After reading Bill Kerr and Karl Kapp's blogs, I concur that it is difficult to find any one of the many learning theories that fits perfectly for all students. I feel that each of them was devised to explain a select group of learners.
Each year I have to change my teaching strategies to meet the needs of my current students. Last year I taught a group of 18 students comprised of half below grade level students and half low average students. This year I teach a group of 12 students (yes, 12 students in public school classroom), eight of which are at least one year above grade level, and four that are at least below grade level. The class size alone changes the way my instruction can be delivered. Based on my experience thus far, I agree with Kapp's statement about lower level learners requiring a more behavioral approach, and high level learners requiring a more cognitive approach. The high level students love to be given a question, a stack of resources, and go off in a collaborative group and find the answers. My lower level learners want to stick with me, and be assured every step of the way that what they are doing is correct.I am fortunate to be able to offer each of these students what they need. If I were to limit myself to one approach, one of these groups of students would be left out. Being left out in education often results in being left behind. It's imperative that "no child be left behind".
You can read Karl Kapp's blog, "Kapp Notes" at the following URL: http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational.html.
Bill Kerr's commentary of Karl Kapp's blog can be accessed at the following URL: http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html
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Jen,
ReplyDeleteI think it is very true that lower levels require more of a behavioral approach and that a more cognitive approach and even a more constructivist approach works as learners mature in their knowledge and application of that knowledge. I often think wisdom is the constructing of knowledge and our goal as educators is to help move learners from basic facts and information all the way to wisdom. Of course in the end, we can only help as you cannot give someone wisdom, they must obtain it.
Your description of your varied levels class and how you had to adapt reminded me of one year when I was totally thrown off balance. It was one of my first few years of teaching, when I thought I had everything down to a fine art. I was thrown a class of 25 football boys for the last class period of the day, right before athletics. Teaching those boys math at that time of day, especially on Friday before the big game, was a huge challenge. Simply the fact that they were all boys was a huge challenge. It's only after you can establish a rapport and work with where they are that you can begin to move forward.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteSince you are able to modify your teaching methodologies to accommodate the differences in learners, do you find a higher degree of difficulty that comes in accompaniment? I am curious because of my future endeavors as a school administrator with a curriculum of my own design.
Do you find that there is additional training required to do what you do, or is every teacher equipped right out of the classroom?
DJH