Comments on: Joanne Jacobs comment:”Stop facilitating and start teaching”

By: Mike Albert

Mike Albert — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:54:12 +0000

I would add that one of the factors that makes cooperative learning and constructivist strategies so difficult for many teachers to implement in classrooms are the excessive class sizes that many of us face in our schools. That is not an excuse not to use these strategies, but I often find that my quality time with the groups in my class can be measured in seconds, not minutes. I find myself in agreement with Nancy — most of my students do their best work in groups as well, from sheltered English learners to gifted students.

One other thought about schools and teachers being blamed. My experience is that while public schools in general and teachers (and particularly teachers’ unions) ARE blamed for a myriad of social ills, individual teachers and schools seldom are included in that criticism. It is much easier to criticize a faceless institution or bureaucracy than to throw jabs at the school in which you send your child to, or the hardworking teacher that you shook hands with on open house night.

By: heather

heather — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:28:55 +0000

I was talking to a colleague about this very thing. We were discussing this post as well as my newest one reflecting on Kelly Gallagher. Anyway, I think that the concepts of student as teacher, collaboration, and the one refers to, “Everyone Improves,” could be frightening to many. The concept that everyone can learn and everyone should learn goes against some philosophies of teaching and learning. Thanks for your comment. It’s always great to have a new voice on the page.
-Tweenteacher

By: Mary Tedrow

Mary Tedrow — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:50:00 +0000

I had my ah-ha moment this week as I read ‘Teaching as a Subversive Activity.’ In it Postman et al. spoke of Marshal McLuhan’s observation that the medium is the message. (I did not realize that McLuhan was an educationalist until I read this book though I was very familiar with his ’slogan’ from hearing it in my youth.) As I understand it,the student receives the message through the medium it is delivered. For instance, if a teacher delivers instruction in the sage-on-the-stage method, what the student perceives is that there is one authority and that the student has no voice or part in the discussion of truth. The value in student-centered teaching is that the student is a part of meaning making and thus perceives that they may have something to contribute to the conversation. This is a dangerous proposition to those who wish to control the message.

By: tweenteacher

tweenteacher — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:49:56 +0000

Thanks for the comment. I think it’s also important to note that all styles of teaching contributes to differentiation. That is, there is a place for direct instruction, whole group, small group, collaboration (there are many strategies out there to make students accountable), and individual. The fact that one’s instruction is varied means that you are reading more students. That, in turn, leads to better classroom management b/c more students are engaged. I know it’s more difficult in one sense, but surely, it all comes out in the wash and student achievement ends up higher? Check out my post on Collaboration…Blocked by a Firewall Near You about a recent Doug Fisher presentation at the UCI Writers Project this summer. It was really fantastic. Oh, and thanks for the tip on the homeless guy. I still say it’s not the school’s fault.
-Heather

By: Nancy Flanagan

Nancy Flanagan — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:12:00 +0000

Hey, Heather. Been back to Joanne Jacobs? Mostly responses from Strine acolytes–lots of repudiation of group work (like they’re not going to work in teams in their eventual workplace?) and constructivism. You know, everything that happens in a group is “shoddy” (and besides, it can be hard to pick out the truly worthy student who led the work and also determine who was free-loading).

Thing is, the *best* work my students did, generally, was in groups that had time to process content and, well, make something of it. I know it works, from first-hand experience.

Your two best points (IMHO)? #1) We have been using direct instruction/teacher-driven teaching forever, not because it’s the most effective, but because it’s easiest for us, and habitual and #2) that kind of teaching hasn’t ever worked very well. Why shouldn’t we abandon it, at least some of the time?

And I think the homeless guy in Gloucester, MA only impregnated one girl. That seems to be what the, ummm, more responsible sites are saying (plus the news wire services). The fun bloggers are all over the homeless man with 17 buns in the oven, but I think that’s a myth. Maybe I’ll go try Snopes…