The lessons about teaching and learning, include … I think this TED talk about the child-driven education attempts to prove that children, given the right tools and time, can and will learn on their own; they will help each other and will seek help from each other in order to accomplish a task. What they can accomplish if given the right tools and time, will and does surprise those of us in education each day. It can, and should, influence the way that teachers structure their lessons and their classrooms. I think the very basic component in this example is one that many students today do not have, for many reasons: independence. In our society, many young people suffer from "instant gratification syndrome" and having so much done for them that they forget how to work independently. As teachers, if we encourage and help our students to become independent thinkers and learners, then they too could accomplish these things. Even though I do believe that children can learn many things on their own, I believe that the one very important component that is needed for them to accomplish this, even if it is to simply moderate and foster independent thinking, is one very important thing: A teacher. (BTW, I wonder if some of the enthusiasm and speed of learning had something to do with seeing this new technology for the very first time; for having these computers, something that they had never worked with before and could never imagine getting, made available to them for their own use without any real restrictions. Just a thought.)
The implications for my teaching and learning, include…I think back to when I first had my seventh grade students do videos and one student asked me, “How do we do this?” and I said “I don’t know. Figure it out.” I then walked away. Yes, I did know, but if I had done it for him, then he would have been dependent on me doing it for him all the time. By the end of class, he had figured it out and was showing students in other groups how to do it. He was on the edge of failing my class and knew that his grade, and his social life, depended on him doing well on this project. When it came to "sink or swim", he swam. This past Friday, I had an eighth grade student say, as he worked on his research report, "You really are making us do a lot of this work independently aren't you?" I asked him what he thought about that and he said, "I think it's really cool. I guess I have to learn how to work independently before I get to high school, right?" I see this kind of thing all the time and it makes me feel good about myself as a teacher. I think it is preparing them for the future. I also see students who can't, or won't, do anything on their own and want the teacher to spoon feed them through every process. How am I helping that student to be prepared for the future? I have to be there to assist and instruct and guide, but should not be there to "do" for them.
The implications for administration of schooling include…If schools want to become more "child-driven" then administration is going to have to provide more opportunities for students to drive their own learning and provide teachers with the education they need to be able to let students learn on their own and to help them become more comfortable with this type of learning. It can also be a big issue if that student-driven learning requires materials, such as computers, and how and when schools will get the money to provide such materials to their students. I do not believe that the teacher will ever be able to be eliminated, but it may be that teachers will need to learn to take a different role and teach in a different way. Administration will need to lead that change.
Do trends and… Sure. I think as a country we have always looked at what other countries do in education and how our students compare to their students. If the poorest of countries can teach students with few teachers and few pieces of equipment, how do we, who have more than they, provide and keeping up with their students. Their students are motivated when they have the opportunity to use these wonderful things that they have never seen before. Our students see and use this equipment all the time and can, if not careful, become complacent with it. Students in struggling countries are not as spoiled and are not given as much as our students, so they are used to doing more things for themselves, including driving their own learning.
Reacting to Gayle's post:
ReplyDeleteHi Gayle,
I agree with you on the idea that students can accomplish more when they become independent thinkers and learners. Children have a much deeper understanding when they are able to explore and discover things rather than being told about them. I think that this concept could also be applied to administration. When teachers are allowed to have a role in making policies and procedures(by serving on committess and giving input)they will feel more invested and make those policies and procedures work!
Responding to Gayle's Post:
ReplyDeleteGayle, I agree. I don't believe we can completely eliminate the teacher from the classroom, but maybe look at how we can provide more opportunities for a "child-driven" environment. I see all the benefits for this method of teaching. The children are more likely to apply their discoveries in other areas of learning as well as problem solving in their everyday life.
Thanks, Liz
Gayle Responding back to Neysa's reaction
ReplyDeleteI am glad you mentioned the part about this same concept applying to administration as well as students. I was thinking the same thing and wanted to put something in my response and left it out. I first thought about myself as a student back when I was in school. (Can you believe I can remember that far back? :)) I always learned best if I was able to have some time to try to figure things out myself....but only after having some initial instruction. I still learn best that way today. I then thought about myself as a teacher and how I feel about professional development and administrative policies and procedures. When I feel invested in the process, I am much more willing and able to meet, and often exceed, the requirements. I think most teachers are that way. This also goes with the TED talk by Kiran Vir Sethi about empowering the students. When you empower the teachers, they can change their teaching and student learning. Thanks for making the connection.
Gayle, I too enjoyed this video. I do also agree that although children can figure things out and learn on their own, the guiding hand of a teacher plays an important role. I feel children do learn best by doing and honestly have not met one student that has not enjoyed hands on learning. I know when I am sitting in a workshop and it is a make and take workshop, I remember so much more about the topic. I do wish they would give teachers more flexibility in their teaching. We are bogged down with workbooks, forms to fill out, documents to complete, and logs to compile, that it takes away from the true reasons we became teachers: to Teach! If Administrators would allow us to use the State Curriuculm guides as a road map and then give us the flexibility to teach the material, we see fit, I am sure more collaboration would take place among teachers and more learning would occur. Michelle
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