How Do We Teach?

Teachers use several different methods to try and get their students to understand and comprehend material. But there are two essential components that must be addressed in order for a lesson to be successful. The first is, is the lesson effective? In order for a lesson to be effective, the learning design must help learners become more competent and productive at worthy work. An effective lesson helps students to surpass expectations, in addition to developing greater understanding and self reflection. The second component is, is the lesson engaging? Students find an engaging lesson to be though provoking, fascinating, and energizing. The lesson should be about big important ideas that are relevant to the students' lives. 

When both of these components are combined, teachers find that their lessons are more successful. Some common elements that both of these components share are: setting clear performance goals, a hands-on approach, a focus on interesting and important ideas, obvious real world application, a powerful feedback system, and a personalized approach for different learning styles. 

It is important to let students know where the lesson is headed and why. It is equally important to hook students in the beginning and hold their attention throughout. Students should be provided with time to rethink, revise, and reflect on their ideas. And each lesson should be tailored to meet the needs of all students. 

We should teach using essential questions, and there are four phases in applying the use of essential questions. First, introduce a question designed to cause inquiry. Next, listen to different responses from different students and question these responses. Then, the teacher should introduce and explore new perspectives. Finally, the teacher should reach closure by asking students to generalize their findings and new insights. 

I can remember when I was in high school, my favorite and most meaningful lessons were ones where the teacher used a hands-on approach and then asked us questions at the end of the activity that made us think about what we had learned and reflect on what the activity meant in the bigger picture. I think that allowing students time to reflect is important because it gives them time to process and remember the material.

What Do We Teach Part 2

In the readings that I completed for this class, I discovered more about what we teach. One important piece of information that I learned is that while many teachers strive to have their students understand material, many of them do not truly grasp the concept of understanding. 

While understanding and knowledge are sometimes used interchangeably, these words have two very different meanings. If a student knows something that means that he can recall information that was learned. He knows rules, facts, and theorems. But in order for that student to have a true understanding, he must be able to apply his knowledge. Understanding also involves using what students have learned to make judgements or solve other problems. An example of this would be teaching students the Pythagorean Theorem. Most students will easily grasp the concept of plugging numbers into the formula and finding the answer if a right angle triangle is shown with the measurements clearly labeled. However, when given a word problem that involves creating a mental triangle and marking the measurements of each side in their head, students are unable to do so. They know the Pythagorean Theorem, but they do not understand it.

Teachers can also learn from student misunderstanding. One example from the text that demonstrated student misunderstanding was when an elementary school student got back from a cross country flight and complained that she did not see any lines of longitude or latitude. These misunderstandings are valuable to teachers because they show that the student has made an attempt to transfer information that he has learned and apply it to a real-world scenario. It is important for the teacher to recognize that the student made the effort, and not become irritated that he is not "getting" the lesson.

One way for teachers to measure for understanding is by using essential questions. An essential question is an open-ended, thought provoking question that calls for higher order thinking and requires support and justification in order to be answered. These types of questions help measure for understanding because they require students to dig deeper into what they have learned as opposed to just recalling information form the lesson or the textbook. There are even overarching essential questions which are essential questions that may not be specific to a unit. One example of an essential question would be, why did the Soviet Union collapse? But an overarching essential question would ask, what are the common factors in the rise and fall of powerful nations? This overarching question can be used not just in a Soviet Union lesson plan but also in a lesson about the rise and fall of other empires.

It is important for teachers to check for understanding throughout the lesson so that students are forced to make connections with material and see the bigger picture. Teachers can accomplish this by asking essential questions.

What Do We Teach?

I think that if you asked any seasoned teacher "what do we teach?," the answer would be the same. I teach ____ grade and _____ subject. But there are other things to consider when answering that question. For example, what teaching methods do you use, how do you assess the comprehension of students, and is it effective?

There are some important things to consider when developing curriculum for students. It is important for teachers to organize teaching around central key concepts that students can relate to. Teaching students facts or making them memorize material is not effective. A student who can grasp a key concept idea, such as conflict in the civil war, and relate it to a real life scenario, like conflicts with my peers, is much more likely to retain the information they are taught. If organized correctly, these concepts can be taught across all subject areas at one time. It is important for students to see connections with the material they are learning. When the curriculum aligns with personal interests of young adolescents, they become personally motivated to learn and succeed. It is also important to cater to each student and find the balance between concepts that are too challenging and concepts that are too easy. 

When creating learning plans, one useful tool might be to use "backward design." This process involves a teacher  focusing on the desired outcomes of the lesson as opposed to just focusing on the teaching aspect. Teachers should first identify desired results by deciding what students should understand and be able to do. Then, the teacher should think like an assessor and determine acceptable evidence that students have met the learning goals. The last step is then to plan instruction and learning experiences. 

Teachers use different methods to explain concepts to their students. One of these is the hands-on approach. An example of this can be seen at Flagler Palm Coast High School in Florida. Recently partnering with New Tech Network, a nonprofit, they are now supporting the planning and implementation of programs that emphasize problem-solving skills. Students are treated as mature adults, and their lessons are planned around relatable topics and necessary skills. These students are responding well because they appreciate the way they are being treated, and they are finding the information they are learning to be relatable. 

So to answer the question, what do we teach, I think that we need to teach broad concepts that students can relate to their own lives, and while preparing lessons it is important to utilize the backward design planning process.