On Letting Go

Not only is my title a favorite song title of mine, it is quite appropriate for this week's discussion and reflection. Dr. Wiggins' article could not have come to me at a more convenient time. My school is attempting to shy away from the lecture model--or at least, they want us to stop using it--and I have been selected as the perfect candidate for testing. It would seem that I am the most open-minded educator at my school and am therefore the best option for trying out new methods of teaching. I just finished some LDC training, I'm attempting to incorporate the Khan Academy in my math class, and I've been signed up for this FIP thing that is catching on.

But, back to Dr. Wiggins: his blog talks about taking the responsibility off the teacher and letting the students practice useful methods of learning. In one of my other classes, I am developing my Key Assessment based on this exact concept. I want students to take responsibility for their learning so that the time spent in class can be problem solving and real-world application. In life, bosses and supervisors are not going to walk you through a problem, they expect you to be independent. So, why should we continue to baby students all the way through the 12th grade? We are not helping them by doing so, we are, in fact, hindering their ability to judge their own limits and preventing them for learning how to discover!

I have come across a similar method as described in Dr. Wiggins' blog regarding how students should approach learning. He reference autonomy and the ability to make decisions based on prior experiences. I recently acquired a motorcycle and my license. Well, the manual describes a method for crash avoidance called SEE: Seek, Evaluate, Execute. You have to seek out potential threats, evaluate your movements and those of the people around you, and execute a plan to avoid any negative situations. Well, based on your prior knowledge and experiences--wrecks, tickets, being on the other side of the road--you can use that knowledge to make an assessment. Then, when you have made it through the situation alive, you can reflect on how it went and what you could have done differently. It is no different in the classroom. You have to figure out what the teacher was trying to say, decide how to use it, and then see if it works.

As teachers we need to think more from the students side--if we can. They need to be prepared for this high-stakes test and they need to be prepared for life. However, the students and teachers are all so comfortable with the traditional lecture method, that stepping outside of this box is a bit messy. The students flounder, the teacher doesn't know what to do to help the students by not directly helping the students, the administration is unhappy because they cannot see immediate results when and where they want them. This is supposed to be a gradual thing. Students will not be ready to take matters into their own hands after a day, a week, a month, or maybe even a year! But, the more often the students are able to practice the independent, non-guided method, the more effective it will become later on. We all want the classroom of the future, but we want it given to us without having to do the work--just like our students. Well, it's time to commit to the cause. Do the research, learn the methods, share the experience, and get on with letting go.