After the class discussion, I would add to my definition/description the fact of practicing. Practice, being before or after the "click" or "ahh" in your brain, is needed. If it is before, practice helps you get to the "ahh" is a shorter time; if it is after the "ahh", it helps you to perfect the skill or knowledge, and keeps you thinking that perhaps the "ahh" you had was not an actual "ahh" and that you still need to comprehend the topic.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Reflections on Others' Teaching Philosophies
In short, the next bullet points summarize the new insights I gained:
- To emulate those professors that made us feel great in the classroom; think about the positive experiences. I believe this point is great. Typically, we think about our bad experiences and then state what we would change.
- To be always updated; provide them the newest information.
- To be aware of the time that a student pays attention to you; typically is about 15-20 minutes. Your activities should not be longer than this time.
- Critical thinking; teach them to evaluate new information. This complements the "provide them with the newest information". Not only provide, but teach them to evaluate, or discern, good from bad information.
- Teach persistence. Try, then try again. There is no better way.
Great things to add to my own Teaching Philosophy; I thinkg they complement it very well.
(as a side note, I would like to add that for teaching, a difference in race or ethnicity should not make a difference; it is what we can learn from different cultures what makes a difference, not their capability or style of learning. Teach everyone as if they were your own kids. There is no need to accomodate.)
- To emulate those professors that made us feel great in the classroom; think about the positive experiences. I believe this point is great. Typically, we think about our bad experiences and then state what we would change.
- To be always updated; provide them the newest information.
- To be aware of the time that a student pays attention to you; typically is about 15-20 minutes. Your activities should not be longer than this time.
- Critical thinking; teach them to evaluate new information. This complements the "provide them with the newest information". Not only provide, but teach them to evaluate, or discern, good from bad information.
- Teach persistence. Try, then try again. There is no better way.
Great things to add to my own Teaching Philosophy; I thinkg they complement it very well.
(as a side note, I would like to add that for teaching, a difference in race or ethnicity should not make a difference; it is what we can learn from different cultures what makes a difference, not their capability or style of learning. Teach everyone as if they were your own kids. There is no need to accomodate.)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
About Learning
learn (verb): to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
This is the dictionary definition.
We learn by instinct first, and later we add the choice of what to learn. A baby will learn, incredibly fast, that if s/he cries Mom or Dad will come and see what is going on. On the other hand, this Mom or Dad will learn, sometimes incredibly slow, that their baby cries because s/he is uncomfortable (name it hungry, sleepy, dirty diaper, sick).
Later in life we learn what we want or need to learn. We learn to walk, to hold the spoon, to tie our shoes, to read. We learn things in different ways: by observing, listerning, reading, and finally doing those things. But the learning process does not finish at the doing stage. The complete learning experience is when you actually comprehend the big "why". No matter what it is. You can learn how to fly a kite, and you may learn this when you are four years old. But in future years you should keep thinking about that kite and why it flies. It is only then that you will be able to understand the concept completely, and later teach others. I believe this is, in part, why people keep attending school to study a specific topic for many, many years.
External factors have a tremendous impact on our learning process. Typically, it is harder to learn something when we have to and easier when we want to. It is easier to learn when you do not have a clue about the topic or you click delete and unlearn to start the process fresh. Our mood and self esteem also play an important role in the learning process. Thinking that you will never understand something makes it harder.
The question might seem to have a concise answer, but I guess it does not. We'll see how discussion goes at class tomorrow.
This is the dictionary definition.
We learn by instinct first, and later we add the choice of what to learn. A baby will learn, incredibly fast, that if s/he cries Mom or Dad will come and see what is going on. On the other hand, this Mom or Dad will learn, sometimes incredibly slow, that their baby cries because s/he is uncomfortable (name it hungry, sleepy, dirty diaper, sick).
Later in life we learn what we want or need to learn. We learn to walk, to hold the spoon, to tie our shoes, to read. We learn things in different ways: by observing, listerning, reading, and finally doing those things. But the learning process does not finish at the doing stage. The complete learning experience is when you actually comprehend the big "why". No matter what it is. You can learn how to fly a kite, and you may learn this when you are four years old. But in future years you should keep thinking about that kite and why it flies. It is only then that you will be able to understand the concept completely, and later teach others. I believe this is, in part, why people keep attending school to study a specific topic for many, many years.
External factors have a tremendous impact on our learning process. Typically, it is harder to learn something when we have to and easier when we want to. It is easier to learn when you do not have a clue about the topic or you click delete and unlearn to start the process fresh. Our mood and self esteem also play an important role in the learning process. Thinking that you will never understand something makes it harder.
The question might seem to have a concise answer, but I guess it does not. We'll see how discussion goes at class tomorrow.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Teaching Philosophy
We start learning by instinct; even before we realize we are
learning we are already doing so. This means that since the day we are born we
are learners. We start teaching once we have learned. In other words, we are
more experienced learners than teachers. However, in order to teach we must
first understand how each student learns. There are people that learn by
reading, others by listening; some people learn by doing things with their
hands, others by observing. I believe that, to be successful in teaching we
need to teach to small groups of people. We need to learn what type of learners
we have in the classroom before we can approach and teach them.
My specific objective while teaching a class is for the students to learn the fundamental content of the course. If somebody takes a class in malting and brewing, I expect that by the end of the course that person understands the fundamentals of how malt and beer are produced. However, the core objectives of my teaching go beyond and apply to any topic being taught. My objective is to teach the students a critical thinking, and especially how to effectively find and use information. The teacher can explain the facts in the classroom, but the teacher will not follow the student wherever she/he goes after the course is over; teaching where to find reliable information and how to interpret it is crucial for success in professional life.
The student in my class should expect to learn, other than the concepts of the topic being taught, the following principles; they are crucial for a proper learning experience in my classes.
The approach I like to use is to teach the way that students like to learn. I like using technology in my classes, and having interesting presentations with animations and videos. I like my students to feel that they are not in a classroom. I encourage them to discuss the topic between them, and share their point of view. I suggest them to teach others what they have learned. I try to keep the communication the way they communicate now. If you write the homework on the blackboard, only a few will notice it; if you send a text message, or e-mail, most of them will pay attention. Field trips, hands-on demonstrations, and challenging tasks complete a typical course with me. The evaluation of what students learn is assessed by problem-based tests that can be in the form of a presentation.
My specific objective while teaching a class is for the students to learn the fundamental content of the course. If somebody takes a class in malting and brewing, I expect that by the end of the course that person understands the fundamentals of how malt and beer are produced. However, the core objectives of my teaching go beyond and apply to any topic being taught. My objective is to teach the students a critical thinking, and especially how to effectively find and use information. The teacher can explain the facts in the classroom, but the teacher will not follow the student wherever she/he goes after the course is over; teaching where to find reliable information and how to interpret it is crucial for success in professional life.
The student in my class should expect to learn, other than the concepts of the topic being taught, the following principles; they are crucial for a proper learning experience in my classes.
·
To give credit to others when they have earned it.
·
To never make fun of others.
·
To be respectful.
·
To be polite.
·
To be on time.
·
To not alter the truth.
·
To express concisely.
·
To be sure to enjoy what you do.
·
To be dedicated to what you do.
·
To choose the analysis before a hunch.
The approach I like to use is to teach the way that students like to learn. I like using technology in my classes, and having interesting presentations with animations and videos. I like my students to feel that they are not in a classroom. I encourage them to discuss the topic between them, and share their point of view. I suggest them to teach others what they have learned. I try to keep the communication the way they communicate now. If you write the homework on the blackboard, only a few will notice it; if you send a text message, or e-mail, most of them will pay attention. Field trips, hands-on demonstrations, and challenging tasks complete a typical course with me. The evaluation of what students learn is assessed by problem-based tests that can be in the form of a presentation.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
On Getting to Know Your Students
After I finished reading Markwell and Courtney's article, it was time to go through Chapter 8 of the handbook "Science Teaching Reconsidered" (http://www.nap.edu/catalog/5287.html). As Dr. Offerdahl mentioned last tuesday morning, this reading is "an oldie, but a goodie". The chapter condenses in seven pages why it is important to know your students; not only their names but their backgrounds. A fact that I related to our classroom was that the text states: "male students are more likely to be vocal in class". Last tuesday there were four round tables with students at class (I believe one table had only female students), and from each table it was a female student who took the lead of talking about the topics discussed.
I found interesting that the chapter gives hints on how to get to know your students, and by doing so helping them achieve their goals. We need to elucidate why each student is perfoming like they do. If they are performing well at class, there is no problem. But if their performance is poor, we may need to ask why. We need to do everything that is possible for each student to succeed. Maybe the student is extremely tired because s/he just became a parent; maybe the student feels isolated in a different culture, among other possible reasons. The thing that we should not do is to place a tag on the student without knowing her. This is highly detrimental for the learning process.
I found interesting that the chapter gives hints on how to get to know your students, and by doing so helping them achieve their goals. We need to elucidate why each student is perfoming like they do. If they are performing well at class, there is no problem. But if their performance is poor, we may need to ask why. We need to do everything that is possible for each student to succeed. Maybe the student is extremely tired because s/he just became a parent; maybe the student feels isolated in a different culture, among other possible reasons. The thing that we should not do is to place a tag on the student without knowing her. This is highly detrimental for the learning process.
On Cognitive Development and Undergraduate Learners in Science
Last night I read the article "Cognitive Development and the Complexities of the Undergraduate Learner in the Science Classroom" (Biochem. Mol. Biol. Edu., Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 267-271, 2006). Markwell and Courtney's goal is to increase awareness on us (in my case, a potential teacher) about how undergraduates develop their "capacity for reasoning, problem solving, and critical thinking" and why it is important to adjust the teaching methods from an entry-level class to a senior class. It was quite interesting for me to read the paper and stop once in a while to think in which level of cognitive development I was when I took my first college class. Moreover, I found extremely interesting to think if my teachers were aware of these changes students go through this time of life.
I believe that, in order to be a good teacher, you must have passion about teaching, and passion about your field of study. I think some teachers like feeling recognized and respected by their students, and by doing this, they send a message to the student that they are dealing with a higher, unreachable character. A student should respect the teacher, but the teacher should be more than a lecturer; s/he should try to be a person at the same level of the student, but one who has already understood the fact and theories that will be thaught in the class. The teacher should know how to handle a group, one individual at a time.
I believe that, in order to be a good teacher, you must have passion about teaching, and passion about your field of study. I think some teachers like feeling recognized and respected by their students, and by doing this, they send a message to the student that they are dealing with a higher, unreachable character. A student should respect the teacher, but the teacher should be more than a lecturer; s/he should try to be a person at the same level of the student, but one who has already understood the fact and theories that will be thaught in the class. The teacher should know how to handle a group, one individual at a time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)