The past two classes we have had some very deep conversations. Conversations that get you thinking what have you actually learned the past 15 years in school? To be honest there is not much I can say I have truly learned from school. As we talked about in class today, in today's society people are more concerned about grades than about actually learning the information and it is actually sad. I am 100 percent guilty of it too because that is what we have been taught our whole lives. Learn a unit get tested on it, learn another unit get tested on it. See how many facts you can cram into your brain for that one hour you have the test, then forget everything you learned as soon as you walk out of the room. If you didn't get a "good grade" you're "not smart or you didn't try hard enough" according to society. In reality that is not the case at all.
I believe that everyone learns differently and just because you didn't get an A on a test does not by any means mean that you are dumb or not smart. Tests aren't for everybody and that is not the way students should be getting assessed on and decided if they are smart or not. Also in class today Dr. Parker gave a very good example about homework. His students one year made A's on their homework assignments but then all made around the C range for in-class assignments. That right there is a perfect example. Just because you made an A on your homework does not mean you understand the material because you could be getting help from a parent, friend, or the internet. In order to truly test a student I believe you have to observe them, understand them, question them and make them explain to you how and why they came to the conclusions they came to.
The TPACK model is also another very great piece of information I learned in class today that I think will definitely help me in my future classrooms. This model consists of a teacher using technology, content, and pedagogy(which is knowing how to teach). These three aspects combined together will make a great teacher. Using just one or even two of these will not result in good, successful teaching, because you need all three to truly teach your students in a way that is helpful to them and in a way they can understand.
Lastly something that stuck with me and I think I will actually use in my future classrooms is the saying Dr. Parker shared with us today. "Today I am...So I can...I know I understand it when..." This is great and I definitely think it will help you to know what you as a teacher have to teach and what you want your students to get from the lesson and it will give the students a better understanding of what they are supposed to be learning from the lesson.
Lindsey,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. I am glad to see you are getting a lot out of this class. What action steps are you taking after our conversation on grading or technology integration? I know you have mentioned in class that technology is an area where you need to grow. What plan are you putting into place now to learn all you can about technology tools for the classroom? What impact do our class conversation have on your future in teacher education, student teaching, and your career?
-JP
through out this class our eyes have been opened to problems that take place in schools by testing and homework. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to fix them. I did really like your examples of how you would make them interact in class to take the place of homework.
ReplyDeleteI really like the emphasis you put on students doing things for the grades more that actual learning. Whether we like to admit it or not, we have all experienced an assignment or test, that we mindlessly did for the grade, copying right from our notes or in some cases the internet. Even in the smallest things, we get so caught up in being compared to a chart of perfect answers or our peers. For this reason, the actual learning is often put on hold just to get through it. You have some great ideas for assessing your students in a way you can ensure they are thinking for themselves. What are some specific ways you can implement them? Also, how do you plan to use technology in your classroom? What are some basic ideas or programs that you plan to put to use to help your students' learning?
ReplyDeleteYour first paragraph described exactly what I was thinking during that class…. Throughout school I remembered the information long enough to pass the tests, and then the information left my brain. It is sad how we sometimes don't really internalize what we're being taught, and only remember long enough to make good grades… you brought up some really good points in your post, and I couldn't agree more with what you stated.
ReplyDeleteI had a teacher in high school that actually that went a whole semester and didn't take in any grades. You wouldn't believe how much learning was actually done in that semester. I had never done that in my whole school years and I was kind of hesitant on trying it because I was always taught to worry about the grade, but my teacher doing this was the best thing he could have ever done.
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