What is Learning: Learning is to use new concepts in a new way to solve a problem or accomplish a task. People learn in many different ways. One powerful way starts as a child whereby they learn by observation and copying what they have seen or heard. Apprenticeships are basically learning the same way. Learning has to be meaningful to the student so they will desire to learn it.
How is learning best effectuated by the teacher: In every new theory we learned that in order for the students to master the new material with have to tie it into their past knowledge or schema. When we can successfully help student connect to past knowledge and make the lesson applicable to their lives they will be more likely to acquire the new knowledge. Our goal should be to get the students to desire knowledge as an intrinsic value, and get them to take responsibility for their own learning. A teacher should guide a student's learning and help them when they become confused. Teaching is like explaining how to read and understand the symbols and layout of a road map. Our lesson should be the map that they follow from point A to point B. If they know how to use the tools we teach them then they should be successful in mastering the content.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Week 11
What is learning: I found in the first reading it said that any animal can imitate, but with children instruction plays an important role in learning. Learning is taking your current abilities and with some instruction and guidance you can master a skill you probably would not been able to do on your own.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher: I found the second reading interesting in the tutor working with 3, 4, and 5 year old children. What I thought was funny that they found the 3 year old children asked for the most assistance and yet ignored the instruction the most also. The important part of the learning was that the students must have comprehension of the solution. Even though they allowed the students to have free play with the blocks at the beginning the learning was not unassisted. The tutor roles in scaffolding are
1. recruitment
2. reduction in degrees of alternatives
3. direction in next step
4. making critical features
5. frustration control
6. demonstration
It said the tutor used praise, direct assistance, and verbal prompts.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher: I found the second reading interesting in the tutor working with 3, 4, and 5 year old children. What I thought was funny that they found the 3 year old children asked for the most assistance and yet ignored the instruction the most also. The important part of the learning was that the students must have comprehension of the solution. Even though they allowed the students to have free play with the blocks at the beginning the learning was not unassisted. The tutor roles in scaffolding are
1. recruitment
2. reduction in degrees of alternatives
3. direction in next step
4. making critical features
5. frustration control
6. demonstration
It said the tutor used praise, direct assistance, and verbal prompts.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Week 10
What is learning: According to Jerome Bruner you can teach children complex ideas at a young age without giving them the in depth lecture type background information. I know this is true from watching my husband with our 3 year old granddaughter. He has taught her the process of reloading without the complex background knowledge of measuring powder, etc. She knows what to do and enjoys it. He has also taught her all the basic tools used to fix things, and has shown her many ways to use these tools. Her other grandfather was impressed with her knowledge when he was doing some work around his house.
How is learning best effecutated by a teacher:A statement made in the first reading by David Page was that children learn faster than adults if in terms they understand. As teachers we need to make sure we present the material at a level they understand to facilitate learning. I think as adults we add extra stuff to the material we are learning which takes us longer. We need to learn from little children who just take it as it is. They believe what you say is true and they copycat what you teach them. Thus they learn faster. As we get older we have to decide if it is true, do we really want to do it that way, will we ever use this information, etc. We complicate things, thus our minds are filled to capacity with what if's. Therefore there is little room for new information. This is only my idea. I may be way off base.
How is learning best effecutated by a teacher:A statement made in the first reading by David Page was that children learn faster than adults if in terms they understand. As teachers we need to make sure we present the material at a level they understand to facilitate learning. I think as adults we add extra stuff to the material we are learning which takes us longer. We need to learn from little children who just take it as it is. They believe what you say is true and they copycat what you teach them. Thus they learn faster. As we get older we have to decide if it is true, do we really want to do it that way, will we ever use this information, etc. We complicate things, thus our minds are filled to capacity with what if's. Therefore there is little room for new information. This is only my idea. I may be way off base.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Week 9
What is Learning: According to this weeks theory learning is achieved if we use it in the context of real life activities. When learning is applicable to things you do in real life people learn better. I see this all the time when teaching computers. When you teach students features of the computer they may remember them for a few days. They remember them better when they are incorporated into a project.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher: In the video on John Abbot it talked about project based learning, collaboration, and apprenticeship in the classroom. I use all three in my classroom. Students will help each other even if you do not pair them up. Team activities are important, but I do not use them all the time. My project based activities are at the end of the unit which will cover the computer features used in the chapter. I demonstrate the features used in the chapter prior to starting the chapter. Starting a year ago I went back to doing the chapter exercise with the students as a class, and leave the end of chapter exercises as independent work. This bothers some students who are allowed to work on their own. I found that many students will follow along with me as we do the chapter work because they are either are not good readers, or unmotivated to do it if I leave it up to them. I do not know if this is best, but it does help many students stay up with the work. I assume this is like an apprenticeship.
How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher: In the video on John Abbot it talked about project based learning, collaboration, and apprenticeship in the classroom. I use all three in my classroom. Students will help each other even if you do not pair them up. Team activities are important, but I do not use them all the time. My project based activities are at the end of the unit which will cover the computer features used in the chapter. I demonstrate the features used in the chapter prior to starting the chapter. Starting a year ago I went back to doing the chapter exercise with the students as a class, and leave the end of chapter exercises as independent work. This bothers some students who are allowed to work on their own. I found that many students will follow along with me as we do the chapter work because they are either are not good readers, or unmotivated to do it if I leave it up to them. I do not know if this is best, but it does help many students stay up with the work. I assume this is like an apprenticeship.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Week 8
What is Learning: I found the second reading fascinating since I always wondered why I would get another idea while I was talking to someone and hardly could hold it until it was my turn to talk. According to this article it is natural learning. We try to remember what we are going to say next that we do not hear the rest of what the other person was saying. We learn as we build on our past experiences with the new information.
How can a teacher best effectuate learning: We want students to connect to prior knowledge in a way that will cause them to be interested in what we have to say. I can see how failure, the ability of learning by doing, would work for a little while. I do not think the students should be left hanging for a long time. The article mentioned this worked best when a student was alone and not in fear of looking stupid for trying. Since most of our classes are full of students then you would have to limit this time so the struggling students would not become discouraged. Story telling is fun to do and many times fun for the students. I remember my sons telling me that they had a teacher who always told them lame stories which they would tune him out when he started. I think we should limit the use of our stories since what we find amusing and interesting might be totally stupid to someone else. I know I have seen confused looks when I told a joke or story that I later had to thoroughly explain. At that point you have lost the fun and purpose of telling the story.
How can a teacher best effectuate learning: We want students to connect to prior knowledge in a way that will cause them to be interested in what we have to say. I can see how failure, the ability of learning by doing, would work for a little while. I do not think the students should be left hanging for a long time. The article mentioned this worked best when a student was alone and not in fear of looking stupid for trying. Since most of our classes are full of students then you would have to limit this time so the struggling students would not become discouraged. Story telling is fun to do and many times fun for the students. I remember my sons telling me that they had a teacher who always told them lame stories which they would tune him out when he started. I think we should limit the use of our stories since what we find amusing and interesting might be totally stupid to someone else. I know I have seen confused looks when I told a joke or story that I later had to thoroughly explain. At that point you have lost the fun and purpose of telling the story.
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