culture of collaboration in schools. Phi Delta

Kappan, 97(7), 69. doi:10.1177/0031721716641653