This is Darren Kuropatwa’s idea on Hoarding vs. Curating Learning. I think this is one of the first debates we have had in the community, which I am all in favor of. I’d like to carve out some time to respond. But, don’t wait for me. Jump in whenever you feel like it.
He is married to his favorite person, and loves his three children quite a little bit (aged 10, 15 and 17). He is passionate about authentic learning, technology with purpose, and creating at least one new thing every day. In short, he teaches, and learns. A lot.
I’ll need watch the previous conversations, and while listening, I thought of a couple things, and it may not be what you are considering.
First, do you think that wherever there are people, there is a continuum of understanding — from novice to expert, or perhaps from apathy to engagement? And that some learners, therefore, need some support to start, and perhaps for even longer until those learners begin to sort out what learning is and what is important to them. And perhaps they need the support for longer in one area than another. So, yes the teacher is a guide. And hopefully this guide recognizes when a spark in the learner ignites, and the guide can step aside.
What I see then, is that the classroom needs to balance time for guiding with time for exploring and sharing, so what the student IS an expert in can be shared, and what they don’t know are their talents, but could be, will be explored. So a student in science class hears the news about the Mars rover still going strong after 10 years, and suddenly s/he is asking questions and reading every bit about it — or wants to, but the bell rings or the test is ready. Balance.
Second, learners learn when they are ready. With many kids that receptive time to accept the learning is the only time they attend. Otherwise, they need time after time of instruction, and the teacher wonders when this child will learn; they aren’t in the right spot to learn the concept yet — even if the pacing calendar says they need to. That’s when I smile, “Ms Edwards did you know that…” Of course, we’ve “learned” that many times, but that day, that moment, it clicked. And they smiled, and the learning is theirs now.
And what Darren says in the video makes sense when we remember that we aren’t coding robots; we are teaching students, human beings that arrive in the classroom a bundle of energy wrapped up in issues and goals that teachers must acknowledge beyond the lesson or curriculum and must nurture in ways that prepare for learning. And we build a community of learners. All of which takes time and requires renewal of energy and engagement constantly. At least it does in my experience.
So what is education? Is it facts? subjects? testables? Or are we growing thoughtful communities of learning in which the facts or concepts depend on the learners’ goals within that community?
Thanks for letting me ramble after enjoying your vlog.
I’ll need watch the previous conversations, and while listening, I thought of a couple things, and it may not be what you are considering.
First, do you think that wherever there are people, there is a continuum of understanding — from novice to expert, or perhaps from apathy to engagement? And that some learners, therefore, need some support to start, and perhaps for even longer until those learners begin to sort out what learning is and what is important to them. And perhaps they need the support for longer in one area than another. So, yes the teacher is a guide. And hopefully this guide recognizes when a spark in the learner ignites, and the guide can step aside.
What I see then, is that the classroom needs to balance time for guiding with time for exploring and sharing, so what the student IS an expert in can be shared, and what they don’t know are their talents, but could be, will be explored. So a student in science class hears the news about the Mars rover still going strong after 10 years, and suddenly s/he is asking questions and reading every bit about it — or wants to, but the bell rings or the test is ready. Balance.
Second, learners learn when they are ready. With many kids that receptive time to accept the learning is the only time they attend. Otherwise, they need time after time of instruction, and the teacher wonders when this child will learn; they aren’t in the right spot to learn the concept yet — even if the pacing calendar says they need to. That’s when I smile, “Ms Edwards did you know that…” Of course, we’ve “learned” that many times, but that day, that moment, it clicked. And they smiled, and the learning is theirs now.
And what Darren says in the video makes sense when we remember that we aren’t coding robots; we are teaching students, human beings that arrive in the classroom a bundle of energy wrapped up in issues and goals that teachers must acknowledge beyond the lesson or curriculum and must nurture in ways that prepare for learning. And we build a community of learners. All of which takes time and requires renewal of energy and engagement constantly. At least it does in my experience.
So what is education? Is it facts? subjects? testables? Or are we growing thoughtful communities of learning in which the facts or concepts depend on the learners’ goals within that community?
Thanks for letting me ramble after enjoying your vlog.
I don’t think MOOCs are meant for young learners – real novice learners. We are all adults participating. Just because the MOOC is not the perfect environment for all doesn’t mean we should discount it. We will all take different things from it. I believe in the notion of planting seeds – some will come out of this experience totally bewildered, and an aha moment may come much later when the ideas make sense in their context. Others, because of experience, may find ideas taking root and by nourishing them through the cross-pollination that happens in these discussions may find themselves in a whole new garden. Nothing we do as teachers and learners is one size fits all.
I don’t think MOOCs are meant for young learners – real novice learners. We are all adults participating. Just because the MOOC is not the perfect environment for all doesn’t mean we should discount it. We will all take different things from it. I believe in the notion of planting seeds – some will come out of this experience totally bewildered, and an aha moment may come much later when the ideas make sense in their context. Others, because of experience, may find ideas taking root and by nourishing them through the cross-pollination that happens in these discussions may find themselves in a whole new garden. Nothing we do as teachers and learners is one size fits all.
+Benjamin Wilkoff Yes we can do those things if the people watching you think those authentic lessons and assessments meet “post-teach-assess-to-pacing-calendar.”
I am not sure how many connected teachers are part of such mandated systems, but they do pose issues that squelch innovation and PBL in schools that do insist on these limits.
How do we connect to and help with support to those teachers? Maybe the issue isn’t as serious as I think it is, but I’ve read blogs recently of teachers so demoralized by the current systems that they either do or are considering quitting teaching.
I hope that those who understand teaching and learning will speak up more with the powers in charge so we can have a more balanced and humane approach with those charged with teaching and those deemed to learn from them. I’m no expert but, to those who are, I would like to see them take more of a stand so educators’ voices are heard over the politicians and corporations now dictating our policies. I’m hoping for too much.
A lot of planning and connecting needs to be done to implement authentic learning; to help those under constraints with their time due to their test prep requirements, where can they find connections and resources ready for their journey?
+Benjamin Wilkoff Yes we can do those things if the people watching you think those authentic lessons and assessments meet “post-teach-assess-to-pacing-calendar.”
I am not sure how many connected teachers are part of such mandated systems, but they do pose issues that squelch innovation and PBL in schools that do insist on these limits.
How do we connect to and help with support to those teachers? Maybe the issue isn’t as serious as I think it is, but I’ve read blogs recently of teachers so demoralized by the current systems that they either do or are considering quitting teaching.
I hope that those who understand teaching and learning will speak up more with the powers in charge so we can have a more balanced and humane approach with those charged with teaching and those deemed to learn from them. I’m no expert but, to those who are, I would like to see them take more of a stand so educators’ voices are heard over the politicians and corporations now dictating our policies. I’m hoping for too much.
A lot of planning and connecting needs to be done to implement authentic learning; to help those under constraints with their time due to their test prep requirements, where can they find connections and resources ready for their journey?
I’ll need watch the previous conversations, and while listening, I thought of a couple things, and it may not be what you are considering.
First, do you think that wherever there are people, there is a continuum of understanding — from novice to expert, or perhaps from apathy to engagement? And that some learners, therefore, need some support to start, and perhaps for even longer until those learners begin to sort out what learning is and what is important to them. And perhaps they need the support for longer in one area than another. So, yes the teacher is a guide. And hopefully this guide recognizes when a spark in the learner ignites, and the guide can step aside.
What I see then, is that the classroom needs to balance time for guiding with time for exploring and sharing, so what the student IS an expert in can be shared, and what they don’t know are their talents, but could be, will be explored. So a student in science class hears the news about the Mars rover still going strong after 10 years, and suddenly s/he is asking questions and reading every bit about it — or wants to, but the bell rings or the test is ready. Balance.
Second, learners learn when they are ready. With many kids that receptive time to accept the learning is the only time they attend. Otherwise, they need time after time of instruction, and the teacher wonders when this child will learn; they aren’t in the right spot to learn the concept yet — even if the pacing calendar says they need to. That’s when I smile, “Ms Edwards did you know that…” Of course, we’ve “learned” that many times, but that day, that moment, it clicked. And they smiled, and the learning is theirs now.
And what Darren says in the video makes sense when we remember that we aren’t coding robots; we are teaching students, human beings that arrive in the classroom a bundle of energy wrapped up in issues and goals that teachers must acknowledge beyond the lesson or curriculum and must nurture in ways that prepare for learning. And we build a community of learners. All of which takes time and requires renewal of energy and engagement constantly. At least it does in my experience.
So what is education? Is it facts? subjects? testables? Or are we growing thoughtful communities of learning in which the facts or concepts depend on the learners’ goals within that community?
Thanks for letting me ramble after enjoying your vlog.
I’ll need watch the previous conversations, and while listening, I thought of a couple things, and it may not be what you are considering.
First, do you think that wherever there are people, there is a continuum of understanding — from novice to expert, or perhaps from apathy to engagement? And that some learners, therefore, need some support to start, and perhaps for even longer until those learners begin to sort out what learning is and what is important to them. And perhaps they need the support for longer in one area than another. So, yes the teacher is a guide. And hopefully this guide recognizes when a spark in the learner ignites, and the guide can step aside.
What I see then, is that the classroom needs to balance time for guiding with time for exploring and sharing, so what the student IS an expert in can be shared, and what they don’t know are their talents, but could be, will be explored. So a student in science class hears the news about the Mars rover still going strong after 10 years, and suddenly s/he is asking questions and reading every bit about it — or wants to, but the bell rings or the test is ready. Balance.
Second, learners learn when they are ready. With many kids that receptive time to accept the learning is the only time they attend. Otherwise, they need time after time of instruction, and the teacher wonders when this child will learn; they aren’t in the right spot to learn the concept yet — even if the pacing calendar says they need to. That’s when I smile, “Ms Edwards did you know that…” Of course, we’ve “learned” that many times, but that day, that moment, it clicked. And they smiled, and the learning is theirs now.
And what Darren says in the video makes sense when we remember that we aren’t coding robots; we are teaching students, human beings that arrive in the classroom a bundle of energy wrapped up in issues and goals that teachers must acknowledge beyond the lesson or curriculum and must nurture in ways that prepare for learning. And we build a community of learners. All of which takes time and requires renewal of energy and engagement constantly. At least it does in my experience.
So what is education? Is it facts? subjects? testables? Or are we growing thoughtful communities of learning in which the facts or concepts depend on the learners’ goals within that community?
Thanks for letting me ramble after enjoying your vlog.
I don’t think MOOCs are meant for young learners – real novice learners. We are all adults participating. Just because the MOOC is not the perfect environment for all doesn’t mean we should discount it. We will all take different things from it. I believe in the notion of planting seeds – some will come out of this experience totally bewildered, and an aha moment may come much later when the ideas make sense in their context. Others, because of experience, may find ideas taking root and by nourishing them through the cross-pollination that happens in these discussions may find themselves in a whole new garden. Nothing we do as teachers and learners is one size fits all.
I don’t think MOOCs are meant for young learners – real novice learners. We are all adults participating. Just because the MOOC is not the perfect environment for all doesn’t mean we should discount it. We will all take different things from it. I believe in the notion of planting seeds – some will come out of this experience totally bewildered, and an aha moment may come much later when the ideas make sense in their context. Others, because of experience, may find ideas taking root and by nourishing them through the cross-pollination that happens in these discussions may find themselves in a whole new garden. Nothing we do as teachers and learners is one size fits all.
+Benjamin Wilkoff Yes we can do those things if the people watching you think those authentic lessons and assessments meet “post-teach-assess-to-pacing-calendar.”
I am not sure how many connected teachers are part of such mandated systems, but they do pose issues that squelch innovation and PBL in schools that do insist on these limits.
How do we connect to and help with support to those teachers? Maybe the issue isn’t as serious as I think it is, but I’ve read blogs recently of teachers so demoralized by the current systems that they either do or are considering quitting teaching.
I hope that those who understand teaching and learning will speak up more with the powers in charge so we can have a more balanced and humane approach with those charged with teaching and those deemed to learn from them. I’m no expert but, to those who are, I would like to see them take more of a stand so educators’ voices are heard over the politicians and corporations now dictating our policies. I’m hoping for too much.
A lot of planning and connecting needs to be done to implement authentic learning; to help those under constraints with their time due to their test prep requirements, where can they find connections and resources ready for their journey?
Two I can think of now are:
Edutopia
http://www.bie.org and their pblu.org site
PS: I did find two articles about “speaking up”
http://www.saveourschools.com.au/league-tables/the-rebellion-against-testing-in-the-us-continues-to-grow
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/29/national-school-boards-group-blasts-u-s-education-department/
+Benjamin Wilkoff Yes we can do those things if the people watching you think those authentic lessons and assessments meet “post-teach-assess-to-pacing-calendar.”
I am not sure how many connected teachers are part of such mandated systems, but they do pose issues that squelch innovation and PBL in schools that do insist on these limits.
How do we connect to and help with support to those teachers? Maybe the issue isn’t as serious as I think it is, but I’ve read blogs recently of teachers so demoralized by the current systems that they either do or are considering quitting teaching.
I hope that those who understand teaching and learning will speak up more with the powers in charge so we can have a more balanced and humane approach with those charged with teaching and those deemed to learn from them. I’m no expert but, to those who are, I would like to see them take more of a stand so educators’ voices are heard over the politicians and corporations now dictating our policies. I’m hoping for too much.
A lot of planning and connecting needs to be done to implement authentic learning; to help those under constraints with their time due to their test prep requirements, where can they find connections and resources ready for their journey?
Two I can think of now are:
Edutopia
http://www.bie.org and their pblu.org site
PS: I did find two articles about “speaking up”
http://www.saveourschools.com.au/league-tables/the-rebellion-against-testing-in-the-us-continues-to-grow
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/29/national-school-boards-group-blasts-u-s-education-department/