Ian Gilbert says “but how can we have children who are happy with diverging away from the concrete world of right answers if we’re not modelling to them how to take risks, try new solutions and innovate?” How can we expect students to think outside the box when we are lecturing in front of them expecting them to simply memorize information? In my experience, when I let kids make up their own rules in math class, which isn’t very often unfortunately, they are much more likely to remember the information and use it to solve problems than if I simply tell them how to do it. They take ownership in what they have learned and want to use their newfound theory in their work. However, schools in my area that focus solely on letting students learn this way and focus on problem based learning perform poorly on ISTEP and ECA tests, so how can I possibly completely change the way I teach even if it means letting the kids get so-called real world experience and let them think outside the box? I’m stuck in a bad spot. I want to let me kids explore topics on their own and discover how to solve problems without me, but I also know that at the end of the year I’m evaluated on how well they perform on the ECA. If I can incorporate more technology into my classroom maybe I can still give my students the freedom to learn on their own while I am still in charge.
I wholeheartedly feel that students learn differently today, they are all about technology in every aspect of their lives. But how in the world am I supposed to change what I already know works? It’s a scary jump to consider, but I’m willing to if that means engaging my students more.
Below is my short video that I created. I think it quickly sums up how many students today think about school.
References
Gilbert, I. (2009). Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it’s the only idea you’ve got. Why do I need a teacher when I’ve got Google?: things every teacher should know (pp. 42-46). London: Routledge.
