I try to explain an asterisk from a previous post. One point I do want to make from the beginning is that we have been priced out of affordable higher education. Because who knows what will happen once I get going. A $40K word twenty years ago is now closer to $200,000K. How? Inflation I guess.

Schema. Means background knowledge.

I first heard this word at Ball State University. Then again while I was a student enrolled in the College of Education at Purdue University. The Liberal Arts and Education Building. LAEB for short back then. Know it’s called Beering Hall.

Vertical Articulation

Another $40K word

The College Board had taken up 4 days of my summer back in 2011 or so. They had somehow convinced my school district that their AP for all curriculum would be good fit for all our students. Anything done for profit can’t be good for the masses. Schools can not be run like a business. Universities are Private. Our Public Schools shouldn’t be.

The teachers in my building and in my district advised against it. Those in central office didn’t listen. Sound familiar? The College Board won the bid. Our already struggling students struggled even more. So did the majority of the people in the room.

For those in education, or reading this blog now, Vertical Articulation is the same as scaffolding.

Oh you mean scaffolding

No one else at my table seemed to have known what the new term meant either. So I raised my hand, again. I’m sorry what is Vertical Articulation? Was my question. I was told it was building upon previously taught ideas and concepts. It’s kinda like schema. You know how when you build a house. You start from the ground up. True, I said. Unless you have a basement. Then, you actually have to dig to find the correct footing. What this curriculum is asking us to do is begin with the roof.

Open gasps, inquiring looks, and few chuckles filled the room. Probably kinda like now. Either way I was given some note cards told to follow along with the training, and once again we were told to figure it on our own. We did. We always do. We are teachers, parents, we are the working class.

The one good thing I can take from the College Board is that they showed me the value of ample post it notes and different colored high lighters in my classroom.

I’m not sure how we got here today. But we did.

Oh yeah schema.

Schema is our background knowledge. Which can’t be scaffolded, right?

Call me crazy, but that can’t work for long without the support.

Support Public Education.

Ken