Comment on: How do we teach students how to learn?

Bigthink — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:48:42 +0100

I like to use an inquiry based approach to teaching and learning. However, the problem you present should be an open-ended one that has no obvious solution, but makes the students think about the problem, research possible solutions, collaborate in teams to refine their ideas, agree among the group to present their ideal solution, back it up with solid data, and reflect on their own experience. This way they can assimilate the data into their knowledge base and utilize that gain toward solving new queries.

Comment on: How do we teach students how to learn?

Bigthink — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:18:05 +0100

I guess we could also work on learning how to provide positive feedback that would be effective in supporting the self-efficacy/intrinsic motivation of the said students.

Comment on: How do we teach students how to learn?

Bigthink — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:15:51 +0100

You ought to check out autonomy vs controlling style of communication, and their consequences on our upbringing.

Comment on: How do we teach students how to learn?

Bigthink — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:21:07 +0100

In my opinion, the bigger question is WHY are we teaching children not to learn?

As a teacher and a parent I am fed up with our society's obsession with tests and grades. Classroom teachers are in a perpetual state of frenzy for the first seven months of school (at least here in Florida) as they assess students ad infinitum (two FCAT diagnostics, SRI, DIBELS, Running Records, etc.)to see if they will be ready to be assessed in March. Yes, I did write to SEE IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE READY TO BE ASSESSED! I agree that is ridiculous.

Our public education system errantly holds CORRECT answers in highest esteem. Allow me to provide an example.

While teaching a lesson to 1st graders on numeration and the patterns that exist in a square with the numbers 1 - 100 written left to right and top to bottom, I asked a simple question. How many are in each row? But I asked for a more complex response - please do not count the number in each row, instead turn to your partner and discuss how many should be in each row since this is a square and be ready to tell me why this makes sense.

I should tell you that I was a guest in this classroom and had never given the group a lesson before. It was very interesting to watch as a couple of the children did as I asked, turned to the person next to them and discussed it. However, most of them came to agreement on the answer almost instantaneously and proceeded to socialize. I listened for another 30 seconds or so and then asked them to all think about the discussion that I had overheard between two students (the ones who actually were discussing the question). This sparked the others to notice several patterns on the 100 board and the conversations were tremendous.

My point is hopefully clear. When we as educators settle for JUST the correct answer, we cut students' thinking short. If we are more concerned with HOW or WHY they answered the question the way they did, then we encourage deeper thinking. Perhaps the most interesting part of this anecdote is the fact that the two students who engaged in the conversation and really THOUGHT about my question were the two "weakest" students in the group. The ones who sought the "right" answer and were done happened to be the stronger students. This made me wonder how many other strong students are being "dumbed down" by our habits of seeking the correct answers so that we can move on to the next lesson and cover everything in time for the FCAT in March. Who has time for deeper thinking?

If you have persisted through this much of my comment, I urge you to read the "Habits of Mind" series co-authored by Art Costa. This series of short books points out 16 habits that we can teach children to help increase their intelligence. Research is proving that intelligence is NOT a static entity. People can GET SMARTER! More importantly, students can apply the 16 habits of mind to help themselves achieve success (both through "right" answers and deeper thinking). I recently attended a workshop on the Habits of Mind and one of the first questions asked by Art Costa was "How do we know that our students need to learn how to learn?" As much as the question offended me at first (students know HOW to learn), after some pondering, observing and reflection, I have come to the conclusion that our children come to school knowing how to learn and WANTING to learn, and we break their intellectual spirit with our negativity, our judgments, our rewards, our competitions, and our pedestal for the "Right Answers". How pathetic.

Comment on: How do we teach students how to learn?

Bigthink — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:50:18 +0100

I agree with the "Why" and "Why Not" and the listening, not bad Whitman Moore

Comment on: How do we teach students how to learn?

Bigthink — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 05:24:10 +0100

Children already know how to learn. The question "How do we teach students to learn" can be taken most seriously by people who are most clueless about how the process of teaching works.

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Comment on: How do we teach students how to learn?

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