Last month finished up another semester of my master's degree program. The classes all ended with the obligatory final project and final exam. Each of these teachers posed the same basic question on the final exam: "How has your new learning this semester influenced the way you will create lessons and teach in the future?" This of course got me thinking, but not necessarily about what the teacher intended.
I started thinking about the insane number of teachers, including myself, that have asked this question of their students in some way or another. I know that as teachers we are hoping to teach new concepts and that we are enlightening our students at all times, but there are times when that just doesn't happen. So then when the question is asked of students "What did you learn?" we as teachers are assuming that we have indeed enlightened and inspired our students in some way, and that this is a justified question. But what happens if we really haven't imparted any new wisdom upon our students, or they simply haven't obtained any new information or skills? What happens if a student answers "I haven't learned anything new." How do we as teachers react? I would be willing to bet a number of teachers would raise their eyebrows at said student's answer and award zero points to the student for that question and then move on with teaching.
But what would have happened if in my master's level course I had answered that nothing I learned from the instructor was new to me? What if I had said the class I had just paid $700 for really had not taught me much of anything that will influence the way I teach? Because, this in fact for one of my courses, was the case. Not to say I didn't learn and grow as a result of this class, but almost all of my learning and growth came from interactions with my fellow students and the ideas that they brought to the class. I wish that could tell you that I had the nerve to say exactly that in response to this question, but I did not. So for me, for now, this question will remain unanswered and I am left to wonder "What if?"
At least I can now reflect upon this question for my own teaching and whether or not this is an appropriate question to ask of my students. Maybe a more appropriate question would be "Have you learned new information or skills that will change the way you go about business?" or "If you have learned new skills or ideas, what are they?" And then follow up with the question of "If you haven't learned new skills or information, what could be added to this class (or lesson) that would help you?"
Image courtesy of Flickr and The Library of Congress
2 comments:
This is a prime reason I am hesitant to go back to get my master's in edtech. I have looked at dozens of schools from across the country and I have yet to find one that will challenge me with new learning. Many list technology that is at best not new and at worst completely out of date. I have seen syllabi not updated for 4-5+ years. In the world of technology, as you well know, that is far from current. We as educators, from K-continuing ed really need to look at what we teach and make sure it is current and relevent. As students, we need to have the freedom to say (without retribution) "I know this, give me something more." Unfortunately that rarely happens. I would love to see your last question("If you haven't learned new skills or information, what could be added to this class that would help you") added to some of our district level trainings.
Thanks for the post, it is definitely something worth pondering!
I'm right there with you on having little new stuff and the best part being the interactions with others (like you!) as well as the handful of discoveries of stuff I made when off on a tangent from what I "should" have been working on. But I also know from reading the posts of others in our cohort that there are so many out there still taking their baby steps in this brave new world. Perhaps this is the price one pays when in the position of being a trailblazer for others - obstacles, frustrations, naysayers, taking risks with new things with no guarantee of success, as well as the need to restate and rehash what is no longer new to us but oh-so-new and scary to others, etc, etc. These are the perils of the leading/bleeding edge, but the view from this place is tremendous!
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