I have progressed into learning that teaching is so much more than the traditional view I had walked in with. The best way I think of it was that my views were deconstructed and then rebuilt and replaced with a whole new out look on the subject. I had no idea of how my ethics and morals could show so apparently through my actions in class. I also opened my eyes to the context of how things were being taught and how to look back and check for actual acquisition of knowledge or simply regurgitation of the facts. I put together my analogy of teaching which to me came in the form of building a home and how the teacher takes the form of the contractor in providing the blueprints of the home aka knowledge and it is the workers that fill in the home to make it a whole, which I translate as the students actually learning and going through life's processes in their attainment of knowledge. I enjoy the concept of the home because as things become out dated, they must be renovated and can be always changing. I was also able to critically look at other teachers' teaching methods and see how I could use them, or if it would be in my better interest to disregard some aspects but incorporate others. I was also opened up to the idea of how many things the developing individual is balancing at any given point in their life and how I can nurture these developments to help students grow as people. I think that one of my bigger issues will be how to be sure to incorporate this all into my content area of biology which, for me, has been so cut and dry in the past, and will be a considerable challenge to always keep in mind.
If a student knows how a learning activity fits into the overall course curriculum,
then they are more likely to be more motivated to understand the content,
because they will be able to see its relevancy and importance in the "big" picture
Effie,
ReplyDeleteCan you provide two specific examples of actions or decision you will make as a teacher that would demonstrate the beliefs you describe in this post, esp. learning as a process?
GNA
In regard for learning as a process I would like to apply it to my own life, but more specifically to my career. Even as a teacher my learning process will not stop, if anything I must be more aware and ever adapting and learning. To me the process can be applied to my career in that I will likely start with certain methods and ideas when I begin, but I will always have to learn what is new and upcoming in my field as well as learning new ways of presenting information and ways of assessing to ensure the students understand the material and can apply it.
ReplyDeleteBy keeping in mind that learning is a process I plan to teach in ways that can build on what students have learned in the past. KWL charts are a simple way to assess what the student knows and has encountered already in their education, and from that I scaffold into more abstract concepts with them building off of concrete examples, and from there encourage the students to expand from the abstract ideas and apply it to the world.
You are on a roll. Excellent work demonstrating high-level critical thinking and deep reflection. G
ReplyDelete