"Failing" our students by "passing" them: Call for progressive education and creativity in today's school
By Christopher Barone
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 11, 2009
Teachers are the primary determinant in whether a student’s creativity flourishes or deteriorates, I believe. While many teachers aim for better grades for their students by ‘teaching for the tests,’ they are missing the important part of education: the journey. Ironically, in cases like these, the students may pass, but their teachers are still failing them – not in terms of grades, but in the quality of education.
Progressive education seems to be the answer. The philosophy recognizes students as individual people, rather than one collective group. Progressive teachers assign homework, projects, and tests that allow for different types of learning, as no two children will ever be or learn the same. Projects like these, I’ve found in my own experience, greatly enhance the student’s sense of creativity. This can lead to a number of positive consequences in the future – a newfound talent, hobby, passion, or even career choice.
Why have students take multiple-choice tests when they can somehow create a tangible record of the information they have learned? Why settle for lecturing when a hands-on activity is possible? The teacher, with just a little creativity of his or her own, can improve the class experience and not only enrich their students’ senses of creativity, but also develop a fun, engaging, and truly educative classroom environment.
Another advantage of progressivism is that it truly values the student. The student is able to teach the teacher as much as the teacher is able to teach the student. As we discussed in class, the teacher merely serves as a guide to the student. This kind of attitude leaves an open environment for class discussion – another small but important piece of a creative classroom. A teacher with 25 students in a traditional class will have but one voice; that same teacher with those same students in a progressive class will have 26 voices, 26 opinions, and 26 ideas.
Luckily, the norm for education today seems to be progressivism. This will hopefully lead to more competent teachers in the near future who are willing to take small, calculated risks necessary to broaden their students’ horizons. There is a substantial difference between the two competing theories, progressivism and traditionalism; the latter values only the end product, the grade, while the former values the journeys – both of the teacher and the student.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 11, 2009
Teachers are the primary determinant in whether a student’s creativity flourishes or deteriorates, I believe. While many teachers aim for better grades for their students by ‘teaching for the tests,’ they are missing the important part of education: the journey. Ironically, in cases like these, the students may pass, but their teachers are still failing them – not in terms of grades, but in the quality of education.
Progressive education seems to be the answer. The philosophy recognizes students as individual people, rather than one collective group. Progressive teachers assign homework, projects, and tests that allow for different types of learning, as no two children will ever be or learn the same. Projects like these, I’ve found in my own experience, greatly enhance the student’s sense of creativity. This can lead to a number of positive consequences in the future – a newfound talent, hobby, passion, or even career choice.
Why have students take multiple-choice tests when they can somehow create a tangible record of the information they have learned? Why settle for lecturing when a hands-on activity is possible? The teacher, with just a little creativity of his or her own, can improve the class experience and not only enrich their students’ senses of creativity, but also develop a fun, engaging, and truly educative classroom environment.
Another advantage of progressivism is that it truly values the student. The student is able to teach the teacher as much as the teacher is able to teach the student. As we discussed in class, the teacher merely serves as a guide to the student. This kind of attitude leaves an open environment for class discussion – another small but important piece of a creative classroom. A teacher with 25 students in a traditional class will have but one voice; that same teacher with those same students in a progressive class will have 26 voices, 26 opinions, and 26 ideas.
Luckily, the norm for education today seems to be progressivism. This will hopefully lead to more competent teachers in the near future who are willing to take small, calculated risks necessary to broaden their students’ horizons. There is a substantial difference between the two competing theories, progressivism and traditionalism; the latter values only the end product, the grade, while the former values the journeys – both of the teacher and the student.
0 comments:
Post a Comment