Comments on: Another discussion to keep an eye on http://yetthereismethod.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/another-discussion-to-keep-an-eye-on/ Though this be madness, yet there is method in't. - Polonius Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:41:01 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: thirdgradeteacher http://yetthereismethod.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/another-discussion-to-keep-an-eye-on/#comment-2 thirdgradeteacher Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:29:15 +0000 http://yetthereismethod.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/another-discussion-to-keep-an-eye-on/#comment-2 This is a great line, "The constructivist approach, as I see (read about) it, is more popular at the beginning of the school year than it is as testing approaches." To put it more bluntly: we allow students the time to make meaning and secure their understanding of a topic when we can, but then THE TEST comes and we throw our hands up, telling the students, "Don't worry about understanding. JUST DO THIS FOR THE TEST!!" What a shame. Good point, too, about the digital natives creating School 2.0 as they become teachers themselves. One thing to consider: People tend to fall back on the familiar. I fear that the digital natives, when some of them become teachers, will STILL have the temptation to teach the way they were taught, because it's the only form of instruction they will have seen (if we don't change things). At some point, enough teachers will need to have the boldness to depart from "the way we've always done things." There's no guarantee that it will be us, or even them, who will get us to "the tipping point" where the way we do school makes a fundamental shift. This is a great line, “The constructivist approach, as I see (read about) it, is more popular at the beginning of the school year than it is as testing approaches.”

To put it more bluntly: we allow students the time to make meaning and secure their understanding of a topic when we can, but then THE TEST comes and we throw our hands up, telling the students, “Don’t worry about understanding. JUST DO THIS FOR THE TEST!!” What a shame.

Good point, too, about the digital natives creating School 2.0 as they become teachers themselves. One thing to consider: People tend to fall back on the familiar. I fear that the digital natives, when some of them become teachers, will STILL have the temptation to teach the way they were taught, because it’s the only form of instruction they will have seen (if we don’t change things).

At some point, enough teachers will need to have the boldness to depart from “the way we’ve always done things.” There’s no guarantee that it will be us, or even them, who will get us to “the tipping point” where the way we do school makes a fundamental shift.

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