Sometimes I think teachers might feel overwhelmed by the numerous reports of doomsday in the news media and almost countless organizations all proclaiming more and more is needed out of our K- 12 students and teachers. If anyone bothers to look back through time, they will find that nothing is new. When I first started teaching there was considerable clamor then, as there is today, that our students are failing and more was needed of our teaches. From time to time some new teaching strategy was going to be the answer. The answer usually turned out to be more of a fad than the answer. If the magical single answer existed, someone would have found it by now. The magical answer is the classroom teacher must use a broad set of teaching strategies, lots of tools in the toolbag. Many interesting strategies that can be easily adapted by any teacher into the classroom were studied in this course and they can be added to the toolbag.
Problem based learning (PBL) and the QuickQuest were interesting tools to study and consider adding to the toolbag. Problem based learning is a significant component in the study of physics, but it was interesting to see how PBL is thought of and used outside the arena of physics. Everyone tends to agree that real world problems are good. I agree, but with a note of caution. Real world problems in physics tend to be very, very difficult. If this is true in physics, then it is true in other areas of study, and it is very easy to overwhelm students. The design of the QuickQuest was new and interesting. It’s a nice way to intertwine the latest technology with meaningful classroom activities. Students gain experience searching the Internet for information and learning how to assess the validity of the information, a nice lifelong skill.
A note of caution:
As I worked my way through this course I noticed new layers of expectations (or expectations reformulated) placed over the K - 12 students and teachers. There is nothing wrong with the expectations, in fact they are very reasonable and necessary, but only if they are put into perspective. A given level of competence for a defined 21st Century skill means something different in sixth grade verses eleventh grade. It is plausible that many 21st Century skill development activities are now occurring in the classroom and thoughtful judgment should be applied when considering an increase in activities aimed at 21st Century skill development. Time is finite, when a new activity is added in the classroom, something else must go. Can it be verified that the new is better than the old?
1 comment:
As to your note of caution, I agreee that technology should not be used for its own sake. If it doesn't increase motivation, make a task better, or stimulate learning in some form, forget it. Without an appropriate purpose, technology is like showing a Disney movie to a class on Friday afternoon-- just plain irresponsible and a waste of time!
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