Teaching in a changing world.docx
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Teaching in a changing world.docx
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Teachinginachangingworld
Ideasforeducatorspreparingstudentsforaworldwherechangeistheonlyconstant.
Dr.CarolA.Kirby
JilinUniversity//LambtonCollege2012
A
steachersintheinformationage,wearefacedwithnewtechnologies,newideasandnewchallengesonadailybasis.Muchofwhatwethoughtwasourjobcannowbedonemoreeffectivelybyelectronicmeansandweareforcedtorethinkourrolesandourgoals.
Itisthepurposeofthispaperandtheworkshopthataccompaniesit,toopenthedialoguetothediscussionofhowteachersofhighereducationcanadjusttothesechanges,keepingwhatisbestinourpracticebutmeetingthechangingneedsofourstudentsincreativeways.Iamnotproposinganswersbutamposingquestions,certainthatinfocusingonwhatwedoandwhatourstudentsneedwewillfindcreativeanswersthatrelatetoourparticulardiscipline,ourparticularsituationandouruniquestudents.Timesarechanging.Let’stalkaboutit.
SectionOne:
TheWhyofChange.
Whateverourprofessionordiscipline,wearecurrentlybombardedwitharticles,commentsandwholebooksabout“coping”withchange.Inmanyareasoflifethischangeisinstantlyapparent….today’soperatingroomisfilledwithmonitorsandequipmentthatdidnotexistafewyearsage,ourcarsofferoptionsandevenfuelsystemsthatremindusofearlyspacetravel,ourofficesmakeinstantcommunicationaworldwidereality.Yetourclassroomslookbasicallythesameastheyhaveforseveralthousandyears.Theyareorganizedsothatstudentslook,listento,andfocusontheteacher–themanyhearingfromtheone.Theassumptionisthattheteacherhasalltheinformationthatisimportantandthestudentsareemptyvesselswaitingtobefilled.Theteacherisactive,thestudentspassive.Thisisparticularlytrueofcollegeanduniversityclassrooms.Ourcolleaguesinelementaryschoolshavelongespoused“activelearning”althoughfewofthemcoulddefineitinawaythatleadstoitsimplementation.
Thereasonsforthislackofchangeinthedeliveryofeducationaremany,butoftenitisfearthatchangewillbedifficultandwillshowupourdeficienciesandweaknesses.Teachingisprimarilyasolitaryactivity.Wecloseourdoorsanddowhateverwedo.Fewadultsobserveusandweseldomwatchacolleagueatwork.Manyofusarenotreallycertainifwearea“goodteacher”ornot,norcouldwedefinethebasicelementsofgoodteaching.
Althoughagreatdealhasbeenwrittenaboutthereflectiveeducator,manyofusaretoobusydoingtoreflect.Oneofthemajorpurposesofthispaperistohelpustoengageinreflectiononwhatwedoandwhywedoit.
Generally,ifourstudentsdowell,wetakecredit.Iftheydopoorly,itistheirfault.Thereislittleattempttoreallydefinehowstudentoutcomesareaffectedbyourclassroomactivities.Itisasthoughadoctorwithmanypatientdeathsascribedittothosewhohaddiedforbeing“badpatients”.However,changeishappeningineducation.Moreandmoreteachersaresayingthattheywanttodobetter,topreparetheirstudentsnotjustto“cope,buttothriveinaworlddefinedbychange.
Itisparticularlyencouragingthatthiscryforchangeiscomingfromeducatorsatthecollegeanduniversitylevel.ScholarssuchasAndrewDelbancoofPrincetonandErikMazurofHarvardarespeakingandwritingabouttheimportanceofpedagogyinhighereducation,andeventhemostprestigiousofuniversitiesareprovidingonlinelearninganddistanceeducationaspartofmorecomplexstrategiestoaddressthenewrealitiesintheknowledgeage.
Thefoundationsofourcurrenteducationalpracticesgobackthousandsofyears.Inearlytimesbeforethewideavailabilityoftheprintedword,knowledgewasfiniteandinthehands[orrather,theheads]ofaselectfew.WhethertheyweremandarinsoftheoldChinesecourts,orancientGreekphilosophers,therewasanelitegroupwhohadaccesstoknowledgeandwhoheldtheresponsibilitytopassiton.Itisnotsurprisingthateducationbecamearelativelypassiveprocessforthelearnersincethegoalwastogetasmuchinformationaspossiblefromtheonlypeoplewhohadaccesstoit.However,eveninearliesttimestherewasaconcernthattherewassomedichotomybetween“Knowing”and“Understanding”.
Socrateschallengedhisstudentstodefendtheiranswersinamethodofquestioningthatisstillvalid.MaxWeber,acenturyago,stilldescribedpolaroppositesineducation:
Either“toaidthenovice….tobereborn.”
Or“toprovidespecializedexperttraining”.
Thisdivide[ifitisadivide],hasbeendescribedbymanyeducatorsindifferentterms:
“knowledgeversusskills”,“inspirationversusdiscipline”,“insightversusinformation”.
ArecentreportofNAEP[NationalAssessmentofEducationalProgress]notedthatstudentsintheUnitedStatesatalllevelsshowedgreaterabilityinsolvingsciencebasedproblemsthantheydidinhavinganunderlyingunderstandingofwhattheproblemsortheirsolutionsmeant.Inotherwords,theyhaveinformationbutwillbetotallyunabletoapplythatinformationtonewproblems.Theycanprovidelittlemorethanwecanexpectfromawell-developeddatabase.Education,then,hasbeenseentohavetwomajorgoals:
onewasthepassingonofinformationorknowledgeandtheotherwasthedevelopmentoftheskills,andattitudesandunderstandingthatfacilitatetheapplicationofsuchknowledgetonewsituationsinacademicandinpersonallife.
Thepressingneedforchangenowisprecipitatedbythefactthatknowledgeitselfisreadilyaccessibletoeveryone,anywhere,atanytime.Wearenolongerdealingwithascarcityofknowledgebutratheranexplosionofknowledge.Theteacher’sroleinimpartinginformationislosingitsimportanceandthenewchallengeistodirectandguideourstudentstoaccess,evaluate,andusetheknowledgethatis,inmostcases,moreavailabletothemthanitistous.MostofushavealreadyexperiencedthesituationofastudentgettingtheanswertoaquestionfromtheInternetviaacellphonebeforewehavequitefinishedaskingit.Ifwedefineourroleasmerelypassingoninformationwecanexpecttobeoutofajobveryshortly.
SuchprestigiousinstitutionsasHarvardandM.I.Thavealreadyacknowledgedthisrealitybymakingallinformationforallcoursesavailableelectronicallytoanyonewhowantstoaccessit.Theyarebasicallysayingthatthemereacquisitionofinformationisnoteducationandthatyougototheseinstitutionsforsomethingdifferent,somethingmore.Forateacherwhohasdefinedteachingascrammingstudentswithfacts,thischangecanbeconfusingandthreatening.Nevertheless,wecanbeassuredthatneitherHarvardnorM.I.T.isexpectingtoclosedownasaninstituteofhighereducation.Rather,theyarerecognizinganerawhereteachingandlearningwillbecomemoreimportantthaneverbefore.Ifeveryoneisbombardedwithallknowledgeavailableattheclickofamousehowarewegoingtoteachourstudentstoselect,evaluateandapplyittocreateandsolvenewproblems,improveourinstitutionsandperhapsevensaveourplanet?
Inthelightofthereadyavailabilityofknowledge,theroleoftheteacherisnotdiminishedbutratherithasbecomemorevitalthaneverbefore.
Changeisnotanoption,itisareality.Theteacherwhosays,“Iknowmy
subjectandthat’sallIneedtoknow.”isoutoftouchwiththenewreality.Theteacherwhosays,“I’mconfused,Ineednewideasandclarificationofmyrole.”isreadytomoveoninthechangingworld.
Howthendowenewlydefineourroleandhowdoesthisnewdefinitiontranslatetochangeinclassroompractice?
Letustrytooperatewithasimpleanswer.Ourrolemustfocusfarlessontheacquisitionoffactandmoreonassistingstudentstoaccess,evaluateandapplyinformationtothesituationsorproblemsthatpresentthemselvesandtothecreationofnewquestionsandanswers.Letusbeclear;thisdoesnotmeanthatwehavelessuseorrespectfor“mere”knowledge.Wecertainlyexpectouraccountantstohaveasoundknowledgeofacceptedaccountingpractice,wewantourlawyerstoknowthelawandwewantourengineerstoknowthebasicsofphysicsthatwillapplytobuildingstrongbridgesandsafebuildings.However,wedonotwanttolimitthemtothesmallfractionofsuchinformationthatisavailablefromoneoreventwentyteachersbutrathertoexposetheoverwhelmingamountofsuchinformationandtohelpthemnottobeoverwhelmedbyitbutinsteaduseittocreatenewquestionsandnewanswers
SectionTwo:
TheWhatofChange
Havingoutlinedtheneedforchange,wearefacedwithanevenmoredemandingquestion,“WhatdoIchange?
”
Theeasiestansweristhatwechangeourfocus.Weputfarlessemphasisontheacquisitionofknowledgeandmuchmoreontheprocessingofknowledge.Weneedtohaveaclearviewofwhatbasicinformationourstudentsneed,becertainthattheyaccessthatinthemostefficientwaypossibleandthenspendpreciousclassroomtimeonhigherlevelskillsrelatedtoanalysis,understandingandapplyingthatknowledge.Weneedtolookathowwespendclassroomtimeandchangetheemphasis.Letusforthesakeofsimplicitydivideourclassroomtimeintodiscreteactivities.Thesecaninclude:
Teachertalkingtothewholeclass.[Mainlygivinginformation]
Studentstalkingtothewholeclass.[Mainlysharinginformation]
Teacherworkingwithgroupsofstudents.[Exchangingideas]
Studentsandteachertalkingtoeachother.[Sharingideasandinformation]
Studentstalkingtoeachother,teacheractingasguide.[Processinginformation]
Teacherand/orstudentsfocusingonsingleormultiplewebsitesorotherelect
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