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RUNNING HEAD: DIFFERENT SCHOOL MODELS 1

Leslie Bethea

EDU 650

Kenneth Powers

Different School Models

Part One

Two Pre-k teachers from Sugarcreek Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina (Dana Taylor) & George Watts Elementary School in Durham, North Carolina (Jerrick Terry) were interviewed for the purposes of this assignment.

Part Two

Sugarcreek Elementary School & George Watts Elementary School have been compared and contrasted for the purposes of this assignment.

	Cooper Elementary School (Charlotte, NC)	George Watts Elementary School  (Durham, NC)	Differences/Similarities identified  between schools.  Points to consider.
Type of School	Elementary school	Elementary school	Both are elementary schools
Total Population/Demographics	416 Students 26 Teachers	585 Students 20 Teachers	One of the schools is located in a semi-urban/ rural community, whereas the other school is located in an urban community, hence the difference in size.
Student to Teacher Ratio	18:1	18:1	North Carolina has regulations regarding teacher student ratio.
Key Issues Facing	Updated technology & equipment not always available, especially for kindergarten.	New curriculum requires different style of teaching.	Sugarcreek Elementary School funds are allocated to schools based on performance scores, which are difficult to improve without updated technology, which in turn cannot be obtained without an inflow of funds. George Watts Elementary School, on the other hand, has introduced a new curriculum which is currently being implemented with some growing pains.
Role of Technology	Please refer above	Updated modern technology available	While George WattsElementary School integrates technology into all of its lessons, Sugarcreek Elementary School is unable to do so because of the lack of updated equipment.
21st Century Skills	Technology	Technology	Both teachers agreed that technology was the most important 21st century skill.
Most important Subject	Math	Science	The choices of both teachers indicate the growing importance of STEM disciplines.
Role of students in learning process	Learn by listening	Learn by doing	One teacher emphasized the role
Role of teachers in learning process	Expert educators	Facilitators	One teachers viewed teachers as experts who were there to impart knowledge to students, while the other viewed teachers as facilitators who were meant to help children learn by teaching them how to connect the dots.
Changes in teaching	Rising use of technology	Rising use of technology	Both teachers listed the growing use of as one of the biggest changes in the teaching discipline.

According to Ms. Taylor, the most important issue she faces in ensuring that students reach their potential is the lack of funds – on the part of the school, as well as on the part of parents. As Sugarcreek Elementary is part of a relatively low income neighborhood, many students are from families that are struggling to make ends meet. The school is also short of funds and is thus unable to provide for little beyond the core educational curriculum. In such an uncertain economic climate, children are not able to focus solely on learning. In an effort to ameliorate these problems, Ms. Taylor ensures that her students get at least two nutritious meals and snacks every day, and tries to spend her time instilling a sense of confidence in them. Due to a lack of funds, technology is not very well integrated into lessons – an overhead slide projector is the only high-tech equipment available on a regular basis (computers are a shared resource for the entire school). Ms. Taylor believes that basic math is the most important subject for her students, and she identifies technology as the most important skill.

However, Ms.Terry from George Watts is dealing with a different set of issues. Fortunately, economic deprivation is not a part of her issues – her primary concern is ensuring that all students are performing at a certain minimum level so that the no child left behind policy can be followed in spirit. Ms. Terry gives her students a number of informal tests to ensure that their performance is at par, and tries to make every game into a learning activity, and vice versa. Technology is very well integrated into lessons as Smartboards are used in classrooms. Ms. Terry believes that science is the most important subject for her students, and like Ms. Taylor, she identifies technology as the most important skill.

Both teachers are doing the best job they can with limited resources, and in their situation, I believe that I too would do the same thing regarding prioritization. However, in addition to a focus on digital knowledge, I would also focus on knowledge gained from books, as inculcating a reading habit from an early age is an excellent way to develop verbal, reasoning and critical thinking skills.

References

Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century: Connecting the Dots. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Evertson, C. M., & Emmer, E. T. (2012). Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers. San Francisco, CA: Josse-Boss.