Types+of+Teaching+and+Learning

One of the things Tobie and I are trying to do is to create a model of the twenty-first century one room school house. In other words, we believe that every classroom has as many grade levels in it as a typical one room school house. Those teachers succeeded in teaching students at multiple grade levels and they didn't have computers to help them out. Sometimes they had very little in the way of school resources, and yet they did their job.

We have computers and Tobie and I believe that computer technology is key to being able to teach each student at his or her level of challenge.

However, it is one thing to have this belief and quite another to put it into practice. Our goal is to find ways to put individualized education into practice.

=Foundational Ideas=

There are some foundational ideas that contribute to this belief, and here they are:


 * Disruptive innovation** suggests that computers are a disruptive technology in the field of education which means that computers will drastically shift how we do education.


 * UDL**. Universal Design for Learning attempts to level the playing field for all students through the use of technology. UDL practitioners point out that accommodations made for one group of students actually benefit all students.


 * Imaginative Education.** IE suggests specific ways of engaging students in learning.


 * Funds of Knowledge.** Funds of Knowledge suggests that students come to school with a knowledge bank. If we draw on that knowledge bank and extend it via our curriculum, students will find learning a lot easier and more movtivational.


 * Reading/Writing Workshop.** Nancie Atwell and others have created a way of doing individualized literacy in the classroom. These principles and the philosophy that accompanies them can be adapted and actually made easier through the use of technology.

=The "How" of 21st Century One Room School House=

If we are going to actually put computers to use in the classroom effectively, then we have to think about how we plan to use them. In order to do this, we need to think about the types of learning that need to happen. Right now, we have three types: skills, processes, and knowledge.


 * Skills** are things that students learn how to do. Some of these skills are related to the curriculum, such as the ability to sound out words or the ability to reduce a couple of fractions to their lowest common denominator. Some skills are related to the process of learning, such as the skill of being able to find information. There are skills related to being able to "do" school, such as being able to label one's own belongings and being able to find a book in the library. There are also skills related to the work ethic: being able to structure one's own time or being able to read the clock and factor that information into work plans. Finally, there are skills related to being part of a classroom community, such as being able to function in a specific role in a group or being able to problem solve.


 * Processes** are things that students use in order to accomplish a school-related task. These are items that have a different outcome. In other words, the skill of reducing fractions leads to the same answer time after time, given the same numbers. The process of approaching a mathematical problem (e.g., the order of functions) is a process that leads to different answers each time. Curricular examples would be using the process of figuring out words in context to attack new vocabulary. Process of learning skills would be knowing how to break down large tasks into smaller, do-able ones and knowing how to organize one's work. "Doing" school includes knowing how to operate in a classroom (e.g., knowing where to store one's work, knowing when to sharpen a pencil without disturbing others, knowing how to move from one place to another in a school across contexts--with or without one's fellow class members). Work ethic processes include being able to plan one's work and being able to put oneself to work even when the motivation is not strong. Classroom community processes involve knowing how to address problems other students have, knowing how to be part of welcoming a new student, knowing how to address someone who is beginning to be a bully.


 * Knowledge** is having a collection of information at one's fingertips. Curricular knowledge includes knowing the multiplication facts. Learning skill knowledge is metacognitive--knowing how one's brain works so that one can use that in the learning process. "Doing" school knowledge means knowing where things are in the building and which people to talk with about what. Work ethic knowledge includes metacognitive knowledge about options for getting work done, such as the possibility of using a timer. Classroom community knowledge includes knowing that people think differently and knowledge of different kinds of content (e.g., culturally-related content that is significant to the classroom).

We can therefore create a chart of the types of learning:


 * || Skill || Process || Knowlege ||
 * Curriculum ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Learning skills ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Doing school ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Work ethic ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Classroom community ||  ||   ||   ||

The point of this chart is that different forms of learning can take place in different contexts. For example, a lot of knowledge-type learning can be done using computer technology. Information can be presented on the computer in multiple formats and available for students to go over as many times as they want. Lecture is an extremely inefficient means for delivering knowledge because it is limited in terms of format and learners cannot adjust the speed at which the information is delivered. Learners also cannot have the lecture repeated at will unless they taped it (and then the format is still limited). Educational Psychology is an example of a course where students need to develop quite a lot of knowledge. I provide them with an illustrated power point on all topics (visual learners), mp3 files, texts to read, and videos.

There are some processes and skills that can be developed on the computer. Simulations offer students opportunity to try out skills and digital video allows students to view people modeling the processes we want students to use. For example, if we want students to use a particular process in reading, two or three videos that students can view multiple times of people actually using that process can help students to learn the process.

Just like there are certain skills that are best learned on the computer, there are other skills and processes that can only be learned through interaction with other people. Classroom community skills such as being able to work constructively in a group can only be learned by experience. If we consider using the computer for individualized access to knowledge over time, then we can make deliberate decisions about students working together in groups to develop the community skills.

Another type of learning that cannot be done at the computer is kinesthetic. In other words, students need opportunities to move a lot in the classroom. The more we have students moving in terms of learning experiences and exercise/stretching breaks, the better students will learn and behave. There are some students who need to be in almost constant motion. These students should be accommodated with seating options that allow movement (e.g., a pilates ball while doing computer work).

The following pdf has information about the kinds of knowledge people need to have in relation to computer technology. This article is useful for discerning some of the types of teaching we need to be doing.

Also, here is an article about quantitative literacy. It is necessary for us to really think about what people need to know in order to succeed and then figure out how to teach that. here is more stuff