What I
always found peculiar about the traditional, conventional, teacher-centered
teaching and learning was the fact that teachers ask and the students answer.
How reasonable can that be when, by definition, the one who doesn’t know asks the one
who knows? This reversal of the natural flow of discovering and learning has in a way tortured many generations of learners. And what was the result? Once an
individual left school, there was nobody out there to check whether the accumulated
knowledge could be fully retrieved. So what’s the point in spending so many hours
to develop a skill which is hardly needed? What matters is what a person can do
with the knowledge gained and how one can continue learning out of the school
environment.
Coming to
the issue under discussion, the PBM is alleged to be the key to the problem.
And it can really be if applied appropriately. For classes where both teachers
and students are not familiar with this approach, to my mind, small steps are
required before one embarks on realizing a long term project. Webquests seem to
be the scaffolding to the full implementation of projects as they familiarize
students with the new approach. The pattern is clear and the product is
specified.
But then
another issue rises. Teachers are required to be computer literate themselves as
projects imply research and research goes hand in hand with having access to resources.
A webquest can be designed as a paper and pencil one but even then computer
literacy is presupposed on both sides, the teacher’s and the student’s, plus
the need for the right facilities, either at school or at home.
"One
of the major advantages of project work is that it makes school more like real
life” says Sylvia Chard when asked about the importance of project work. And she adds: “ we open up areas during the
school day when children can speak about what they already know, when they can
ask questions, they can express interests that are different from [those of]
other children”. And I couldn’t agree more. However, what if most of the
children come of educationally poor backgrounds and what they bring to class as
interests or experiences are minimum?
No matter
what my concerns are, I am convinced though that the project method is far better
than other approaches. I agree that after being engaged into conducting
research for several times, students become more motivated for and enthusiastic
about learning. They develop little by little a sense of learning for
themselves and not for others. Learning changes from an obligation to a personal
goal. What can ensure that this is achieved, is the gradual introduction of the
method starting from the first stages, that is, primary education.
It is true that all the different backgrounds and personal stories that students bring into class can affect or determine the way they respond to our suggestions and demands and the way work flows. It's great to work with kids that have a lot of support at home, not only from their parents but also in terms of technology. However, I know from my experience that sometimes it is exactly the student from a poor, more illiterate background that involves himself deeply in new projects taking advantages of all the opportunities of learning he is offered.
ReplyDeleteWell off kids sometimes think they know too much, they have everything easy and always start off bored. Eventually they enjoy it and work really hard, but they can be quite irritating. More humble students consider these activities a feast and often surprise us.
It is true that there are still those students who are at school because they are forced to, who seem to have no other interest than destroy school property and teachers' little remaining motivation. It's hard to work with them. I had a class like that not long ago and I still remember it could be terrible. Still, we did something nice on graffiti and tattoos.
Hi Marina,
ReplyDeleteWoow, your reflections make me think about the real role of teachers today. I am thinking if I am still a traditional teacher even when using tech tools. So, using web 2.0 tools does not mean being innovative or stop being traditional.
Thus, we have to be self reflective and evaluate ourselves…are we really promoting a student-centered learning? Are they learning what they actually need…? Are they prepared for the real world after leaving school?
Questions difficult to answer on our own…we need our students´help!
Great post Marina,
Regards,
Yohimar