Observational Course Journal Entry #5

Part 1: Site Information

I visited PBS Utah, the PBS affiliate for the State of Utah, which is licensed to the University of Utah. Billing itself as Utah's storyteller, the station produces local programming and carries national content on four channels. The mission of PBS Utah includes producing quality programming that reaches people of all ages into every corner of the state across devices through four channels. This mission is based on a set of values that hold the station to high standards of integrity and fairness. PBS Utah seeks to provide an independent voice that can educate its viewers of all ages.

Part 2: Observation

I observed the PBS Utah home page on April 16, 2021.

Description

Utah's only PBS station, PBS Utah began as KUED in 1958 and rebranded in 2019. In 2020, the non-profit station reached 69% of Utah TV households, held 242 community events, and carried locally and nationally-produced programming that included included public affairs, politics, civil rights, and COVID-19 coverage, which included the governor's daily updates.

Active in the community, PBS Utah is the official sponsor of the Utah Education Association Excellence in Teaching Awards, gives free station tours, and hosts events that include cooking, kids crafts and fairs, screenings, discussions, and food drives. There is a significant portion of programming for kids, much of which is educational in nature. A bimonthly newsletter goes to parents that includes readings, and learning activities.

Interaction

Interaction includes a static FAQ page, and three blogs, one for kids, one about gardening, and one exploring all things creative from writing to bookbinding and visual arts. Several social media channels are active, with posts from this week that have seen some engagement from the community.

Analysis

This organization's non-profit status lends it some automatic credibility as a system truly interested in teaching and learning. As a broadcaster and content producer, PBS Utah's largest education platform is through television programming, but it has a sizable community presence through its scores of yearly events. in 2020, the station brought home five Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards, and has done similarly in past years. This is an organization that seems committed to its craft.

Part 3: Readings

Lewis, C. (2015). What Is improvement science? Do we need It in education? Educational Researcher, 44(1), 54–61. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X15570388

Improvement science involves (a) knowledge of the discipline and (b) knowledge of how to make the discipline knowledge happen (so-called profound knowledge, or street smarts) (54).

Site Visit #5 connection: PBS Utah wants to localize itself, being an active producer of local content. This should allow it to be more responsive to the needs of its audience at the grassroots level.

Plan, do, study, act cycle that allows for rapid iterative learning and growth in ed reform. This means improvement science can enjoy learning from variations, whereas pure experimentation tries to root out all variations. (55).
Our KPIs allow us to see the interplay between discipline knowledge and profound knowledge (55). However, knowledge is also in the people who use the program (think missionaries, graders, instructors, etc.)
Improvement science lets you move forward within the practical limitations of your organization, and not have to wait until a proven method comes along (through pure research through a Randomized Control Trial).

Site Visit #5 connection: As a non-profit, PBS Utah is not beholden to corporate sponsors and can thus move forward in ways that make sense to its mission to educate the region through fair, honest, quality programming.

Part 4: Integrations

As we wrap up this class, I am pleased it has given me an opportunity to think about the big picture of systems change. My entire job is seeped in systems change. We're trying to disrupt the industry, working alongside a more traditional model. While the traditional model continues to do its thing, we are able to explore, using improvement science, and rapidly iterate. My challenge is I need to keep a head for this kind of pace and ambiguity.