edl621_module_5_podcast_2.mp3 |
Podcast Transcript:
Welcome to my module 5 podcast for EDL 621.
As a professional, learning through the discovery has always been one of the more interesting ways that I can learn. Many people, including myself, learn best through doing something rather than just reading about it. I feel as though there are different ways of accomplishing certain tasks and some tasks are better suited to discovery rather than rote memorization.
Managing my own web page and blog is one of those tasks that are better suited to discovery, instead of watching the videos for EDL 630 on how to manage my page, I instead jumped right in and began exploring the interface. Once I had some grasp on what I needed to do, I went back and looked at the requirements and modified as needed. The EDL 630 20% project has also been one best suited to discovery, I set my own goal and began exploring different ways of modifying my home network. There may or may not be some books out there that have suggestions on how to create a networked home, but the reality is that one must piece together every single piece of information, modify it to your needs, and learn how to work with the components that you have. Memorized facts have little to no value in projects like these.
As a teacher, I have also found that one of the best ways to encourage students and to get them excited about learning a topic is to have them create projects that they have to research, create, and present. In the past I have assigned a project where students, in a kinder Spanish immersion class, choose and research an animal. They create a poster, write about it, and then present their animal to the class. One year, even the student that never turned in homework managed to complete the assignment because the student was able to get excited about it. I gave them a few basic guidelines, some minimum requirements and then they had to create everything.
There are some things I would say that need to be learned through rote memorization, such as times tables, especially to help students be able to calculate things rapidly. But with technology now, we can instead have them learn them through some more exciting means, such as computer games or apps.
I personally never really struggled with memorizing facts, but only because I study the important facts, summarize them, and then find how they are connected to the bigger theme/idea. That is one of the reasons I always seemed to do well at standardized tests. But, I never used that information after taking that course.
Being someone that likes technology, I also like to customize the technology that I purchase. This means many endless nights of trouble shooting, modifying, and testing: skills that you do not learn from standardized tests, but they are skills that you learn through discovery learning. I have been able to solve most of my issues by having to do my own research and testing.
I believe in the power of discovery education and have managed to harvest that power in my own education. But, I also know that there is a place, however small, for rote memorization in some instances. It is up to us educators and life-long learners to know which method to use for different needs.
Welcome to my module 5 podcast for EDL 621.
As a professional, learning through the discovery has always been one of the more interesting ways that I can learn. Many people, including myself, learn best through doing something rather than just reading about it. I feel as though there are different ways of accomplishing certain tasks and some tasks are better suited to discovery rather than rote memorization.
Managing my own web page and blog is one of those tasks that are better suited to discovery, instead of watching the videos for EDL 630 on how to manage my page, I instead jumped right in and began exploring the interface. Once I had some grasp on what I needed to do, I went back and looked at the requirements and modified as needed. The EDL 630 20% project has also been one best suited to discovery, I set my own goal and began exploring different ways of modifying my home network. There may or may not be some books out there that have suggestions on how to create a networked home, but the reality is that one must piece together every single piece of information, modify it to your needs, and learn how to work with the components that you have. Memorized facts have little to no value in projects like these.
As a teacher, I have also found that one of the best ways to encourage students and to get them excited about learning a topic is to have them create projects that they have to research, create, and present. In the past I have assigned a project where students, in a kinder Spanish immersion class, choose and research an animal. They create a poster, write about it, and then present their animal to the class. One year, even the student that never turned in homework managed to complete the assignment because the student was able to get excited about it. I gave them a few basic guidelines, some minimum requirements and then they had to create everything.
There are some things I would say that need to be learned through rote memorization, such as times tables, especially to help students be able to calculate things rapidly. But with technology now, we can instead have them learn them through some more exciting means, such as computer games or apps.
I personally never really struggled with memorizing facts, but only because I study the important facts, summarize them, and then find how they are connected to the bigger theme/idea. That is one of the reasons I always seemed to do well at standardized tests. But, I never used that information after taking that course.
Being someone that likes technology, I also like to customize the technology that I purchase. This means many endless nights of trouble shooting, modifying, and testing: skills that you do not learn from standardized tests, but they are skills that you learn through discovery learning. I have been able to solve most of my issues by having to do my own research and testing.
I believe in the power of discovery education and have managed to harvest that power in my own education. But, I also know that there is a place, however small, for rote memorization in some instances. It is up to us educators and life-long learners to know which method to use for different needs.