This link has been bookmarked by 7 people . It was first bookmarked on 22 Nov 2007, by someone privately.
-
28 May 08
Dave Truss“I need 89% on this assignment to get into Queen’s.”
That’s when I realized that, to Julia - one of the best students in my class, one of the best writers - writing was really only about getting a grade. It had no other meaning or purpose. All of her learning was reduced to one thing - the need to achieve a certain average.squarepeg newliteracy formative learningconversations BLC08 studentteacher studentvoice
-
“I need 89% on this assignment to get into Queen’s.”
-
That’s when I realized that, to Julia - one of the best students in my class, one of the best writers - writing was really only about getting a grade. It had no other meaning or purpose. All of her learning was reduced to one thing - the need to achieve a certain average.
-
-
29 Jan 08
William FerriterAnother interesting blog post aimed at new teachers on the importance of being flexible in the curriculum and the impact that a set curriculum can have on learning
-
11 Dec 07
-
22 Nov 07
-
“No, I don’t see any major weaknesses here … I’m sure you’ll do well.”
“Thanks … but … will this get me 89%?”
“Why 89%?” I asked, puzzled.
“I need 89% on this assignment to get into Queen’s.”
That’s when I realized that, to Julia - one of the best students in my class, one of the best writers - writing was really only about getting a grade. It had no other meaning or purpose. All of her learning was reduced to one thing - the need to achieve a certain average.
-
She knew that writing a good paper was about learning how to produce the right reactions in its evaluator - her teacher. That’s why she asked about specific parts of the essay - the introduction, conclusion, specific supporting ideas - things that were part of my set curriculum. What she produced was an example of “school writing.” It was voiceless and generic, written to demonstrate that she had acquired a skill but devoid of any personal meaning.
-
And so, the problem with a set curriculum, regardless of the subject, is that it makes us focus almost exclusively on teaching. It makes us think that the most important person in the classroom is the teacher. It is based on the assumption that we know all and that the students know very little.
-
What avail is it to win prescribed amounts of information about geography and history, to win ability to read and write, if in the process the individual loses his own soul
-
Dewey argues that no subject has inherent educational value. It is the interaction between the individual and the subject matter that makes the experience “educative” and that our job as educators is to ensure that the environment in which learning takes place allows learners to interact with the subject matter.
-
Unfortunately, such an environment is not easy to create. First, because it must be co-created with the students. It must take into account their interests and goals. Second, because it dethrones the teacher and forces us to assume the role of a facilitator or a co-contributor.
-
I guess what I’m talking about here is critical literacy - the approach that encourages students to read and write in order to acquire a more critical, more accurate “reading” of the world, or to even re-write the power and social dynamics that surround them (I think Paulo Freire called it “re-writing”).
-
-
15 Nov 07
-
12 Nov 07
Claudia Cerasoplease use the following tag to make it easier for all of us to keep track of this discussion: BYUPD07
Konrad.Glogowski pre-serviceteachers BYUPD07 professionaldevelopment
Page Comments
Would you like to comment?
Join Diigo for a free account, or sign in if you are already a member.