Here's Sylvia's question...
So here's my topic - Instruction vs. Construction I think that even though many teachers wish they could teach in a more constructive, open-ended way, ( you might say a more 21st century, 2.0 way) many things conspire against these desires. Some people blame tests, backward admins, tradition, parents, or lack of teacher understanding. I think there is something more personal involved, and I posted about it here. Love to have some comments.
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The 21st Century's dawning represents a historical divide between two modes of existence. Once knowledge was power. Its concentration directed mass production, mass consumption and mass consciousness. Structured by a paradigm borrowed and belabored by a century which is over. The constantly burgeoning distribution of information usurps the power of concentrated knowledge -- decentralizing, differentiating, and democratizing.
Education has been the arbiter of information, shepherding its safe passage toward wisdom. This cleavage of eras challenges educators, and this challenge is compounded by enforced archaic measures of knowledge. It is clear that the monolith of public education will not be moved without some long levers. For teachers, students, parents, and community members to collaborate in changing the scope, methods and direction of daily education, they need tools that serious communication requires. Well, help is on the way. It is amazing, delightful, a post-apocalypse command grid has been transformed, it has been bent to our purposes. Look at us - many of us have never met...I take such enormous pleasure in this that it's hard to remain properly skeptical.
We realize that people, including children, learn more deeply and successfully while engaged in useful solving of real problems connected with their community (local, global, interest based, et al) and related to their own divergent styles and interests. This revolution is not going to stop, these innovations are going to keep coming, and coming fast - we are the schools and we will use this technology for construction!!!
I think students come to school more ready for a constructivist education - look at any great kindergarten, and we teach them to not follow that path.
I still think that the "why is this so rare" and so hard is an interesting question, given that throughout history, apprenticeship and learning by participating alongside others was the primary mode of learning.
I agree that kids come ready for a constructivist type education. Do you think that they lose this ability as time goes on due to lack of consistency in teaching methods and approaches? I'm thinking of the kids at my current school who are amazing critical thinkers because a constructivist approach has been taken with them since nursery school. I think it's harder to teach kids to work collaboratively and creatively when they are older and haven't been taught consistently in this manner.
For me, I know students are learning when they can show other students how to solve a problem. Everything that I do in my classroom is based on a real-life problem or challenge to be solved and students are open to collaborate, or work individually - in whatever way that makes them comfortable. I always encourage them to "ask three before me" because we remember 90% of what we teach, rather than 20% of what we hear and see (traditional classroom instruction).
I, personally, love the noise and buzz that comes from a collaborative classroom, but I think many teachers are afraid to let go - an orderly classroom means the teacher is in control, right? Clarence Fisher wrote a great post about Chaos Theory that perfectly describes a (well, his,) constructivist classroom. He talks about relinquishing control (like Sue does above) and how exciting and interesting ideas develop when every moment is not specifically planned.
Teachers always talk about "teachable moments" but I think your whole day becomes one long "teachable moment" when the students are leading the learning instead of the other way around. I love Sue's idea of being a partner with your students - we are all on this educational journey together, right? I know and accept that I don't know everything - and I believe that attitude empowers students to become leaders instead of just following blindly.
This has reminded me of my sometimes dusty philosophy of teaching. Thank you!
I have taught in a school which radically altered its curriculum towards the model you are describing. It was wonderfully creative and, at times, quite a subversive educational environment. I loved it. As teachers, we were thrilled to be so inventive and progressive. But, the students weren't up for it. Not only did they not respond to the freedom and choice and ownership, in many case they refused to participate. They saw no value in learning this way. Parents agreed with their children. And why not? Neither had experience of what we were attempting. Painfully and slowly, we weened them off this dependence upon pen and paper tests and neat exercise books. We just got somewhere with the students and parents when Heads of Department (subject areas) intruded and eroded the model. Hard to not be demoralised by this sort of action. Has anyone else faced a similar situation and lived through it?
Very interesting post. I too think it involves something personal. My take is two fold, first I believe it involves the fear of being different. Most teachers want to blend in, become part of a community. If you do things differently you make waves. Secondly, constructivism requires becoming part of a teaching team with your students. It is about a level of intimacy,giving up the power as teacher and becoming part of a team that is gathering knowledge.
Sue
I teach at a school where the overarching philosophy is probably more constructionist. It is relatively easy for us to teach in this manner as our kids are coming to school with extensive background knowledge and basic skills. We also start early with teaching kids to think, so our students grow up in an environment that is project-based and supportive of inquiry. When they get to middle school and high school, these kids know how to think.
My question is how do you teach in a constructivist manner in schools where kids aren't as "prepared"? You have to relinquish some control over a classroom to teach in this manner, and I think a lot of teachers and schools are deathly afraid of doing this!
Replies
Education has been the arbiter of information, shepherding its safe passage toward wisdom. This cleavage of eras challenges educators, and this challenge is compounded by enforced archaic measures of knowledge. It is clear that the monolith of public education will not be moved without some long levers. For teachers, students, parents, and community members to collaborate in changing the scope, methods and direction of daily education, they need tools that serious communication requires. Well, help is on the way. It is amazing, delightful, a post-apocalypse command grid has been transformed, it has been bent to our purposes. Look at us - many of us have never met...I take such enormous pleasure in this that it's hard to remain properly skeptical.
We realize that people, including children, learn more deeply and successfully while engaged in useful solving of real problems connected with their community (local, global, interest based, et al) and related to their own divergent styles and interests. This revolution is not going to stop, these innovations are going to keep coming, and coming fast - we are the schools and we will use this technology for construction!!!
I still think that the "why is this so rare" and so hard is an interesting question, given that throughout history, apprenticeship and learning by participating alongside others was the primary mode of learning.
I loved your post! Thank you for sharing it here!
For me, I know students are learning when they can show other students how to solve a problem. Everything that I do in my classroom is based on a real-life problem or challenge to be solved and students are open to collaborate, or work individually - in whatever way that makes them comfortable. I always encourage them to "ask three before me" because we remember 90% of what we teach, rather than 20% of what we hear and see (traditional classroom instruction).
I, personally, love the noise and buzz that comes from a collaborative classroom, but I think many teachers are afraid to let go - an orderly classroom means the teacher is in control, right? Clarence Fisher wrote a great post about Chaos Theory that perfectly describes a (well, his,) constructivist classroom. He talks about relinquishing control (like Sue does above) and how exciting and interesting ideas develop when every moment is not specifically planned.
Teachers always talk about "teachable moments" but I think your whole day becomes one long "teachable moment" when the students are leading the learning instead of the other way around. I love Sue's idea of being a partner with your students - we are all on this educational journey together, right? I know and accept that I don't know everything - and I believe that attitude empowers students to become leaders instead of just following blindly.
I have taught in a school which radically altered its curriculum towards the model you are describing. It was wonderfully creative and, at times, quite a subversive educational environment. I loved it. As teachers, we were thrilled to be so inventive and progressive. But, the students weren't up for it. Not only did they not respond to the freedom and choice and ownership, in many case they refused to participate. They saw no value in learning this way. Parents agreed with their children. And why not? Neither had experience of what we were attempting. Painfully and slowly, we weened them off this dependence upon pen and paper tests and neat exercise books. We just got somewhere with the students and parents when Heads of Department (subject areas) intruded and eroded the model. Hard to not be demoralised by this sort of action. Has anyone else faced a similar situation and lived through it?
Very interesting post. I too think it involves something personal. My take is two fold, first I believe it involves the fear of being different. Most teachers want to blend in, become part of a community. If you do things differently you make waves. Secondly, constructivism requires becoming part of a teaching team with your students. It is about a level of intimacy,giving up the power as teacher and becoming part of a team that is gathering knowledge.
Sue
My question is how do you teach in a constructivist manner in schools where kids aren't as "prepared"? You have to relinquish some control over a classroom to teach in this manner, and I think a lot of teachers and schools are deathly afraid of doing this!