Well it seems like an eternity since I lasted blogged so I have a lot of catching up to do. Firstly, the presentations I have been viewing over the last few weeks have been very well done. It is amazing how much information is getting packed into these 30 minute sessions.
The first presentation on the Kirschner article was a welcomed relief to math teachers who still teach math as they were taught. This method of teaching is the traditional instructional approach that follows two basic steps. Step One: Here are some examples. During this step the teacher puts the examples and the board and the students copy them down (never to look at them again). Step two: The students are assigned the odd number exercises in the text book. During this step the students complete 53 questions exactly like the examples, and if they get stuck they should refer back to the examples and try to think harder. If they get stuck a lot then they should take consumer math.
Luckily no teacher that I know is like this. Most Teachers fall somewhere in between a traditional (guided) instructional approach and a minimally guided instructional approach. When I first started teaching I was more on the side of traditional instruction; After all mathematics consists of right and wrong answers with set procedures to help you arrive at the correct answer. What I began to notice was that following this approach students eventually started losing their ability to think. If there was any sort of twist to a problem, students would become discouraged, frustrated and give up. (Now I am sounding like Oppenheimer). To students in a traditional classroom, it is all about the right answer, and what they are learning seems insignificant. To encourage my students to become better problem solvers, I have adapted an inquiry approach to many of the concepts that we discuss in class. Students figure out for themselves, for example, how different formulas relate to graphs. How the discriminant determines what the quadratic graph will look like. One point that I totally agree with Kirscher is "discovery learning is only successful when students have prerequisite knowledge...."(p. 82) The teacher must demonstrate good mathematics, but at the same time allow the students develop their own context for mathematics. The way I see math is very different from 10 years ago. Now I see my role as developing problem solvers; to not only show students how to think, but to allow them to think. Ten years after my students have left high school math, they will forget most of the procedures and algorithms I taught them; but hopefully they are still good problem solvers. If they are good problem solvers then they are well on their way to having a good life.
Another point that came up in several presentations is the importance of training teachers how to use technology. During my presentation I shared with you that schools should budget 25% for software; 25% for hardware, 50% for planning, training and other support. Oppenheimer stated that most schools only leave 10-15% for both maintenance and training. It is sad to think that all the money is spent before the teachers learn how to use the technologies. What a waste. I do see evidence of this at my school. What about you guys?
Lastly I will not talk too much about the "Maple leaf Forever" song other than to say that O'Canada was all used up so they needed to go with another standby. It was a great song, but the world wide viewing audience (myself included) was not aware of the history that surrounds this song. It was all about the entertainment value, and the song happened to fit. The whole image around the Vancouver Olympics was quite interesting. My Principal was mentioning how it is shocking of the number of athletes that were drinking on television. She, being a national athlete herself, is well aware that athletes can drink and celebrate with the best of them, but was disappointed that this was reported on so extensively during the games by the media. I really think the "reporting" was a successful attempt to make Vancouver and Whistler appear to be hip. How many times did we hear "Canadians can really party!" during these games? I think Apple and Whistler are trying to attract the same demographic: The young twenty and thirty something reality TV generation that has money to spend and likes to party. The level of excitement surrounding the Games is similar to the “consumer level of excitement” that the technology industry strives to create. Hmm, excitement! Maybe Whistler for spring break!
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Paul, you couldnt so eloquently trace the history of traditional (guided) instructional approach and a minimally guided instructional approach especially in Maths better than you already did. I recall the frustrations of going through several Maths program at school as my teachers would leave us with "the first one is done for you" examples as if life consisted of narrowly defined, simple maths problems. Besides, the examples are usually the simplest of all while the actual problems we were given to solve were more complicated. But is this an issue of subjects? Is one approach more applicable in one subject that is perhaps quantitative and formulaic (Maths, Physics, Chemistry) over others that may be qualitative; Biology, sociology, etc? Certainly, the minimally guided approach has some upper hand in the traditional maths setting.
ReplyDeleteI have said it before, Paul, but I like the way you talk about your math class. Can some of my student teachers work with you? I think you have expressed well the idea of using guided instruction/inquiry. Use as much guidance as necessary so the kids do not flounder. The old way that you describe so well.. do 50 questions, can't do them, here are some more, was not successful.
ReplyDeleteNow about the photos of drinking at the Olympics, I think one reason we hear so much about it is modern media - everyone has a camera, cell phone, etc and 'news' is out instantaneously. I found it interesting that John Montgomery grabs a pitcher of beer, takes a gulp and carries it along and it is celebrated as part of his unique character (frankly to do skeleton I would have a beer or two too!). When the women's hockey players have a beer & stogie in celebration it is a scandal! While it might be a bit of bad judgment, it is human!
Paul, your point is well taken regarding the teaching of math and how students lose their ability to think. Interestingly enough, I doubt if there is one "effective" way of teaching math or most other subjects. My experiences in teaching a variety of subjects over three decades has taught me that students take to learning if they have a connection with the teacher. Some of the most traditional teachers I have ever met have achieved incredible results with their students because of the rapport they have established with them. Teaching is truly an art!
ReplyDeleteLots of truth there, Roman. If kids respect you and there is a connection, they will usually try hard to succeed. People learn differently, that is why we keep trying new things, to make that connection and help kids learn.
ReplyDeleteHey there, Paul. I really liked your deconstruction of the hipness of drinking at the Olympics. I have the idea that the sentiment "Canadians can really party" was almost a sort of knee-jerk response to the tried, tested, and true stereotype that Canadians are known for being complacent and apologetic. I also noticed that CTV's coverage of the Olympics was intent on breaking the Canadian stereotypes... Showing the world that we were intense, emotional, proud, and outgoing people who also loved to party seemed to be the underlying theme of the Olympic coverage. Now, I don't disagree with this, but I think that that might be the reason behind the increased coverage of partying at the Games.
ReplyDeleteWhistler for spring break? I am in! Party!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, why are we, as a group, not running the entire education system here in Manitoba? We all seem to get it. More funding for teachers and teacher training, less funding for useless stuff. Make better decisions. It doesn't seem too hard, so where is the message getting lost? Who is ultimately holding the money bag and making so many of these bad choices? It seems that we all have a few horror stories.
Paul, your math class does sound cool. When I taught math last year I found it hard to get into this model, I tended to go back to a more traditional one. It was how I was taught though.
Math Is. Anyone know about/remember that textbook series? I'll turn it around, "What is math?" What are we really teaching in the context of math. As Paul so aptly points out, it is problem solving and logical reasoning. There are a few of us who do math for the sake of it, but those people are few. Like Paul also says, knowing when to step away and allowing a student to struggle through a problem is important... it is part of the art of being a good math teacher. Having said that though, I agree with Roman. The relationship a teacher has with students is the sizzle that makes the steak taste good. The medium really can be the message.
ReplyDeleteWIth respect to the Olympics, am I the only one getting tired of the Canadian media trying to define the generic Canadian identity? This has been going on for years and I'm sick of it. Even John Furlong (Vanoc chair), in his closing remarks, chose to reach back in time to bring out the "eh." Lose that!! We are more than beer drinking late 70s baffoons.
Hi Paul,
ReplyDeleteYour belief in the importance of problem solving and creating thinking fits with the "Partnership for 21st Century Learning" movement, which I will present in this week's class. In my research, I found both the good and the "not so good" sides of this approach to teaching. I hope it will be a good discussion!
I like your observation about the media's reporting of drinking at the Olympics. This makes me think that CTV's coverage of the Olympics was targeted at a demographic of young adults, not children. It's too bad they didn't keep in mind the number of impressionable children watching too.
The traditional model, that's the only one I know about in terms of my own learning and it was do or die. So, I often just gave up as I got frustrated and knew that there was only one right answer, the one that I could never manage to master!!! (Math is NOT my strong suit.) I wish that I had learned differently, that my teacher(s) would have been more open and creative to teaching math in new ways so that maybe I would have thrived in the subject instead of faltering.
ReplyDelete