The teacher needs to base teaching on how she believes learning occurs.
I guess where I'm trying to get to is evidence based knowing instead of believing. That's what "ebdish" is all about for me.
From educational research side I'm quite impressed with http://ilnk.me/3778 . The problem is to put it into practical language.
I'm hoping that segmenting the process into four stages Notice. Focus. Mull. Engage. will help. My hope is that it also works for teaching.
What I think I've seen is that Notice and Mull are often given short shrift. in the rush to "Engage" and the emphasis on Focus.
Teachers typically go into the first day of class Focused on their plans. Engaged in implementing those plans. Without taking the time to Notice.
"Noticing" the particular kids in one's particular class on the particular day is a critical first step to getting it work.
"Mulling" about what you've "Noticed" should allow one to "Engage" based on the emerging facts about your particular students.
Notice-> Mull-> Notice->Mull loop points to the need to get real data points on the "here" of each student to get them to "there".
The critical nature of projects and behavior is it allows students to Notice what they do. Mull about what they do is Mindful Practice
My response to this is far too long to post here, so I have put it on my own blog at http://philhart.edublogs.org/2010/08/24/the-ditching-of-plans/
ReplyDeleteAwesome... I think you know my perspective on mindful teaching and learning (living) http://tiny.cc/cg6hr and I'm all over your Notice/Focus/Mull/Engage process.
ReplyDeleteWe simply don't see the need anymore to think (I hesitate to say "think critically" -if we aren't thinking critically... questioning- are we actually thinking or just following/conforming. In my view all thinking must be critical or it's not real thinking. Anyway. I see all four stages as various contextual forms of questioning.
Teachers are smart folk who have lost their way due to pressures they have felt in reality or created out of fear or paranoia toward external controls beyond the acceptable and reasonable. They have lost their verve; their artistic flare for the craft of teaching. I totally agree we need to notice, focus, mull and engage- we need to question.
Cheers,
Sean Grainger