By: Parag Chowdhury
Friere, Paulo (2000) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, New York, New York: Continuum International Publishing Group Inc.
A classic book exploring the links between education and social change. A Neo-Marxist critique of education and a prescription for how it can be reformed.
In the forward, Richard Schaull offers a synopsis of the book:
"The young perceive that their right to say their own word has been stolen from them, and that few things are more important than the struggle to win it back. And they also realize that the educational system today-from kindergarten to university-is their enemy."
"There is no such thing as a neutral educational process. Education either functions as a instrument that is used to facilitate the integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes "the practice of freedom," the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world (Friere, 2000)."
Friday, October 1, 2010
Moral reasoning in genetics education
By: Parag Chowdhury
Paul van der Zande, Mieke Brekelmans, Jan D Vermunt and Arend Jan Waarlo (2009) Moral reasoning in genetics education, Journal of Biological Education, 44, 31-36
Summary:
An interesting study where the researchers demonstrate that intuition and emotion play a role in our reasoning when students are confronted with moral dilemmas. The authors suggest that incorporating intuition and emotion into moral reflection is a rather new idea in the educational world, where rational reasoning is preferred.
Paul van der Zande, Mieke Brekelmans, Jan D Vermunt and Arend Jan Waarlo (2009) Moral reasoning in genetics education, Journal of Biological Education, 44, 31-36
Summary:
An interesting study where the researchers demonstrate that intuition and emotion play a role in our reasoning when students are confronted with moral dilemmas. The authors suggest that incorporating intuition and emotion into moral reflection is a rather new idea in the educational world, where rational reasoning is preferred.
The End of Education
By: Parag Chowdhury
Postman, Neil (1996) The End of Education, New York, New York: Vintage Books
The following passage by Postman summarizes the intent of this book: "I write this book in the hope of altering, a little bit, the definition of the “school problem”-from means to ends. “End” of course has two important meanings: purpose and finish. Either meaning may apply to the future of schools' depending on whether or not there ensues a serious dialogue about purpose." (Postman, pX)
The following quotes from the book sparked my interest:
"Nietzsche's famous aphorism is relevant here: “he who has a a why to live can bear with almost any how.” This applies as much to learning as to living." (Postman, p 4)
"The point is, call them what you will, we are unceasing in creating histories and futures for ourselves through the medium of narrative. Without a narrative, life has no meaning. Without meaning, learning has no purpose. Without a purpose, schools are houses of detention not attention. This is what my book is about (Postman, p 7)."
Postman, Neil (1996) The End of Education, New York, New York: Vintage Books
The following passage by Postman summarizes the intent of this book: "I write this book in the hope of altering, a little bit, the definition of the “school problem”-from means to ends. “End” of course has two important meanings: purpose and finish. Either meaning may apply to the future of schools' depending on whether or not there ensues a serious dialogue about purpose." (Postman, pX)
The following quotes from the book sparked my interest:
"Nietzsche's famous aphorism is relevant here: “he who has a a why to live can bear with almost any how.” This applies as much to learning as to living." (Postman, p 4)
"The point is, call them what you will, we are unceasing in creating histories and futures for ourselves through the medium of narrative. Without a narrative, life has no meaning. Without meaning, learning has no purpose. Without a purpose, schools are houses of detention not attention. This is what my book is about (Postman, p 7)."
How listening to students can help schools improve
Noguera, Pedro. How Listening to Students can Help Schools Improve.
Theory into practice: New York
This articles central theme is that listening to students can in fact improve classrooms and school culture. The findings come from interviewing and surveying 150 sophomore students within10 Boston based schools. The article speaks to school reform and how involving student voice can influence school decisions and procedures. The main conversations involving student voice were: teacher-student relations, the impact of “high stakes testing”, issues regarding discipline and safety, and student goals and motivation.
Noguera, states a few of the problems our school system face, he points out that downsizing schools might not be beneficial, then goes on to state that “although, no groundbreaking or previously unheard of solutions are offered”(206) that we the readers “may be surprised to learn that students do put forward practical, common sense insights into why certain practices are ineffective, and why others should be considered.”(206). Although, the article speaks on behalf of listening to students, the article doesn’t have a single direct quotes from a student. It merely states the results in blanket statements about how we should change our schools without giving any solid examples of how change made its way in any of the 10 Boston schools. In fact, the only part of the article that gives concrete examples of school improvement is from a school based in Bay Area. The author seems clearly in favor of large schools and as well as boasting about how he implemented change was “extraordinarily effective”. I found this annoying.
Although I whole-heartedly agree with the author in the sense that we should listen ears wide open to our students, the article seemed to state a lot of the obvious. I would have liked to read more about examples of where schools listened and how it affected the culture of the school. I would have liked to learn more about the Boston schools involved in this study and also the student body demographics. What I took away from reading this is the reminder to truly listen to the student voice daily.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers
By: Ashley Walker
Quintanar, A. P., & Warren, S. R. (2008, Spring). Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers. 44 , 3, 119-23.
This article details the results of an interview with several Hispanic parents within several low socioeconomic communities. The parents were asked questions as to why they do or do not volunteer in their children’s classrooms, what they know, think, or believe about schools, and what they would like to see happen for their children in their community. The article aims to try and explain what actions need to be taken by school to increase parental involvement from low socioeconomic Hispanic families.
Quintanar, A. P., & Warren, S. R. (2008, Spring). Listening to the Voices of Latino Parent Volunteers. 44 , 3, 119-23.
This article details the results of an interview with several Hispanic parents within several low socioeconomic communities. The parents were asked questions as to why they do or do not volunteer in their children’s classrooms, what they know, think, or believe about schools, and what they would like to see happen for their children in their community. The article aims to try and explain what actions need to be taken by school to increase parental involvement from low socioeconomic Hispanic families.
Robbing Elementary Students of Their Childhood: The Perils of No Child Left Behind
Works Cited
Henley PH. D., J., McBride PH. D., J., D., M. P., & Nichols ED. D., J. (2007). Robbing Elementary Students of Their Childhood: The Perils of No Child Left Behind. Education , 128 (1), 56-63.
Summary/Analysis:
This article details the struggles students, teachers, and administrators are encountering with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The article beings with a brief description of the now seemingly desolate campus of Maple Street Elementary School. The reason for the desolation is attributed to the restraints of NCLB and the increasing pressure teachers are facing to increase instructional time. Schools are making a decision to cut recess, P.E., sports, art, and music programs. Although a brief playground description is initially included, not much else is described setting wise to allow the reader to visualize the school and its habitants. The article continues to describe how detrimental it is to cut these programs, which foster a “whole education”. The authors cite several health groups such as the Center for Disease Control and The National Association for Sport and Physical Education to help support their claims.
In addition, the article also details the threats NCLB is making to Gifted and Talented Programs as well as individualized education for students with disabilities. Parents with children in both camps voice their disapproval of how NCLB is negatively impacting the type of education their children are getting. They feel as if their gifted students are not challenged because the focus is now being put solely on students that are not meeting state testing standards. They also feel that their disabled students are not receiving education according to their capabilities and are rather being mainstreamed and held accountable to “frightening” state standards. The article concludes with a brief summary of how NCLB is negatively impacting all students, nationwide.
Evaluate:
This article does not go into detail as to what methods they used to gather their data nor does it describe the setting of their study effectively. The elementary school they are reporting on is stated to be a “metaphor for elementary schools across the nation”. (56) They have concluded that this is a good school to use to make assumptions about other schools nationwide because it supposedly “mirrors” attendance, student ability levels, family compositions, and diversity of an average school. The article fails to go into great length about what these qualifications are defined as or what they imply.
Although I can relate to and agree with the conclusions that this article makes (that NCLB is harming students), the study seems biased. I felt like the information presented was dramatized and limited. For example, the article claims that because of NCLB, “Daddies’ old long sleeve shirts that were handed down to children to cover up school clothes to keep from being stained with tempura paint and water colors are no longer needed.” (56) These seems a bit extreme, and the claim is not supported with data, but rather coming from a personal bias to the situation and climate created by NCLB. However, I do believe that this article can be of use to educators. I would not use it as a source of hard data to back up personal research, but rather as an anecdote to what NCLB is doing to “some” students and how it is affecting at least ONE school in the United States.
Reflect:
I am interested in how NCLB affects students in school across America. Seeing the effects of NCLB in my own classroom, I was drawn to the title of this article while researching. It made me think about how NCLB is affecting the art, music, P.E., gifted and talented, and resource specialist programs at my own school. I am able to see how these programs are the first to get cut in light of recent budget issues and the increasing pressure to raise test scores. I was interested to learn how one school has cut its recess to increase student instructional time. This is something that has not occurred yet at my school, but I have heard of other schools within my district adopting the idea of an “optional” recess. An optional recess is where teachers are free to make the decision to allow their students to go to recess or not. If they do, they are responsible for watching the students as well as making up instructional time in other ways (i.e. cutting an art or music lesson). I believe that all of the programs listed above, as well as recess, are incredibly important to a student’s access to a well-rounded education. Many of my students have demonstrated the need to have extra-curricular activities as well as breaks during the day to release pent up energy and develop appropriate socializing skills.
Relevant Quotes/Citations:
-“Across the nation, traditional school days, instructional programs, and programs such as recess, music, and art, along with programs for the gifted and educationally disabled, have been eliminated or altered beyond recognition.” (56)
-“In many cases, parents are becoming vocal and angry in what they see as a set of standards that are robbing children of activities that develop them affectively and socially.” (57)
-“According to U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spelling, the nation’s parents and educators have had expectations that are undeniably too low, resulting in a set of standards and goals that have reflected those expectations for students. Spelling credits NCLB for the raising of those standards and indicates that the nation’s education report card is improving with encouraging results indicated by reading scores that have increased more in the last 5 years than in the previous 29 years combined.” (57)
-“In One western state, teachers were provided a two-day day seminar on strategies for improving test scores. The presenter explained that teachers should not be concerned about students who scored in the bottom or top quartile since it was the students in the middle who statistically made the most gains in scores.” (59)
-“All of the assessment in not free. A report by the Government Accountability Office estimated that states will spend between 1.9 to 5.3 billion dollars to develop, score and report the tests required by NCLB (Associated Press, 2007). One just has to question that if all that money was to be put back into schools for teaching students, training teachers, lowering student-to-teacher rations, and updating schools resources, would not our nation’s children be much better served?” (61)
Henley PH. D., J., McBride PH. D., J., D., M. P., & Nichols ED. D., J. (2007). Robbing Elementary Students of Their Childhood: The Perils of No Child Left Behind. Education , 128 (1), 56-63.
Summary/Analysis:
This article details the struggles students, teachers, and administrators are encountering with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The article beings with a brief description of the now seemingly desolate campus of Maple Street Elementary School. The reason for the desolation is attributed to the restraints of NCLB and the increasing pressure teachers are facing to increase instructional time. Schools are making a decision to cut recess, P.E., sports, art, and music programs. Although a brief playground description is initially included, not much else is described setting wise to allow the reader to visualize the school and its habitants. The article continues to describe how detrimental it is to cut these programs, which foster a “whole education”. The authors cite several health groups such as the Center for Disease Control and The National Association for Sport and Physical Education to help support their claims.
In addition, the article also details the threats NCLB is making to Gifted and Talented Programs as well as individualized education for students with disabilities. Parents with children in both camps voice their disapproval of how NCLB is negatively impacting the type of education their children are getting. They feel as if their gifted students are not challenged because the focus is now being put solely on students that are not meeting state testing standards. They also feel that their disabled students are not receiving education according to their capabilities and are rather being mainstreamed and held accountable to “frightening” state standards. The article concludes with a brief summary of how NCLB is negatively impacting all students, nationwide.
Evaluate:
This article does not go into detail as to what methods they used to gather their data nor does it describe the setting of their study effectively. The elementary school they are reporting on is stated to be a “metaphor for elementary schools across the nation”. (56) They have concluded that this is a good school to use to make assumptions about other schools nationwide because it supposedly “mirrors” attendance, student ability levels, family compositions, and diversity of an average school. The article fails to go into great length about what these qualifications are defined as or what they imply.
Although I can relate to and agree with the conclusions that this article makes (that NCLB is harming students), the study seems biased. I felt like the information presented was dramatized and limited. For example, the article claims that because of NCLB, “Daddies’ old long sleeve shirts that were handed down to children to cover up school clothes to keep from being stained with tempura paint and water colors are no longer needed.” (56) These seems a bit extreme, and the claim is not supported with data, but rather coming from a personal bias to the situation and climate created by NCLB. However, I do believe that this article can be of use to educators. I would not use it as a source of hard data to back up personal research, but rather as an anecdote to what NCLB is doing to “some” students and how it is affecting at least ONE school in the United States.
Reflect:
I am interested in how NCLB affects students in school across America. Seeing the effects of NCLB in my own classroom, I was drawn to the title of this article while researching. It made me think about how NCLB is affecting the art, music, P.E., gifted and talented, and resource specialist programs at my own school. I am able to see how these programs are the first to get cut in light of recent budget issues and the increasing pressure to raise test scores. I was interested to learn how one school has cut its recess to increase student instructional time. This is something that has not occurred yet at my school, but I have heard of other schools within my district adopting the idea of an “optional” recess. An optional recess is where teachers are free to make the decision to allow their students to go to recess or not. If they do, they are responsible for watching the students as well as making up instructional time in other ways (i.e. cutting an art or music lesson). I believe that all of the programs listed above, as well as recess, are incredibly important to a student’s access to a well-rounded education. Many of my students have demonstrated the need to have extra-curricular activities as well as breaks during the day to release pent up energy and develop appropriate socializing skills.
Relevant Quotes/Citations:
-“Across the nation, traditional school days, instructional programs, and programs such as recess, music, and art, along with programs for the gifted and educationally disabled, have been eliminated or altered beyond recognition.” (56)
-“In many cases, parents are becoming vocal and angry in what they see as a set of standards that are robbing children of activities that develop them affectively and socially.” (57)
-“According to U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spelling, the nation’s parents and educators have had expectations that are undeniably too low, resulting in a set of standards and goals that have reflected those expectations for students. Spelling credits NCLB for the raising of those standards and indicates that the nation’s education report card is improving with encouraging results indicated by reading scores that have increased more in the last 5 years than in the previous 29 years combined.” (57)
-“In One western state, teachers were provided a two-day day seminar on strategies for improving test scores. The presenter explained that teachers should not be concerned about students who scored in the bottom or top quartile since it was the students in the middle who statistically made the most gains in scores.” (59)
-“All of the assessment in not free. A report by the Government Accountability Office estimated that states will spend between 1.9 to 5.3 billion dollars to develop, score and report the tests required by NCLB (Associated Press, 2007). One just has to question that if all that money was to be put back into schools for teaching students, training teachers, lowering student-to-teacher rations, and updating schools resources, would not our nation’s children be much better served?” (61)
Against Terrible Odds: Lessons in Resilience from Our Children
By: Ashley Walker
Saul Levine, M., & Ion, H. W. (2002). Against Terrible Odds: Lessons in Resilience from Our Children. Boulder, Colorado, United States: Bull Publishing Company.
This book details the incredible resilience children have. It chronicles several stories of children who have not only survived their difficult childhoods, but have gone on to become successful and productive members of today’s society. This book attempts to answer questions regarding how these children were able to overcome such odds and what do we stand to learn from them.
Saul Levine, M., & Ion, H. W. (2002). Against Terrible Odds: Lessons in Resilience from Our Children. Boulder, Colorado, United States: Bull Publishing Company.
This book details the incredible resilience children have. It chronicles several stories of children who have not only survived their difficult childhoods, but have gone on to become successful and productive members of today’s society. This book attempts to answer questions regarding how these children were able to overcome such odds and what do we stand to learn from them.
Spinach Is Good For You: a call for change in the american schools
By: Ashley Walker
Kein, T., Millman, H., & Arons, B. L. (1973). Spinach Is Good For You: a call for change in the american schools. Bowling Green, Ohio, United States: Bowling Green University Popular Press.
In this book, a group of teachers go against the “machine”, also known as our current educational system, and attempt to reform and change the way of thinking at their school. The have documented their discoveries, accomplishments, and struggles as well as give “humanizing” exercises current teachers can adopt within their own classrooms.
Kein, T., Millman, H., & Arons, B. L. (1973). Spinach Is Good For You: a call for change in the american schools. Bowling Green, Ohio, United States: Bowling Green University Popular Press.
In this book, a group of teachers go against the “machine”, also known as our current educational system, and attempt to reform and change the way of thinking at their school. The have documented their discoveries, accomplishments, and struggles as well as give “humanizing” exercises current teachers can adopt within their own classrooms.
Stories of the Courage to Teach: Honoring the Teacher's Heart
By: Ashley Walker
Intrator, S. M. (2002). Stories of the Courage to Teach: Honoring the Teacher's Heart. New York, New York, United States: Jossey-Bass.
In this book, teachers are given an opportunity to share their own stories about teaching. They share stories in an honest an open manner about the events that were most pertinent and educational in their teaching careers. Stories include (but not limited to) topics on adversity, critique on colleagues, making connections, views of education, avoiding isolation, and managing student emotions.
Intrator, S. M. (2002). Stories of the Courage to Teach: Honoring the Teacher's Heart. New York, New York, United States: Jossey-Bass.
In this book, teachers are given an opportunity to share their own stories about teaching. They share stories in an honest an open manner about the events that were most pertinent and educational in their teaching careers. Stories include (but not limited to) topics on adversity, critique on colleagues, making connections, views of education, avoiding isolation, and managing student emotions.
Letters To A Young Teacher
By: Ashley Walker
Kozol, J. (2007). Letters To A Young Teacher. New York, United States: Three Rivers Press.
This book includes letters from a notable educationist to a young teacher at an inner-city school in Boston. The letters include several anecdotes regarding the struggles and accomplishments of author Jonathon Kozol. Chapters include (but not limited to) parent involvement, learning from older colleagues, diversity issues, the misery of high-stakes testing, and the importance of creating honest relationships with students.
Kozol, J. (2007). Letters To A Young Teacher. New York, United States: Three Rivers Press.
This book includes letters from a notable educationist to a young teacher at an inner-city school in Boston. The letters include several anecdotes regarding the struggles and accomplishments of author Jonathon Kozol. Chapters include (but not limited to) parent involvement, learning from older colleagues, diversity issues, the misery of high-stakes testing, and the importance of creating honest relationships with students.
Education for the 21st Century: Mapping the Field of Forces That Shape Children's Lives
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Education for the 21st Century: Mapping the Field of Forces That Shape Children's Lives. Education Week, 32 (64)
This article addresses a broad and fundamental issue identified by the author: that we currently do not know precisely which forces influence the lives of children, and that we must know if we hope to increase the happiness of the next generation. He asserts that we need a comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of the forces that “shape the hearts and minds of our children.” Most notably, he says quite strongly that the results of this survey must be tied to action.
Csikszentmihalyi goes on to suggest three steps for this survey and resulting action. First, “mapping the field of forces,” involves a top-to-bottom view of the conditions that influence young people, including everything from the family up to the media and the economy. The second step emerges from this study, and is quite simple: “choosing targets for research and intervention.” Csikszentmihalyi says “those interested in helping with this problem could select for further study one or more factors that may be amenable to change.” Finally, the third step is “diffusion and implementation of findings.” He says ““all too often, useful psychosocial research fails to be implemented because there is no connection between the generation of information and its application.”
Csikszentmihalyi then goes on to assert that ““the central purpose of educational policy should be to understand better the dynamics of happiness and to find ways to increase its occurrence in the lives of the next generation.”
This value of this article is in the way it connects the action research we are all already doing (since his three steps are really a bullet-point version of what our process will be like) to the creation of meaningful, deep change in the lives of young people. I found this both affirming and humbling, since he ascribes great power to educators who can genuinely identify what is best for young people. He reminds us of one of Plato’s greatest quotations, when Socrates says “the most important task of educators is to teach young people to find pleasure in the right things.”
Pleasure in the right things, indeed. Csikszentmihalyi says toward the end that “the most enjoyable experiences do, in fact, tend to come from the ‘right things.’ That is, from activities that require skill, concentration, involvement: the arts, sports, music, a well-designed science experiment, the solution of an intriguing math problem, a good conversation, a job well done. These are activities that lead to formative education, to personal growth, and to a lasting sense of happiness.” This sounds like great teaching. It sounds like the kind of teaching we can encourage through our action research. This sounds transformative and deep and rewarding, and if nothing else, this article confirms that my interest in Csikszentmihalyi’s research is indeed leading me down the right path.
This article addresses a broad and fundamental issue identified by the author: that we currently do not know precisely which forces influence the lives of children, and that we must know if we hope to increase the happiness of the next generation. He asserts that we need a comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of the forces that “shape the hearts and minds of our children.” Most notably, he says quite strongly that the results of this survey must be tied to action.
Csikszentmihalyi goes on to suggest three steps for this survey and resulting action. First, “mapping the field of forces,” involves a top-to-bottom view of the conditions that influence young people, including everything from the family up to the media and the economy. The second step emerges from this study, and is quite simple: “choosing targets for research and intervention.” Csikszentmihalyi says “those interested in helping with this problem could select for further study one or more factors that may be amenable to change.” Finally, the third step is “diffusion and implementation of findings.” He says ““all too often, useful psychosocial research fails to be implemented because there is no connection between the generation of information and its application.”
Csikszentmihalyi then goes on to assert that ““the central purpose of educational policy should be to understand better the dynamics of happiness and to find ways to increase its occurrence in the lives of the next generation.”
This value of this article is in the way it connects the action research we are all already doing (since his three steps are really a bullet-point version of what our process will be like) to the creation of meaningful, deep change in the lives of young people. I found this both affirming and humbling, since he ascribes great power to educators who can genuinely identify what is best for young people. He reminds us of one of Plato’s greatest quotations, when Socrates says “the most important task of educators is to teach young people to find pleasure in the right things.”
Pleasure in the right things, indeed. Csikszentmihalyi says toward the end that “the most enjoyable experiences do, in fact, tend to come from the ‘right things.’ That is, from activities that require skill, concentration, involvement: the arts, sports, music, a well-designed science experiment, the solution of an intriguing math problem, a good conversation, a job well done. These are activities that lead to formative education, to personal growth, and to a lasting sense of happiness.” This sounds like great teaching. It sounds like the kind of teaching we can encourage through our action research. This sounds transformative and deep and rewarding, and if nothing else, this article confirms that my interest in Csikszentmihalyi’s research is indeed leading me down the right path.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Putting Flow Theory Into Educational Practice: The Key School’s Flow Activities Room
The Benton Center for Curriculum and Instruction. (1991, May 1). Putting Flow Theory Into Educational Practice: The Key School's Flow Activities Room. (ED338381 ed.). Chicago, IL
This article is an analysis of an active experiment in education, perhaps even an example of action research: the Key School in Indianapolis has a Flow Activities Room, that provides a mix of structure and freedom, with the goal of encouraging students to work on projects, ideas, and activities that motivated them. Students spent four hours a week in the FAR, and the authors identify the concept of “challenging play” as being central to the goals of the group of teachers who started the school and built the FAR.
Talented Teenagers: The Roots of Success and Failure
Rathunde, K, & M. Csikszentmihalyi, & S. Whalen. (1993). Talented Teenagers: The Roots of Success and Failure. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
This book describes a study of more than 200 teens that aimed to understand why, given similar circumstances, some young people continued to strive to develop their talents while others gave up. The authors investigate the connection between motivation, joy, and the perseverance required to develop talent.
MONTESSORI AND OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE RESEARCH: TOWARD BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION REFORM
Kahn, D. (2003). MONTESSORI AND OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE RESEARCH: TOWARD BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION REFORM. The NAMTA Journal, 28 (3)
Summary: This article explores the connections between flow theory and Montessori principles and practices, such as the focus on intrinsic motivation and the factors that lead to student engagement. The author points out that Kevin Rathunde, a researcher focused on flow, sees Montessori education as offering important ideas for educational reform in middle schools, especially in the realm of socialization and the “community life.”
The “Boy Turn” in Research on Gender and Education
Weaver-Hightower, M. (2003). The "Boy Turn" in Research on Gender and Education. Review of Educational Research, 73 (4), pp. 471-498.
Summary: This article is a literature review focusing on a shift in educational research on gender away from studies around girls and women and onto boys, calling this shift the “boy turn.” He explores the social, economic, and political factors that contributed to this shift and examines some of the problems that this shift in research have inadvertently created.
Student Engagement in High School Classrooms from the Perspective of Flow Theory
Shernoff, D. J, and M. Csikzentmihalyi, and B. Schneider, and E. Shernoff. (2003). Student Engagement in High School Classrooms from the Perspective of Flow Theory. School Psychology Quarterly, 18 (2), pp. 158-176.
Topic: This article explores how students spend their time in high school and the conditions under which they reported engagement with their schoolwork. The study explores relationships between (and student perceptions of) challenge, skill, control, and relevance, and how these affect levels of student engagement. The researchers approached the topic with the framework of ‘flow theory’ as a guiding principle and an ideal internal state for student experiences to be measured against.
Methods: The data used for this study came from a larger study, called the Sloan Study of Youth and Social Development (SSYSD) on student views of their lives in the future. The study was done in three one-year waves during the early to mid 1990s and took place at twelve research sites across the United States. The sites were diverse and differed in many ways, including a range racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as the level of economic stability. The sample size was large: 526 students in grades six, eight, ten, and twelve were used. For this study, only high school students were included in the sample.
The researchers used the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), which was in fact developed by one of the researchers (Csikzentmihalyi). The ESM is known to be reliable and valid, and is a method for recording the subjective experiences of people in their enviroments. The Experience Sampling Form (ESF) is a forty-five question survey that explores everything from the participant’s location to their self-reported moods across emotional continuua such as happy-sad and strong-weak. Many questions used the Likert scale for respondents to rank their reactions, thoughts, and feelings. Since the focus was on the factors that lead to engagement, the researchers included questions that focused on concentration, interest, and enjoyment of the activity at hand. The researchers also asked questions about how respondents felt about the level of challenge and skill.
Findings/Conclusions: The reseachers identified four sets of challenge/skill combinations (from low to high in both factors) ranging from apathy (low challenge, low skill) to flow (high challenge, high skill). The middle two were relaxation and anxiety.
The perception of high challenge was associated with higher engagement than lower-challenge situations. Also, when students self-reported their skill level as high, their level of engagement was also reported as higher. The researchers found the same patterns in terms of attention. Overall, the student’s quality of experience was higher in situations where skill and challenge were both high.
Similar findings were found in terms of levels of control and relevance, so that high levels of control and relevance increased student measures of engagement, self-esteem, and mood. Interestingly, students reported higher levels of engagement during individual & group work than they did during exams, playing video games, watching television, or listening to lectures. The associated factors (interest, concentration, enjoyment) were higher as well during situations with these conditions. Individual & group work correlated to higher levels of engagement and motivation when compared with watching television or videos.
While the researchers found that high levels of concentration, enjoyment, and interest were not often seen together, flow theory would suggest that those three factors should be present together in flow states. This implies that finding situations were all three factors are present would be key to increasing student self-reported levels of engagement. The researchers identified that activities which support student choice, are connected to student’s personal goals, and offer opportunities for success would lead to more engagement and motivation.
The researchers also clearly identified a zone of optimal engagement, which happens where there is a manageable difference between the skill level of a student and the challenge of a situation. These are also correlated with the “intensity,” or combination of challenge/relevance, of an academic situation. The reseachers found a increase in student mood, enjoyment, self-esteem, and intrinsic motivation when students perceived high levels of competence and had a sense of autonomy.
The authors conclude that curricula that incorporate high levels of challenge and skill contribute most optimally to student enjoyment, self-esteem, motivation, and engagement. They admit that this is challenging but note its importance.
______________
This study is fascinating, because it confirms many of the ideas and assumptions that are central to project-based learning. While it does not necessarily provide new ideas for teaching and learning for those who already have these goals as educators, it provides rigorous and empirical data supporting the HTH design principles and the fundamentals of PBL. In fact, it might be interesting to determine if the founders of HTH knew of this study. It seems likely, and if not it is a bit of happy coincidence that many of their ideas and practices could be related to those in this study’s findings.
For teachers unaccustomed to PBL and the HTH principles, this study might provide some new ways of thinking about instruction. Either way, whatever our focus, the findings offered by the researchers make our charge as educators clear: provide rigorous, challenging classroom environments where students have been properly supported and experience high levels of autonomy and control over their time and the outcomes of their work. If teachers can create environments where these elements are in place, we can reliably expect high(er) levels of student engagement, motivation, enjoyment, and concentration.
While these implications might seem obvious to teachers in the HTH network or other skilled educators, they are not necessarily intuitive for teachers trained in other instructional methods and with different pedagogical philosophies. Furthermore, having empirical confirmation of what those who aim for these classroom traits already know is deeply reassuring.
Since my topic of interest is starting to develop around flow and the connections between process and product, I found this study to be quite interesting. It confirms that many of the ideas about how I’m structuring my classroom are already working and are empirically validated. That is exciting and motivating for me. This study makes me think that my interest in the structures/systems that support engagement and motivation being sustained over time (over the life of a project, for example, versus one class period) could be fruitful and relevant. It’s exciting that I can extend my thinking thanks to this study.
Topic: This article explores how students spend their time in high school and the conditions under which they reported engagement with their schoolwork. The study explores relationships between (and student perceptions of) challenge, skill, control, and relevance, and how these affect levels of student engagement. The researchers approached the topic with the framework of ‘flow theory’ as a guiding principle and an ideal internal state for student experiences to be measured against.
Methods: The data used for this study came from a larger study, called the Sloan Study of Youth and Social Development (SSYSD) on student views of their lives in the future. The study was done in three one-year waves during the early to mid 1990s and took place at twelve research sites across the United States. The sites were diverse and differed in many ways, including a range racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as the level of economic stability. The sample size was large: 526 students in grades six, eight, ten, and twelve were used. For this study, only high school students were included in the sample.
The researchers used the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), which was in fact developed by one of the researchers (Csikzentmihalyi). The ESM is known to be reliable and valid, and is a method for recording the subjective experiences of people in their enviroments. The Experience Sampling Form (ESF) is a forty-five question survey that explores everything from the participant’s location to their self-reported moods across emotional continuua such as happy-sad and strong-weak. Many questions used the Likert scale for respondents to rank their reactions, thoughts, and feelings. Since the focus was on the factors that lead to engagement, the researchers included questions that focused on concentration, interest, and enjoyment of the activity at hand. The researchers also asked questions about how respondents felt about the level of challenge and skill.
Findings/Conclusions: The reseachers identified four sets of challenge/skill combinations (from low to high in both factors) ranging from apathy (low challenge, low skill) to flow (high challenge, high skill). The middle two were relaxation and anxiety.
The perception of high challenge was associated with higher engagement than lower-challenge situations. Also, when students self-reported their skill level as high, their level of engagement was also reported as higher. The researchers found the same patterns in terms of attention. Overall, the student’s quality of experience was higher in situations where skill and challenge were both high.
Similar findings were found in terms of levels of control and relevance, so that high levels of control and relevance increased student measures of engagement, self-esteem, and mood. Interestingly, students reported higher levels of engagement during individual & group work than they did during exams, playing video games, watching television, or listening to lectures. The associated factors (interest, concentration, enjoyment) were higher as well during situations with these conditions. Individual & group work correlated to higher levels of engagement and motivation when compared with watching television or videos.
While the researchers found that high levels of concentration, enjoyment, and interest were not often seen together, flow theory would suggest that those three factors should be present together in flow states. This implies that finding situations were all three factors are present would be key to increasing student self-reported levels of engagement. The researchers identified that activities which support student choice, are connected to student’s personal goals, and offer opportunities for success would lead to more engagement and motivation.
The researchers also clearly identified a zone of optimal engagement, which happens where there is a manageable difference between the skill level of a student and the challenge of a situation. These are also correlated with the “intensity,” or combination of challenge/relevance, of an academic situation. The reseachers found a increase in student mood, enjoyment, self-esteem, and intrinsic motivation when students perceived high levels of competence and had a sense of autonomy.
The authors conclude that curricula that incorporate high levels of challenge and skill contribute most optimally to student enjoyment, self-esteem, motivation, and engagement. They admit that this is challenging but note its importance.
______________
This study is fascinating, because it confirms many of the ideas and assumptions that are central to project-based learning. While it does not necessarily provide new ideas for teaching and learning for those who already have these goals as educators, it provides rigorous and empirical data supporting the HTH design principles and the fundamentals of PBL. In fact, it might be interesting to determine if the founders of HTH knew of this study. It seems likely, and if not it is a bit of happy coincidence that many of their ideas and practices could be related to those in this study’s findings.
For teachers unaccustomed to PBL and the HTH principles, this study might provide some new ways of thinking about instruction. Either way, whatever our focus, the findings offered by the researchers make our charge as educators clear: provide rigorous, challenging classroom environments where students have been properly supported and experience high levels of autonomy and control over their time and the outcomes of their work. If teachers can create environments where these elements are in place, we can reliably expect high(er) levels of student engagement, motivation, enjoyment, and concentration.
While these implications might seem obvious to teachers in the HTH network or other skilled educators, they are not necessarily intuitive for teachers trained in other instructional methods and with different pedagogical philosophies. Furthermore, having empirical confirmation of what those who aim for these classroom traits already know is deeply reassuring.
Since my topic of interest is starting to develop around flow and the connections between process and product, I found this study to be quite interesting. It confirms that many of the ideas about how I’m structuring my classroom are already working and are empirically validated. That is exciting and motivating for me. This study makes me think that my interest in the structures/systems that support engagement and motivation being sustained over time (over the life of a project, for example, versus one class period) could be fruitful and relevant. It’s exciting that I can extend my thinking thanks to this study.
Effective strategies in the Teaching of Mathematics
Clarke, Yelta (1984). Effective Strategies in the Teaching of Mathematics: A Light From Mathematics to Technology. New York: University Press of America.
This book compares and contrast different types of teaching and how to integrate theory into practice.
This book compares and contrast different types of teaching and how to integrate theory into practice.
From here to infinity
Stewart, Ian (1987). From Here to Infinity: A Guide to Today's Mathematics. New York: Oxford University Press.
This is a guide to modern mathematics from Andrew Wiles proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, knot theory, Four Color Theorem, and Chaos.
This is a guide to modern mathematics from Andrew Wiles proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, knot theory, Four Color Theorem, and Chaos.
Mathematics in 10 lessons
King, Jerry (2009). Mathematics in 10 lessons: The Grand Tour. New York: Prometheus Books.
This book is a tour of mathematics ranging from probability, number theory, sets, patterns and paradoxes, and calculus.
This book is a tour of mathematics ranging from probability, number theory, sets, patterns and paradoxes, and calculus.
The Mathematcial tourist
Peterson, Ivars (1998). The Mathematical Tourist: New and Updated Snapshots of Modern Mathematics. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company.
This is a journey into the frontiers of mathematics. Meant for the layman, this book exposes some of the most interesting and unanswered questions in modern mathematics.
This is a journey into the frontiers of mathematics. Meant for the layman, this book exposes some of the most interesting and unanswered questions in modern mathematics.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Critical Thinking and Education
McPeck, J. E. (1981). Critical Thinking and Education. Oxford: Martin Robertson Press.
A look at the connection between critical thinking and education, its importance and the surprising lack of substance in how it's taught.
A look at the connection between critical thinking and education, its importance and the surprising lack of substance in how it's taught.
John Dewey and the Art of Teaching
Simpson, D. J., Jackson, M. J., & Aycock, J. C. (2005). John Dewey and the Art of Teaching. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
A look at the art of teaching as seen through the eyes of John Dewey, this book offers practical applications for teachers in contemporary classrooms
A look at the art of teaching as seen through the eyes of John Dewey, this book offers practical applications for teachers in contemporary classrooms
We Make the Road by Walking
Horton, M. & Freire, P. We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on education and social change. Philidelphia: Temple Press. 1990.
Written in the form of a conversation between Paolo Freire and Myles Horton, this book is a reflection on "the meaning of pedagogy, social criticism, and collective struggle."
Written in the form of a conversation between Paolo Freire and Myles Horton, this book is a reflection on "the meaning of pedagogy, social criticism, and collective struggle."
Chomsky's Democracy and Education
Chomsky, N. (1994) Democracy and Education Mellon Lecture, Loyola University. Chicago.
Summary: The title of this lecture by Noam Chomsky is a little bit misleading as most of what he’s talking about is more about politics and policy, the modern industrial state and its effect on the working class, how propaganda has been used for the last 100 years or so to control and manipulate the masses, and the various schools of thought on the role or ability of the masses to govern themselves. However he does make several relevant points regarding the importance and goal of education, one of them clearly articulated in a quote he cites by Bertrand Russell: The goal of education is “to help create wise citizens of a free community, to encourage a combination of citizenship with liberty, [and] individual creativeness, which means we regard a child as a gardener regards a young tree, as something with an intrinsic nature which will develop into an admirable form given proper soil and air and light.” He goes on to say that education “is not to be viewed as something like filling a vessel with water, but rather assisting a flower to grow in its own way.” He comes back to this idea a little later in discussing how important creative work is to “core value of human life” and how education needs to be more reflective of this and not as a means of “oppression and subordination and marginalization” but instead a means “of undermining this absolutist monstrosity.”
Much of the later part of his lecture focuses on how social and economic policies that undermine family structure also undermine the effectiveness of schools, citing sociologist James Coleman’s conclusion from looking at many studies that “the total effect of home background is considerably greater [twice the effect he later notes] than the total effect of school variables in determining student achievement.” There was also an interesting distinction made (in his discussion about the effects of capitalism) on the difference between craftsmen and workers, which I was able to connect back to my teaching and my view of my students– a worker is someone who is told what to do and does it for some reward and whose personhood, whose dignity or individuality are not valued or respected; whereas a craftsman is someone whose creativity, ideas, individuality are celebrated and who does what they do for the enjoyment or personal fulfillment the task brings them. I think it's important to see our students as craftsmen/women.
Reflection: While I enjoyed this piece, it wasn’t as clear a discussion of the link between education and a healthy, viable democracy as I had expected. The reason for this may be that his audience would already have a very clear understanding of this, whereas I’m still making the connections. I’m sure his audience was able to easily fill in the gaps that I was looking for clarification on. I also realize that as I’m thinking about this piece further I’m starting to fill in some of those gaps, so another reading of this lecture would probably clarify some of these ideas.
Relevant (or interesting) quotes/concepts:
• “creative work freely undertaken in association with others [is] the core value of human life.”
• “when you sell your product, you retain your person. But when you sell your labour, you sell yourself, losing the rights of free men and becoming vassals of mammoth establishments [and having] the status of machines.”
Summary: The title of this lecture by Noam Chomsky is a little bit misleading as most of what he’s talking about is more about politics and policy, the modern industrial state and its effect on the working class, how propaganda has been used for the last 100 years or so to control and manipulate the masses, and the various schools of thought on the role or ability of the masses to govern themselves. However he does make several relevant points regarding the importance and goal of education, one of them clearly articulated in a quote he cites by Bertrand Russell: The goal of education is “to help create wise citizens of a free community, to encourage a combination of citizenship with liberty, [and] individual creativeness, which means we regard a child as a gardener regards a young tree, as something with an intrinsic nature which will develop into an admirable form given proper soil and air and light.” He goes on to say that education “is not to be viewed as something like filling a vessel with water, but rather assisting a flower to grow in its own way.” He comes back to this idea a little later in discussing how important creative work is to “core value of human life” and how education needs to be more reflective of this and not as a means of “oppression and subordination and marginalization” but instead a means “of undermining this absolutist monstrosity.”
Much of the later part of his lecture focuses on how social and economic policies that undermine family structure also undermine the effectiveness of schools, citing sociologist James Coleman’s conclusion from looking at many studies that “the total effect of home background is considerably greater [twice the effect he later notes] than the total effect of school variables in determining student achievement.” There was also an interesting distinction made (in his discussion about the effects of capitalism) on the difference between craftsmen and workers, which I was able to connect back to my teaching and my view of my students– a worker is someone who is told what to do and does it for some reward and whose personhood, whose dignity or individuality are not valued or respected; whereas a craftsman is someone whose creativity, ideas, individuality are celebrated and who does what they do for the enjoyment or personal fulfillment the task brings them. I think it's important to see our students as craftsmen/women.
Reflection: While I enjoyed this piece, it wasn’t as clear a discussion of the link between education and a healthy, viable democracy as I had expected. The reason for this may be that his audience would already have a very clear understanding of this, whereas I’m still making the connections. I’m sure his audience was able to easily fill in the gaps that I was looking for clarification on. I also realize that as I’m thinking about this piece further I’m starting to fill in some of those gaps, so another reading of this lecture would probably clarify some of these ideas.
Relevant (or interesting) quotes/concepts:
• “creative work freely undertaken in association with others [is] the core value of human life.”
• “when you sell your product, you retain your person. But when you sell your labour, you sell yourself, losing the rights of free men and becoming vassals of mammoth establishments [and having] the status of machines.”
Writing the Word and the world
Morrell, E. (March 2003) “Writing the Word and the World: Critical literacy as critical textual production.” Paper presented at the Conference on College Composition and Communication (54th, New York, NY, March 19-22, 2003).
Summary: Ernest Morrell is an associate professor of Urban School at UCLA where he focuses on literacy theory and cultural and ethnic studies. His thesis is that writing critical text (i.e. persuasive or informative research texts) is an act of resistance and a tool for social change. He argues that teaching writing should be more than just teaching essay structure, grammar, etc. It’s about empowering and preparing students “for writing lives as engaged citizens and not just university students or future professionals” (7). He argues that “writing can be about re-making and re-articulating reality,” agreeing with the long-held belief that “those who have the power to manipulate language have the power to rule the world” (7). In other words, he advocates using composition classes as a way to produce critical texts for social change. Drawing from the work of Freire, he offers some core tenets in achieving this goal grounded in student experience, real world problems, interaction with real people, a confrontation with social injustice and oppression, and a plan of action. He has used these tenets in the creation of a summer program for incoming West Coast University students from underrepresented schools in Los Angeles where they research and write about various social issues that they feel compelled to advocate for. He provides an outline of the writing assignment as well as a reflection on some of his struggles in implementing this course (for example, finding the right balance between control and freedom/spontaneity for the class) . Finally, he notes how invested the students become in their research when the topic is something they feel strongly about, staying up until all hours of the night during their summer vacation to complete this assignment : “They are not writing for approval or evaluation. They believe, and rightly so, that their words matter” (24).
Response: I feel like Morrell articulated everything I’ve been thinking and my whole approach and mission in teaching writing throughout the years. He just took it a few steps further. The whole focus of my curriculum this year is to look at how language is used as a tool of oppression and rebellion – and this is exactly what he’s talking about, but just on a larger scale. In addition, I noticed that there are several elements in his approach that support HTH design principles – making the work relevant, presenting to a larger audience, connecting to the adult world through interviews and lectures, etc.
This is a source that I plan to follow up on – both in finding some of his publications and in contacting him to see if he can offer any guidance. I think that he could be an invaluable resource for me as there are so many similarities in our approach and mission in teaching writing.
Relevant quotes/concepts:
• “There can be no liberation of self or other without tools or language to perform counter-readings of dominant texts that serve the interests of power” (5).
• “Critical literacy instruction needs to be fundamentally concerned with the consumption, production, and distribution of texts; counter-texts that…serve as the manifestation of an alternative reality or a not-yet-realized present that only enters into the imagination through the interaction with new and authentically liberating words that are created by writers as cultural workers” (6)
• “Students do not only need the tools of writing, they need a purpose for writing that extends beyond scholastic or professional success on the one hand, and a better understanding of themselves on the other hand. What students need is an association of composition with advocacy, with activism, with empowerment, and with revolution” (22) (YES!!!)
Summary: Ernest Morrell is an associate professor of Urban School at UCLA where he focuses on literacy theory and cultural and ethnic studies. His thesis is that writing critical text (i.e. persuasive or informative research texts) is an act of resistance and a tool for social change. He argues that teaching writing should be more than just teaching essay structure, grammar, etc. It’s about empowering and preparing students “for writing lives as engaged citizens and not just university students or future professionals” (7). He argues that “writing can be about re-making and re-articulating reality,” agreeing with the long-held belief that “those who have the power to manipulate language have the power to rule the world” (7). In other words, he advocates using composition classes as a way to produce critical texts for social change. Drawing from the work of Freire, he offers some core tenets in achieving this goal grounded in student experience, real world problems, interaction with real people, a confrontation with social injustice and oppression, and a plan of action. He has used these tenets in the creation of a summer program for incoming West Coast University students from underrepresented schools in Los Angeles where they research and write about various social issues that they feel compelled to advocate for. He provides an outline of the writing assignment as well as a reflection on some of his struggles in implementing this course (for example, finding the right balance between control and freedom/spontaneity for the class) . Finally, he notes how invested the students become in their research when the topic is something they feel strongly about, staying up until all hours of the night during their summer vacation to complete this assignment : “They are not writing for approval or evaluation. They believe, and rightly so, that their words matter” (24).
Response: I feel like Morrell articulated everything I’ve been thinking and my whole approach and mission in teaching writing throughout the years. He just took it a few steps further. The whole focus of my curriculum this year is to look at how language is used as a tool of oppression and rebellion – and this is exactly what he’s talking about, but just on a larger scale. In addition, I noticed that there are several elements in his approach that support HTH design principles – making the work relevant, presenting to a larger audience, connecting to the adult world through interviews and lectures, etc.
This is a source that I plan to follow up on – both in finding some of his publications and in contacting him to see if he can offer any guidance. I think that he could be an invaluable resource for me as there are so many similarities in our approach and mission in teaching writing.
Relevant quotes/concepts:
• “There can be no liberation of self or other without tools or language to perform counter-readings of dominant texts that serve the interests of power” (5).
• “Critical literacy instruction needs to be fundamentally concerned with the consumption, production, and distribution of texts; counter-texts that…serve as the manifestation of an alternative reality or a not-yet-realized present that only enters into the imagination through the interaction with new and authentically liberating words that are created by writers as cultural workers” (6)
• “Students do not only need the tools of writing, they need a purpose for writing that extends beyond scholastic or professional success on the one hand, and a better understanding of themselves on the other hand. What students need is an association of composition with advocacy, with activism, with empowerment, and with revolution” (22) (YES!!!)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Learning to design webquests: an exploration in preservice social studies education.
Annotation provided by Chris Webber:
Bates, Alisa. Learning to design webquests: an exploration in preservice social studies education. Journal Social Studies Resource, 34(Spring), 2008.
This article explores the effectiveness of the use of technology in the social studies area for students who are doing their teacher training. It is grounded in an examination of the effectiveness and authenticity of WebQuests as a method of instruction. In so doing it also discusses how deep the ideas are in the assigned webQuests as well as how the audience receives this sort of instruction. Ultimately the article reports on the following findings: “technology needs more support to become the background of a content-centered task; (2) additional scaffolding is needed to help teacher candidates understand how to assess the quality of work that future students may construct while utilizing WebQuests; (3) students need more support to develop deep, conceptually rich social studies content in their projects” (10).
“In the context of social studies, a WebQuest provides a format for supporting students in working with the wide range of materials available on the Internet such as the materials available on the American Memory website through the Library of Congress. However, the literature on WebQuests has done little to demonstrate the power of WebQuests beyond advocating their use and providing anecdotal tales of students' experiences” (12).
“One can hope that the opportunity to be the learner who is actively engaged with technology as a natural part of teacher education courses will help to foster the kind of teaching necessary to create technologically and inquiry rich approaches to social studies instruction” (20).
Bates, Alisa. Learning to design webquests: an exploration in preservice social studies education. Journal Social Studies Resource, 34(Spring), 2008.
This article explores the effectiveness of the use of technology in the social studies area for students who are doing their teacher training. It is grounded in an examination of the effectiveness and authenticity of WebQuests as a method of instruction. In so doing it also discusses how deep the ideas are in the assigned webQuests as well as how the audience receives this sort of instruction. Ultimately the article reports on the following findings: “technology needs more support to become the background of a content-centered task; (2) additional scaffolding is needed to help teacher candidates understand how to assess the quality of work that future students may construct while utilizing WebQuests; (3) students need more support to develop deep, conceptually rich social studies content in their projects” (10).
“In the context of social studies, a WebQuest provides a format for supporting students in working with the wide range of materials available on the Internet such as the materials available on the American Memory website through the Library of Congress. However, the literature on WebQuests has done little to demonstrate the power of WebQuests beyond advocating their use and providing anecdotal tales of students' experiences” (12).
“One can hope that the opportunity to be the learner who is actively engaged with technology as a natural part of teacher education courses will help to foster the kind of teaching necessary to create technologically and inquiry rich approaches to social studies instruction” (20).
The effects of problem-based learning on problem solving.
Annotation provided by Chris Webber:
Gallagher, Shelagh A. (Fall, 1992). The effects of problem-based learning on problem solving. Gifted Child Quarterly, 36(4),
This is a very interesting article because at the time of its publication the effects of problem-based learning had not been thoroughly tested at the high school level. As a result, it is fascinating to see (having read about results in this area), the assumptions that the author predicts might happen, as a result of doing testing. The article is focused on how gifted children respond to problem based learning. The author conducted a 3 year study on how children responded to problem based learning.
“Very little research has yet been conducted on the effectiveness of the problem-based tutorial as an instructional strategy. Most of the research on problem-based learning to date has focused on the adjustment of faculty to an innovative technique” (196).
“If you want your students to appreciate the importance of problem finding in the overall problem-solving process, put them in the middle of a muddle! Immersing students inside an ill-structured problem is an effective way to help them understand the importance of knowing what the problem is before they run pell-mell to a solution” (195).
Gallagher, Shelagh A. (Fall, 1992). The effects of problem-based learning on problem solving. Gifted Child Quarterly, 36(4),
This is a very interesting article because at the time of its publication the effects of problem-based learning had not been thoroughly tested at the high school level. As a result, it is fascinating to see (having read about results in this area), the assumptions that the author predicts might happen, as a result of doing testing. The article is focused on how gifted children respond to problem based learning. The author conducted a 3 year study on how children responded to problem based learning.
“Very little research has yet been conducted on the effectiveness of the problem-based tutorial as an instructional strategy. Most of the research on problem-based learning to date has focused on the adjustment of faculty to an innovative technique” (196).
“If you want your students to appreciate the importance of problem finding in the overall problem-solving process, put them in the middle of a muddle! Immersing students inside an ill-structured problem is an effective way to help them understand the importance of knowing what the problem is before they run pell-mell to a solution” (195).
Getting a grip on project-based learning: theory, cases and recommendations.
Annotation provided by Chris Webber:
Grant, Micheal,M . (2002). Getting a grip on project-based learning: theory, cases and recommendations. Meridian, 5(1), 1-3.
This article explains how students use a webquest to better understand the holocaust, and also how this webquest can then become a part of project-based learning. The process according to Mr. Grant should involve “activities that require higher-level and critical thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information (1). He also notes that with project based learning, such as the assignment that he is proposing, that careful teacher guidance will be needed. The article also provides basic instruction on how teachers should approach project-based learning. The article elicits comments from teachers and suggests tips, such as to not to do too many projects in a semester, but to rather choose 2 or 3. It states that by varying instruction it allows “the discussion of breadth versus depth to resurface” (3).
“First, because project-based learning focuses on in -depth investigations while constructing personally -meaningful artifacts, the tone of a classroom may change. This may be uncomfortable for the students and the teacher” (10).
“Rooted in constructivism, constructionism and cooperative/collaborative learning, project-based learning has strong theoretical support for successful achievement” (13).
Grant, Micheal,M . (2002). Getting a grip on project-based learning: theory, cases and recommendations. Meridian, 5(1), 1-3.
This article explains how students use a webquest to better understand the holocaust, and also how this webquest can then become a part of project-based learning. The process according to Mr. Grant should involve “activities that require higher-level and critical thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information (1). He also notes that with project based learning, such as the assignment that he is proposing, that careful teacher guidance will be needed. The article also provides basic instruction on how teachers should approach project-based learning. The article elicits comments from teachers and suggests tips, such as to not to do too many projects in a semester, but to rather choose 2 or 3. It states that by varying instruction it allows “the discussion of breadth versus depth to resurface” (3).
“First, because project-based learning focuses on in -depth investigations while constructing personally -meaningful artifacts, the tone of a classroom may change. This may be uncomfortable for the students and the teacher” (10).
“Rooted in constructivism, constructionism and cooperative/collaborative learning, project-based learning has strong theoretical support for successful achievement” (13).
Project-based learning: rigor and relevance in high school
Annotation provided by Chris Webber:
Harada, Violet, H. (March, 2008). Project-based learning: rigor and relevance in high school. Library Media Collection, 26(6), 14-20.
PBL is explained to be something that should be grounded in the content standards according to this article. The article also mentions that students should develop ownership of the project in the following two important ways: Topics that are selected should be topics that students can relate to and topics that the students have an interest in. Students are also encouraged by Ms. Harada to develop goals early on in the process and by doing so they are more likely to produce a better end result. This article also very interestingly explains the role of the teacher as one of coach and someone who shares control of the process. This is something that I am working towards doing in my own classes. The article also explains how students use technology in project based learning and gives examples of successful projects that have been put into practice by teachers.
“…students reflect continuously as they work through their projects. Key questions they must ask themselves include: What is my goal? How well am I achieving this goal? What is working well? What problems am I having? How might I deal with these problems? What are possible solutions? This type of self-analysis builds students' abilities to focus on their strengths and consider areas for improvement”(14).
“Project-based learning frames an approach to learning that actively engages students in deeper levels of comprehension and interpretation about what and how they study” (20).
Harada, Violet, H. (March, 2008). Project-based learning: rigor and relevance in high school. Library Media Collection, 26(6), 14-20.
PBL is explained to be something that should be grounded in the content standards according to this article. The article also mentions that students should develop ownership of the project in the following two important ways: Topics that are selected should be topics that students can relate to and topics that the students have an interest in. Students are also encouraged by Ms. Harada to develop goals early on in the process and by doing so they are more likely to produce a better end result. This article also very interestingly explains the role of the teacher as one of coach and someone who shares control of the process. This is something that I am working towards doing in my own classes. The article also explains how students use technology in project based learning and gives examples of successful projects that have been put into practice by teachers.
“…students reflect continuously as they work through their projects. Key questions they must ask themselves include: What is my goal? How well am I achieving this goal? What is working well? What problems am I having? How might I deal with these problems? What are possible solutions? This type of self-analysis builds students' abilities to focus on their strengths and consider areas for improvement”(14).
“Project-based learning frames an approach to learning that actively engages students in deeper levels of comprehension and interpretation about what and how they study” (20).
7 Essentials for project-based learning
Annotation provided by Chris Webber:
Larmer, John. (2010). 7 Essentials for project-based learning. Educational Leadership, 68(1), 34-37.
This article, as the title suggests, explains what elements are needed to bring meaningful projects to the classroom. The author explains how each decent project should contain the following 2 elements: A need to know, as well as a driving question. It is explained that a need to know is an “entry point” which gets the students interested in the upcoming project. The driving question is designed to have students focus their attention in a particular area. The article also covers the necessity of peer feedback in student teams, which was very interesting.
“Students need to learn that most people's first attempts don't result in high quality and that revision is a frequent feature of real world work” (35).
“Schoolwork is more meaningful when it's not done only for the teacher or the test. When students present their work to a real audience, they care more about its quality” (35).
Larmer, John. (2010). 7 Essentials for project-based learning. Educational Leadership, 68(1), 34-37.
This article, as the title suggests, explains what elements are needed to bring meaningful projects to the classroom. The author explains how each decent project should contain the following 2 elements: A need to know, as well as a driving question. It is explained that a need to know is an “entry point” which gets the students interested in the upcoming project. The driving question is designed to have students focus their attention in a particular area. The article also covers the necessity of peer feedback in student teams, which was very interesting.
“Students need to learn that most people's first attempts don't result in high quality and that revision is a frequent feature of real world work” (35).
“Schoolwork is more meaningful when it's not done only for the teacher or the test. When students present their work to a real audience, they care more about its quality” (35).
Real work, real learning
Annotation provided by Chris Webber:
This source seems to be a really relevant book on how to have students transition from high school into the workforce. The first chapter of the book entitled Project Based learning: spilling into life I thought would be most relevant to my practice. The chapter has a section which discusses essentially how people learn. Steinberg also very carefully outlines her “six A’s of project design”. In this she examines issues such as student/adult relationships and applied learning.
“Adults have difficulty coming up with memorable learning experiences that took place inside the classroom because many of the features that characterize real projects are absent in school assignments and projects” (24).
“In school students are expected to learn fragmented bits or chunks of subject matter which seem to be important only as a gateway to more of the same. They move from class to class, in batches of thirty, with few opportunities, except disruptive behavior to distinguish themselves from their peers” (4).
This source seems to be a really relevant book on how to have students transition from high school into the workforce. The first chapter of the book entitled Project Based learning: spilling into life I thought would be most relevant to my practice. The chapter has a section which discusses essentially how people learn. Steinberg also very carefully outlines her “six A’s of project design”. In this she examines issues such as student/adult relationships and applied learning.
“Adults have difficulty coming up with memorable learning experiences that took place inside the classroom because many of the features that characterize real projects are absent in school assignments and projects” (24).
“In school students are expected to learn fragmented bits or chunks of subject matter which seem to be important only as a gateway to more of the same. They move from class to class, in batches of thirty, with few opportunities, except disruptive behavior to distinguish themselves from their peers” (4).
Mathematics Miseducation
1. Stolp, Derek (2005). Mathematics Miseducation: The Case Against a Tired Tradition. Maryland: The Rowand and Littlefield publishing group.
Stolp shows that what we believe about the needs of children and what motivates them to lean promote practices that are counterproductive and ultimately corrupt students' own healthy motivations.
Mathematics Miseducation is a refreshing opposition to how mathematics is traditionally taught in kindergarten through college. He states a compelling case to revamp the way we teach mathematics through the use of real world and open ended mathematical problems. Stolp refers to the way we teach students enables them to be map followers rather than explores and discoverers.
Stolp suggests that we make a few changes to our approach:
Principle 1: Begin every unit of study, if possible, with a real-world problem. The ideal is to use a real world situation to develop the mathematical tools needed to solve the problem. This gives purpose to the learning and will help the students think as a mathematician would.
Principle 2: Design an attack on the problem together. Teacher creates a plan with the student not for the student. This allows student to be participants in the journey. They discover along the way instead of mimicking what the teacher has already shown them.
Principle 3: Whenever possible answer a question with another question. Declarative statements are the death of inquiry. You should resist the temptation to be the revealer of truth.
Principle 4: At the end of the unit once the problem is solved, to go back and to reexamine the path taken. This allows the students to summarize the important ideas. It also enables connections between previous units.
Principle 5: To examine the problem's background as well as historical record. Why did these problems first arise? Who were its creators and solvers? This gives depth and meaning behind what we do.
Principle 6: Aim for depth not breadth. This allows time for thoughtful investigations and discoveries.
Principle 7. Do not teach from a text book. Textbooks are poorly designed and often lack real-world applications.
Relevant Quotes:
On Motivation :
"Rewards and punishments can be used to get many kids to learn what we want them to learn, but it is clear that many more are not learning effectively. Moreover, for those who do learn, the cost is that their own healty motivations are corrupted. Instead of learning out of curiosity and desire to make sense of some facet of their world, they learn in order to please the teacher or parent, to get into the most prestigious college, to prove that they are better and smarter than their peers, to win a prize or public recognition. Under these circumstances, learning itself has been relegated to the second-class status of "means to an end", and when those ends are no longer available, there is no reason to pursue the means. "
Stolp shows that what we believe about the needs of children and what motivates them to lean promote practices that are counterproductive and ultimately corrupt students' own healthy motivations.
Mathematics Miseducation is a refreshing opposition to how mathematics is traditionally taught in kindergarten through college. He states a compelling case to revamp the way we teach mathematics through the use of real world and open ended mathematical problems. Stolp refers to the way we teach students enables them to be map followers rather than explores and discoverers.
Stolp suggests that we make a few changes to our approach:
Principle 1: Begin every unit of study, if possible, with a real-world problem. The ideal is to use a real world situation to develop the mathematical tools needed to solve the problem. This gives purpose to the learning and will help the students think as a mathematician would.
Principle 2: Design an attack on the problem together. Teacher creates a plan with the student not for the student. This allows student to be participants in the journey. They discover along the way instead of mimicking what the teacher has already shown them.
Principle 3: Whenever possible answer a question with another question. Declarative statements are the death of inquiry. You should resist the temptation to be the revealer of truth.
Principle 4: At the end of the unit once the problem is solved, to go back and to reexamine the path taken. This allows the students to summarize the important ideas. It also enables connections between previous units.
Principle 5: To examine the problem's background as well as historical record. Why did these problems first arise? Who were its creators and solvers? This gives depth and meaning behind what we do.
Principle 6: Aim for depth not breadth. This allows time for thoughtful investigations and discoveries.
Principle 7. Do not teach from a text book. Textbooks are poorly designed and often lack real-world applications.
Relevant Quotes:
On Motivation :
"Rewards and punishments can be used to get many kids to learn what we want them to learn, but it is clear that many more are not learning effectively. Moreover, for those who do learn, the cost is that their own healty motivations are corrupted. Instead of learning out of curiosity and desire to make sense of some facet of their world, they learn in order to please the teacher or parent, to get into the most prestigious college, to prove that they are better and smarter than their peers, to win a prize or public recognition. Under these circumstances, learning itself has been relegated to the second-class status of "means to an end", and when those ends are no longer available, there is no reason to pursue the means. "
A collection of math puzzles
Greenblatt, M.H. (1965). Mathematical Entertainments: A Collection of Illuminating Puzzles New and Old. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.
This book is a collection of real world as well as abstract problems that are posed as puzzles. It main theme is to show that mathematics is not boring but full of beauty and applicable insight.
This book is a collection of real world as well as abstract problems that are posed as puzzles. It main theme is to show that mathematics is not boring but full of beauty and applicable insight.