Metacognitive discourse with students can help a teacher articulate where they are developmentally. Do students believe that they just need to memorize material? Do they see the value of debate and analysis? Can they apply the knowledge to other situations? Using Bloom's taxonomy to push students to higher levels of thinking will result in valuable assessments of a student's understanding.
Education is a powerful tool but we as teachers need to support and encourage students in this exploration. Students learn well from each other; they speak the same language and often feel more comfortable asking questions in small groups of peers than in front of an entire class. Allowing students to teach one another versus being the authority in the classroom, builds self esteem and respect. Students should be encouraged to take initiative in their own learning instead of feeling a victim of their socioeconomic status. This can be applied by creating assignments that allow for a student to explore independently and then teach what he/she has learned to another student or share with the class.
Teacher preparation is essential for students to receive a quality education. Students don't just soak up knowledge like sponges but are complex beings capable of reasoning and constantly processing information. Learning does not happen in a void but in the midst of environment, emotion, and expectations. A teacher that is not aware of these complexities can not effectively teach each student. Some students may learn but many would be lost along the way. A quality education begins with an enthusiastic, informed, humble teacher.
T2P statements
If teachers do not understand how learning occurs then they can not teach effectively because learning is complex and teaching is not intuitive.
If democracy is a component of a teacher's pedagogy then equitable learning will occur because that teacher will share the instructional role with his/her students.
Erika,
ReplyDeleteYou are doing an excellent job taking your reflections into the moral/ethical realm. I appreciate how you are making sense of the connection between our vocation and the promotion of democracy.
RE: Your T2P statements. Rewrite the first one in a positive tone i.e., if teachers understand how learning ...
Then attempt to combine them into one larger statement and employ some specific theory (for our class or otherwise) to support your speculation.
Keep pressing!
GNA
Positive: If teachers understand how learning occurs then they can teach effectively because learning is complex and teaching is not intuitive.
ReplyDeleteCombined: If teachers understand how learning occurs then they will model democracy in the classroom because they know that by sharing instruction with the students the learning environment is enhanced. Students can direct and contribute to the environment and then can also teach one another. Vygotsky supports this idea with his theory that learning is a result of social interactions. Learners must be vocal, communicative and collaborative. Siemens also expresses the importance of student self expression and peer to peer instruction.