{"id":7627,"date":"2017-05-30T17:35:07","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T17:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/?p=7627"},"modified":"2024-05-07T14:54:21","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T14:54:21","slug":"on-the-spot-education-expert-kaycee-rogers-describes-how-an-inclusive-agile-k-12-model-can-help-minnesota-classrooms-make-the-grade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/2017\/05\/30\/on-the-spot-education-expert-kaycee-rogers-describes-how-an-inclusive-agile-k-12-model-can-help-minnesota-classrooms-make-the-grade\/","title":{"rendered":"On the spot: Kaycee Rogers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kaycee
Kaycee Rogers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s simple math: Fewer people are entering the teaching profession, more are\u00a0leaving it, and many educators lack the qualifications required to teach Minnesota\u2019s\u00a0increasingly diverse student body. These factors have prompted teacher preparation\u00a0programs\u2014including those at Augsburg\u2014to adapt in support of more inclusive,\u00a0flexible learning environments that accommodate a spectrum of needs and abilities.<\/p>\n

As the director of education programs at Augsburg\u2019s Rochester location, Kaycee Rogers<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is working alongside colleagues\u00a0and legislators to better support and retain teachers and to inspire a more diverse workforce. She is driven to ensure the\u00a0next generation of Minnesotans experience a meaningful education through hands-on, relevant learning.<\/p>\n

\n

Q: How does educating, training, and\u00a0employing K-12 teachers with specialty\u00a0backgrounds improve our schools?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> <\/span>The demographics of our student\u00a0population have changed given the\u00a0influx of new populations into our welcoming\u00a0state and education\u2019s shift to incorporate\u00a0students with special needs into the general\u00a0classroom. Because of this, teachers with\u00a0specialty licenses are in demand, and these\u00a0positions are often tough to fill. Augsburg\u00a0is leading the charge to offer broader\u00a0licensures, which prepare teachers to\u00a0succeed in today\u2019s classrooms and qualify\u00a0them for a wide range of teaching positions.\u00a0Exposure to more teaching strategies\u00a0and more specializations helps teacher\u00a0candidates adapt and innovate so they can\u00a0offer students multiple access points for\u00a0understanding.<\/p>\n

Q: <\/span>What\u2019s an example of an innovative\u00a0teaching strategy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: <\/span><\/strong>Students learn best when they\u2019re\u00a0engaged in experiences that matter to\u00a0them. We\u2019ve been incorporating real-world,\u00a0student-led experiences into the classroom,\u00a0and the results are impressive. Augsburg\u00a0teacher candidates, for instance, are helping\u00a0fourth- and fifth-graders write grants, speak\u00a0to community groups, navigate teamwork,\u00a0and participate in democracy. It\u2019s been\u00a0amazing to watch our teachers transition\u00a0to more of a coaching role, while students\u00a0take the lead to apply classroom learning to\u00a0issues and situations of meaning to them.<\/p>\n

Q: <\/span>How do teachers recognize students\u2019\u00a0home cultures and diverse experiences?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> <\/span>Although \u201cEnglish as a Second\u00a0Language\u201d is a widely used term, we\u00a0say, \u201cEnglish learners,\u201d because it\u2019s more\u00a0accurate given that some students learn\u00a0English as a third or fourth language. We\u00a0also celebrate home culture and language\u00a0rather than asking students to check their\u00a0heritage at the door.\u00a0In special education, we try to be more\u00a0inclusive. It used to be that educators\u00a0relied on what was called a medical\u00a0model of diagnosis and treatment. Today,\u00a0we recognize that our role isn\u2019t as much\u00a0about changing someone as it is about\u00a0using an approach that welcomes learners\u00a0of different styles, that encourages support\u00a0networks to address, adapt to, and respond\u00a0to each young person. We seek to accept,\u00a0listen, and innovate as we help students\u00a0gain as much as possible to prepare them\u00a0for a fulfilling life.<\/p>\n

Both approaches fall under an umbrella\u00a0of universal design that can be applied to\u00a0all students, regardless of ability. If our\u00a0goal is understanding, then we must create\u00a0multiple access points for students. We urge\u00a0teacher candidates to get to know students,\u00a0their families, and the community to\u00a0appreciate the backgrounds coming together\u00a0in each classroom.<\/p>\n

Q: <\/span>How do we inspire a workforce that is\u00a0more reflective of diverse classrooms?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: <\/span><\/strong>It\u2019s well documented that students\u00a0retain more information and have a\u00a0positive view of education when they relate\u00a0to teachers. We want to reach out to people who look like our students and come from\u00a0the same backgrounds, particularly those\u00a0already working as teacher aides or in other\u00a0supporting roles. Growing teachers from\u00a0within each community\u2019s diverse population\u00a0will beget more teachers of color and inspire\u00a0some to remain in their community to make a\u00a0lasting difference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s simple math: Fewer people are entering the teaching profession, more are\u00a0leaving it, and many educators lack the qualifications required to teach Minnesota\u2019s\u00a0increasingly diverse student body. These factors have prompted teacher preparation\u00a0programs\u2014including those at Augsburg\u2014to adapt in support of more inclusive,\u00a0flexible learning environments that accommodate a spectrum of needs and abilities. As the director of <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":278,"featured_media":7988,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[83],"class_list":["post-7627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-around-the-quad","tag-spring-summer-2017"],"wps_subtitle":"Education expert describes how an inclusive, agile K-12 model can help Minnesota classrooms make the grade","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/278"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7627"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13176,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7627\/revisions\/13176"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}