Dare to Teach? Dare to Blog!
The "Tour of the Blogoshpere" sampling of sites was a great introduction to educational blogs. I found that the three that were listed offered a variety of voices. I have to say, I was drawn to coolcatteacher.blogspot.com. I found her anecdotes relatable as a student and as a future educator. Her honest expression of conveying the goal of a lesson to students was funny and disarming at the same time. Imagine saying to a clas: "This is what will get you into (college name), so pay attention." She seems to be able to reveal the differences between true teaching/learning, and how to check a course off of a list of requirements.
Too much emphasis is placed on a checklist of classes, as opposed to authentic learning. One of my daughters took an AP Econ class as a senior, and her teacher had them watch movies two or three days a week. Sure, having this AP class made her transcript look great, but if you were to ask her, "What did you learn last year in econ?" she could tell you very little. It is essential for teachers to put themselves into their lessons. Authentic learning requires connections, and these connections allow for students to become more fully engaged which then leads to a commitment to learning. I currently have one professor who writes her lecture power points directly from the book, and then proceeds to "read" her lecture to us. For three hours. Every week. What does she bring to the class? Does she love her subject? I have no idea. My remaining classes embrace a project-based approach to learning, and most of these professors share their love of their respective courses. Guess which classes I enjoy the most? In which classes am I gaining more knowledge?
These blogs in our "side trip" have offered me a variety of perspectives that I will be tapping into. Ranging from the folksy to the wry, they reflect the range of personalities which can be seen in any school. To access this experience and knowledge in such an honest and generous format is a great resource for students and teachers alike.
I too had classes in high school and in college that were like your daughters econ class. Everyday I would take notes the teacher reads with no visuals and answer questions in the book about the chapter. I too am an advocate for authentic learning. I enjoy it as a student and want to use it as a teacher. I want to build the connections which allow for students to become more fully engaged which, in turn, will lead to a commitment to learning.
ReplyDeleteI love this post and the image! You really nailed the whole assignment with "To access this experience and knowledge in such an honest and generous format is a great resource for students and teachers alike. " I am so sorry to hear about your PowerPoint class - try to look at it as learning what not to do.
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