The topic I have chosen to research is what reforms based teaching looks like, either in the science classroom or in general. I have learned a lot through this process, and found a number of quality resources. The article I read for this blog is older, it is from 1989. Find it here
I found this article interesting because the basic idea of reform based teaching is still the same today. People are pushing for higher achievement, better test scores, a more international approach to education. When this article was written, many states were pushing for change, but I am not sure if it actually worked since we are still using the same system today. The article also says reading textbooks and lectures was the majority of instruction versus experiments and hands on. I was born in 1989 so I was quite surprised that things really have not changed much since then. I totally agree with the first paragraph of the recommended actions. Instruction should reach for the higher-order thinking skills, and expectations should be raised for middle and low-achieving students. Schools and teachers should be given assistance, and curriculum should be adapted for the area.
One issue I disagree with is making schools more uniform. Teaching is not a one size fits all, each teacher needs the freedom to teach in a way that works for them. This should be allowed if teachers are being effective, and using the correct strategies. Obviously a good number of teachers do not teach in the best way, and should have some sort of corrective instruction.
This was a short article, but it showed me how slowly change happens. I mean this article was written 21 years ago, and it is still relevant today.
This is really interesting to read. I agree that teaching is not one size fits all. Uniform schools seem like an ideal idea to some people but its not an ideal idea when it comes to STUDENTS. The students are what mattes.
ReplyDeleteI am researching a similar issue and was surprised to find articles that were 20+ years old. I have been out of school for the majority of the past 20 years but was still surprised that the concept of inquiry based instruction has been around for so long and adopted by so few. The research behind inquiry based instruction shows that it is a more effective method for students to gain true learning and not just memorizing facts.
ReplyDeleteA great part about inquiry is that it is different for every student. The differentiation naturally takes place because each student is coming into the classroom with a different schema and background experiences. Each student will approach an issue differently and through exploration and observation, their schema will adapt to the new experiences.