I like what Diana Laufenberg said about being comfortable allowing kids to fail. I have many gifted students who are scared to death of failure. They have always had parents and teachers keeping them from failing. My district uses an SLO test to determine growth throughout the semester. This test is all multiple choice and is easily passible if you just memorize the answers. Like Diana said in her video we as a society are infatuated with one right answer. This test is an example of that. My own formative and summative assessments include short answer questions, essay questions, and other hands on activities. Using these types of assessments gives students the opportunity to demonstrate what they know rather than there just being one right answer. Schools and teachers will always be needed to facilitate information and be there to assist. Students have to go out get experience. They will learn from their mistakes. This will lead to more inquiry from students because they want to make those mistakes right. I feel like making the mistakes gives people that "drive" to inquire more and work harder.
Getting over the fear of technology is difficult. The Languages article describes this fear as "technophobia". I have tried to incorporate some use of technology into my lessons over the years. I chose this master's degree over a "content" masters because I wanted to learn something new. I felt that this degree would benefit my students and myself more than another health education degree. Sometimes I feel like an idiot when it comes to technology in front of my students and I do have to get them to help me. They have grown up with technology and do not fear it like older educators do. With the abundance of technology and information today we are able to deepen learning and promote inquiry like never before. Gone are the days of driving to the library and spending hours researching one topic. I want my students to use the technology I provide them to really dig deep into the questions they have. I do think that a lesson, whether it is "mini" or a "big" one, begins with an engaging question. One that gets the students wheels turning and they are eager to explore the answers.
As Diana Laurenberg is quoted in the "Creating Classrooms We Need" article, you are fostering inquiry when you get students "curious enough in the subject to do research on their own." I also noticed your growth-mindset with your choice in a degree. Keep up the good work with your students.
ReplyDeleteI'm so concerned we are testing our students into bored zombies. Once they had finished the Georgia milestone they were over school. Luckily, we have added Science Olympiad and IB Culture Day school events to bring back some some interest and excitement for them.
I also teach at a school that requires a chrome cart or computer lab to be reserved in order for the class to use technology. I also am thinking of new ways to have my student use inquiry learning and information fluency. I chose the dual certification so that I could learn more about technology to help once I finish school.
ReplyDeleteI think reconsidering how we assess students is a great thing. I agree almost everything we do is a yes or no, or a or b. There is always one right answer. I just watched a podcast with Jen Jones, a popular Professional Development teacher on Literacy and she said that if we are always giving students one correct answer then it will turn into a situation like this, where you ask a question and then ask students why that was their answer. They think you are trying to trick them because the are so use to just one answer!!! We have to allow opportunities for students to practice activities, assessments and real authentic tasks where you get multiple answers. This helps students use higher order thinking, which is so important.
ReplyDelete