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Blogger Ben Johnson outlines constructivist and experiential teaching techniques that go beyond direct instruction.
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Scooped by Ana Cristina Pratas |
Scoop.it!
DEGERT Louis's curator insight,
October 11, 2017 4:32 AM
Improving teacher's efficiency
Margaret Annen's curator insight,
October 22, 2017 5:03 PM
"Great Teachers Don't Teach" really sums it up with the idea that real teaching doesn't take place until the student does on their own. This article relates to my project because I believe one way teachers can learn how to let go is for them to be in the same situation as they need to let their students be and that is be left to do. The only issue perhaps is educators may go through and experience doing, but giving up the control is hard because day in and day out you have been doing the doing. I believe learning how to let go must be accomplished by learning how to let go. Educators must plan a lesson and say include one or two steps of letting go. Then they must build on it, so that day after day they themselves feel comfortable with letting go. Managing a classroom of students who must do specific things on their own looks and feels different because the students are engaged to the point that they do not want to be interrupted rather they are feverishly and committed to learning.
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"One characteristic of an effective teacher is that they don't teach. You say that is outrageous. How can an effective teacher teach without teaching?
My experience is that good teachers care about students. Good teachers know the content and know how to explain it. Good teachers expect and demand high levels of performance of students. Good teachers are great performers and storytellers that rivet their students' attention.
All of this is good but great teachers engineer learning experiences that maneuver the students into the driver's seat and then the teachers get out of the way. Students learn best by personally experiencing learning that is physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. John Dewey had it right in 1935 when he espoused his theories on experiential learning. Today we call this constructivism."
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"The word "teacher" implies the flow of knowledge and skills from one person to another. Whether it be a lecture, or a power point, it involves talking at the students. While that is commonly viewed as the quickest and easiest way to impart knowledge and skills, we all realize that it is not the most effective. Socrates had it right when he only answered a question with more questions and look what he produced -- some of the greatest minds that ever lived. We call this the Socratic method.
Yes, there are times when direct instruction is necessary, but only to be able to do something with that knowledge or skill, but a great teacher devises learning experiences that force all the students to be engaged much like being in the deep end of the swimming pool. Then the lesson on arm and leg strokes becomes relevant. To learn, the students must do something. We call this performance-based learning."
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"Returning to my original premise: great teachers do not teach. They stack the deck so that students have a reason to learn and in the process can't help but learn mainly by teaching themselves. This knowledge then becomes permanent and cherished rather than illusory and irrelevant."