Curiosity

Do High Stakes Kill Curiosity?

I haven't always wanted to be a teacher. When I was five I was sure I would be the newest member of the spice girls, then when I was ten I decided to be a marine biologist. It wasn't until I started working at a summer camp when I was in grade nine that I found a passion for teaching. Primary aged kids are so full of excitement and curiosity. So what happens between that age and highschool that takes students down from loving to learn new things to memorizing and regurgitating facts?

One major component of assessment in the current education system is assessment of learning. These assessments are done using methods such as high stake tests and exams(Drake, 2014). What does it mean to have a high stake test? This term is associated with any test that has significant consequences tied to it (eduglossary.org). In the students case the consequence would be the ability to advance. A good example of this is when classes have an exam that is worth 30 or 40% of the students overall grade. The reason for testing like this is to hold students, teachers and schools accountable for their successes and shortcomings(Nichols, 2007).

The downside to this kind of testing is that it places an emphasis on memorizing facts instead of comprehensive learning. When you are only focused on getting a good grade on a test it doesn't allow for the student to focus on areas of interest within the learning. Project or inquiry based learning is a good way to do this but it doesn't allow for as much preparation for standardized tests.

So how does this relate to the loss of childhood curiosity?

As I mentioned I work at a summer camp. This camp caters to children aged 3-12. Almost every day we make a craft. With the preschool aged children I can say that we are making a butterfly and they will go off and find materials and make a butterfly, or a spider or a superhero, whatever comes to their mind. If the 10-12 year olds are given the same instructions they will be completely lost without further instructions and an example. They cannot go off on their own and make the craft using just their imaginations. What is the difference?

A TED Talk by Ken Robinson explains this very well. When children are young they do not have failure in mind when they try things for the first time. They takes chances and are not afraid to make mistakes. But as Picasso said, "we are educated out of curiosity." The education system teaches students that mistakes are fatal. It is not okay to try and "fail" at something, instead students need to be right. So because of this, it teaches students that if they are not going to be right they might as well not even try it at all. This is what kills the curiosity of our youth. Fear. Fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear that it might affect their future advancements. Students that are not strong in a subject will never feel that they can take a class in it because if they don't do well it will affect their GPA.

This is an issue that I strongly feel needs to be resolved. With all the emphasis on grades it takes away the emphasis on creativity and multi-disciplinary thinking. It creates an environment where students can't try things that interest them in. This dissuades people from learning about things like science and the arts. There are many movements now, especially around girls and STEM careers. The real motivation behind these movements is the need to bring back the curiosity in the classroom. If kids feel comfortable enough to ask questions and try new things it will mean for a brighter future for everyone. Robinson finishes his talk with a quote that I will also end with, "The gift of the human imagination. We have to be careful now that we use this gift wisely and that we avert some of the scenarios that we've talked about. And the only way we'll do it is by seeing our creative capacities for the richness they are and seeing our children for the hope that they are. And our task is to educate their whole being, so they can face this future. By the way -- we may not see this future, but they will. And our job is to help them make something of it."

References

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st century learner

High Stakes Testing. The Glossary of Education Reform. http://edglossary.org/high-stakes-testing/

Nichols, S., & Berliner, D. (2007). Collateral damage: How high stakes testing corrupts America's schools. Teachers College Record

Moral and Character Development

Can meaningful connections with students benefit moral education?

A big part of an child's education is what they learn outside the classroom. I am not talking about the rules to wall ball or finding your future husband in a game of M*A*S*H. No, I am talking about their moral education. What does it even mean to receive a moral education?

"Moral education, then, refers to helping children acquire those virtues or moral habits that will help them individually live good lives and at the same time become productive, contributing members of their communities" (Education Dictionary).

The Ontario curriculum is written in the style of the KDB. For each subject there is not only what they need to know during this unit but also what they should aim to do and be. This means it is now not only the aim of the education system to teach children the abcs and 123s but also to foster positive character traits, as in the 6 pillars of character education:

http://nfsb.qc.ca/citizenship-character-education/

Now that we have established what a moral education is, the more important questions are why is this important and how can teachers develop moral habits in their students?

Moral education is important at a lower grade to teach children the 6 pillars. It helps to shape them into adolescents who can share their belongings and empathize with each other. After elementary school, it is important to teach teenagers at a secondary to post-secondary level the abilities of "Truth seeking, a willingness to think deeply about alternative positions and arguments, to be swayed by evidence and argument, to acknowledge our intellectual debts to others, and to judge others on the quality of their work and not their family background, skin color, or political affiliation"(Kiss, 2010). All of this education is working towards moral judgement". Moral education is described through stages by Kohlberg. The stages are progressed through, but there is no age attached to them.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/36169603231180068/

So back to the question of how can we develop these moral habits in our students?

I have learned a lot during my seventeen years of school, especially during my post-secondary education about what kind of teacher I want to be. One of the most important things I have taken away is that I want to make a positive and meaningful connection with my students. There are two reasons for this. One: By making connections you become someone that students can come to with their problems and successes makes for a more conducive learning environment. Two: If the students see you as someone they respect they will be more likely to model your behaviours.

The best way to educate your students on good moral judgement is to model these behaviours yourself. If you are an empathetic and caring teacher it will help to guide your students through their development. By acting in these ways it also creates a positive and emotionally supportive environment. Whether students have good moral role models at home, at least having this stable environment at school can really make a difference. This article by Weissbourd is worth the read to find more ways this teaching style is highly effective. One other good read is this blog on Scholastic, which gives some ideas on how to make meaningful connections with your students. One interesting one is to let the students know some personal details about yourself on the first day of class and reminding them that you are a person outside of the school.

Learning to educate moral adolescents is important for maintaining a moral society. The best way to do so is by forming deep connections to our students. I only hope that as a future educator I can forge those connections and influence good moral habits in all students coming through my classroom.

References

Education Dictionary. StateUniversity.com

Kiss, E., & Euban, J. (2010). Defining moral education. Inside Higher Ed.

Weissbourd, R. (2003). Moral teachers, moral students. Creating Caring Schools, 60(6), 6-11.

Project Based Learning and Personal Growth

       When I was in high school I took drama throughout my four years. Now, as a science and math major in university, you can see how this would be outside of my norm. Originally I took this class because I needed to fill my arts requirements in grade 9 and I cannot draw to save my life. But I continued to take this class because of the teaching styles employed by the teacher. He would give us a few small projects at the beginning of the semester based around learning basic acting styles and set design. After about a month we would begin our class project of putting on a play. We were allowed to freely decided everything and anything about how the play was to be brought to life. He would just sit back and watch our progress. Our grades were based on participation and personal growth. As long as we were growing as actors or producers or in whatever role we chose to play, that was enough for this class. The projects in this class allowed students to foster skills and develop knowledge of not only drama but cross curricular subject areas as well. The idea of sitting in a classroom and listening while a teacher lecture is long outdated. This method only caters to one specific learning type and therefore is causing a disconnect from the classroom and students. 

(https://www.google.ca/searchq=project+based+learning&rlz=1C1GGGE_enCA459CA508&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIjovMs8COyAIVyQmSCh1NnQmK#imgrc=ibQ1ivtxxtmAlM%3A)

       The reason I am talking about this class is for the purpose of PBL (project based learning). This type of learing "is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge." (BIE, 2015). It is an alternative to the traditional classroom model. PBL allows students to be engaged in their own learning. The idea comes from the constructivist finding that students gain a deeper understanding of material when they actively construct their understanding by working with and using ideas." (Blumenfeld et. al., 2011). Students are required to engage in something that interests them in order to solve a problem which is meaningful using critical thinking skills.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMCZvGesRz8)

       When planning a lesson involving PBL there are many steps involved to keep the project balanced and meaningful. The picture below shows the ways in which PBL differs from the way a traditional unit is taught in the classroom. In a traditional classroom, the teacher will teach a lesson and then the students will do an activity based on the content and complete a quiz. After a few cycles of this there will then be a final test based on the memorization and regurgitation of information taught by the teacher. In project-based learning, the goals are set out in the beginning and with a combination of activities, quizzes and lessons the benchmarks for the project are reached ending with a final presentation of the project work. The last step is one of the most important, reflecting on the work done. The students get a chance to really take in what they have learned and the skills gained during the project. This method is more comprehensive and allows for students to have a hands on approach to their learning. This is great, especially for kids who don't learn well orally, or having learning abilities different from the average student.  Many academics agree that PBL is the new way to go for constructivist classrooms. "From gleaning new, viable technology skills, to becoming proficient communicators and advanced problem solvers, students benefit from this approach to instruction." (Bell, 2010). 

(https://www.google.ca/searchq=project+based+learning&rlz=1C1GGGE_enCA459CA508&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIjovMs8COyAIVyQmSCh1NnQmK#imgrc=RdtERb2II9SewM%3A)

       

       The place where this concept can become tricky is if projects are not planned well. If the task isn't relevant enough to the student's lives or it does not ask for enough from the individuals it will not be a success. There needs to be enough chance for teachers to check in with students and to make sure they are scaffolding and fostering the development of the students. In my experience with PBL during my high school education I have always remember them being the best classes to take. It gave an independence which especially by 18 a lot of adolescents wanted and was a good way to prepare students for university. When students come from classrooms where they are used to having small homework assignments and unit tests it can be a hard adjustment when thrown into post-secondary classes which consist of one or two major projects and a 50% exam. In the end, the shift towards integrated learning and PBL is inevitable and a good thing as long as it is done correctly. 

References

Bell, S. (2010). Project-based learning for the 21st century: Skills for the future. The 

  Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 83(2). 

BIE. (2015). http://bie.org/about/what_pbl

Blumenfeld, P., Solloway, E., Marx, R., Krajcik, J., Gudzial, M., & Palincsar, A. (2011).         

  Motivating project-based learning: sustaining the doing, supporting the learning.   Educational Psychologist, 26(3).

Drake, S., Reid, J., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom 

  assessment. Canada: Oxford University Press.