Sunday, September 03, 2006

Stop Teaching

I'm not sure I have a lot to add to this, but I just wanted to point my teachers to this post by Will Richardson:
In a world where knowledge is scarce (and I know I’m using that phrase an awful lot these days), I can see why we needed teachers to be, well, teachers. But here’s what I’m wondering: in a world where knowledge is abundant, is that still the case? In a world where, if we have access, we can find what we need to know, doesn’t a teacher’s role fundamentally change? Isn’t it more important that the adults we put into the rooms with our kids be learners first? Real, continual learners? Real models for the practice of learning? People who make learning transparent and really become a part of the community?
We've always talked a lot as teachers about being positive role models for our students, but that's usually in relation to our behavior in a public setting. While that's certainly important, I think there is more important modeling we can do. So, my question to you cohorts 1 and 2 is:

How will you model learning for your students this week?



5 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. It's serendipity, indeed, that when I clicked on The Fischbowl,I found this article at the top, for I was just thinking about this very topic. I agree that as teachers we must model a love of learning. I try to do that every day, by showing my enthusiasm for ideas, by asking genuine questions about issues I don't understand. What do you think about this idea--maybe we teachers could join the chats that are happening in various classes by posting our own comments on those classes' blogs. I worry about that a bit, though. Would it inhibit the kids if they knew their teachers were reading their comments and then actually responding to them? Maybe the kids would find that too intrusive....Or maybe they would feel that the teachers were "correcting" them or preaching to them. I suppose we could confine ourselves to questions only--not lengthy tirades or dogmatic pronouncements (even though it's so much fun to pontificate........)

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  3. It's funny that you commented on this Cheryl because I was just talking about what a passionate teacher you are and how your students so easily pick up on your passion. I say go for it; be part of their education but not as an expert rather as a facilitator. Get them to see you think about things as well ( like this question- ask them how they would feel) Show them how you question, analyze, synthesize and might not know all the answers. I think your AP students would think it is quite cool to see you online discussing the text rather than it just being an assignment asked of them. Play the devils advocate. You value the blogging assignment so why not blog with them as well. I am trying to do more of this with my students this year. If I assign the task shouldn't I show them my learning from the task as well (I am only going to try this with blogging at first)

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  4. Every time that I am out of the classroom for a class that I am taking, I share that with my students. I think some of them are surprised by that, but I think it helps to show that we all need to be continuous learners even when we are working.

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  5. I like what Cheryl, Anne and James had to say. I suppose another way to model learning is this: if a student asks a question to which a teacher doesn't already know the answer, the teacher can tell the student that s/he will try to find the answer if the student tries too. (I am trying to get better about doing this instead of just finding the answer myself.)

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