Episode Four: Comments and reflections

[Daniel Pier]

In this episode, the students have a valuable experience gathering real data from the community. Episode five will involve students creating and conducting science experiments. While such activities can contribute mightily to teaching critical thinking and other important skills, they require a certain approach, or at least space to allow for different approaches, beyond one classroom to the school and even to the district and national levels. 

If you are interested in conducting creative teaching and learning activities such as interviews, projects, and science experiments, to what extent do your school and school system enable or even support such endeavors? Do you have time to work on inter-disciplinary projects with other teachers? Does the curriculum allow the time and attention needed for such activities? 

As always, I look forward to reading your responses to these questions as well as any other takeaways and reflections you have on episode four. 

Warm regards, 

Dan 

[Irvin Smith]

I thought of these questions in response to the challenges faces by families. They are supposed to get students to evaluate. A penny for your thoughts colleagues...

Can you determine the most popular reason why families migrate by accessing the information given? Justify your answer.

Which two challenges experienced by the families may be related*? Why do you think so?

*Related meaning that one reason may explain or may have caused the other.

[Irvin Smith]

Dan asked:

If you are interested in conducting creative teaching and learning activities such as interviews, projects, and science experiments, to what extent do your school and school system enable or even support such endeavors? Do you have time to work on inter-disciplinary projects with other teachers? Does the curriculum allow the time and attention needed for such activities?

Irvin says:

My school and our education system does allow for the use of the above mentioned strategies and activities. The reality though is that many persons are not comfortable enough nor are they obligated to step out of their comfort zone. We are encouraged to use contemporary methods but are still required to subject students to one time sit-in national exams which somewhat force teachers to hold on to the "time-tested" approaches that they lean towards like Route learning and memorization.

There are opportunities to participate in Science Fairs, plan Professional Development sessions to inform and practice new skills and engage in courses such as this. One of the challenges that I have realized is that some teachers do try but their efforts are short-lived if they do not follow their students since in most cases a whole school approach is not implemented or enforced.

The primary curriculum is changing slowly but surely in many subject areas to encourage those methods Even the method of assessing students for national exams will be changing sometime in the future as well. More and more teachers are also getting on board with project based and cooperative teaching and learning approaches and the incorporation of digital tools in the process. I acknowledge that in the mix we also have the issue of resources and parental involvement among others. Despite these, we will rise :)

The excitement is indeed contagious and the shift is happening. This program and opportunity is very much appreciated and timely.

[Glenda Morales de Duchicela]

Dan, In  my country and as part of the curriculum, we have to work on interdisciplinary projects starting high school and college level, but this idea has been developed, practiced but not completely follow up. Not all teachers at high school level have been trained on these different methdologies and try to do their best, which finally become individual group work presentations. Interdisciplinary projects needs to be better understood and of course have enough time to be included in the curriculum, but understanding that is part of the subject and it is not an individual subject.

On this 4th chapter, I listened the importance of incorporating data (Math) into a project.

We work on projects with interviews, questionnaries and data basic analysis which help students visualize better the information.

[joann neaves]

Our primary system has introduced an integrative approach in the form of theme teaching.  Reports indicate that teachers are having much difficulty even though there was prior training offered.  I think that some of the ideas you listed may be the reason why success is limited - support, time and attention needed for such activities are really not taken/given.  Support for teachers as they try out new ideas is really a challenge in our system.  This is because the system is very segmented and if there is some linkages among all the stakeholders, support may not prove so difficult.

[Shonella Morgan]

The Socratic Seminar is a new concept to teaching for me. I never heard of this before. I especially like this type of discussion activity because it allows for all students to participate and share their ideas on the given text presented. I was a bit hesitant in writing  the open- ended questions for my level of children since my age group are 3- 5 years old.

I am going to ask your opinion on this my idea of using the socratic seminar for my age level, do you think these are appropriate questions for the children. I have selected as a text a story: The Ugly Duckling and the focus of discussion will be on feelings or emotions. In the real world this information will allow children to demonstrate kindness and acceptance to others regardless of how different someone looks. Simply respecting and valuing others

Questions: What would you do if you were the duckling being sent away?

How would you do if someone called you names and why?

How can we respect others' differences?

[Shonella Morgan]

Dan,

The good news is that the curriculum does cater for activities as projects and science experiments. I am at  the Pre-school/ kindergarten level as such the use of projects are done regularly since these form the center for children's learning experience at this level. However, this type of methodology is very time consuming and requires much assistance from parents for projects to be successful. 

[Lerdon Barr]

There is a lot of red tape when it comes to being progressive as a teacher. I feel as though sometimes, teachers are placed inside a box, and freedom to promote creativity is taken away. I do attempt to use the methods listed, like interviews, projects etc. but it is hard when you don't have support and you have to go through so many chains of approval, to promote a lesson. Thus, we sadly fall back into the same routine.

Like Irwin said, programs such as this, helps us to re-focus (as I have said before). Even though change is hard, it does not mean that we can't continue to fight for it.

In terms of the inter-disciplinary projects, the time does not allow it. Even if it does, some teachers don't want to partner because they think it may be extra work. However though, I do think that it is important and I have seen it worked. I did it one time with a Hospitality class and the results were evident.

Critical thinking and strategies such as Socratic Seminars, takes quality time, and sometimes quality time is not on our side. But we can do what we can, when we can.

Thank you ITEN for helping me see the light. I am encouraged!

[Imogene Howard]

In Episode 4, Socratic Seminar was used to create and develop deep thinking, Mathematical data was used to solve problems, interviews, probing questions and creating the graph was strategies exercised to promote critical thinking.

My school system allows for field trips, experiments and other methods to be conducted during the normal school day, however the time is not enough. As a results many of the experiments will have to be done after school or on weekends. Also if interviews are used, it will be over a few periods and not in one setting.

Not much interdisciplinary projects are done. It is possible only when teachers, individually decides to work together.