Step 1.
For the article "How People Learn" please answer/comment on 2 (or more) of the following questions?
a) What was obvious about what was written?
b) What was valuable about what was written?
c) What did you question/disagree with about what was written?
d) How will you remember what was written?
Step 2.
Find someone who has provided an answer/comment and engage in
a discussion by
a) asking a new question
b) respectfully challenging a point
c) adding something new to the conversation
d) asking for evidence to support a claim
Above all, you want to add comments that will help build knowledge
Excellent refresher. Very valuable. Nothing really to disagree with. As I was reading, I found myself recalling situations from my own experience that confirmed the truth of the concepts. I tutor mostly post-ESL students from non-Westerner countries and spend a LOT of time providing “factual Knowledge” from which they can build a “conceptual framework” to help them understand The Great Gatsby, for example. When students find literature difficult, it is usually because they lack a point of reference. Throwing The Handmaid’s Tale at these kids is like casually telling a pre-contact bushman that you drove to the office in your new SUV.
ReplyDeleteI usually remember what I’ve read by a) referencing it with my own experience (as above) and b) by summarizing the main points in my notebooks for quick and frequent review.
Rodney, I encourage you to be more critical of what you are reading. See if you can find something to questions, something that seems a bit unusual. So for example, while it seems that student preconceptions are useful for learning, why is it that many teachers do not do this AND how can they possibly address all the preconceptions of 25-30 students? Or when they state that "Factual knowledge" is cirtical for inquiry, I wonder if that really applies to today's students when you have a knowledge buddy in the Internet at your side. See what you can come up with.
DeleteHow do we address all student preconceptions? As I can tell from many of these posts, it’s a tough question. A teacher-professor once said to her class that we should teach to the lowest student in the class to ensure everyone “gets it.” I’m not convinced that this is always, or even usually, the way to go, but for me as an English teacher of post-ESL non-western immigrant students, it’s a good rule of thumb. I assume that my students have no deep “in-the-bones“ understanding of Western culture, and I would think that currently in Vancouver classrooms, this is a relatively safe assumption. Depending on the school district, a huge proportion of students have been here for only around 5 years or so.
DeleteOne of the dominant themes/conflicts in Western Literature is self vs. society, where society is often represented by parents (Rome and Juliet, Hamlet, Catcher in the Rye, etc…), and I always begin these works with a lesson on cultural differences regarding notions of self and group. My students are usually surprised and fascinated to learn that the gap between East and West is so vast. This cultural background is what I meant by “Factual Knowledge,” which is not readily available on the internet; few students will, out of interest, sit and watch the entire PBS series of Bill Moyers interviews with Joseph Campbell to learn that while the Ancient Greeks and Arthurian legends were priming the Westerner mind for individualist critical thinking, Confucius was priming the Eastern mind to obey its elders. This, I must be an expert in and do a little sage-on-the-staging to convey.
That's the spirit Rodney - I think your observation is a good one. However, you provide a very interesting example of a solution to the problem you pose. I wonder if preconceptions can be addressed?
DeleteIndeed. All we can do is lead a horse to water.... until Christopher Nolan's "Inception" technology becomes teaching industry standard practice. I can't wait.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading this article. I found a few things about this article that were obvious. Firstly, students come with preconceptions and that in order to be effective, we need to build on pre-existing knowledge and beliefs. Another point that was obvious was that teachers must have in-depth knowledge about the topic/subject area themselves; having a strong knowledge base about what is being taught is the first indicator of preparation.
ReplyDeleteI found this reading very valuable in terms of how we use assessments for purposes of accountability. We use these assessments as means of reflection on our own practice and how we deliver a specific topic or concept. The discussion around using indicators of assessments rather than tests of knowledge really resonated with me.
The last section about professional development was also very important. I believe that there needs to be more emphasis on giving opportunities to understand how a new technique will be valuable and how staff will be effective using it. For example, I am educating a team of nurses on a new electronic assessment and without a proper introduction of to how this tool will be valuable to them in their daily practice, it will be difficult for them to integrate it and engage in the learning of the tool.
Hi Katie,
DeleteSometimes what seems obvious ins't so obvious when you look at it in more detail. For example, "students come with pre-existing knowledge and beliefs". Perhaps this is obvious, but wasn't isn't so obvious is how you deal with these preconceptions as a classroom teacher. If their are 25 -30 students, how does a teacher address all the different perspectives student bring. That is a big challenge.
The other point "teacher-must come with in depth knowledge" is contentious. For example, my IS math student have an in depth understanding of math, but that actually undermines their teaching ability because they simply do not understand the misconceptions and struggles of students who do not understand math well (the majority). At the elementary level, it is almost impossible for a teacher to have an in-depth knowledge of any subject area because they have to teach so many for one class.
Regarding assessment, do you think it is important for you as a teacher to regularly collect feedback on your teaching methods?
Finally, do you thinking training works that well? It seems to me that even if it is understand, it is long forgotten when it is really needed. I have been to many workshops that seemed wonderful only to have the knowledge become inert because I was not ready to use the knowledge at the time.
I think this part about training is interesting. I too have rarely had effective training and it has been very frustrating for me that sometimes training of teachers or "teaching of teachers" is not the best example of good teaching pedagogy. I think that training can work well if the instruction is really in touch with their audience and attentive to the needs, and wants of their audience. I think training becomes ineffective when people do not necessarily have the desire for it and it is steamrolled over them without taking their desires into account.
Delete@Lisa - Do you think Just-In_Time e-training in the form of videos, online chat, blogs would be a better alterntaive?
DeleteHi Robin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply and helpful insights. You bring up a good point about the teacher addressing all of the students’ perspectives and can see the challenges with this. I think this may also be a good opportunity to reflect on our own pre-conceptions and beliefs and how we bring this into our practice.
I think the important part about the “in-depth knowledge” piece is to know where to find the resources that you need. I find that in my line of work, it is not necessarily knowing everything about the certain topic, but knowing how to access that information in a timely manner and getting back to the people who need that information.
It is imperative to receive regular feedback on my teaching methods to better improve delivery methods and to adapt my style to those that I’m teaching/facilitating/coaching. That is one area I am still trying to work on as I struggle with getting the feedback in the context of my work. I find that it is difficult to receive timely feedback from staff because they report that they do not have the time in that moment to fill out a survey, for example. I’m wondering how to better receive feedback and make it valuable for staff to do.
Training works well when the timing is right. Also, relevance, support, and commitment are key factors I find as well. I too have been at training workshops which were great but I was not able to fully utilize the knowledge as I did not have an opportunity to apply it in my practice in a way that was meaningful. This may be an opportunity to incorporate a “connection” piece into the training and have “check-ins” with staff to see how the learning was capitalized and if not, to explore the barriers to this.
Yes - I like your take on knowing where to look to find information. So a new skill for current teachers is not necessarily knowing everything, but knowing how, where to look and being able to properly assess information (which can be a challenge). I imagine teachers could potentially get a lot of help from online networks.
DeleteThe article, How People Learn, highlighted key findings about how people learn. I found it most evident that the article supported a learner centred classroom where there were profound implications for teaching and learning in this type of environment. Ultimately, the article suggested an optimal learning environment was an equal balance of learner centred, knowledge centred and assessment centred where all three components were intertwined as well.
ReplyDeleteA learner centred classroom would allow teachers to pay closer attention to individual students needs and progress. Also, teachers are able to improve student performance through learner friendly tasks and assessments. Having a learner centred classroom would also encourage the growth mindset philosophy and encourage students to be focussed less on their performance compared to others and rather focus on their performance as it relates to their own personal growth and improvement.
It is obvious from this article that the traditional way of teaching (direct teaching and rote learning) is not effective for many students. Different approaches need to be applied in order for learning to truly take place. It was interesting that the article discussed that it is necessary to teach both the basics AND thinking/problem solving skills; that these two things are connected in such a way that when facts are taught along with problem solving skills they actually become more meaningful and help students understand the relevance of learning certain skills. However, teaching one without the other does not assist students in being able to transfer their knowledge to new situations.
When I read this article I found myself questioning the statement that students must have a deep foundation of factual knowledge in order to learn. I often find, in my role as a special education teacher, that teachers are focussed so much in the middle school classroom on facts. Students are asked to read a textbook and answer basic comprehension question. Students are then assessed on their ability to recall these facts. I question whether they are assessing learning or just a student’s ability to remember?
Then I read the example, “Throwing Darts Under Water” and it made me think further about a student’s need to learn factual knowledge. If students have a knowledge of the facts about a particular subjects they are more likely to transfer that understanding to the application of another concept and be able to access that knowledge more proficiently when introduced with new information. However, students these days are overwhelmed by the amount of facts that they are taught. The article suggests that we need to focus more in-depth on fewer topics rather than bombard students with a ton of knowledge about too many disconnected topics. This I agree with. Instead students become able to transfer their knowledge of one thing to another in real-world application rather than having a bunch of useless facts that were memorized.
I am now questioning… if it has been demonstrated that students truly have learned when they are experts on a topic and are then able to transfer this knowledge, why is curriculum so based in many, many topics and focussed on facts?
I was a kindergarten teacher last year and that curriculum for the Full Day Learning Program is really amazing and is based mostly on skills as opposed to content. What I have observed about students learning is that students learn best when they are interested (seems like a no brainer). For example, we had a students who loved to build with blocks. And at the block centre he would be doing drama as he imagined that he was on a boat and learned social skills interacting and engaging in dramatic play with other students. He was also learning how to balance the blocks and learned many of his counting skills there. Even though he often didn't want to write in a more formal setting, if it was integrated into his interest, for example making signs to put up about rules for the block centre, or creating tickets for boat rides he had no problem with writing. This was pretty much across the board with all of the students that as they were playing, they were learning all of these skills with prompting from the teachers. Of course we did Guiding reading groups and other guided groups and had more formal lessons but a lot of time not until students were ready and demonstrating interest. And they all did in their own time and way. I think that our curriculum is so based on facts because it takes a really long time to change things in education like curriculum even when we see that it is not working.
DeleteWhile I do agree that oftentimes teachers focus too much on facts (especially on assessment) I do feel that it is necessary and is often pooh poohed a little too harshly. While it is important that a course should not be comprised of endless facts that are eventually tested, without a solid underpinning of factual knowledge, many students have difficulty finding how things fit together. Often I hear from teachers "If they can google it, why would I teach it?" As a history teacher, I have found that with a good chunk of the course, If we don't go over some important facts, they won't google it on their own and won't have an understanding of how the fabric of a nation's history fits together. A possible solution is to have the factual instruction move to formative instruction generally in quizzes which may or may not be included as part of the overall grade.
Delete@Ami - I wonder if the article is really contradicting itself. One the one had, it is said that factual knowledge is needed and typically one of the better ways to teach factual knowledge is direct instruction. On the other hand, learner centered is thrown in with an eye toward understanding student preconceptions. Your thoughts?
Delete@Robin, I am guessing that is why I found myself questioning the part of the article that discussed the need for deeper factual knowledge. I got the impression from the article that the teacher was there to facilitate that deeper knowledge and that it was important for the teacher to be deeply knowledgeable about a subject as well- hence Rodney's "contentious" comment below.
DeleteI do feel that education is moving more towards a learner centred environment. What the article did not mention was how these two things can co-exist. How can you teach a deeper understanding/in-depth knowledge of a topic while in a learner centred classroom? What would that look like?
@Ami - Maybe you let the student lead the process and stop relying on the teacher for deeper understanding?
Delete"teacher-must come with in depth knowledge" is contentious. I'd just like to comment on this. I don't think contentious is the right word. Problematic, maybe. We must be experts, but when I feel too close to my material and can't seem to understand my students' confusion, I find it's useful to metacognate. I try to remember situations when I was having trouble grasping a difficult poem or concept in an essay and work backwards from there. I'm always deconstructing my own (ongoing) learning processes.
ReplyDeleteA very good point - this is the kind of challenge I was looking for Rodney. In fact, the depth of knowledge can be obtained from the Internet in various ways (web pages, discussions, networking). And I believe that you are quite right about matching a more knowledge person's perspective (the teacher) to a student who is less knowledgeable.
DeleteAfter reading the article I found the section on implications for teaching quite valuable because it identifies ideas in teaching that can be improved and possibly change our outlook on how we might approach teaching in the future. I find it’s quite easy to think of students entering the classroom as “empty vessels to be filled with knowledge” but when we take the time to learn about their experiences and prior knowledge, instructors can then use that understanding to create a better learning experience for the students.
ReplyDeleteI also feel very strongly about teachers needing to have a lot of experience in the subject matter they teach. Having a basic understanding of a subject or small amounts of experience in that subject limits what the teacher can actually teach. In the school I teach in we have courses that train students to become professional animators or game developers. If our instructors have no real experience in those professions they can’t truly pass on all of the knowledge and skills that are required to be successful in that industry. It also makes it difficult to create effective learning strategies or tools that align with the profession. If the teacher watches a few tutorials on YouTube they may have some working knowledge to teach some basics but it is not enough to create all of the connections from theory to real world. If the teacher has worked as animator for many years and knows all the solutions to problems that are encountered it will help with making those connections for the students which will hopefully lead to greater success. It also helps for assessing the students work when the instructor has real experience because they can assess them much more effectively based on their in-depth knowledge in all the situations in an animation or game development pipe line.
Hi Edin,
DeleteI agree with your statement that an educators understanding of subject matter is an important aspect of their effectiveness in the classroom. In fact, I believe we have a responsibility as teachers to ensure that we understand what we teach and keep up with current research. However, developing an in depth knowledge of content is only beneficial if one also develops an in depth knowledge of the learners in their classroom, learning theory and effective pedagogical tools and strategies. An analogy that I recently heard at a Leading Student Achievement workshop that hit home with me was that an expensive sports car isn't much good on a gravel road covered in potholes.
A related issue:
I am an elementary school teacher with a board that has not allowed rotary for the past 8 years. This decision continues to be actively debated. One side argues that the elimination of rotary allows for cross-curricular connections and thus greater transfer of knowledge. The opposing side argues that rotary allows for students to be taught by teachers that have an in depth knowledge of content and a passion for the subject. Just wondering if others have any thoughts on this?
That's an interesting point about rotary teachers. At our school we do have teachers doing rotary and I think it is unsuccessful in my opinion because students at our school have a very difficult time with transitions and it is very unsettling for them. And then in other situations I think it is a great idea and actually allows teachers to plan really sensational lessons when they are planning one lesson to teach to four grade 8 classrooms or something. Especially when there is a lot of preparation of materials and setting up the classroom. I think as always with learning environments it depends on the learners and teachers.
DeleteHi Edin, Angela and Lisa,
DeleteI was reading your post/replies. It's interesting to consider the different perspectives on this conversation about subject experts and I can see how this relates directly to the debate about Rotary classes vs. Non-Rotary classes.
On the one hand, we have teachers that are passionate and knowledgeable in a specific subject. They can possibly help students to develop a similar passion and start to gain a deeper understanding. Can we assume that they will also be better qualified to use the most effective teaching techniques as discussed in the article?
On the other hand, we have teachers that are consistently with the same students, working with these students over longer periods of time. They would potentially develop deeper relationships with each student and gaining a better picture of each students pre-existing understandings. But will they be able to teach with the same degree of passion and expertise?
One other question that I would like to put out there for us to also think about is whether or not we think that the various subject areas (Math, English, Science, History. etc.) is how our curriculum should be organized. In a class I took previously, we considered what we would thought to be an ideal school system to help students develop 21st century skills (i.e communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity). One of the ideas we considered is whether there were other ways to organize curriculum.
I don’t know if the solution to the debate of Rotary vs. Non-Rotary is in the answer to this question, but I think it does challenge some of the assumptions that the debate is based on.
That is so interesting Colin, that point about our assumptions that curriculum should be based on subject areas. When it is organized into subject areas is it organized that why because the focus is on content more than skills? And are there models where curriculum is organized into skills as opposed to content? The Kindergarten Curriculum is far more focused on skills and it is still organized into subjects but there is far more overlap between the subjects and there are not clear distinctions sometimes of what expectation should be in each section.
DeleteInteresting thinking Colin. Middle schools often struggle with the rotary vs. non-rotary question as well as specialist vs. generalist in terms of art, music and phys. ed education. In Peel, there is a big focus on curriculum planning- and working together with other teachers to inform the bigger picture and come up with ways of integrating subjects across the curriculum- combining science and math, reading science materials for language purposes, etc. It is definitely harder to integrate curriculum when students have rotary with other teachers as collaboration isn't mandatory and has its own time and willingness constraints. So if we take a page from the Kindergarten "play based" curriculum (or inquiry based depending on how you look at it), then learning would be fluid and meaningful according to each students' interests- would students then only learn some skills and not others? How would we decide what learning is of the most value? There is no doubt that the curriculum has to change but the wheels turn slowly. However, the first thing that I would do to facilitate a change in how we teach, is turn off the bells at school...
DeleteIt seems obvious to me that teachers must first have in-depth understanding of the subject area themselves. I am a music specialist, but I only teach music half-time at my school. I have other responsibilities for which I am much less qualified. Due to provincial decisions and the impact of collective agreements, teachers can be given new assignments without adequate time to garner in-depth understanding of subject areas assigned to be taught by them. In my own school this year, one teacher arrived after re-organization to teach a grade she had never taught before; another teacher was given a split grade class after planning for a single grade class; and I was asked to teach technology, which I feel mostly incompetent doing. The reality that classes must start before teachers have time to improve their expertise can contribute to teacher illness or burn-out. Last year I was a new teacher-librarian. I had taken the prerequisite AQ course and had previous library employment experience, but I had never taught this subject in a public school. I developed my expertise by doing. I feel I was hampered by my own preconceived notion that I should have in-depth understanding of the subject area. This year, I am teaching technology in addition to music and library. I am incorporating a collaborative learning approach with my students in the “learning commons” (library/computer lab combined space). When I don’t know something, I model my thinking aloud and invite them to share their expertise. It has taken some getting used to, but it has been a deeply rewarding experience. Students enjoy being valued for their knowledge and teachers can empower students to be leaders in their own learning by welcoming collaboration on different levels.
DeleteI'm very interested in this discussion because as an administrator my school went through this rotary vs. non-rotary issue and we think we have found a workable solution. Initially, our teachers were very resistant to change from a pure rotary timetable to a 1/2 core (literacy, numeracy, history/geo) as well as their speciality area. Once they saw how they had the time to build better relationships with the kids, they saw the benefits. We took it a step further and created STEM focused classes. Students who were interested in these particular subjects could sign up for these core classes, so core for them became science, math, and literacy, and their rotary included history and geography. Next year, we will add a core class with an Arts focus for those who are interested. The teachers are excited to be able to integrate and use project based learning as opposed to traditional set time periods. We have also incorporated our TL into these integrated classes so that students and staff are benefitting from her expertise. The staff collaboration has been outstanding…I think it's very important to have everyone on board so this type of approach can work.
Delete@Edin - I am going to challenge you here. Why does the teacher have to be the source of knowledge? This is a rather old model. Imagine a classroom where teachers and students asks questions they are motivated about and students work in terms to find answers with the teachers as a coach. This is Prensky's model in a nutshell (not full articulated) called partnering and I think it is a far more powerful and empowering approach to education, than the knowledgeable teacher presenting or leading the way. Nothing wrong with knowledge, but sometimes it really inhibits creativity and further exploration.
Delete@Katina, I love the idea of collaboration and integrated project-based learning, but it is only as successful as the teaching pool allows. I have attempted to collaborate with the teachers of classes I see for learning commons and music. Some are fantastic (and that is were the best results in the learning commons are generated) and some won't even meet with me to discuss potential collaborative projects. I hope that when the results of successful collaboration projects are shared, other teachers will be more willing to try. This is the first year we are trying this approach.
DeleteAfter reading the article this line in particular resonated with me, "for a scientific understanding to replace the naïve understanding, students must reveal the latter and have the opportunity to see where it falls short" (p. 12). It was an important reminder that students not only come with pre-existing knowledge but also pre-existing misconceptions. Often times it is easy to assume that students have an accurate and in-depth understanding of concepts that they have been exposed to in earlier grades or in multiple subject areas. However, as I am sure we have all experienced, this in itself is a misconception. There is a video on the Annenberg Learner site titled "Lessons in Thin Air" that I think illustrates this point. The video examines the misconceptions students have about photosynthesis despite multiple exposures to the concept in the curriculum. The video can be viewed by visiting the following URL: http://www.learner.org/resources/series26.html?pop=yes&pid=77. As an educator it is essential that we can differentiate between superficial understandings and expertise of knowledge. For me the question becomes how can I effectively elicit and address the limited understanding/misconceptions of the diversity of learners in my classroom?
ReplyDeleteHi Angela, to add to what you have mentioned. I agree that Preconceptions are important in assessing the thinking process of the learner. I do agree that it can lead to misconceptions. But I don’t think that pre existing preconceptions are always a misconception. I know some teachers that treat the students as a “tabula rasa”, and ignore the preconception part as “misconceptions”.There is, I think a creative construction happening in the mind of a child and this is based on the environment they are living in. So to nurture and find a key relationship is necessary to bridge what is known and what ought to be known.The idea that students are blank slates is a misconception. The challenge I think is not in the misconception, but in finding a bridge or a key relationship between what is known and what is ought to be known or learnt.
DeleteHi Noori,
DeleteI agree with your statement about finding a bridge to connect with what is known and what ought to be taught or learned. To add, I also believe that that students are not given time in class to truly bridge what they learned with what they already knew. If students were given the time to adjust their schema and asked themselves what they have learned and apply it to their pre-existing conceptions,they would be able to adjust their schemas' and extend, or change their learning. The issue I find that is giving that time to students to actually think about what they are learning. As a teacher I find that because of trying to complete the agenda of the day my students are not given that time to reflect in class of what they are actually learned. The focus is to try to meet curriculum expectations because at the end of the month report cards are due. Thus, not allowing the students time during the day to actually sit back and absorbed what they learned becomes shuffled and becomes lost. I feel that it is the most challenging piece by trying to find the balance between curriculum demands and students needs.
AnnaMaria and Noori,
DeleteI agree that we are all moving so quickly to squeeze in all the expectations that the reflection piece is missing for our students and also for us as teachers. I have participated in some very successful professional learning communities where teachers are given significant amounts of time to work with colleagues to identify an area that they would like to learn more about and then go deeply into learning about it. For example, we did one about student assessment coming together with student work samples to really look at how we assess and whether we are all on the same page about it or another one I participated in was looking at the importance of oral language. In all of these I think I developed a really deep understanding of assessment and questioned my teaching methods in order to improve them. Through these significant positive changes in my teaching practices occurred. In my daily teaching though, I feel like it is such a rush that sometimes we do not stop to reflect on how to improve and what assessments are really important to do. I think our teaching becomes driven by a content checklist as opposed to using assessment to drive student learning and shape how we teach. I think similarly for students, ideally we would spend a lot more time reflecting on what they are learning through journals, or blogging or discussions. I think we all need to stop for a minute and reflect - what I am doing? why am I doing it? and is it working? And if not, be ready to scrap it and make a change.
I think that the point that you made AnnaMaria about meeting curriculum expectations because at the end of the month report cards are due makes me think about our assessment practices.
I have been teaching for ten years and done K-8 and this area, I think is the most daunting. What is good assessment? How to do it well and capture the best picture of how a student is actually progressing towards goals? I have never had a workshop about assessment or been shown examples of exemplary assessment methods. It is just kind of assumed that we are all putting those grades on the report cards using the same method. There really aren't guidelines for how you calculate grades at least K-8 as long as you have some evidence of where you got them.
Often, especially as students get older, I give tests as summative assessments and I know full well that is not the best methods but sometimes just due to time constraints that is the quickest method to get those grades for a report card. And parents and students often expect those tests. I notice that other teachers seem to also be in a rush around report card time to just kind of assess everything and I wonder how our level of understanding about effective assessment impacts our teaching effectiveness. I would love to hear peoples thoughts on this because every time I think I have a handle of assessment I go to a new grade and everything changes. And then often I don't have the time to really reflect on how and why things are assessed.
@Angela So what is the difference between pre-existing knowledge and pre-existing misconceptions in your mind? Second, should you as the teacher take on the role of correcting misconceptions or should you create an environment that allows students to correct their own misconceptions. Is there time for doing this in the face pace, content heavy classroom of today?
DeleteTo me, pre-existing knowledge is when one has an accurate mental model of a concept, whereas a pre-existing misconception is when one believes they have an understanding when in actual fact it is inaccurate. Pre-existing knowledge serves as a scaffold for new learning whereas misconceptions may serve as a barrier for learning. This distinction between the two has always been my issue with KWL charts. The "What I Know" column is much better renamed "What I think I know"
DeleteAs for addressing your second question, I don't see it as an either or scenario. At times, I do believe people need someone to correct their misconceptions, whereas at other times, problems and scenarios should be presented in a manner that people come to discover their own misconceptions.
@Angela - Ok - that is an interesting way to look at the two terms. I'm not entirely sure that a teacher correcting misconceptions works that well, but it might depending on what is being taught. How do we know when student genuinely correct their misconception? I am not convinced that assessment tools focus much on this, but maybe I am wrong.
Delete@Angela - I think it's really important to meet students where they are at in terms of pre-existing knowledge or pre-existing misconceptions. When I've asked adult learners if they've been exposed to a certain skill or area of knowledge, I'm guilty of not assessing if the use of the skill is correct or if the knowledge is accurate. So we really have to spend time assessing the skill or knowledge foundation before introducing new knowledge or skills.
DeleteI personally agree with discovery learning and having an in-depth understanding (quality) in “some subjects” rather than focusing on covering content only (quantity). But the content coverage required by curriculum guidelines can be an obstacle. I find myself divided between the advocates of breadth versus depth; I think a balance between the two would probably help. So Depth in “some subjects” is reasonable. I know parents who want their children to have an “encyclopaedia” level of information. They wonder why I don’t play jeopardy type of games to test memory rather than skill.
ReplyDeleteI like to ask, how much time do we give to in-depth understanding of topics? The second thing I would like to ask is how do we maintain interest in a in-depth learning environment? I find that my students want to always start another unit and are used to the breadth method of learning.
I find the meta-cognitive piece as the most valuable. The ability to plan, evaluate ones thinking are all great skills. I think this is very important not only in the school context but also to prepare learners for the work place environment.
I underlined this part in the text about going deep into the content, not wide and I agree that it is easier said than done and that our curriculum which feels like a huge grocery list of to do's often feels like an obstacle to that. I teach K-8 right now, mostly Science and what I notice is that in the earlier grades it is a lot easier to go deep and provide really rich tasks but as the grades get higher the curriculum seems a lot more daunting and restricting. I guess this also relates to the comment in the text about teachers needing to really know their content areas - I have been placed teaching grade 5-8 Science and Social Studies and most of the time I feel like I am drowning just to keep up with the curriculum. I did great in Science and was actually a Science Major but I hardly remember anything. I remember skills but definitely not all the content.
DeleteI empathize with your quest to find a balance between breath and depth in teaching - given the administrative demands (curriculum standards, province wide assessments) and parent demands for more breadth of knowledge for their children. I do wonder if this is where the article puts forth the idea of a community centred approach. The traditional idea of teaching was one of rote memorization of facts and figures - and one that I think continues in many countries around the world.
DeleteThe article however has me envisioning a perfect world where we could make learning more community focused by involving parents in projects. This way children and parents could not only learn, build and innovate together - parents would see the benefit of discovery based learning as they discovered together.
In keeping with this idea, our current education system groups students by age and then imposes a rigid curriculum of what they need to know for that age category. Wouldn't it be great if schools would allow children of different ages to work together on projects. This system could foster so much learning, building on knowledge bases and levels, innovating together - not to mention the potential for strengthening social relationships.
I think we do such a great job with our children when they are young (before formal education begins) when we have them play with adults, with older and younger siblings and give them opportunities to explore, and learn and fall. Even daycares are centred about children of different ages playing and learning together - I wonder why at 4 we suddenly feel the need to segregate them solely based on their birth dates?
@Safiullah I wonder if we as teacher allowed student to generate the questions whether they would be more interested in pursuing depth. I can't see the reason for pursuing breadth (which can be easily obtained off the web). It seems to me that good questions (which this article does not address), one's that do not have obvious answer and one's that many student have if asked, might be a good approach to pursuing depth.
DeleteI think as a teacher it would be great to have students pose questions, but are they able to do so when they dont know what in the curriculum objectives. I think teachers and students should work together on this breadth versus depth study. I think more is needed beyond the generating question piece, a guide I think is necessary here. It seems to me that if they fall short in understanding content, then this would make it difficult for them to know whether or not to go to depth versus breadth. In terms of using the web to obtain breadth, I think the web is a great source to find depth as well.
DeleteSo this article had a lot of things that I have read before or have heard spoken about. Many I have directly experienced and as I was reading I was observing how the more I learn about education, through this program and through my own work as a teacher, the easier it is to understand these points. In particular the key point number 2:
ReplyDelete"To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must: (a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge, (b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and (c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application."
I have heard this one many times before but especially point "c" seemed really abstract to me because it deals with how things are organized within the brain (long-term memory and short-term memory) and seems very scientific how it all happens.
What I did notice was how the more background knowledge I have in this area, even in my practical life seeing when students do not have this background knowledge that even if I teach them the concepts they don't have the connection to get that deeper understanding. The example of students learning about where countries are on a map and being able to label it through memorization but then if the boundaries were taken off then if they did not have deeper understanding about why the countries were where they were (history, landforms, etc) then it would be very hard. It really helped me to see a concrete example of how the deeper the understanding about something the more connections students can make and the easier it is to retrieve information (or for all of those facts to become useful).
@Lisa I wonder if the curriculum content here is a BIG problem. Why would we teach names of countries or locations on a map? I'm not saying there is not reason, but if the questions are not generated by the students, then the information will be lost quickly. Imagine asking why the boundaries exist? How they were created? How does a city become a capital city? Where do the name come from?
DeleteThe point about organizing knowledge is critical BTW. If we don;t link and fit in information into our current knowledge structure, it will be forgotten quite quickly and our teaching will be wasted.
I will remember what was written because as I went through I was meta-cognitively making a checklist of things I already knew, things I felt like I had to read more thoroughly because there were a bit more muddy or I had less connections and then things that were ground-breaking like the map analogy (I will remember that most because a light-bulb went off when I read that part). Also I find examples, metaphors really help me to understand more abstract concepts.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
DeleteThe map analogy really stuck out to me as well. It was an important reminder of how strategic educators must be when creating assessments to ensure they are a true measure of learning and understanding. An important question for each of us as educators then is: 1) What is learning?; and 2) How do we know when learning has occurred? One thing I have done this year to help me develop assessments that go beyond recall of knowledge was to post the achievement charts in a visible location of my classroom and office at home to ensure I address each of the learning categories (knowledge, thinking, communication, and application) on a regular basis.
Hi Angela,
DeleteYour two questions on learning intrigued me because they are valid points, how do we know that learning as occurred? And what is learning? I just wanted to add about assessment, how do we know that what we assess actually measures what it was suppose to measure about students learning activity? When we as teachers give meaningful assessment, what do we mean when we say meaningful? There was a recent debate about the levels of achievement and how they were reached. People were debating on how one can truly give a student a level 4 when even though the Growing Success Document states what a level 4 of achievement may look like, how can we truly state with certainty that the student actually achieved such level. Also, they further discussed on that in giving levels of achievement is it viewed as labelling students learning, when every students learning style and technique is unique. I found these interesting thoughts to add and think about.
AnnaMaria,
DeleteI just started writing about assessment above and just saw this and I wanted to add another obstacle that I have found working in schools with the majority of students who are so far below grade level in reading and writing. In a teaching grade 5-8 science this year. Last year I taught kindergarten and before that grade three and in science I realized that giving tests and written assignments to test knowledge in science was a poor method of assessment because even if the student knew the information, they could not communicate it well in writing and would end up with a level 1 when really they scientific knowledge was a level 3.
Instead of having them write often I would interview students and talk to them about what they were learning and them also make a lot of observations.
Now teaching grades 5-8 however this is a lot more difficult and I am constantly faced with the teaching dilemma about what is actually serving these students because when they get to high school they are probably going to have tests and I don't think that anybody is scribing for them. So if they are getting B's in grade 8 science because I have accommodated and scribed or interviewed them is that really preparing them for high school? Because in truth it is not really a reading and writing assessment but at some point if you cannot read or write can you be successful in other subjects?
Lisa, it was interesting to read your comments about assessment of students through interviewing or scribing, even in grade 8. Your last comment "Because in truth it is not really a reading and writing assessment " is one not many people acknowledge. I am a special ed specialist and what I can say is this- what is supposed to happen and what really does happen is two different things. Every student has the right to be accommodated for in the classroom- whether it is scribing, interviewing or otherwise. Students have the right to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways and as teachers, it is our professional obligation to truly assess and evaluate what they know in way that they can show us. High schools are under the same obligations as middle schools and as primary schools- but it often looks different in terms of assessment. My school is involved in a triad between primary, middle school and our local high school to begin to align our practices from teaching and learning to assessments so that students receive continuity throughout their K-12 career. It is and has been a difficult process especially since assessment, as Anna Maria mentioned earlier is subjective even the Growing Success document is not entirely clear as to what a Level 4 is.
DeletePersonally, I am a proponent of descriptive feedback in the absence of a mark or level in order to encourage growth and facilitate a growth mindset in my students. Education should no longer be able comparing our students to an outdated norm, but rather comparing students to themselves and their current growth- where we come from has a lot to say about how far we come and how much we've grown.
The author’s ideas about norms in a community-centred approach is very interesting. I can really see how an environment that values and encourages risk-taking can help to develop new and creative ideas and solutions. I work in a school with specialized arts programs and I can see how many of my co-workers are trying to foster these risk-taking norms. In many ways, I see that it this norm is counter-culture and fostering it is an uphill battle, even with in our specialized arts programs where you would think that creativity would be very valued. But I can also see a shift in the culture around us as well, moving to a more “fail fast and iterate” mentality with companies like Google pushing innovation with these types of ideas and core values.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated the author’s challenge for us in education to move past searching for the perfect teaching technique, rather recognize that they are tools to be used when most appropriate. This also challenges us to continually look for and develop the best way to teach our students and support their learning, knowing that the techniques we use will have a real impact on their learning.
Many of the ideas the author presents seem to make sense and are consistent with my personal experiences, but what I find most valuable for me to consider are the frameworks that the author presents for me to understand people’s learning, both young students and adult learners.
Interestingly enough, What the author is asserting about the importance of understanding frameworks, I can apply to my own learning about how people learn as well. It is valuable for me to understand my relevant “facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework” like the one the author has provided me with.
@Colin - Why do you suppose it is so hard to create cultures of risk-taking? Also, while the search for a perfect teaching technique may be fruitless, I think the authors of this article have proposed conflicting goals - namely learner-centered approaches AND teaching facts - These do bring tow clearly different ways of teaching to mind.
Delete@Robin - Thanks for the question and thoughts. When considering why creating a culture of risk-taking is so difficult, I’ll first look at it from within the education system that I know. I think the system values correctness and having the right answer above creativity and critical thinking. It stems from the mentality that I as the teacher know best. This is reflected often times in the criteria we use to measure success--what we award marks for, what we choose to validate during discussions. It communicates to out students what is valued, and it's not usually creativity. Outside of the education system that message exists as well--with people around us focused on getting on the right path, the right job. making the right choice. Cultural norms both in and out of the education system support these values and they reenforce each other. If anyone agrees, disagrees or has questions, I'd love to hear them.
DeleteI found this article fascinating, because while all the concepts seem so obvious and basic - I personally have never put them all together so logically. I read the article particularly from an adult educator perspective, and found all the concepts magnified for the adult learner. The scale of pre-existing knowledge adult learners bring to a class is staggering - and while adult educators assume learners have knowledge on which to grow, I'm not sure we really consider their existing knowledge might not be accurate, or that we are hoping they will unlearn.
ReplyDeleteThe article provided so much value in my role as a pharmaceutical trainer. The industry is extremely regulated by national regulatory bodies, and as such the penalties for not following training procedures range from termination to monetary fines. This coupled with the ever present cost saving measures, means time is not invested into really considering the teaching implications discussed in the article. Often laws or changing technology will lead to a complete change in process, and operators or lab techs with years of experience have to completely unlearn the old process. Trainings are so geared to getting the new information across, we pay no mind to the old information and knowledge in our trainees. This in turn leads to mistakes being made on the floor - which could have severe consequences for the employee. This is extremely obvious in cases where newer technology might take over a manual or paper based system - non tech savvy employees are not given the in-depth knowledge base they require to use the new technology effectively; instead are often given a step by step "where to click" style training, with procedures written in a similar format. For an employee who might have previously really understood the process, being thrown into a task without proper information or understanding can not only be scary, but demoralizing and demotivating.
This article has really made me rethink the idea of "past knowledge" - in adult learning I've always considered my adult learners past knowledge as an asset, but I need to view it as something that can also be holding my learners back - and one I need to pay closer attention to, in order to be a better trainer and training designer.
Hi Carol, great insight. As an adult educator I too placed the findings from the article in to an adult education perspective. In my organization, there are members who come to training with over 30 years’ experience. The challenge is to embrace their experience but also impart new knowledge onto them.
DeletePolicing sounds a lot like Pharmaceuticals. Our training is also regulated by governing bodies which has large penalties for non-compliance. We need to change our training at a quick pace which sometimes involves throwing out the old processes and methods of instruction that worked in the past. A big piece of our curriculum is risk-management. When we tie our training into real life risks, it makes our members focus on what's really important. This allows for an easier transfer of this new knowledge.
@Caorl - This is fascinating. I never considered that industry would be this strict, but I get it given the content of the area. This is a big question, but is there any room for improving the quality of instruction? Sounds like a good study to me. Also, is the knowledge being taught factual or conceptual - I'm just curious.
DeleteJoe (so happy to find a fellow adult educator!)
DeleteGreat point about risk management - as pharma is similar with most changes to procedures/process going through a risk management tool. While we do try to communicate the risk analysis to learners as part of the training, I think learners understand the concept of "Why we need to the new process", but their old understanding of the system makes it hard to transition to the "How to go about really understanding the new process".
@ Robin - there is absolutely room for improving instruction. Health Canada requires all employees working in Pharma manufacturing labs to have a B.Sc, however many of these employees received their degrees prior to the computer tech boom. Yet the ongoing in-house trainings don't pay much heed to their lack of computer knowledge - especially given some of the programs they are tasked to run are quite sophisticated. There is this assumption that they need to "memorize" the steps, without allowing them to properly analyze and understand a) the technology itself and b) how their work/testing etc. fits in with the technology being used.
So to answer your question - the knowledge tends up be a mix of both factual and conceptual. However for front line employees working in labs etc. it tends to be more factual, as they are expected to know the scientific concepts. Yet with the use of so much technology, there is no conceptual knowledge of the new technology they are using (unless they are recent grads, who might have been exposed to newer tech in their academic life).
The other challenge I find is corporations want to move training to the online format (I think as a cost saving measure to save on human resources), yet many trainers don't have the skills to effectively design these online trainings. It ends up being a very boring, extremely wordy power point presentation - not to mention quite ineffective.
A big push is towards competency based training (CBT) - but many instructors don't have the skills to develop good CBTinstruction programs and certainly not online CBT.
This is really my main goal in taking the program to learn how to effectively use learning technology to teach people.
@Carol - Hmm. The way you describe it, there does not seem to be much wiggle room and many prescribed ways of delivering instruction. Where is there room for real instructional growth? It feels like a closed system.
DeleteHi Carol,
DeleteI am also in adult education (Nursing) and also am noticing the change with corporations going toward online training. I find this challenging as I find staff are not engaged in this type of learning and are not able to use the knowledge to critically analyze their current practice.
I'm wondering how these types of trainings can be more engaging and interactive for staff to continue the growth of professional development.
Robin and Katie
DeleteI think you both really identified the problems with corporate training - especially in highly regulated industries. A) Not much wiggle room for instruction which of course leads to B) Non-engagement for staff going through these trainings, which of course then leads to work place mistakes.
The message in the paper about student's past experiences and ideas affecting their current ability to learn, really stood out to me. I almost wonder if we need to use this more in our planning of adult learning, especially in regulated industries.
I have come across several situations where a training was a knee jerk reaction to a failure, and someone quickly decided a new process was necessary. Or a new technology is implemented, only to be replaced within a year. We know it takes learners time to really master a concept/process/system - so perhaps in spaces where we know the learner comes with a vast range of knowledge, we as training designers need to really evaluate the need to change processes.
There is definitely the need to learn better more interesting and engaging ways of delivery training - but maybe we should really think hard about whether a new process is really worth risking the time and errors that might come out of its implementation. To this end I think better strategic planning of training. I personally don't see a lot of this happening - training is still considered something that everyone should do all the time, constantly and we are presumed to be "smart"enough to roll with the changes.
I hope I'm on track here....I feel a bit ranty!
For me when I read this article, I found it was just confirming what I already knew from previous courses and from my background as a teacher. Teaching and learning are intertwined whereas you cannot have the three principles without their implications to teaching. Two concepts stood out for me as being important, the first was the discussion about metacognitive strategy development in all subject areas. The first one is about metacognitive strategies which are focused in language where students are taught to help build their comprehension skills, however, having students think about what is the purpose of them learning about writing in an essay is as important as understanding the difference of population densities in a subject such as geography. If students are given the time to ask the important questions of the tasks importance to their lives or how it can impact others for instance, it may enhance their deeper understanding of the material at hand and build on them being independent learners as the article states.
ReplyDeleteThis then leads to the second concept from the article that discusses about having teachers create learner centered classroom. This reminded me of the concept of differentiated instruction where instruction is tailored to suit student’s needs, and teachers pay close attention to monitoring progress of the individual student in a classroom setting. In creating this connection, I had a thought that was to say the least bugging me which is that if a teacher creating a learner centered classroom seems so favorable how come is not as readily seen in the classroom? I have this image in my head where someone is holding on to all this money and doesn’t know what to do with it. The same goes for this article where the connection and research point to the benefits of its practice in the classroom however; there is still resistance in adopting the three principles fully. Which then leads to my own question, why?
Recently, I attended a workshop where they were discussing about student led inquiry where the students are the ones who lead the classroom learning. For instance, after the teacher introduces a topic, the students generate questions that they then will do the research for and learn from their own findings. The teachers role creates that environment where learning shifts from a structured view to one that is “a little messy”. When I was reading this article, I wondered how this concept fit into the articles design of a learning environment. The article states that teachers should “actively inquire into students’ thinking, creating classroom tasks and conditions”. This then could be applied to student led inquiries because the teacher may not structure the task but create the environment where they allow for the students to actively seek their own inquiry and demonstrate to the teacher their own learning.
I was wondering though how does student led inquiries impact the future of teaching where students are in charge of their own learning, to which if that is the case then how can a teacher ensure that they are meeting the demands of curriculum expectations, or measure student assessment, or that they are truly developing a deeper understanding. These are questions that are left still to be answered in my mind.
Hi Anna Maria,
DeleteI read with interest your question about student led inquiry. I truly believe it's important to let students follow their interests, however, as educators we also have a responsibility to evaluate on the Ministry expectations. To try and meet these two requirements I always use project based learning as the model, the Question Matrix to help students generate higher order questions, and success criteria that we take right from the curriculum expectations that the students are required to meet as part of their project. During our regular conferencing sessions, it is easy to see if the kids are on track and covering what they need to cover for their evaluation. The front end design takes a lot of preparation, but with the guidelines in place, students are able to pursue their interests, while I can still evaluate and know they met the expectations.
@Anna - I think you are dancing around a critical issue here. Your write "If students are given the time to ask the important questions of the tasks importance to their lives or how it can impact others for instance, it may enhance their deeper understanding of the material" This is perhaps the most important part of learning and one that is ignored the most. You talk about this later - the environment that encourage student questions that guide learning. I believe that this famous article does not focus enough on student questions driving their learning - Imagine how exciting a classroom would be if students could pursue their own learning goals and desires in teams.
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Delete@Robin and Katina - Both of you brought interesting points to consider...Katina I like the idea of front end design and the fact that addresses students interests and teachers can still meet assessment needs. Robin, I agree with your thought on the article not focusing as much on student questions. It would be an idealistic world if students could pursue their own learning goals without the pressure of meeting "grade expectations" Then here is my other thought then....what about student-led assessment, where students are not only pursuing their learning goals but are also assessing themselves accordingly to see if they have met their goals. An example "This is how I will prove that I am ready to move to the next grade" would be something that a student can say in this situation. Is this something that can happen or is happening? I wonder.......
Delete@AnnaMaria and Robin - What age do you think students are ready to create their own learning goals and self assessments? I recently watched a video where a select number of students from a high school were doing this very thing but with a broader scope and for an entire year. They created their entire curriculum based on their individual interests and were each responsible for researching and delivering their interests to the class. At first glance it seemed like a great idea as the level of individual engagement was off the chart but I couldn't help but wonder just what this type of format prepared them for and what Higher Ed institutions would think about it.
Delete@Ron - Probably age 1 on - Chidlren do this naturally before they go to school. Then it gets all messed up with forced curriculum. And many students do this outside of class with hobbies, gaming, personal interests. And Higher Ed should be doing this too - why do you think lectures are a huge failure, especially in our current digital age. I'm not saying it is easy, but good programs are problem based (e.g., McMaster Medical School)
DeleteBeing a supply teacher, I have to opportunity to be in many different classrooms in different cities. Each classroom and school has a unique culture and background that is important for me to recognize when I go into a classroom. I need to remember that even though it may be the same grade that I taught yesterday, the students will have different experiences shaping their prior knowledge of a particular concept. And that is just looking at the classroom as a whole let alone recognizing each student as an individual! It is unfortunate that I am not able to actively plan opportunities to unravel students’ prior knowledge on an ongoing basis with the same set of students, but knowing the value of this allows me to critically analyze the lesson plans I am left and look for good examples of how my colleagues have managed to do this in their own classrooms. As well I need to realize the teacher I am in for today most likely has taken an approach to teaching the concept that was different than that of the classroom teacher I supplied for the previous day. Reflecting on each day I supply teach by recognizing the individuality in teaching, planning and implementation styles and how these styles may complement how the students learn will help me learn and internalize strategies that will be beneficial to my future classroom or even if I have to be flexible in a lesson I give another day while supply teaching.
ReplyDeleteThe analogy about how a piece of yarn is comparable to the learning of students is something that really stood out to me. This is something that is easy to remember simply by tying a piece of string to my lesson plan binder. To take this even further, in long term planning as well as short term planning, my template will provide space for opportunity for diagnostic and formative assessments so that I can ensure that I am looking for the students’ prior knowledge through careful planning. Because I am new to the teaching field, this seems like such a daunting task. How could I possibly effectively determine 25 students’ level or understanding and misconceptions about the content? It seems overwhelming but as the article suggests, new teachers need to be reflective while learning how to effectively teach. I believe that the other key findings such as incorporating a metacognitive approach to instruction using learning goals will be best remembered through creating a structured planning routine, again using a lesson planning template that allows space for learning goals to be written so that the teacher (myself) is “forced” to go through this process. The three-part lesson plan includes a consolidation portion, which can be a great opportunity for students to be reflective for their learning. I believe the “three part lesson plan” should be transformed into the “four part lesson plan” because, as this article suggests, the lesson doesn’t just end after the students perform a consolidation task, but rather depends on the teacher taking the assessment pieces from the lesson and reflecting upon the information gathered so that this information gives way to implications that can inform the planning of the next lesson. Calling this plan a “three-part lesson” is limiting the teacher to the bell at the end of the day and ignoring the most important piece of reflection on the students’ progression of level of understanding and knowledge base as well as metacognition by analyzing the teacher’s performance in planning and implementation.
Robyn, I agree that it is a daunting task to assess what students bring with them to the classroom. I question how one teacher draws out understanding from all students. Class time does not permit this type of depth. Diagnostic assessment in a dialogue format usually elicits responses from students who enjoy speaking openly. The shy students often refrain from participating. Having written assessment can require hours of marking or modifications for students challenged in this area. It seems to me that only a superficial diagnostic assessment is possible unless teachers make it their mandate to elicit feedback from all students. I find this chapter could also include a discussion about different learning styles (as in a Multiple Intelligences approach).
DeleteI would challenge you, when you state that new teachers need to reflect on their teaching. I think this applies to all teachers throughout their career. I believe that when teachers stop reflecting on how and what they are teaching, they stop evolving into improved versions of themselves, provided they have a growth mindset.
@Robyn. I am going to challenge you here, It has been my limited experience that forced reflection on a topic does not work very well. Students learn to play the game. Reflection is needed when something happens that was not expected or my be in congruent with what we assume to be true. So if student were allowed to ask true questions and pursue them, I believe a lot more reflection would occur. If we respected student's questions a lot more, reflection would increase (in students and teachers).
Delete@Robyn. Forced reflection does not work well, but at least it is a start. I think teachers need to model what reflection looks like to teach students how to do it. In the school I currently work at, students are so self-centred it seldom crosses their mind to identify how their behaviours affect others, let alone identify how their behaviours affect their learning. How can they develop the ability to know if they understand, or identify gaps in their knowledge, if they don't practice. I think I could have done better with this while raising my two sons. They are both in university and neither does well with written exams. I put this personal reflection to good use by helping my students. Sure, some students tune me out, but many do not. They are fascinated to observe me reflecting on lessons, learning and life and feel safer participating. That said, I gave the opportunity to a class to reflect today and only 3 people participated. Hopefully the others were taking it al in.
Delete@Robin I could see your point holding true for those instances where teachable moments and “aha” moments happen, especially as content and abstract ideas become more difficult to relate to making the reflection process more meaningful. Like you said, reflection may best occur through an inquiry-based environment. However, reflection processes should not be limited to inquiry opportunities but included as a part of the classroom routines for every facet of learning. Each student is an individual and may need to reflect upon different experiences at different times. For example, a kindergartener may need to reflect upon their poor behavior during circle time while a high school student may reflect upon the strategies they have used to solve a calculus problem.
DeleteAs educators, to be effective facilitators of analysis and reflection in the classroom we need to be observant and vary the reflective approaches taken to help students analyze what has taken place, often by differentiation. Those students that “learn to play the game” are obviously disengaged and, perhaps, not challenged enough in the right way. This does not necessarily mean there isn’t anything to reflect upon as if they completed the task they must have engaged in a thinking pattern. Or maybe they don’t understand what reflection really is and therefore do not place enough value on the process. Metacognitive processes need to be taught and practiced until they are part of the classroom routine.
@Janet I can absolutely agree with your statement about reflection being pertinent to all educators of all experiences. I supposed in my post I was relating to new teachers in particular because of my personal experiences with having to learn the reflective process while also learning teaching pedagogy. However, I could absolutely see there being a difference in the reflection process between that of a newbie and that of a seasoned teacher in terms of what is reflected upon. As a teacher grows with experience their professional and personal growth goals will also change. I wouldn’t expect the new teacher, such as myself, to have mastered all aspects of curriculum preparation and delivery with other parts such as the most effective differentiated instruction techniques, classroom management, incorporation of character education, etc. However, regardless of experience any teacher could simply jot down some new ideas or suggestions/changes for the next time that they teach that particular lesson.
DeleteReading over the how People Learn article was a great refresher into how to best serve the needs of my students as they navigate through their high school years and develop as learners. While I don’t think a lot of the article was eye opening as a fair bit has been percolating through educational thought for quite awhile, it was eye opening to see my student’s way of thinking reflected in the examples. A number of times I would catch myself wondering if students are leaving my class more learned than they enter or have they only passed the course. In some of my classes, I teach quite a few applied level students who definitely posses a fixed mindset as it pertains to education and intelligence but reading through the article, I was struck by how a lot of my eager, academic, mark-hungry kids possess the same fixed approach and it left me wondering how to work to change this.
ReplyDeleteAnother valuable aspect I found was the first part that dealt with student’s preconceptions as they enter the class. What struck me was that many of us think of teaching as something that we are doing whereas learning (what we actually want for our students) is an internal thing for the student. They must work through their preconceptions, and develop new understanding. To a certain extent, the onus is on the student. Unfortunately, many of my students do not feel that this learning is as important to their development as I do. The difficulty is to develop lessons, projects, and other assignments that engage their interest while facilitating learning.
A final thing that stuck with me was the value of indepth coverage of fewer topics over the blanket approach of topics common and often perpetuated by our curriculum documents. In many classes, the interconnectedness of much of the curriculum can make this approach a little difficult to manage. Furthermore, the article mentions the requirement of cross curricular or cross grade level study to work on major concepts of a discipline which can be difficult in the silo like approach to academic disciplines found in many schools.
As far as the obvious parts, the idea that teachers must have indepth knowledge of the subject area themselves seems obvious. However, as an English teacher with history as a second teachable, I have taught Geography, Drama, Civics, Grade 9 Computers, Media, Communication Technology, and a Math course thrown at me as well. Perhaps this part was written for principals.
@Eric. I have stated this a number of times in the blog, but I wonder if you allowed students to generate and pursue their own questions whether the class would be transformed. Or presenting challenges and puzzles reflecting the curriculum and asking student to try and solve these problems. Students might feel that learning is not that important because they didn't come up with the curriculum. Also, do you feel you have the time for in-depth coverage in high school? Just curious.
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DeleteThanks for the input Robin. I actually do try to include students in designing their own learning. A problem is with my current crop of students in one of my classes that I am having some difficulties convincing them of the need for some sort of academic rigour in their curriculum design. With some, they are designing their curriculum based on the "pass of least resistance" policy. As far as the possibility of in-depth of coverage, it largely depends on your knowledge of the curriculum and your department heads and curriculum vps. Using PBL helps as a lot of the reflection and in-depth coverage is written into the process. We also use the summative project for some of that sort of thing as well. An example might be to trace a larger theme such as women's rights or transportation throughout Canada's history.
Delete@Eric and Robin- I have used Genius Hour with my gifted students with great success. Students are encouraged to find something they are passionate about, research it, build it, create it, design it, write it, whatever. They have 10 weeks, with one period of in-class time, to work on it, with additional time at home if required. They envision the project and carry it through, essentially creating their curriculum and assessment. The results have been fantastic and beyond my wildest imagination! They redefined education :) My own son (grade 6) did it with his class. He taught himself how to code and created a soccer app that he then downloaded to his iPhone, as did the rest of his soccer buddies.
DeleteI really like the idea of Genius Hour. It seems to essentially follow the essentials of PBL. Our school is quite a ways down the PBL way and a lot of what PBL brings to the table is quite helpful in this regard. A problem we are working with is that high school is a little more separated in regards to subject areas and genius hour would need to be limited to the confines of my subject area. We do have some opportunities for cross-curricular work but it is difficult to do this on an individual basis. The beauty of Genius hour is that students pick their subject area and then we worry about the assessment. In my class, I need to limit the genius hour to my subject area. I have had some success but there are always a few who it is just hard to reach and they are the ones you tend to remember.
Delete@Eric- my question to you would be "why does it HAVE to fit into your subject area"? Does the passion project have to be related to what you teach? Perhaps this is the conundrum of the article, is the "what" we are teaching more important than the "how" students learn content? I am thinking about K-8 curriculum here so forgive me if it does not directly apply to HS. I can assess language arts in science through a student's ability to comprehend and plan and carry out research. In addition, I can assess art, science, math, history and language arts and perhaps even physical education if a student decides to invent a new type of athletic shoe for their Genius Hour project.
DeleteThe issue is that I am not teaching them their science or math. I am limited under our system to assess only what is in my subject area unless it is in a cross-curricular project. An alternative would be a separate class or a project that exists outside of the standard curriculum but that becomes an administration issue.
DeleteAfter reading chapter 2 of How People Learn, I valued the explanation of metacognitive thinking. When I was in my B.Ed. program, it seemed I only heard it described as “thinking about thinking” or “thinking about learning”. This chapter breaks it down into a self-evaluative process (self-talk) of monitoring progress toward personally defined learning goals and noting when additional information is required (p.13). The chapter mentions that metacognitive monitoring is a component of adaptive expertise but does not explain this well and I question if the content that follows about student behaviours, described as: the ability to predict outcomes, explain to oneself to improve understanding, note failures to comprehend, activate background knowledge, plan ahead is the link (p.13).
ReplyDeleteI also valued the discussion about learning communities and the reference to knowledge centred versus assessment centred students. Learning centred students have a growth mindset, as identified by Dr. Carol Dweck (links included below). I question why this chapter focuses on students while seemingly neglecting teachers, who also need to have a metacognitive growth mindset approach to their own learning.
Khan, Salman. Khan Academy. (August 19, 2014) Growth Mindset. Accessed January 11, 2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh0OS4MrN3E
Briceno, Eduardo. TED talk. (November 18, 2012). The Power of Belief – mindset & success. Accessed January 11, 2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc
I will remember that cognitive development is enhanced when students help one another solve problems by building each other’s knowledge, asking questions to clarify explanations, and suggesting avenues that would move the group towards its goal. I hadn’t thought about this before. It ties in well with the suggestion that teachers be aware of student growth and development stages, mentioned earlier in the chapter.
Janet, I wholeheartedly agree re: "why this chapter focuses on students while seemingly neglecting teachers". For us to truly impact our students and facilitate a learning mindset - we must also commit and model that mindset ourselves. As I alluded to in my post - I think this is not happening enough in our classrooms. Many teachers still view themselves as the gatekeepers or controllers of knowledge. Instead we need to be learning from each other - we need to be their gun starters and let them lead us together to the finish line. I still see so many teachers afraid of what they don't know which hampers the potential of what our kids DO KNOW because they are not allowed to express themselves effectively with the tools they know best.
DeleteWe, as teachers need to accept the humility of not knowing - it is only when we see ourselves as equal learners in the learning team will we help our student achieve. Easier said than done however. We are just like our students - we are all on different comfort levels and stages of our own learning. How do we open ourselves up to professional development? What kind of professional development would best suit our needs?
Delete@Janet - I too wonder about meta-cognitive knowledge - how to promote it and how far one can go with it in a classroom. I wonder how to make it happen naturally instead of forcing it. It seems to me that when the questioning and reflection genuinely come from the student, it means a lotmore than when it is somewhat awkwardly foisted on them in the form of a series of structure "meta-cognitive" questions. And I wonder whether collaboration and communities of learning could promote meta-cognition naturally simply because different people in a team will ask different questions. My question to you is - How do you get teachers to reflect more?
Delete@Robin. I agree that natural questioning is best, but I find some students are so over-stimulated due to their lifestyle, they don't pause long enough to think. They appear hyper-active, but I don't think it is true for all of them. I think it is a learned behaviour, either by too many activities between school and home, or too much stimulation from video games and constant stimulation-seeking free time. I totally subscribe to modelling. We have to show, give time, be consistent, be patient, and celebrate small steps. When I taught at Merriam Music one of the mottos was "Kaizan". I'm not sure if I have spelled it correctly, but it means "baby steps". I have recently taken up yoga and I am keenly aware of the time and persistence it takes to make baby steps. I think the same is true for meta-cognition. It doesn't happen quickly. It is like growing a garden.
Delete@Melanie, I totally agree with the philosophy of being equal learners in a team that includes teachers and students. I have experimented with this over the past four months and am convinced it works. My students always smile when I thank them for teaching me. I have to check myself regularly to ensure I am honouring their communication and learning styles. I get impatient sometimes and fail to listen to their complete thoughts. It is tough with 25 or more students all wanting to share, but it is worth the effort.
DeleteI just spent a half our typing up my response only for it not to be uploaded. Just wanted you all to know. ARGHH! I will copy my response before I post this time.
ReplyDeleteMoving on, most of what the article stated re-affirmed for me what good teachers do. Assessing the prior knowledge of our students is essential for our classrooms, for is it what all future knowledge and creation is built on. The three part lesson - minds on is so important for our students to continue to build their knowledge. In the multicultural classrooms of Ontario assessing prior knowledge is a MUST MUST MUST - all of our students come from such different backgrounds that we must be aware of cultural differences if we are to value them as individuals and respect their learning needs and styles. The classroom that I grew up in - where we all, for the most part shared the same life experiences no longer exists.
I found valuable the quote about "students who think intelligence is a fixed entity are more likely to be performance orientated than learning orientated". How true this is - and how true of our education system in general. I know one of the buzz words in education now is "changing mindsets" and I agree with this - some of our students are so afraid to fail, that they can not truly succeed. How important does formative assessment to changing this mindset? Crucial - formative assessment helps students learn how to make mistakes without the fear of being marked and gives them multiple opportunities to master the skills they need to achieve succees. Regular and timely formative assessment between teachers and their students and even students themselves is so important to success and the metacognitive process.
And then what do we do? We slap down EQAO. How are teachers ever going to truly change their mindsets and let students have the time to learn, explore and discover when there is the pressure to teach to the "test"?
I question that we need to develop ways to link classroom learning to other aspects of the students lives. In some ways, I think we need to do the opposite. We need to bring what they are learning outside the classroom to inside the classroom. We run a makerspace at lunchtime in our school and it astounds me to see what the students are doing at home. Yes, our students are digital natives, but they often lack the guidance to use their skills in purposeful and meaningful ways to make a positive change in the world.
@Melanie - MInds On is nice in theory, but I am not sure it works well in practice. It is treated as a hook and may not link to student pre-conceptions. I wonder what teacher can realistically do with prior knowledge once they assess it in a class given that there will be multiple pre-conceptions?
DeleteAlso, I don't believe that article was referring to cultural differences and learning styles - I believe it was referring to knowledge pre-conceptions. Actually, many noted scholars believe learning styles do not exist: see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKkHiAA3xu0
Also, can a teacher really address all different cultures and needs? How is that possible? It sounds good on paper, but I don't believe that one teacher and maybe an EA can truly address the range of needs in a classroom. This is a real problem in our education system.
Last, a question. Do you do formative assessment of your own teaching? Whether student think what you did worked? why or why not?
I think the minds on can be effective is it is used for more than just a hook - yes, I guess in this sense the three part lesson does need to be modified. The minds on I often use in the classroom is based on primary documents - and student observations of these documents. Their observations and questions are often the base of our inquiry process from which we build all understandings on.
DeleteI think cultural differences can lead to students having different prior knowledge experiences...I admit I got carried away with the learning styles comment. Can I address all the needs of my students? No - I can't in every lesson. While we may not be able to address all cultural needs, is it possible to come to a shared understanding of where different students are coming from and why they think this way? I think so.
Yes, I guess I do do some formative assessment of my own teaching and what is happening in the classroom. I often ask the students if they enjoy what they are doing and should we keep on learning this way - or what we need to do more of. However, most of the assessment of my teaching comes after the fact - we do a stop, start and continue. While this benefits next year's students, really I should keep this years students in the forefront of my mind.
This article was a refresher for me and made me think that as an educator I always need to keep in mind my students and how they learn. The Ministry has been advocating for teachers to use the 3 part lesson format and it connects directly to the research found in this article. For example, at the beginning of a lesson we should do a diagnostic (minds on) to see student prior knowledge regarding the skills and/or content. From there, we can introduce some new learning and give students a chance to “work on it” in flexible groups. At the end of the lesson, we should always consolidate with the students to ensure they understand what learning took place and to see if they can apply it (transfer) to other similar and/or different problems. Metacognition should always be part of the process as in my opinion, students need to practice thinking about their thinking.
ReplyDeleteI found the section on designing classroom environments to be very valuable, as I believe in learner centred classrooms, but I also feel it didn’t go far enough. Personally, I think we should focus on learner centred schools. If we want our students to grow and learn, staff must also be supported with their growth as well. As an administrator, I believe it’s important for teachers to feel supported (and pushed a little) to keep learning and growing. This may come in the form of job embedded PD, for example, collaborative inquiry and learning in mathematics (CILM), as well as self directed learning. If we are expecting our kids to set goals and have a growth mindset, then staff, including teachers and admin, as well as parents should also be part of that process.
What I will remember is learning is messy and that mistakes should be celebrated!!
@Katrina - Well the devil is in the details with respect to Minds On which is often used as a hook or a primer. I have rarely seen it used to assess prior knowledge, BUT lets assume you are correct. You assess the prior knowledge of a class and one could assume that there would exist 5-6 different ideas/misconceptions in a class of 25-30. How can you address this? There would have to be a contingency plan in the lesson to adjust to misconceptions and problems with pre-knowledge. So perhaps the 3 part lesson needs to be modified. It would seem to make sense to use a class or two to generate questions and list all the previous forms of knowledge, then to develop a lesson or series of lessons to address preconceptions and move toward new learning.
DeleteIn short, the 3 part lesson may look good, but I don;t think it works to support the ideas of the articles that well. Your thoughts?
@Robin - In my experience, there are a variety of ways to approach a 3 part lesson. In Math, the Minds On is fairly quick so that students can get to the problem. In other subjects however, the Minds On can last for some time (2-3 periods) and consist of diagnostic activities to assess the prior knowledge of students. Here's an example from the Ministry website: http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesDI/TeachingLearningExamples/History,%20Geography,%20Civics%20Grades%207-10/Folder%20GR7_History%20%20Fur%20Trade.pdf
DeleteI think the 3 part lesson can be flexible to suit the needs of whichever class/lesson is being delivered and can be modified to suit the needs of the learners in the classroom. Anytime I've started a new lesson, I would always do a diagnostic to see the prior knowledge of my students so I know their readiness.
What I found most valuable about this article was that most of the findings can be applied to my workplace and in particular, adult learning. In fact, the findings re-enforce some of the core adult learning principles. The first principle is that adults bring with them a wealth of experience which they expect to use when then learn something new. As educators we need to acknowledge this or we risk losing student engagement. In my job, I need to build this into course design.
ReplyDeleteThe second adult learning principle that ties to the findings is that adults want guidance. The article speaks about formative assessment, and the need to have continuous meaningful discussions. In the workplace, education is often seen as a stop gap, or something that takes place over a finite amount of time. The challenge is to make the workplace a learning organization where feedback and assessment is continuous.
The way I remember what I have read is by pulling out the key points and then reviewing them when I need. Also, the more I write it out, the better chance I have to remember them.
@Joe. So this is a good start with respect to linking the principles to your work environment BUT what question or concerns do you have. For example, how is it possible to address preconceptions with a class size of 100-200 in higher education? Can learning really be student-cantered with large class sizes? Again, is formative assessment realistic given the marking load of most college instructors?
Delete@Robin. For a large group in higher education you could survey the students early on to determine any common preconceptions, and then incorporate them into the curriculum, if possible. Having a large group of students does mean we can just throw out the idea of student-centered learning; we should exhaust all the possibilities to ensure we engage the students and make them more involved in their learning. One way could be to incorporate these concepts into assignments, or reflective papers. Perhaps it is a blend of teacher-led instruction with problem based learning. It would be difficult to assess the learning in this type of environment, however maybe the marking structure needs to change? Perhaps peer evaluation be incorporated into the marking scheme for assessing problem based activities. Ultimately I believe it is possible to introduce student-centered learning in a large group.
DeleteOne of many pieces I found valuable in this reading was the notion of students coming to the classroom with preconceptions. I find this even more interesting when you apply this idea to the adult learner population, who may not be as malleable as the younger generation. Adult learners bring life and work experience into their learning environments. Some of these experiences have value and can be used as foundations to build new knowledge. Other preconceptions may be challenging to modify.
ReplyDeleteI somewhat question the statement “[m]any approaches to teaching adults consistently violate principlesfor optimizing learning”. I suppose in the context of teachers being adult learners, this may be true (I’m not a K-12 teacher). In my experience as an adult learner or educator to adults, a needs assessment has always been used prior to curriculum/program development. This may not be the norm. The curriculum/program is then modified if necessary based on evaluation feedback. In terms of not being knowledge centered, adult learners want to know how this new knowledge is applicable to them (the “what” and the “way”). If this is not known to them, its challenging to get buy in and change behaviour.
@Michelle - So do you think it is harder to modify Adult preconceptions than children's preconceptions? I wonder if that depends on the topics/context. Also, is the key goal to use the preconceptions to eventually help the learner's understand?
DeleteAlso, why do you thin the statement "[m]any approaches to teaching adults consistently violate principles for optimizing learning" was made?
@Robin- I do believe it's more challenging to modify adult preconception vs children's. I think Adult preconceptions may be driven by so many variables such as emotions, past experiences (positive and negative), the way knowledge was acquired etc. I think children have limited life experience and exposure to other perceptions. Children are more engaged in the learning process, more inquisitive and accepting of ideas (not sure if that's a good thing).
DeleteI think helping learners understand where their preconceptions originate is the key to critical thinking, you should be able to take your own thinking apart.
I think the above statement was made because the populations studied
(?teachers) may perceive that their input into curriculum development, workshops etc are not valued. This perception probably comes from what they have and what their colleagues have experienced. I'm not sure if these occurrences qualify as being "consistently" violated.
It is obvious that when a student enters the classroom that they will have come with "baggage" in terms of their personal experiences and preconceived notions on the subject. The article suggests that if we understand the student’s perspective better, we can provide a lesson that is more tailored to their specific learning situation. This method may work in a small classroom scenario with less than 25 students. But consider the time it takes to assess just one student in a single area of study. To fully understand the may be a huge undertaking, especially in a class with hundreds of students. In higher education, when students have been exposed to many more experiences, this will further deepen the information pit one must dig into to get to the root of their learning road blocks.
ReplyDeleteThis type of approach may not work in university setting, where an instructor individualizes the content to suit a particular person. Since every student could technically have a completely different take on subject, there will be as many variations as there are students. Learning every nuance would take an eternity and there just isn't the time to do this effectively. One can make generalities, grouping many types of learners together. Through a series questions or assessments prior to the class session, one could attempt to gauge this on a broad spectrum. A slight modification or tailoring a section of the lesson plan, based on the general consensus would only help a few. This may be the extent of customization, as the content that I must cover would require many more versions catering to each type of learner. This would lead to deviation from the original course content to facilitate these differences. As well, the additional preparation for class would be beyond what most higher educators would be willing to do.
Learning with understanding for all, can also be a challenge in higher learning, when the depth and breadth of a subject is to be presented in a 40 hour period of time. Without constant feedback and assessment of a student performance, a teacher will have a difficult time judging whether the student has actually understand the concept presented. With these time constraints, it would be difficult to revisiting these points to bring everyone to the same level. If we spend too much time on a single area, belabouring the point of nauseum, we risk losing the engagement of the students that didn’t require further explanation. My feeling is that these situations are better handled in a one-on-one scenario, such as an open office then hold up the rest of the class for the needs of a few.
When I design my courses, I assess whether the students understanding of concepts taught, though projects that require them to demonstrate the concept in a similar fashion, or in a completely new practice, to ensure they fully understand the principle being shown. I can then judge the effectiveness of the lessons and their understanding of the material, and review the problem areas at the end of the course.
What is valuable about the article is that it identifies that our current methods of delivering a lesson may not be as successful as we had hoped. Not everyone will understand the matter in a meaningful way, or beyond a set of facts or figures. That previous exposure to material, personal biases or other factors may hamper how a student learns from that point forward. As a teacher, we must try our best to complement our current teaching methods, by utilizing various approaches to better help people understand, rather than regurgitate information.
In regards to how I will remember what the article was about, may come down to re-reading it a few times. While also attempting to put some of the points into practice, as a teacher in higher education, will definitely help as well.
@Derek - Nicely detailed and reasoned post. I wonder if you could use clickers or audience response systems with larger classes to check the pulse of understanding. And regular formative feedback in the way of surveys might help as well so you would get a general idea of misconceptions which could be addressed through video podcasts. Your thoughts?
Delete@Robin, I haven't taken the opportunity to implement these technologies in the class room as of yet. I worry that they may add to the distractions already present in the class, i.e. the laptops. They could be useful but only if they are used on a regular basis, otherwise you would only get a small sampling when used sparingly and not every lecture. I have tried using quizzes to judge comprehension, but this requires quite a bit of additional preparation and will only give proper feedback if you ask the right questions. Some concepts are difficult to test in format. As for video podcasts, I have used these extensively with my lectures, posting a recording daily to help students review, or catch them up if they miss a lecture. They are only helpful if the students use them. Many times I find that student don't always take advantage of these additional resources, as it means additional time for them to dedicate outside of class. For those that do use them, I have received positive reviews for having it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI found the reading to be quite interesting especially with regards to the intelligence theories affecting performance and how students may “want to look good rather than risk making mistakes”. Too often students are afraid of even answering questions for fear of getting them wrong and instead they wait and see what other students have done before attempting anything themselves. In similar situations many students don’t want to admit when they don’t understand something for fear of looking bad in front of the class.
ReplyDeleteOne point in the readings that I don’t necessarily agree with is that you need to be an expert in something to teach it effectively. I believe it’s important to have a solid understanding of a subject you are teaching but more important is the manner in which the teacher is able to convey this information to their students so that the material or concept is easily understood. A brilliant person doesn't necessarily translate into a brilliant teacher.
@Ron, I have always been conflicted and confused by our intensive numbered grading educational system. I teach both business courses and special education courses (i.e. Learning Strategies), and I find that as students get to the higher grades (gr.11 and 12) they have already labeled themselves (i.e, I am a 60% student) based on numbers that teachers have been providing them with over their academic years. Once a student accepts their numbered label, they become fixed on the notion that they can't do better and accept it as is. The numerous conversations, especially with students that experience learning difficulties regarding that a number does not represent their maximized learning capacity has been overwhelming. Students are shaped by our system to strive for a certain number/percent and sometimes this idea to strive for a number interferes with the learning itself.
DeleteUs teachers that assign these numbers are not always thorough in regards to following up to make sure that additional learning has occurred.
What do you think in terms of the current grading system we have, do you feel that it motivates those with low numbers (50%-60%) to strive for more learning?
I also agree with you in regards that teachers do not necessarily need to be an expert in the field, however a solid foundation of the subject is vital in order to feel comfortable explaining and building on new concepts with the class. Although I have been placed in many last minute situations, where I was assigned to teach a grade 12 course that I had no academic background in. Teaching those courses sometimes felt like being on "survivor" for a full semester.
In terms of you mentioning that you need "a solid understanding of the subject", what would you define as actually being solid?
Hi Vera,
DeleteWhile I agree with you that students may end up labeling themselves as a D, C or B student I disagree as to why, or at least from my own experiences with my students. If a student gets a D or C in one of my classes it’s primarily because they haven’t put in the effort and or time. Are you suggesting that the time and effort are directly related to what they think their numbered label is? I think it’s more of a reflection of who they are and the culmination of their learning and study habits up to that point. When I compare notes with other teachers regarding students who are doing poorly in my classes I find we are typically on the same page with our reasoning. For some students the goal isn't necessarily to do well but to simply get the credit and ultimately the diploma. In terms of motivating students to do better we need to do so without referencing grades as the end all be all motivator. Fortunately for me the majority of the courses I teach have skills that are in high demand in the workforce and the students know this so it isn't too difficult to motivate them. For some other courses…good luck!
a) What was obvious to me about what was written
ReplyDelete➢ Teachers must come to teaching with the experience of in-depth study of themselves
➢ Hand on experiments can be a powerful tool for knowledge but do not alone evoke the underlying conceptual understanding that aid generalizations
➢ Attempts to teach thinking skills without a strong base of factual knowledge do not promote problem solving ability
➢ Students who think that intelligence is a fixed entity are more likely to bail out when tasks become difficult
➢ Assessments need to be learner friendly and not random quizes the students were asked to memorize the night before
➢ Parent support and involvement in the learning process is of utmost importance
➢ b) What I found valuable about what was written
➢
➢ Many curricula fail to support learning with understanding because they present too many disconnected facts in too short a time
➢ Many approaches to teaching adults consistently violate principles for optimizing learning
➢ Teachers are introduced a new technique without being given opportunities to understand how it might be valuable to them
➢ Principles of learning and their implications for designing learning environments apply equally to child and adult learning
➢ Students can become experts if the information they are taught is placed in the appropriate conceptual framework
➢ Students come with preconceptions, teachers must address each student or they will have trouble accepting new knowledge that may disagree with what they have previously assumed
c) What I question/disagree with about what was written
➢ Sometimes when you involve parents who have a fixated “high-marks” only mindset, it is difficult to get them on your side when the students are going through the learning process
➢ New teachers can be expected to teach over 20 different courses in less than 5 years without choice, how can they be expected to be experts in all of their courses?
➢ The article argues that teachers must use frequent formative assessments that are not “test based” but does not provide strategies to do so, frequent formative assessments are time consuming, what actually works best?
➢ The high school curriculum has so many concepts that students need to go through, how do you satisfy the curriculum to make sure students truly understand and lessons are valuable rather than having them memorize concepts and terms.
➢
d) How will you remember what was written?
➢ When reading, I try to apply the concepts to myself as a learner and as an educator. For example when the article was describing student’s fixated mindset for intelligence, I think of examples of students in my classes who demonstrate this and give up on challenging tasks without allowing themselves to fail and try again
➢ I try to place and connect the information that I have learned in the article to previous knowledge that I had on this subject.
➢ Discussing the article with classmates, an according to the article, using a metacognitive approach, where students are asked to verbalize their thinking as they work, allows better learning and understanding to occur.
Tyler here (in case it shows up as Anonymous which is what it's done in the preview):
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be obvious yet valuable, providing a swath of significant topics teachers should understand, acknowledge and, whenever possible, introduce to their classrooms. These topics are incredibly varied but suffer, however, from a lack of detail and further insight. From praising multiple intelligences and diminishing standardized tests to creating classrooms based around the learners' needs and understanding students' preconceived notions, the chapter deals with what would otherwise be immersive and extensive subject matter. Instead, the writing and ideas flit from one topic to the next, providing readers with the slightest of glances and small windows of opportunity to build upon ideas. This, at times, reads closer to a student teacher's prep sheet for an upcoming practicum, which is not necessarily a bad thing; as noted, these are valuable topics to be introduced to. It is even acknowledged at the front end of the chapter that the purpose of this book is to provide readers with an introduction to educational concepts, ideas, and ideals. In that, I believe, it succeeds.
Where I question the writing, further than the generalization of so many topics, is the clumsily suggested 'big picture' ideas throughout the chapter. Of particular note is the idea that a specific, in-depth area of study should be committed to in a classroom, in subjects such as geography, history and English. Here, I can agree with the author, in that scattershot facts do not provide students with the context necessary to delve into a topic. This is particularly true of English and history, my two areas of interest and teaching. However, I cannot agree with the idea that this sole focus should be committed to for an entire semester, let alone carried on throughout a students' academic career. In English and history alone there is great contention as to what should be taught and where the focus should lie: Should Shakespeare continue being the primary, and often sole, playwright we introduce students to? How can we move away from the Eurocentric history taught previously (both on the macro-level and micro-level, as grades seven and eight continue to focus solely on Canada's British and French roots)? Having to focus on refined subjects, while valuable, could not justifiably be done over the course of an entire semester, let alone carried onwards throughout a students' time in that line of study. While I agree more focus, time, attention and detail is a must, the level suggested in the article seems both impractical and unruly.
"New teachers can be expected to teach over 20 different courses in less than 5 years without choice, how can they be expected to be experts in all of their courses??""
ReplyDeleteI completed my BEd in P/J coming from a BSc background, and did I ever stress about taking on a K-6 language arts class. I knew science but what about the "hidden curricula" integrated into language arts? The curriculum document didn't feel like it was much help since it appeared to be very general so where would I get my content for my lessons? Do K-6 teachers really need to be "experts" in the language arts to be able to effectively teach this subject? It seems it's a subject that nearly all K-6 homeroom teachers must face at some point.
Robyn, I would completely agree. I do not have a fine arts degree, but have muddled my way through the art curriculum and have created several meaningful and engaging art history lessons for students. I would say there are 2 pieces to this 1. preparedness- having done my own homework and scaffolded a lesson that allows students to be creative and gain understanding in a variety of ways
Delete2-accepting that my students may be more advanced or have a deeper understanding than I do
I think the idea that teachers are ever "experts" is becoming a thing of the past. We are "facilitators of learning".
Do you see the curriculum and Ministry expectations changing to adapt to the realities of todays classroom?
Dumbledore must die. But only once Harry is ready for him to die.
DeleteThe big "take away" for me, was the importance of engaging students and teaching them to develop their metacognitive skills. Since reading the article, I have reflected on my own practice quite a bit and actually refreshed my online day book to highlight the three things suggested in number 2 of "Designing Classroom Environments". The, what is taught? why it's taught? and what mastery could look like, are the key elements of any good lesson. With that in mind, its important that we are using a diverse approach to the instructions that we are giving students and the ways in which we are scaffolding lessons to best serve our students interests and areas for improvement.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that I fully agree with what is suggested about teachers having to provide students with a strong base of factual knowledge. In my experience, students learn best in a variety of ways. The handouts or lessons that I may give, are not always what is remembered at the end of a unit. It is the discussions that students have in peer groups and hearing other students or online videos give them tid-bits of knowledge. With technology, students have become the best fact checkers and the inquisitive nature of this process and the inquiry based skills that are developed allow for the best learning to take place.
a) What was obvious about what was written?
ReplyDeleteI do not know if the word obvious is what I would say about what was written but rather some information I have been previously exposed to and was able to re-cap or refresh my prior knowledge. I also found that although some information was new to me or presented in a new way that I had not thought of before, it still acknowledged some thinking moments in my mind such as “Oh yeah,” or “That definitely makes sense.” For example, on page 16 it indicates that teachers do not only need to have an understanding of inquiry learning and the process but they “must have a grasp of the growth and development of students’ thinking about certain concepts.” Although this information seems obvious, as a new teacher it will be a concern for me whether I feel successful, unsuccessful and how will I measure or be able to know if I truly have an understanding of how my students are thinking. I can give myself an answer to this by saying there are many resources out there such as websites, books, videos and other people to help me with this concept of teaching. However, I will need to develop and practice many skills in order to give students strategies, proper prompting, guiding, supporting and knowledge through my confidence that they may need to be successful. This will take may take years for me to master but as long as I am open-minded and willing to give my students my best effort than I think I will be on the right track. On the other hand, it will be important for me to not feel discouraged or doubt that I am wrong because my teaching style may appear a lot different than teachers around me with more experience. It is exciting to start out fresh and it is exciting to get help or suggestions from other teachers especially those with more experience.
Another somewhat obvious piece of information that I want to elaborate on is figure 2.3 on pg. 20. I had always thought that students spent a majority of their time in classrooms learning, however I was not believing this information with facts, which means I was not factoring in summer break, holidays and PD days. This figure then became obvious that being at home, sleeping and in the community is actually a large portion of a child’s growing up. This reminded me of how we cannot monitor our students’ time outside of the classroom through assessment or observations at all times and it is important to value class time as much as possible. Seems obvious right? Or as teacher’s we can try to connect and incorporate students’ home and community life as value inside our classrooms (which I know many teachers that already do). This helps support the notion that parents, the greater school community and extra curricular activities are significant factors in enhancing a single child’s whole development. What does this mean for teachers? Does this mean we should take initiative or insight into what is happening outside of the classroom at all times? It is definitely important percentages to consider, however we cannot control how much our students are sleeping or what they are eating for example. We can however be role models in the classroom by having discussions about proper sleep and nutrition in hopes that are students will follow when not in school.
b) What was valuable about what was written?
ReplyDeleteI found a handful of things in this article to be valuable and I will name a few.
• The article discussed how metacognition is an internal conversation therefore we assume it is learned automatically with students, however as teachers we need to teach students how to do so in every subject because it is not generic across all subject areas. It will be important for me to always remember that although subjects can crossover one another sometimes certain strategies cannot or may not work as well. Also, sometimes if a student seems to have a good hold on their metacognitive activities in one subject, they might not have the same success in another subject; I would assume this happens more often in younger students.
• On page 15, 16 the article indicates it is valuable to teach to the student not to the subject, and that assessment must tap understanding and provide feedback for the students (and teachers). I think it will be valuable to always remember to use the preconceptions of students to either build upon or teach them to think in new ways.
• The article indicates that the question of what type of teaching style works best for a classroom is not the correct question to ask. As the article presents so many people claim that lecturing or reading from the text are not good styles of teaching but it actually depends on what is being taught and to who (pg. 18). This is so true and reflecting back to inquiry-based learning, it is not always a better style of teaching for all but may work well for that one lesson or one subject unit or that one or two students. Therefore, the statement on pg. 19 “there is no universal best teaching practice” is absolutely true and very valuable to always remember. This will be important for me when I step into my own classroom one day and want my students to be able to have control on their own learning. As much as it seems obvious to change my teaching style from subject to subject, it may not be as easy as it sounds to actually do so.
c) How will you remember what was written?
I will remember what was written because as I was reading through the article, I was writing down summary notes in a Microsoft word document. This will allow me to not only have a document of reminder but when I re-write information I have read it tends to stick with me, then if I had just read the article and not answered the above questions or not had it as a resource saved on my computer. I will remember the parts of the article that I could relate to (pre-existing knowledge) and found to be valuable information for my own knowledge. Also, this blog post will be another good resource to use too along with the comments, questions and concerns of my peers.
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteHey friend, it is very well written article, thank you for the valuable and useful information you provide in this post. Keep up the good work! FYI, please check these depression, stress and anxiety related articles:
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