A common theme in our class discussions lately has been relating curriculum to children's experiences. After reading the other blog posts, I think that we all agree this is a great theory but we also feel that incorporating it in the classroom seems impossible due to variations of student backgrounds.
I want to point out a section in Dewey that I feel gives a solution to this problem. My focus is on Chapter 5 and the vicious cycle addressed on page 62. Here, he is examining academic standards and how they require conformity when students are, by nature, irregular. According to Dewey, the only freedom that is of any importance is the freedom of intelligence (the ability to make observations and judgments). Yet, we as teachers have a list of information that has to be transfered to the students.
So how is it possible to allow all of these different students with various experiences to make decisions that will move them closer to freedom of intelligence while teaching them the set curriculum? The answer is right in front of us, just "stop and think."
"There should be brief intervals of time for quiet reflection provided for even the young" (63). Have students give meaning to what is being taught by letting them relate the information to their own experiences and make their own judgments through reflective assignments and discussions. This will get them involved in the curriculum and help them make connections in their own lives.
In an ARTE class I took, we kept a reflective journal where we wrote down what we thought about class topics. We also had several questions we had to answer after every reading assignment. The theme was always, how does this effect your thinking? I feel that this is close to what Dewey is prescribing. Making education child-centered.
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5 comments:
This is excellent. Thanks for pointing out the reflection piece, which is important.
What do others think? Is reflection the hey to the application problem?
I think that this is a great idea. In my assessments class, Dr. Harris would have us write small reflection papers in which we discussed what we learned and included questions or topics we still did not understand. I like the journal idea, especially if students jotted down topics they need clarification on.
Reflection is a wonderful tool to help students relate to their experiences in learning. At times, I feel that writing about an experience also provides clarity. I suppose it can be related to working through a problem or situation in ones' mind. This reminds me of Dr. Pope talking about giving events meaning by turning them into stories that are told or by thinking about the way you would tell them if given the opportunity.
Here's a meta-sort of question, then:
Does the blogging serve that function in our course? If not, why not?
Blogging for class does help meet the reflection and story telling aspects discussed in this entry. I do not think the experience is as rich in a blog as it would be in person, because in person the story teller has the opportunity to read the reaction of the audience and adjust the story to meet the intended goal in sharing the story to begin with.
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