Traditional vs. Progressive Education

I remember receiving a very traditional education from elementary through high school, meaning teachers would primarily lecture and I would try to do a lot of memorization work. Most of the stuff I had to memorize for exams like dates in history or factual information for math or science went in one ear and out the other and I have pretty much forgotten most of it unless it’s been used and reinforced to date.

I remember one fantastic ancient civilization teacher I had in high school who assigned very creative assignments in which were to use artistic abilities to do assignments and activities and we even had a trip to the museum to reinforce things we were learning. This material stayed with me because I found it so interesting and was able to experience it visually. She had us do a timeline of most influential events of the 20th century because Time magazine had just done an article on that, and we were to illustrate each event with a brief summary. I remember she held mine up to show the class as an example and it made me feel very good to know I had worked so hard on something and been recognized. She even brought in a ball and chain to show us what Gladiators would fight with. It was a very hands-on interesting class.

Having received a traditional education for the most part in elementary and high school, it was extremely difficult for me to adjust to college where we were expected to participate actively in classes. I was very shy and timid and it took me a long time to get over that. It wasn’t until senior year that I finally gained more comfort expressing myself and looking back, I wish I were expected to have a more active role in my earlier education to better prepare me for college and life in general. So I would strive to be a progressive teacher rather than a traditional one. In my mind I see traditional as being more about outcome and lecture-driven and progressive more about the learning process and engaging students in a creative way to retain and apply the knowledge they receive.

The Power of Words

Quote: “To speak of mere words is much like speaking of mere dynamite” – what does this quote have to do with teaching English?

This quote has a lot to do with teaching English because words hold power just as “dynamite” holds power. In all the English classes I taught in the past I tried to drill this idea into my students, telling them what they say and how they say it matters greatly. I like to emphasize quality writing over quantity, telling them I’d prefer a few pages of powerful, meaningful writing over twenty pages of space-filler-fluff. The literature I selected to teach in the college courses was always carefully chosen to inspire students to think critically about the world and their place within it. We often talked about how powerful words are and how we should never take them for granted since we use them in every day life, not just the English classroom. Words matter on every level and ever relationship, between students and professors, employees and employers, friends, family, significant others, even pets and plants! We interact with living thing around us through words, using a particular tone with specific intentions and always toward an ultimate purpose, etc, so learning English well is not just learning how to write essays but how to communicate and express yourself clearly in any given situation.

Claymation!

I joined Sara, Adam, and Katie's creative group near the end -- this is the great clip they put together! Enjoy....

Fun with Podcasts!

Last night I tried my hand at podcasting with Kim Garber and had great fun doing it. I enjoyed listening to the student perspectives on uses of technology in the classroom. They all seemed to agree that technology can be a very powerful learning tool if used correctly. They also agreed that it becomes crystal clear when teachers toss in technology randomly as space filler with no real learning agenda behind it, such as showing a random film not connected to any lessons.

It helped to hear their colorful points of view on the issue because it helps me realize what kind of teacher I'd like to be. I certainly don't want to use technology just for the sake of using it. When I use it, I think it's essential to clearly connect it to the lesson at hand and ensure that students are learning from it rather than mocking the attempt! But like with everything else, sometimes we get better at things the more we try them. I can see how several vocabulary video games might be a good place to start motivating students about grammar/vocabulary.

I enjoyed the podcast experience with Kim. The students gathered around the phone also enjoyed it too, as it was their first podcast experience also. They especially enjoyed the commentary Liz and a few others provided in the chat room. Thanks for participating!

Keeping an Open Mind

As our summer session is winding down in the MAC program, I've been thinking about all the new technology we can use in the classroom. I've enjoyed learning about all the creative possibilities that can enhance our teaching, such as using cell phones in the classroom (for polling etc.), facebook (for creating class group discussions), twitter (for immediate feedback/discussion among students), and many others we discussed. At first I kept thinking "oh great, yet another thing to detract from actual learning and yet another way to contribute to a generation already plagued by short-attention spans!" But the more we use these tools in our classes, the more I see valid ways to use them. I'm sure my initial reluctance stems from my traditional education where a teacher lectured and the only technology we experienced was perhaps a video or DVD viewing. I'm making a consious effort to get out of that mindset and join the new wave of information technology. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by just how much information is out there but just like with anything else in life, the more you learn about it, the more comfortable you might be with it. I'm learning to appreciated the class by picking and choosing what might work for me in an English class.

Socio-Economic Equity Issues in the Classroom

Today in Eugenie Potter's EDUC-649 "Foundational Perspectives on Educational Reform" class we heard a group presentation that addressed several important components to consider in classroom equity, including disability, gender, race, socio-economic, and language. I was struck by a panel member's comment when highlighting socio-economic issues (and I'm paraphrasing here) that it's safe to assume that since we're all in the MAC program here at the University of Michigan we probably aren't struggling with this harsher issues our students may be dealing with economically. I think we need to be careful as teachers making generalized assumptions like this. Yes, I'm in the prestigious MAC program at one of the wealthiest schools in the country but it doesn't change the fact that I live with daily fear I'll have to drop out because of the issues my family is currently struggling with. I know she meant no harm suggesting this but it reminded me of the importance of not making such blanket statements based on appearances, especially within our own classrooms.

Ann Arbor Art Fair

I remember some fun paintings I saw years ago at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. They were whimsical cartoonish images of chubby little ladies dressed in old Saloon attire floating about with sweet tarts in the air, and captions like "I never met a sweet tart I didn't like" -- so goofy and cute. Since then, I've been looking for those paintings and that artist with no luck. I need to walk the whole Art Fair tomorrow with the hope of finding him again.