Week 4 Readings

Chapter 1: What it Meaningful Learning?

"In this book, we argue that students do not learn from teachers or from technologies. Rather, students learn from thinking..."

My first thought when I read this quote was to be kind of taken aback and offended. After all, if students don't learn from teachers, then what the heck am I doing? But as I thought about it more, it is a true statement. As teachers, we can throw things at the kids all we want, but if they don't take the time to pick them up and really think about them, there isn't a whole lot of learning going on. Once I decided this, then I started reflecting on how much thinking my students are really engaged in. The thing I found the most disturbing is the time I allow for kids to think and who I usually choose to share their thoughts with the class. I know that I really need to work on giving more time, allowing more pair or small group sharing, and then choosing a variety of people to call on. It is just too easy to always call on the first kids who raise their hands. And the whole class knows it!

On page 3, there was a star graphic that included the Characteristics of Meaningful Learning. All 5 points are equally important and should be put into practice, there is no doubt about it. The one that I struggle with (but realize its importance) is the AUTHENTIC point. It involves complex and contextual information - in other words, presenting topics and tasks in a real-life application setting. I expect my students to say, "Why do we have to learn this?" more than they actually do, but it is a valid question regardless. To say, "Because it is on the test," is a sad (and often correct) answer, but it doesn't help the students learn the concept any better. In fact, it just might do the opposite. Stating the objective helps, but tying concepts to something that actually relates to the students and their lives is so important! I need to do a better job with that too.

I definitely believe that it is possible to learn and to construct personal meaning by simply thinking about something. For example, my class is reading "Hatchet" as a literature study. We often stop and discuss what is going on, question certain things, predict what is going to happen, and put ourselves in the character's predicament while we are reading. We don't have to physically crash a plane in the Canadian wilderness to have understanding of what it would be like to be the main character. If we have to actively DO something to create knowledge, then reading any type of fiction would be pointless! Unless the act of reading itself is the activity... If so, then even if I said the words, plane crash, to the class, I am certain the kids could still think of many responses and ideas regarding that one idea simply by thinking about it.