So first of all, I had my first "almost teacher" moment tonight. My friend and I were watching TV and there was some commercial for computers and a boy writing a history paper. My friend made one of those, "oh, you're going to be grading history papers soon!" comments, and we got into the topic of teaching, what methods I would use to teach, how I would assess my students, etc... I made a comment about how I would never give my students multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank tests, but rather only short answer. When she asked me why (followed by, "they'll hate you!"), I told her it was because multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank only requires the cognitive process dimension of recognizing facts, whereas short answer requires students to recall facts. Because recalling is a means of retrieving facts from long-term memory, if students know they will have to tap into their long term memories to access those facts, they will be more likely to make the attempt to store information away into their long term memory.
When I explained all this to her, she promptly replied with, "wow you have finally learned something!" Well of course I have learned something; I have learned lots of things, it is just happening at such a pace that it is slightly overwhelming.
But to touch on something specific, I am starting to realize and appreciate all the new technologies we are being taught for implementing into our eventual classrooms. I was a little hesitant about the technology overload that our generation is experiencing, because I slightly fear the loss of personable behaviors; however, it is inevitable and I do think that technology has many, many positive aspects to offer our future classrooms and students. For example, we have been experimenting with Wikis and Twitter (and obviously Blogging), two resources that will be immensely helpful in the classroom. Both serve as valuable resources providing communication between teachers and their students, and create web-safe environments that can be brought into the classroom.
Interesting post, Lindsay. I hope that the judicious use of tech. tools can help you along the way towards your goal. Whether they can or not, though, you've got a handle on a really important idea. While there may indeed be many junctures at which you *do* want to know that your students recognize key pieces of information, etc., the true learning takes place when you start to think analytically about that information, and to use it make conjectures, support (or refute) someone's thinking, and create and support arguments...and so much more.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on this (first of many!) moments of thinking like a teacher ;-)