Well, this has been a great semester! At the beginning, I was a little intimidated by the fact that we would have to answer the same two questions each week, but it turned out that there was always something different to say after reading about each learning theory. At this point, I guess it's appropriate to sum up what I've come to believe personally about learning and facilitating learning, now that I've read all the material.
Basically, I think what it comes down to is that learning (the best kind, anyway) doesn't result from didactic instruction. Rather, students must be active participants in the process. Especially where they come in with preexisting misconceptions, it is necessary to allow them to discover the incorrectness of these misconceptions for themselves. Only then will they ready to accept new ideas. Additionally, students learn better when they are able to manipulate and experiment and develop ideas for themselves, rather than simply being given discrete facts to memorize and then give back on a test.
The job of the teacher in all this is, I believe, best represented in the difference between possible titles. Rather than considering him or herself as the instructor, it would be better to instead use the term guide or facilitator. Until they fit children with USB ports on their foreheads where information can simply be downloaded, the job of a teacher is to guide them on this journey of discovery, pushing them or directing them, but not attempting to simply fill them up.
YAY for the USB to the forehead! ;)
ReplyDeleteI, too, felt that coming up with a new definition of learning and how teachers could best effectuate it would be redundant, but it has actually been interesting to process those ideas every week with the new learning theory at the front of my mind.
While I didn't blog about the theories specifically, I could "hear" them in my blog voice, coloring my insights.
It was great having you in class, especially meeting you in Sheri's class last week! Enjoy the rest of your summer!!
Jill
I think the term facilitator is perfect. I can't remember where I read it but somewhere its says that teachers should be the "guide on the side and not the sage on the stage."
ReplyDeleteThis semester has been a great learning experience for me as well. I was thinking the same thing you were when I found out we had to define learning every week for 12 weeks, but I have to say I enjoyed it. It is amazing to me how powerful reflection is.
Great observations! I believe that sometimes students and teachers come to the learning setting thinking that the responsibility for learning rests only with the teacher. Students may think they can sit passively and have education “happen” to them, and unfortunately some teachers would like it this way.
ReplyDeleteI like the to think of a teacher in the way you do, as a guide that facilitates learning, and I think by applying what we have learned this semester we can become better guides.
Jennifer, you have a wonderful way of summing things up, are you an English teacher or something? I agree that answering the same question each week has actually been enlightening. I like your idea that a teacher is a guide, helping the students discover. I have never thought of it like that but I agree. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI agree Jennifer. It was a little intimidated by the idea of writing about the same two questions not to mention doing similar assignments for each theory. I did find that my mind focused on that specific theory each week and that it did have something to say about it.
ReplyDeleteFacilitator to learning is an interesting approach and one that could work in my mind as well. Good work. It has been fun working with you this year.