I am going to be bold this week and veer somewhat from the usual reflection questions. This week I am going to reflect on what comes to my mind as I am reading. Some of it will fit under the three questions we usually answer and some of it won’t (I will indicate with a number if it is answering a specific reflection question). But they are my meaningful learner-centered reflections.
As I was reading the first two pages in chapter 6, I wondered if the factory model of school was really were standardized testing first evolved (2). I also wondered if WWI pushed reading to a higher level (2). If so, that is very interesting.
I was glad to see that the author emphasized that all four learning environments (community, learner centered, knowledge centered and assessment centers) are needed to make a well-rounded learner. I get so tired of people jumping on educational bandwagons and throwing out the baby with the water. For instance when whole language instruction was new on the forefront, many schools jumped on the whole language band wagon got rid of phonics (our district being one of them). Consequently, there were a couple of years where students had a big hole in their education and many resulted in poor readers.
I do like that a learner centered environment requires the teacher to observe, question and converse with the student. The following quote for the learner centered section is my question #3 inspiration, “The teachers attempt to get a sense of what each student knows, cares about, is able to do, and wants to do. Accomplished teachers ‘give learners reason,’ by respecting and understanding learners’ prior experiences and understandings, assuming that these can serve as a foundation on which to build bridges to new understandings.” I want to be one of those accomplished teachers. I can be at times but I know I need to do it more often and be more consistent about it (3).
The part about knowledge centered environments that really hit home it that it includes metacognition (1). After reading our textbook, I am really sold on metacomprehension and metacognition. I don’t know that I had thought that much about it before reading our text. But I am definitely working on having children think about their thinking. Questioning themselves – does this make sense? (this is something that I am applying to my teaching - 3)
Assessment center environments reminded me of Understanding by Design (1), where you start with a Big Idea and you look at what you want to assess first, and then design your unit around that. I also liked that they talked about students assessing themselves and using teacher assessments as a way to revise thinking which fits in with the whole metacognitive idea. That is something I am trying to build into all of my subject areas.
As far as the community centered environment, I definitely feel that family is a huge factor in a child’s learning experience and I try all the time to include family. A child who comes from a family who is involved in the learning process will get a much better education than the one who does not.
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Jill,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you ventured off the well worn path. I really enjoyed reading your blog this week. Every time I read about the early schools I am appalled by how students learned back then but I guess it worked at the time. Could you imagine that same type of learning environment being present in today’s world? The bandwagon is getting pretty old isn’t it? My daughter was taught using whole language and she could not sound out a word if her life depended on it (when she was younger).
I totally and completely agree with the family connection adding to a child’s education. Involving parents goes a very long way. I have also found it allows for more challenging projects and activities to be brought into the classroom.
I also like that you ventured out. You mentioned student self-assessment. When I do this with my workshop it is very interesting. I have somestudents are hard on themselves. Then I have those that view their work and project highly when they have clearly not met the requirements states on the student rubric. Last year I had one student that found the self assessment task to be most difficult. The student kept coming up to my desk asking my opinion and kept saying ...I just don't know. I kept referring her back to the student rubric but this was not helpful to her. Maybe she was comparing her project work to others rather than to rubric description. What I learned from that student self-assessment is valuable.
ReplyDeleteI like what you are saying about teaching students to think about how they think. It is important for people to be aware of metacognition, how they think. Sometimes students ask when they will use a particular concept we are learning. Most time I can give an answer that is useful for real-life, but my overall answer is that every concept/problem leads to improving problem solving skills. Each problem should help students gain confidence in their problem solving and thinking skills.
ReplyDeleteGood for you to venture off and try something different this week. I enjoyed reading your blog. I think your style of reflection shows a better understanding of the concepts in the chapter then just answering the 3 basic questions.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your comment about wanting to be a more accomplished teacher by finding more consistency in utilizing the characteristics of each of the learning environments, you will find success. Your reflection alone shows that you have found new knowledge and understand what areas you would like to work on. Take this new knowledge and utilize it much as you can in your classroom. I'm sure you will find the implementation of new strategies to be an advantage for your students.
I really enjoyed reading your blog this week and I agree with a lot of what you are saying. A community centered environment is a key part in learning. We have all seen in our classrooms the effects that "family life" can have on a student. The students who come from a well-rounded family and who are willing to take part in their child's life seem to have a broader range of knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThe students who don't come from a supportive family tend to struggle in the academic and social areas.
I also agree with the concept of Understanding by Design. It makes sense to base a unit, or anything for that matter, on the outcome. As a teacher, you have to understand where you want your students to be and what you want them to achieve BEFORE you start teaching.