Tuesday, September 10, 2013

UbD & DI Chapter Two

What really Matters in Teaching: The Students

There were some parts of this chapter that I really agreed with and had to circle to make sure I never forget them. The first read, “When (Noah’s) way of learning became acceptable, he became a better learner.” Each and every student is going to have their own specific way of learning, and they should not lose the opportunity to learn because they have to do something that is not ideal for them. The next excerpt is similar to the first: “When learning challenges are already substantial, it is sensible to allow students to work in ways that best suit them.” For example if students learn far better alone (likely more developed in the intrapersonal intelligence) then should they be forced to work in a group? Perhaps it is important for the student to develop the ability to work with others. However, if it means the student misses a critical part of the course because they do not learn the material the way that is most beneficial to them, is it worth it? And the last portion of chapter that I took a strong liking to was, “Learning happens within students, not to them. Learning is a process of making meaning…” I want to be the kind of teacher that does not give the concept away right off the bat, rather the teacher that makes the student exclaim, “Ohhhhh!” in the middle of the class. The chapter also suggested that the teacher makes the class a safe place to ask questions. To accommodate for the students who do not feel comfortable asking questions in the middle of class or perhaps even privately to me, I will have a box in the room where they can submit their question/s and I will anonymously write and answer their question on the board.


No comments:

Post a Comment