Seth Godin makes some very good points about school and the attitudes of students. He explains that from the beginning of the school day, students are asked to be obedient. From the first “Good morning, Mrs. So-and-So” to the end of the day when they pack up, push in their chairs, and wait quietly, students understand that they are to act right and follow the rules. I feel that Godin was trying to say that by placing students in this kind of obedient mentality, we are stifling their drive and creativity. Students do what they are told and usually not much else. What they learn in elementary about school and how it functions carries over to middle school and follows them to high school. Godin discussed memorization and explained that he feels it is a useless and deters student growth and excitement. I agree that the way memorization has been used in school teaches students to know things on a surface-level and does not teach them to reach for more. Memorization often strips any opportunity for critical thinking and problem solving.
Michael Wesch argues that as teachers it is our job to assist students to not only be knowledgeable, but to be knowledge-able. Wesch explains that in today's society it is not enough to be able to pass a multiple-choice test or to sit in a lecture hall without participating. The world is changing and it is time that education begins changing with it. I feel that Wesch is saying that our students need to acquire critical thinking skills and better questioning techniques. Instead of thinking about how much an assignment is worth or what will be on the test, students should be taking what they learn to a broader scale and be able to think outside of the four walls of their classroom. In order to help my students to become knowledge-able I will continue to incorporate group-worthy tasks and utilize group member roles so that each student's participation is valued. Also, I will work on my own questioning techniques. In doing so, I will serve as a model to my students and I will also push their minds further by presenting them with open-ended questions, extension questions, and always, always, always ask them to create viable arguments with appropriate evidence. The 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice provide a great set of goals for students in Mathematics classrooms and I feel that they closely align with Wesch's argument for knowledge-able students.
This video describes the difference between a “visitor” and a “resident” of the Internet. According to Dave White, a visitor is one who uses the Internet only when needed. He describes a visitor as someone rummaging through a toolbox. The visitor finds the tool, uses the tool, and then puts the toolbox away. On the other end of the continuum, a resident is one who shares their life with the Internet. They use the web as a big park where all residents are mingling. A resident leaves a trace of him or herself on the web, sort of a digital footprint. I feel that I am somewhere in the middle of the visitor-resident continuum, leaning more towards the resident end. I am using the Internet as a tool to create a brand for myself professionally. I understand that the Internet is a useful tool for building my career and growing as a professional. I do not feel like a full-fledged resident of the Internet because the sites that I use personally such as Facebook and Instagram are private and I have small circles of “friends” comprised of family members and close friends.
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Megan AmelyMath enthusiast. Archives
April 2015
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