Wk 9: What is Learning and how can it be effectuated
This week I have learned that learning is something that must be almost enforced on a person/student. There must be a structure in which scafolds the learning for the student. It is said by many that a child loves to learn naturally but once the child enters a classroom settling that love for learning quickly dies. There must be rules and guidelines along with rewards when a student shows they have learned in order to motivate them. I understand that this type of reward system is usually best for the students that perform well with the standardized and formative testing, however, I feel that it is a necessarily evil. It seems like the education system, while gaining more structure, is losing it's scafolding. The structure is improving through classroom bench marks designed/distributed by the districts and yet the scafolding losing strength and support because "No Child Left Behind". No Child Left Behind sets fear in the teachers therefore turning their focus away from the real essential needs of the students to the needs of the school and themselves. For learning to occur a teacher must have the structure, scafolding and know the means whereby the students are best motivated. A teacher can talk with the students and realize that many of the students love candy and reward correct learning behavior through that. A teacher can reward a student that has done all their homework correctly with a lollipop thus encouraging them to learn and grow in a way structured by the teacher.
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Submitted by Angela Smith on Wed, 10/21/2009 - 10:20pm
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I think you make a very
I think you make a very valid point about teachers having to teach to a subject or test and not focusing the teaching on actual learning and growth. It really is kind of a sad state when we get so preoccupied with reaching a standard that actually growth and learning is stunted. I actually have heard from more than one parent that their kid was not given enough to keep busy because they were ahead of the class. The child was in a way told to wait up for everyone else. On a hike, that might be okay. When it comes to learning, if the child's mind is not engaged, they will engage it. This can be a reward itself. Some children/students won't need extra incentives like candy to learn because they are engaged and have a desire to do more. When we halt, slow or stop giving a student more to learn they lose that engagement. With students on all different levels, it makes for a very difficult task to keep all students engaged on their level. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Case based learning
Angie: It may surprise you but ever since our orientation in the summer I have remembered what you said: you want to reform education (that may be a summary rather than an actual quote). I think this week's reading (Nov. 3) is it: basing education on performance. Creating learning scenarios. Allowing students to communicate. Available teachers who hang in the background until they are needed. Doing away with competence. Do you have any ideas on how to actually apply these principles? I'd like to change education, too. Share your thoughts, please.
Teachers definitely feel
Teachers definitely feel overwhelmed by "no child left behind." what's more, this weeks teaching to me actually focuses on the need of the student to crawl out of their unmotivational shells and seek help in learning. The question that your post has made me consider is: what type of reinforcement to teachers give that enahnce or encourage learning that sticks as opposed to learning for an exam? Teachers nowadays seem to feel a need to prepare students for tests, but I don't think that's the type of learning that sticks and I think that form of teaching is different from motivating students to master what they study.