Transformative Education and The School System Context How can our schools be cultural spaces against ecological degradation, poverty, and gender insensitivity? How can our schools be liminal spaces of human creativity and imagination to respond to challenges of our times?
Paradigm shift This situation calls for a paradigm shift in the system of education towards an instructional system that is transformative in its culture; an educational system that creates a balance between knowledge acquisition and values formation and places an equal focus on personal achievement and social responsibility (Gonzales, et al, 2002).
transformative- based education requires a redesigning of a school system the mission-vision-goals complemented by a set of core values; organization/ governance system; institutional culture and climate; curriculum program and the human and material support system. (Duderstatd 2000) A Tale of Power & Vision.flv
School Vision, Mission, and Core Values: Bedrock of Transformative Education Administrators will have to revisit, review and rearticulate their schools Vision-Mission- Goal (VMG) statement and to evolve their core values. The core values are to be incorporated into the teaching program across key learning areas. The school may consider to map a new educational agenda oriented to the vision of God s reign of justice, peace and integrity of creation.
TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION AND VALUES FORMATION TOWARD SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES The mission is to make teaching social responsibility a core practice in education so that young people develop the convictions and skills to shape a safe, sustainable, democratic, and just world.
This challenge raises questions about content and how schools are structured. It demands a balance between personal competence and social skills and social responsibility. This effort can renew a sense of purpose and meaning among educators (Berman, 1992).
Transformative Education and the Curricular Program or the school s instructional program. Strategizing curriculum program includes review and revision of the traditional curriculum reorganization towards integrating strong transformative elements, especially the content areas.
Curriculum Content Major Themes The major themes consist of: Justice and Peace Education Environment Education Environment Education Engaged Citizenship Poverty Reduction Gender Sensitivity Youth Empowerment
Desired outcome The desired outcome of transformative education is a transformed student who could improved society, an integrated, wholistic, God-loving person a builder of family and community. The school will need to match the requirements of the student to challenge him / her to seek leadership for a sustainable future. (de Jesus, 2007)
In short, the outcome of transformative education is a transformed person, commissioned in turn to transform society (de Jesus, 2007).
The Transformative Teacher Teachers who know and believe in the power of transformation are the ones capable of moulding the soul, mind and heart of the school s institutional processes and structures so that these reflect the school s aspiration to be a living arena of cultural transformation.
Two aspects Witnessing the transformative process demands from teachers two fundamental things: 1) that they, as persons, are examples of transformation as a lifelong process; and 2)they teach transformatively. In the transformative teacher, BEING TRANSFORMATIVE and EDUCATING TRANSFORMATIVELYbecome one.
Transformation towards right relationships is a lifelong experience, process and commitment that ask to be embraced as one of life s realities. This movement towards right relationships has This movement towards right relationships has brought about the growing awareness about human rights, environmental advocacies, gender sensitivity, poverty reduction, youth empowerment, and engaged citizenship.
VOCATION Teaching becomes a vocation when one grows into appreciating how one s involvement in the education process impacts society at an individual, social and ecological level, and embraces the responsibility of such an impact as a lifelong commitment. Teaching becomes a way of life when one s craft as a teacher is expressed whatever one s profession or involvement.
For a transformative teacher, the academic is seen in relation to real life, not only in terms of its application but also its responsible impact in society and the earth.
Educating Transformatively Inviting Students to Experience the Transformative Process The basic dynamics of eco/human community that students need to understand are: interrelatedness, interdependence and interconnectedness. A True Teacher.flv
ANIMATOR A teacher s role is to be animator and usher of students into community living. Interrelatedness focuses on how each one is related to everything else in the community. Interdependence highlights the need of each one for the other and the role of each one in the wellbeing of the whole community. Interconnectedness stresses how each one s actions or decisions affects others and the whole community.
INTEGRATIVE LEARNING AND REFLECTION CO-LEARNER Teachers best develop integrative learning and reflection when they are co-learners with their students in an atmosphere of acceptance, wellbeing and concern, open to the variety of talents, gifts, and personhood of all. Participation is evoked in this kind of atmosphere, allowing genuine dialogue to guide the learning process towards critical inquiry and conscientious reflection about the realities in the world and themselves.
CHALLENGER Radical imagination is cultivated when the transformative teacher guides the students in seeing and naming the root causes of a situation, not just the symptoms. The transformative teacher acts as a challenger who motivates the students to imagine alternatives to the situation that needs to be changed.
Mentor A transformative teacher is a mentor to students, guiding them in appreciating how their giftedness, talents and skills are God-given capacities to be constantly honed, expressed with humility and used in the service of the wider community.
COMPASSIONATE HEART Transformative teachers hone in their students a compassionate heart. A transformative teacher will hone compassionate hearts most effectively through his/her way of life that exhibits transformation both in the personal and professional dimensions.
Being transformative is an experience in actively participating in the fulfilment of God s dream for all peoples a world that is just, peaceful, and harmonious. The transformative teacher journeys as a faith companion of students as they, together, co-create God s world. [YOUTUBE-HQ]- Even_Eagles_Need_a_Push_by_David_McNally.flv.flv,