Blog #1: Reforms based teaching

I chose to find out more about reforms based teaching because I find the topic interesting. During this class, some of my beliefs about learning and education have been challenged. I wanted to find out more about this topic.
Through a google search, I found an article from the University of Portland. The article was called, "The Occurrence of Reform Teaching Practice in Undergraduate Mathematics and Science Classes: The Students' Perspective." This article argues that our pre-service instruction impacts our future teaching. If we are not exposed and instructed in the reforms based method, it is unlikely we will use it in our own classroom. I agree with that argument, because you can't teach something you do not know. The study did show that instruction has improved over time in some areas, but not all. Technology, reflection, sharing rationale behind teaching strategies, gave students a variety of ways to demonstrate learning, and letting students be a mathematician were the areas with the lowest scores. I think the first 4 topics we have discussed already in this class, and although we haven't addressed being a mathematician we have talked about making students feel like scientists. Incorporating technology is becoming a requirement because of how quickly technology is changing. We have tools to assist learning, and they should be used. Being reflective is such an important part of the learning process, and most teachers do not take the time to include it. Without reflection, students do not think back on what they have learned to deepend their understanding. In class, we discussed not just using a test as an assessment. Allow students to demonstrate their learning in other ways as well. The article said undergraduate instruction is moving in the right direction, but there are still improvements to be made. I buy that because nothing is perfect, and I consider it a good sign that pre-service instruction is headed in the right direction.
Overall, I found this article interesting. I am not usually the type of person to read a journal article voluntarily, but I could relate to what the authors were saying to my own undergraduate experiences. The article was relatable, so I had a personal interest, and it was written in a style that was easily understood. I hope that pre-service instruction continues to change, and professors realize that some of the elements they are leaving out can be crucial to student learning.
Below is the link to the article:


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