Project Question Prompt: What is the Fundamental Structure of the Teaching/Learning/Education Process?
Mary, Renay, and John,
In a constructive analysis and synthesis of all of our readings, projects, and class discussions so far, and after considerable reflection on it, here is a DRAFT response for your review. I will update this with a notional graphic that I hand sketched and plan to scan after I post this initial text. The graphic is purely intended to complement the response and not necessarily my view on how to present this. Please kick this all around and post your comments and notions for how to modify this and turn it into some form of a presentation of our team response as we work to converge for Monday's 2 PM Meeting at Haggerty Library. Keep in mind that I have an very analytical, engineering perspective and would welcome creative views into this and how to turn it into an interesting package for presentation in class. I will follow the format of Dewey's Pedagogic Creed.
I believe that the fundamental structure of the Teaching/Learning?Education Process consist of a social ring of students, that mimics all of a society, surrounding an inner ring of essential questions and performance tasks that joins the student society around an inner ring of understanding that is composed of big ideas and subject matter structure for all of life's subjects.
I believe that the teacher, all teachers, should position themselves at the very center of this subject matter ring and never position themselves between the students and their understanding. The teacher at the center should rather be like a lighthouse or beacon to draw the students from all surrounding perspectives toward understanding.
I believe that the social ring of students surrounding life's subjects should be a freely open forum where ideas, concerns, views, and understandings are shared from each vantage point and maturity level among all student as this gives a fuller 360 degree, top, and bottom, and all angles view of truth. Only when we synthesize all perspective to we gain the fullest understanding we may achieve. And all views count.
I believe that this concentric set of rings that compose the structure of the Teaching/Learning/Education Process is not static nor two dimensional, but rises upward and outward with time like a great cyclone in time with ever expanding rings of larger and more comprehensive understanding as we mature and grow in this spiral of understanding.
I believe that we are never truly done. We are and should be lifelong learners. We continually circle and rise up the spiral viewing again and again any and all subjects with a deeper and more expansive view..
I believe that the teacher--any teacher at any time--for we are all teachers at some point, can and should remain at the center of this spiral, mutually sharing views and taking on the role of facilitator, mentor, role model, and guide. The teacher can be the axis, the prime mover at the vortex, but never should come between students and their constructive performance tasks quest for understanding.
I beleive the classroom should be the gateway to the world and in itself provide the safe, structured environment to nurture the upward and outward growth of the spiral cyclone of learning.
See Graphic:
14 comments:
Hi Chris,
I just got home now and it's about half past midnight. I didn't realize I would be gone this long today and I'm exhausted. I read over what you wrote and the last few fundamentals look good to me. I don't know if I really understand the whole ring thing that's going on in the first few that you mentioned. I tried looking at the diagram and still didn't fully get it. It could be that I'm just tired from driving back from Delaware. Anyways, I'm going to look this over again in the morning to see if it makes more sense then. I'll try to also think of some ideas we could use to present the material. Sorry again and I hope you were able to get a hold of someone today!
-Mary
Mary, so far yours is the only response. I contacted John on the telephone and he was expecting to send up a response sometime tonight, but haven't seen it yet. I am working on my WebQuest project and periodically checking on inputs for this. Will look for your more complete assessment tomorrow. The graphic is just a concept and I am not stuck on it...just wanted to get some dialogue going so we can be ready to actually produce something to present.
Chris,
I think your creed contains many good ideas and should be a useful starting point. However, one fundamental problem I would point out is that by having the teacher at the center of the ring makes it appear as though the classroom is teacher-centered instead of student-centered. I also would not agree with the idea that every view counts - there are a lot of views, some of which do not contribute to understading.
A think a good way to present this would be to break it up, and have each of us present part of it. We could include parts of a diagram such as the one you drew to help people visualize the ideas. We could also come up with a word or phrase that would state or imply the meaning of each section of the creed, or at least provide a title. If we are using a computer, we could also use photographs that are suggestive of our ideas (i.e. children involved in an activity, etc.). We also could be a bit more specific or concrete by suggesting some forms of application of our ideas. We also might want to discuss or present examples of what we think education should NOT be like. Those are my ideas/reactions right now. Anyway, thanks for coming up with a good synthesis of ideas. I do think using a spiral/circular design is a good idea. See everyone on Monday.
Okay, so I looked everything over again this morning and I can see where you pulled the information about the rings from the articles. I just think the wording was throwing me off a bit. From our 520 class we went over the fundamental structure of traditional and progressive teaching. The teacher had us describe different parts of each one, which I believe were the fundamental structure. John correct me if I'm wrong. The different parts we had to describe were education, role of teachers, role of students, subject matter, and learning. I think by describing each part when we present, we will be able to explain the fundamental structure. To fill Chris and Renay in, I will recap each part of traditional and progressive. I think the material we were given in class leans more towards progressive.
I'll start with traditional. The purpose of education is to create an individual who can follow instruction. It also prepares them for the next level in life. Education also enables them to pass on knowledge from generation to generation. The role of the teacher is to act as a lecturer. They are the ultimate authority. The role of the student is to be a receiver of knowledge. They are seen as "empty vessels that teachers pour knowledge into." Students should be reserved and compliant. They will only speak when spoken to. The subject matter is rigidly defined and organized. It can be seen as "Drill and Kill," meaning that the teacher spits out facts and hopes the students remember them for later. The learning style is memorization, test-focused, linear, and abstract (more focused on the amount you can learn rather than the amount you can apply).
Next I'll talk about progressive. Education is "not preparation for life, but life itself." It can tie experiences back into life situations. It fosters independent thinking, critical thinking, and is an active part of democracy. The teacher acts as a facilitator of knowledge. They are a "guide on the side." The students are a catalyst for the lesson plans and they are the drive for learning. They learn by discovery. They are more active in the classroom. They are in charge of their own learning. The subject matter is based on student interest. It is then built upon with experience. It tends to be more hands on and uses real life situations. The subject areas are loose. The learning is hands on, process based, and thrives on creativity.
I can see how a lot of of the progressive ideas were represented in the material we were given to read. Let me know what you guys think. I'm still trying to think of another way to represent these ideas. I'll be at my computer all day and will check in to see what you guys said about this response. As I come up with ideas, I'll post them too.
Hey everyone, sorry I did not have time to repsond yesterday. I ended picking up a double yesterday so I have not had anytime to look at this until today. Chris, I have to agree with Mary's first comment and say that the ring thing does look a little confusing. However, I like John's idea about breaking up everything into parts so it is easy to present it. I also like the idea (we discussed this a little on tuesday) about presenting what education should NOT be like. I think when teaching something to students this could help them understand the main idea more. By seeing what it should and should not be like, it will make it more clear.
Mary, I think the progressive way of teaching should definitely be incorporated into our presentation somehow. There are many similarities within the readings that we have read.
Chris, thank you so much for doing this initial background work. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday so we can pull this all together. I will be at work from 4 to 10 tonight but feel free to contact me anytime before or after. I will be up pretty late tonight studying for an exam tomorrow morning. Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Mary, John, Renay,
Okay, so let me try to summarize and propose some action to get ready for tomorrow:
It sounds like the creed approach is viable, but that we should sharpen it up, segment it into logical groupings with tags or titles for four-part presentation.
Same with the graphic or some other version of the graphic-- sounds like the graphics can accompany the different "creed" segments with other pictures or illustrations and, perhaps, examples of what to do and not to do.
Again, I am not stuck on the graphic or the creed for that matter, but we need a way forward.
If we stick with some form of the cyclone graphic, we could use overlays to gradually build the cyclone, or just successively more complete views. I guess we can talk about graphics, illustrations and examples tomorrow.
Shall we assume that we are going to do a "creed" based approach for four part presentation, with each of us taking a segment? I kind of like that notion and it is practical.
Here is one notional 4-part segmentation; what do you think? We could each present a part. Personally, I don't care which part I do, so if anyone has a preference ...
Let's see if we can agree on a 4-part creed-based approach today.
>Social Ring of students surrounding an inner ring of essential questions and performance tasks that joins the student society around an inner ring of understanding, big ideas and structure
>Role of the teacher and classroom in this; needs further development
>Nature of the Social Ring of Students; needs further development
>Dynamic view of the process (i.e. "cyclone") rising upward and outward in time with ever expanding rings of larger and more comprehensive understanding, etc.
If we can agree on this approach, I will try to re-write the creed into a four-part script and have that ready for tomorrows meeting. I can load the file onto a memory stick if someone can bring a laptop. I can also bring four hard copies. We can refine/finish the script and graphics, etc tomorrow.
I would prefer to leave final graphics and illustrations to someone else...anyone want to takeover the graphics and work something up for tomorrow? I don't think the graphics necessarily have to be computer based. They could be done on poster-sized paper for us to talk to while presenting. I would suggest no text-style presentation. We should each be able to talk directly to a graphic without putting words up for people to read...the script is for us.
Just one other thought...it may help to draw on the audience for examples of good and bad teaching-learning experiences they've had to make it more interactive and less lecture by "Mr. Dewey"
Will look for your responses. I will rework the "Creed" after dinner tonight according to whatever comments are received by then. Sound good?
Anyone want to take a shot at rendering graphics?
Regards,
Chris
I don't know if it's the way you worded it, but the two about the social rings of the students sounds like the same idea to me. I feel like we need to simplify our ideas a little bit more and we can elaborate on them later when we present the information. I was also trying to think of ways to present this too the class. One way I was thinking of was a small skit to simulate how the fundamental structure is actually used in a classroom environment. As we act out what the classroom is like, we could have freeze segments where everyone would freeze except for one person. That person could then stand and face the classroom and talk about one of our points and how it's being used in the classroom. When that person is done, everyone would unfreeze and continue to do what they were doing. I think presenting our information in this way could be very effective and it's creative too.
I like Mary's idea about doing a skit - it makes it easier to visualize the ideas and for people to apply them. And it also has the big advantage of not needing any computer assistance. We do not necesarry have to limit it to 4 parts - we could do more if it appears easier to explain our ideas that way. The progressive / traditional ideas that Mary brought up are good example of what to do vs. not to do, as all the educators we have been looking at clearly draw from the progressive philosophy.
I think a skit would make these ideas more concrete and tangible, and less abstract and not so interpretational. With the skit, we could still do a diagram or diagrams and/or titles to show how everything is connected. Right now, the main alternative to skits would appear to be just having conventional presentations of the main components by each person, which I think would not be as effective or interesting. Chris had mentioned the idea of using poster board for graphics and titles- if so we probably would not need a computer at all. Either way, I think, the main thing to do before tommorrow is to think of how we might specifically break our ideas down and demonstrate them. We would than have a blueprint for a presentation.
Skit sounds fine to me. Will still need some sort of a script and breakdown of parts/roles. To what degree are we talking about audience participation. The freeze segment approach might be an opportunity for audience involvement.
BTW, I think Renay said she is working until 10 PM tonight, so we probably won't hear from her until at least 11 PM. Suggest we make a decision and do some actual work on the skit notion before then.
So, how/when do we get a script going? The script would probably dictate what graphics would be needed and graphics could be decided upon/worked on during or after tomorrow's meeting.
John suggested a breakdown of ideas and plan for demonstration...any concrete suggestions for the breakdown to consider?
Again, just what comes to mind for me...see excerpts below from my Dewey paper...possibly some skit material from "recollections of a young John Dewey":
Education as a social activity….
(Young Dewey) “I remember coming to Mrs. Lincoln’s classroom as if I were entering into our own secret world. Here I would leave the confines of a passive childhood at home where we learned to speak only when spoken to and then to dutifully respond only with the information requested. Suddenly we were all rightful citizens in our own full society with all the rights privileges, and responsibilities that a young man or woman should own. I felt I belonged. I wanted to share my thoughts and concerns and learn the same from my colleagues. In short, I felt empowered to learn.”
On the importance of early, frequent, and individualized assessment…
(Young Dewey) “I think Mr. Grant actually understood me better than I understood myself. Now Mr. Grant wasn’t formal teacher you see, but he was my neighbor and my mentor. Often I would escape the chatter of my brothers and sisters in our shared bedroom when I really needed to study and go see Mr. Grant. When I had problems, he would really listen to me. And such questions! Sometimes I felt as if he could see right through me and he could help me see where I was stuck. No, Mr. Grant wasn’t a formal teacher or nothing like that. He was just good old Mr Grant next door, but he was sure a real teacher to me!”
On the limitations and opportunities lost in a steady diet of one-dimensional didactic teaching (lecture mode teaching) with the teacher as a dispenser of information….
(Young Dewey) “You know, Mrs. Sherman was like a runaway train. When the school bell rang, it was if the train whistle had blown and we were leaving the station. ‘All Aboard! Next stop Chicago!’ She start in with her lecturing with her back to the class and write and write and talk and talk and we’d be doing our dangest to keep up, but she’d never look back. Sometimes, out of frustration I’d just stop and watch, and the funny thing is sometimes I’d learn more that way just listening and watching the train go than if I tried to stay on board. But than I’d catch my breath and race back to the note taking. I’d usually fill in the gaps by copying the notes I’d missed after class…and then I’d go see Mr. Grant next door as soon as we finished dinner and he’d sort it all our for me.”
On the fallacy of sequential learning and foundations of Spiral Curriculum as a better model for effective education…
(Young Dewey) “Whenever we could get out to the woods we go on long hikes together, Andrew Johnson and I, and we go explore the natural world. We imagined we were explorers or something and we make sketches of all of the different critters and plants that we saw. Andrew was the best artist and he wanted in the worst way to study art in school, but for that he’d have to wait until high school, we were supposed to learn our grammar and spelling first. I know he hated that ‘cause he was always be doodling in class instead of practicing his text. He got in trouble a lot for that, but some of his doodlings belonged in an art museum or something. And me, I wanted to be a naturalist., At home we had magazines that talked all about the work of Audobon an Muir. I wanted to study the natural world in the worst way at school, but for that I had to wait just like Andrew for his art. Well, I guess we schooled ourselves, because when we finally got there we did just fine, but it was no thanks to our elementary teaching.”
While I think Chris posted some good ideas under the Young Dewey character, I think it would be better to present them by acting them out, rather than just having someone recount them. We might break down something like this:
Traditional Schooling
Child-centered/active learning
Understanding, not just knowing
School as a social activity
In doing this, we could show how traditional schooling does not help students in situations, while progressive does.
These things would include ideas like those Chris brought up in his Dewey dialogue. I can bring some posterboard in tommorrow, but we should agree on designs sketched out on regular paper before we make some big ones.
And if we are going to do a skit with Dewey in it we will need a fake mustache.
Okay, Had a telephone conversation with Mary then John and, Renay, I understand that Mary spoke with you earlier. I think we agree that we should go forward with the skit approach and certainly, as John indicated, we should act out roles with more than just a sequence of monologues.
Here is one potential "storyboard" for a skit; please post any other notions or bring them with you for tomorrow's meeting (Monday 2 PM). Whatever you can post before then will help focus our thoughts.
Candidate Storyboard No. 1:
We could center the skit on a lesson about the fundamental structure of the education process.
Scene 1 could be a Mrs. Sherman type of traditional lecturer, but taken to the extreme. Back to the students, rapidly writing note after note on the fundamental structure, hand sketching a diagram (in pure irony) about how it is supposed to be--everything she is not doing. Maybe have a student or two try to ask a question and have questions deferred till "the end", etc. Students try to ask each other what this is all about and have them told to stop talking and focus on the notes. Teacher gets called out of the room by a messenger and the teacher asks the messenger to wait with the class until she returns. Students "Freeze Frame" and messenger segues into a brief explanation of what was going on.
Scene 2 could have the messenger sit among the students and say Mrs Sherman will be a while, why don't we talk about what you are learning today. Class breaks into an open forum dialogue swapping perspectives and ideas about the topic. Messenger gets up and in attempting to understand, follows students' prompts and sketches out "visuals" of parts of a graphic depicting the fundamental structure. Students all contribute.
Scene 3 could have Mrs. Sherman returning in the middle of the collaborative graphic work and have students and messager "Freeze Frame" again. Mrs. Sherman could explain that it was a call from a new principal who said she wanted to have each of the classes try a new approach with more student involvement, etc (progressive approach). Mrs Sherman could express skepticism, but then tell the students to go on with their group work because it looks interesting, she could ask the messenger to stay.
Skip could finish by pulling in others in class by turning and asking for views, etc, enveloping them in the work of "the class"
Anyway, just something to think about. Open to any and all views and other ideas. Just wanted to get a "strawman" out there as a potential starting point.
See all tomorrow. Will be up for a few more hours online and will check for any other posts.
Chris
This looks like a pretty good basic outline - its more or less along the lines of what I was imagining. We could take turns being the messanger, as that is the person who would be communicating our ideas of what to do to the class.
John (as skit teacher)Mary and Renay (as fellow skit students), here are the "essential questions" I plan to pose, after I spill the rocks, when I explain to Mr. Flintstone, our teacher, why I brought my rock collection to class today:
"Mr. Flintstone, I am sorry for being late to class today, I was trying to find my rock samples that my Grandpop gave me when I was really small. He used to work as a forest ranger and collected all sorts of rocks as a hobby. He said he would tell me all about them when I got bigger, but grandpop died before he could teach me."
"I was wondering if you could help me find out what kind of rocks these are and how they might have been formed. He said some of them might have been left here by glaciers during the ice age. I'd really like to learn more about these. Can we?"
John, you take it from there and I will follow your cues.
One more things, I think we will need names; how about Pebbles, Bam-Bam, and Dino...I volunteer to be Dino (Don't think we need to worry about gender-name issues for Bam-Bam and Pebbles, take your pick.
Have a good night all and I will bring a bucket of rocks for props tomorrow.
Chris
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