A colleague recently asked "How do teachers with different years of experience work collaboratively to engage our students effectively in the classrooms?" I've been puzzling over a few comments:
And a older colleague protested the use of web-based course-ware (such as this platform) because "Technology won't help the kids [learn]." In some sense, both perspectives are a-historical.
I appreciate both the sense of immediacy and the sense of caution. But worthwhile teaching is timeless, and effective teachers use a variety of strategies to engage students. Always have, and always will.
- Effective teachers use a variety of strategies to meet their students' needs, whether the teachers are 25 or 65.
- I remember that, as a student, my best K-12 experiences were when I was collaborating with classmates on projects -- whether in chemistry or history classes. We could use a variety of approaches to solve problems or unexplained events, we had a degree of flexibility with our use of time, resources were abundant, and we were encouraged to share our findings via unique and creative presentations.
- Although I am committed to constructivism, I have found that my students sometimes benefit from a sprinkling of behaviorism.
- The biggest challenge for me, whether working with older or younger colleagues, has been understanding, if not agreeing on, the purpose of [public] education. I think that if school communities could work that out (i.e. "What is the purpose of public education?"), teams of teachers, students and families would be in a better position to provide engaging experiences for students.
And a older colleague protested the use of web-based course-ware (such as this platform) because "Technology won't help the kids [learn]." In some sense, both perspectives are a-historical.
I appreciate both the sense of immediacy and the sense of caution. But worthwhile teaching is timeless, and effective teachers use a variety of strategies to engage students. Always have, and always will.
