Are your student’s really learning?

The few times I have had the joy of teaching in classrooms during my educational courses I really found my students learning. How? I began to see them use the information they learned in my classrooms in their real lives outside school. They would come in and discuss things they saw or did and relate it to what we discussed. Sometimes they went even further to explain it to those around them and created new ways of learning out of it. I think this is what learning is all about to me. I want my students to be able to use what I teach in their lives and be able to think about it outside of their classroom environment.

Thinking like a learner…

How might I assess a student who is thinking like a learner?

First off, I think assessing students in general is a difficult task because all of our students learn  and think in different ways.

 But when you have students who think like learners instead of think like thinkers you have to develop a sense of how they approach learning in general. I think anyone can “learn” given the ability to watch, repeat, and discuss but what are they really learning?

I would like to think I would individually assess my students abilities and decide from there if they are truly attempting to learn what I am teaching or if they are just trying to get by so to speak. If I had a learner who was genuinely trying to learn then I would work with them to become better thinkers and I would assess them on the value of what they are trying to put into their learning experience not just grade them based on a set of criteria.

Portfolios…

Anytime I hear the word Portfolio(s) I almost always think of the Twighlight Zone music. While I laugh to myself as I type this I don’t mean any disrespect to portfolios or their creators. I just get the overwhelming feeling of being trapped in a world you can’t understand. While I do know that portfolios were created to help our student’s become better writers, thinkers, and learners they have also created quite the stir in education. What started as a way to increase learning and writing in our fellow students and educators turned into a massive writing and “grading” job that seems to never end. I have worked with many teachers on portfolios and even had to create one myself 10 years ago when I graduated from high school. The most frequent complaint I have heard from both sides is how much we expect our students to put into their portfolio to graduate and yet many never think of the word again after leaving school. We as educators are the ones who have to put continual work into these portfolios year after year. We have to help create them for each student, challenge them to think and write, continually edit, read, and eventually process through the system of “grading” and “collecting” them so to speak. We are the ones who in the end have to be responsible for a collection of writings that may never be read again.

This is not to say I am anti-portfolio but that I think the process has quite the few (excuse my pun) “revisions” to go before I can say it’s worth all the time and effort we place in and on it.

Educator’s and Communication

Today Educator’s are using the Internet to communicate more than ever especially when it pertains to what’s happening in their classes. They use discussion boards, websites, blogs, messaging systems, etc. At any given time you can type teacher blogs in a search and find up to 14 million different sites that discuss teacher blogs. Whether these sites help create blogs or have teacher blogs on them you can find teachers discussing their classroom lives anywhere online. This is certainly something that increases as we become more aware of what we can do online and how we can enhance our learning processes. I think that allowing teachers to blog or create websites not only gives them a connection to the outside world but to their fellow colleagues as well.

One consideration or warning I must point out is becareful what you post about your classes, schools, fellow educators, and administrators. Sometimes the ability to say what you want might sound exciting but many people have been fired over what they write out online.

Fisher’s Posts

I chose Clarence Fisher’s Post “And They Say Classrooms are for Learning?” to review and comment on. I chose it because I too have used the online translators to talk to people from other places. Using translators like these can certainly enhance learning and personal experiences.

But I do think that learning languages in school is certainly a better way for our student’s to learn communication skills that could last a lifetime. I think that allowing them to learn language experiences outside of class and as well as in can really improve their desire to learn and lead to new learning experiences throughout their educational lives.

Just a vent moment…

Once again I was ready to chat away freeing up my night when I was back in the ER again last night and today. Not that it really needs to be said but I’ve been having multiple problems with my medications going off some and starting new ones. At 28, I’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure and other heart related medical issues even though by medical standards I look and felt for the most part extremely healthy…but sometimes genetics beats you to the punch(smile). My father has cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and has multiple surgeries. I am taking very good care of myself but sometimes you still have to take medicine to keep you going. But it’s been causing quite the problem with my head..constant dizziness, earaches, sore throats, shakes, fevers etc…anyway I’m slowing getting back on track with that and doing my best to keep up (so far so good with my posts at least). Don’t worry about me I’m like the energizer bunny I can keep going and going (laughs). But my chat zeroes are really getting to me…I am doing my best and it isn’t anyone’s fault …class meets will go on regardless if anyone has to miss. I have done a few chat make ups but still waiting to hear back… I just needed to *scream and sigh* . On with the day… I hope you all are working hard!
April

Chat Make Up

uses/value/limits of synchronous chat

I think synchronous chats certainly have some uses, values and limits.

Uses:

Group Discussions

Test/Project Preparation for Students

E-Learning/Classes Online

Values:

Large classes or groups can chat all at once

Times for the chat can be decided and hopefully agreed upon easier than showing up on campus

Can discuss a large amount of information in a smaller time

You don’t technically talk over each other although it may seem like it

Limits:

Time Constraints

Ability to get Online

Mass confusion if chat moves to quickly

Comment to Adam’s Behavioral Post

I think Adam made a great point about behaviorism. I think we are often conditioned to do certain things over a period of time. I don’t think it is always a bad thing. I have been conditioned to lock my car or house door behind me and to always know my surroundings. It is purely something we as humans have done in all areas of our lives which is good and bad depending on how it is used.

What do I know…

What do I (we) know about teaching and learning theories? I know that we as educators have worked for years to discuss, develop, and determine why we as humans learn and developed. We have been taught theories from Piaget to e-learning and we will continue to develop theories for the rest of our educational lives. I know that I have no idea how to explain half the education theories out there but that doesn’t stop me from learning and developing my educational life.

Constructivism Theory or Religion?

Is constructivism a theory or religion? I think it’s a little bit of both. Constructivism which according to wikipedia.org is, “Constructivism is a set of assumptions about the nature of human learning that guide constructivist learning theories and teaching methods of education. Constructivism values developmentally appropriate teacher-supported learning that is initiated and directed by the student.” (www.wikipedia.org) This theory is generally attributed to Jean Piaget’s theories on education. Now why do I see it as a little bit of both well the defination’s of Theory and Religion are below from dictionary.com.

Theory- (dictionary.com)

1.	a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena: Einstein’s theory of relativity.

2.	a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact.

3.	Mathematics. a body of principles, theorems, or the like, belonging to one subject: number theory.

4.	the branch of a science or art that deals with its principles or methods, as distinguished from its practice: music theory.

5.	a particular conception or view of something to be done or of the method of doing it; a system of rules or principles.

6.	contemplation or speculation.

7.	guess or conjecture.

Religion- (dictionary.com)

1.	a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

2.	a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

3.	the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.

4.	the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.

5.	the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

6.	something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

Based on these definitions the theory fits relatively well under both. It is a theory based on the ideas are set into a system of principles but it also is a religion so to speak as well because it falls under something people believe and follow devotedly to the point that it is studied alone by itself.