Creating to Stay Relevant
Teaching the same lesson from year to year, if it is
effective, can still be acceptable. However, can a technology that makes the
lesson more engaging or extends it into their real world be added? Is there a
way to give students control over the procedures and allow them to decide what
the outcome of their learning looks like? Why not ask your students?
I believe that after reading McDonald's article, The Spirit of Design, a creative spirit of design is partially an unknown
iterative process. How do we not know what we know? The knowing can make
the teaching stagnate and this is where empathy with the learners is really
important. How do your students talk about the topic? Where do their words or lack
of words indicate that they need supports to build their knowledge? This
perspective, this checking in with the learners and then designing just for
them, can keep the learning process fresh and fun and relevant for learners and
teachers. No best way, no one way, and no one optimal solution.
I also like that the creative spirit of design promotes
being cross-curricular, or inter-disciplinary. Working with an educator in
another subject to at the very least discuss a problem of practice can create a
new vocabulary to use and new connections to bring to students. A Language Arts
lesson riddled with references to mathematical computation vocabulary could be engaging
and enhance learning in both subjects, and this is just a minor idea of how interwoven
two or more subjects could become when combined for learning.
Designing lessons that are unique and use student inspired
ideas are still intentional and the best are authentic. This may give some
balance to the worry that using imagination to design may take a lesson down a
lane that strays from its goal. Indulging in imagination, being
creation-oriented, and taking advantage of inter-disciplinary relationships is
a good foil to stagnate and formulaic routines.
And, I just like how Neil deGrasse Tyson's quote embodies the spirit of inquiry, change, and valuing different perspectives:
Mcdonald, Jason K. “The Creative Spirit of Design.” TechTrends, vol. 55, no. 5, Nov. 2011, pp. 53–58., doi:10.1007/s11528-011-0528-2.
I agree that using the same lesson year to year can be done, however, it all depends on the group of students that you have in the classroom. I do think that students are much more capable of making decisions about how they want to learn and what they want the outcome of their learning to be. I would not give students complete autonomy, but possibly offer some suggestions for how they could us their creativity to come up with a final outcome.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the nuances of lessons change with each class and each year. When students are reaching the learning, updating could be a challenge. The saying "If it is not broke, don't fix it," come to mind. However, those successful lessons may be that way because they already include authentic elements and good design. They might be just the lessons to start glean best practices from to use in other lessons or used as an opportunity iteratively implement best design strategies.
DeleteI have my "trusty ol' lessons" that I use from year to year that I feel that engage my students and that they enjoy, but I am ready to make the change that I have been contemplating for years--student centered classroom with the activities that come with that type of classroom. I feel, after a great lesson/activity, SO TIRED because I am doing so much of the work--talking, explaining, leading, questioning, etc.
ReplyDeleteI WANT MY STUDENTS TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR LEARNING!
This can be difficult in Math since Math is a subject that many students dislike. I am tired of doing more work than my students--so...
Do I ask them HOW they want to learn? Do I give them an INTRO and then ask them where we should take it? What activities we should complete?
THIS is where I have trouble. Are my mostly complacent 8th graders, whose lackluster for Math shows on a regular basis this year, able to do that? I'd like to say yes...however, I need some proof and suggestions on how to get this process started. :)
Candice, I feel your pain. Nothing is harder than creating the opportunity to learn (or hoping you have), and then waiting it out - or stepping aside - or not just giving in and furnishing the answers for the students. Time will tell, if patience holds out, if students will pick up the gauntlet and start employing scaffolded strategies to learn. In the library, I am able to emphasize to the students that "this is where you take charge of your learning." Learning in the library can be a very physical activity and I can observe them researching on computers or searching for books and have a good sense of when they have tried really hard but need more support. However, when it comes to forming questions - that is the tough one for me! Getting them to ask the right questions is where I often become unsure and start feeding them the answers (or questions). I think I will revisit techniques for helping them develop questions more often and perhaps this will make me more comfortable with the amount of time they need to succeed on their own.
ReplyDelete