Thanks for all of your input and feedback. I have loved the discussions with all of my classes and hearing your thoughts has helped me form and solidify mine better. I realize I teach with several different methodologies and do not intentionally focus on one or another. Some situations and assignments lend themselves better to different teaching and learning styles.
So, have a nice end of the summer and let's put some of this learning to use!
(and if I hurry, I still might get to fish a little before school begins again! YAY!)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Social Constructivism Constructionism Intellectualism Confucionism Confusionism. I'm sorry, but this just seemed to combine a lot of things we've already learned about. There are several things I really liked, but is it really a completely new/different teaching or learning method?
Some comments I really liked: Vygotsky p. 104 "The only good kind of instruction is that which marches ahead of development and leads it; it must be aimed not so much at the ripe as at the ripening functions." and Tolstoys comments that teaching new concepts is impossible.
I like the scaffolding model and that it means to help someone achieve beyond what is possible without assistance. The example of teaching a child to walk by using the laws of equilibrium is probably the simplest example of what Social constructavism is trying not to do, otherwise I have a hard time trying to explain it. The study done about building the peg pyramid was absolutely, completely confusing to me. First, trying to read the directions made me wonder if I wasn't one of the 3-5 year olds being tested. Second, just letting them play around with the pieces for a while to see what they would do seemed like a great play time activity, but not very useful in a jr high classroom. I would love to let my German students just sit around with a bunch of German vocabulary flashcards and see what they would do with them. Would they build a German Castle? Learn to flip them like european coasters? Build complex sentences with conjunctions and prepositional phrases? Sort them by color? Start drawing their own vocab cards? Anyway. I realized the importance of knowing the goal for older students, even if they might not know how to achieve it yet. Think of building a house. Obviously knowing how to pound a nail is a first step, and using a tape measure is important. Little kids won't care, (pounding is fun!) but an older student would want to know why he is learning those skills and will it ever be useful. Show a finished doghouse, dresser, etc. and it will motivate the students to learn more complex tasks and finish.
So, in a nutshell. March ahead of the students showing what can be accomplished and help them where they are so they can get to where you want them to be. (Isn't that what we do in our classrooms all of the time?)
Some comments I really liked: Vygotsky p. 104 "The only good kind of instruction is that which marches ahead of development and leads it; it must be aimed not so much at the ripe as at the ripening functions." and Tolstoys comments that teaching new concepts is impossible.
I like the scaffolding model and that it means to help someone achieve beyond what is possible without assistance. The example of teaching a child to walk by using the laws of equilibrium is probably the simplest example of what Social constructavism is trying not to do, otherwise I have a hard time trying to explain it. The study done about building the peg pyramid was absolutely, completely confusing to me. First, trying to read the directions made me wonder if I wasn't one of the 3-5 year olds being tested. Second, just letting them play around with the pieces for a while to see what they would do seemed like a great play time activity, but not very useful in a jr high classroom. I would love to let my German students just sit around with a bunch of German vocabulary flashcards and see what they would do with them. Would they build a German Castle? Learn to flip them like european coasters? Build complex sentences with conjunctions and prepositional phrases? Sort them by color? Start drawing their own vocab cards? Anyway. I realized the importance of knowing the goal for older students, even if they might not know how to achieve it yet. Think of building a house. Obviously knowing how to pound a nail is a first step, and using a tape measure is important. Little kids won't care, (pounding is fun!) but an older student would want to know why he is learning those skills and will it ever be useful. Show a finished doghouse, dresser, etc. and it will motivate the students to learn more complex tasks and finish.
So, in a nutshell. March ahead of the students showing what can be accomplished and help them where they are so they can get to where you want them to be. (Isn't that what we do in our classrooms all of the time?)
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Bruner's methods
An important principle of teaching according to Bruner is presenting the subject in the child's way of viewing things. Bruner also suggests that we can learn anything at any age if it is presented in a way that we can understand. This certainly makes sense to me. I also have to want to learn it when it is presented.
I can think back to some college chemistry and physics classes where the teacher surely assumed that we lived, breathed and ate science, and also discussed science principles during our lunch breaks. That was obviously not the case for all of the students in the class. I need to make sure my students catch enough to know what to do, but also that I leave little carrots all over for them to go after. The carrot, or goal, I designed for them may not always be the one they choose, but at least they are learning what they feel is important and should eventually include more ideas, including what I am hoping to emphasize.
I can see how learning to speak in your native language and even a second language would often follow this model. We learn the vocabulary we need when we need them and might not use them much if we don't.
I can think back to some college chemistry and physics classes where the teacher surely assumed that we lived, breathed and ate science, and also discussed science principles during our lunch breaks. That was obviously not the case for all of the students in the class. I need to make sure my students catch enough to know what to do, but also that I leave little carrots all over for them to go after. The carrot, or goal, I designed for them may not always be the one they choose, but at least they are learning what they feel is important and should eventually include more ideas, including what I am hoping to emphasize.
I can see how learning to speak in your native language and even a second language would often follow this model. We learn the vocabulary we need when we need them and might not use them much if we don't.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
German Camp cognition
I am slow with this week's post because I was practicing what I might consider situated cognition. I was at a 5 day German Camp (60 students/8 teachers), and I didn't get home until late Friday night. It is an immersion program at a secluded mountain location and is as close as the other teachers and I can get to being in Germany. The students learn by doing. They also learn by failing and then trying again. They learn by experience...the food, the customs, the culture. It is a lot of fun and is also a great environment for the teachers involved (4 different districts) to show and live German with their students.
The more I show my students real applications, or can place them in simulated situations, the more the students will realize that knowing a foreign language is extremely helpful. And after telling all the stories about German foods, having a cook who really prepares Rouladen, Schnitzel and Spatzle like a 5 star chef is a bonus that is hard to beat.
The more I show my students real applications, or can place them in simulated situations, the more the students will realize that knowing a foreign language is extremely helpful. And after telling all the stories about German foods, having a cook who really prepares Rouladen, Schnitzel and Spatzle like a 5 star chef is a bonus that is hard to beat.
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