As educators, it is one of our tasks to constantly bring out the best in each and every one of our students. Often, this entails eliciting a single, correct response. As John W. Santrock states in "Educational Psychology" (Chapter Nine), "schools spend too much time on getting students to give a single correct response in an imitative way rather than encouraging students to expand their thinking bu coming up with ideas and rethinking earlier conclusions." The inventiveness of a student is undermined by the task to find the correct answer the teacher has in mind.
To be completely honest, I was in the mindset that there was only one correct answer and that what the teacher taught me was the truth. It was not until I arrived at college that I truly began to "think" in the fullest sense of the term. As much as I hate to admit it, Common Ground requirement Paideia I showed me how to think. The make up of the course I was in (with one of the best teachers I have ever had, might I add) was tailored to finding alternative responses, or even taking a side of an argument that there really was no answer to. Once I bought into the idea that there was "no correct answer," I was able to cut my creative reigns and really think in a fulfilling way. As a future educator, I believe that it is one of the most important things I wll do is to cut the reigns that we hold so tightly onto students with and let them take control and let them arrive at their own answers--even if it is not the way we see it.
It was philosopher Fredrich Nietchze who said that truths are just illusions we have forgotten are illusions in a more eloquent way. This speaks to what educators do every day. We teach things that basely we believe are truths. There can be science behind it, faith behind it, personal experience behind it. But underneath all of this, educators need to remain cognisant of the fact that all we are teaching is the current standardization of things we hold to be true. We need to remain open to other viewpoints that students express in the classroom, as well as present research of different approaches and "holdings of truths" to our students to expose them to ideas outside their realm of reality and help them think in such a way. It is important that we develop classrooms where creativity is encouraged and embraced, as well as create an environment where mistakes are equally encouraged and embraced in pursuit of the truth.
In a society where the "standard of education" is not working in comparison with other nations, it should be our number one goal to create innovative thinkers for the twenty first century. Regardless of how our nation's students stack up against other nations, if they can hold their own in innovation, then we truly have nothing to worry about. Innovation comes in science, in medicine, in music, in art, in politics, in all realms of life. All this innovation definitely cannot hurt our economy if innovative marketing is employed. There also needs to be a link between high achievement and innovation, but if creativeness is encouraged from the onset, then achievement will skyrocket as a consequence. In the midst of economic uncertainly, education needs to our investment instead of "Cash for Clunkers" or corporate salvages and stimulus packages. By investing in upcoming generation's creativity (instead of making sure they are not "left behind") we can look towards a better national life and personal self-fulfillment.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Two Unrelated Subjects--Roleplaying and Reflectiveness
Students and teachers alike find it hard to reflect because of the very nature of reflection. Reflection demands that you critically evaluate your performance, and this often involves looking for your faults, mistakes, or failures. Society as a whole finds it difficult to admit one flaws. However, reflection, done correctly, allows us to correct mistakes and improve future performance. Even if you are successful, reflecting on what made you successful is useful because it will continue to improve future performance. I constantly reflect, whether it be as I am engaged in a task, trying to figure out what is working and what is not and how to get the best results, or laying in bed thinking about my day. People are always changing, always learning, but the only way to make sure that their is positive results is to critically reflect on what you absorbed.
In regards to Monday evening's role playing simulation:
This method of role playing is a legitimate way to learn about student learning and accountability. It opened up a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages to high-accountability/high-student achievement models emerging in school districts like Washington D.C.. In comparison to a typical lecture approach of discussing the same material, the role playing model forced us (the students) to take a stance and explore given problems and advantages to the proposed model versus a professor giving us the same data--it makes students think. Students need to have a common grasp of a base set of skills before they can grasp more complex skills. I think Santrock would agree with me. Students need to have at least some sort of developed schema regarding a subject matter before they can build off of that and engage in high level, critical thinking. Without, they are shooting around in the dark, struggling, and making things up. That time would be better spent developing a schema than skipping over that and having them struggle. Emotional engagement is a big part of the learning process. When students are passionate about a subject, or can at least relate to it at some level, learning becomes exciting. Education is never without emotional engagement. For example, a student may hate math. They struggle with it because it not an interest of theirs, and therefore they do not pay attention in class. That is an example of emotional engagement. It is negative emotional involvement, but involvement nonetheless. If the teacher is successfully able to negotiate this emotion, and make something click with the student, they become excited about the fact they "got" something. This is emotional engagement.
In regards to Monday evening's role playing simulation:
This method of role playing is a legitimate way to learn about student learning and accountability. It opened up a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages to high-accountability/high-student achievement models emerging in school districts like Washington D.C.. In comparison to a typical lecture approach of discussing the same material, the role playing model forced us (the students) to take a stance and explore given problems and advantages to the proposed model versus a professor giving us the same data--it makes students think. Students need to have a common grasp of a base set of skills before they can grasp more complex skills. I think Santrock would agree with me. Students need to have at least some sort of developed schema regarding a subject matter before they can build off of that and engage in high level, critical thinking. Without, they are shooting around in the dark, struggling, and making things up. That time would be better spent developing a schema than skipping over that and having them struggle. Emotional engagement is a big part of the learning process. When students are passionate about a subject, or can at least relate to it at some level, learning becomes exciting. Education is never without emotional engagement. For example, a student may hate math. They struggle with it because it not an interest of theirs, and therefore they do not pay attention in class. That is an example of emotional engagement. It is negative emotional involvement, but involvement nonetheless. If the teacher is successfully able to negotiate this emotion, and make something click with the student, they become excited about the fact they "got" something. This is emotional engagement.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
PASSION
I believe that passion is what makes life interesting. It is what drives us in our daily pursuits, and guides us towards a fulfilling life.
Educators who bring passion to their classrooms spark similar passion in their students. Regardless of whether a certain discipline is appealing or interesting to a student, if their teacher shows enthusiasm and vibrancy towards that subject, some of that passion will transfer to them, and they will begin to look at the subject in a new light. A passion-less will come off as being bored with the subject, and if the teacher is bored, you can bet the students will find no intellectual importance in the subject.
Not only will passion rub off on them, but if an educator has a passion for something, this passion will cross over into their work. They will spend time creating interesting and stimulating lessons and search for creative ways to reach every student.
However, passion in an specialized area is not the only requisite for being an effective teacher. There must also be a passion for teaching, a passion for seeing students succeed. If one lacks this, they can share all the information they know in the most passion-driven way, but they will not reach their students because educating them does not lie on an equal plane.
I remember one of my 11th grade teachers. She was...interesting...to put it gently. Every day my peers and I would leave the class smiling over some new quirk we learned about our teacher. But we also left knowing things we did not know coming in. Underneath her eccentric visage laid a genuine passion for her subject. Partnered with this love was also a genuine passion for teaching. She loved to see students "get things" as well as bridge the gap between assumed literary interpretations and new, abstract understandings and connections.
Because she exerted this educational passion, my peers and I picked up on it, bought into it, and found success in her class (which was not an easy one may I add).
Educators who bring passion to their classrooms spark similar passion in their students. Regardless of whether a certain discipline is appealing or interesting to a student, if their teacher shows enthusiasm and vibrancy towards that subject, some of that passion will transfer to them, and they will begin to look at the subject in a new light. A passion-less will come off as being bored with the subject, and if the teacher is bored, you can bet the students will find no intellectual importance in the subject.
Not only will passion rub off on them, but if an educator has a passion for something, this passion will cross over into their work. They will spend time creating interesting and stimulating lessons and search for creative ways to reach every student.
However, passion in an specialized area is not the only requisite for being an effective teacher. There must also be a passion for teaching, a passion for seeing students succeed. If one lacks this, they can share all the information they know in the most passion-driven way, but they will not reach their students because educating them does not lie on an equal plane.
I remember one of my 11th grade teachers. She was...interesting...to put it gently. Every day my peers and I would leave the class smiling over some new quirk we learned about our teacher. But we also left knowing things we did not know coming in. Underneath her eccentric visage laid a genuine passion for her subject. Partnered with this love was also a genuine passion for teaching. She loved to see students "get things" as well as bridge the gap between assumed literary interpretations and new, abstract understandings and connections.
Because she exerted this educational passion, my peers and I picked up on it, bought into it, and found success in her class (which was not an easy one may I add).
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