I thought I was going to spend the long weekend reading my book for our book club, but I had a Whole New challenge instead: Putting together a million piece puzzle for my kids to play on in our back yard…. swings, monkey bars, slide, fort, climbing wall, and picnic bench all neatly packed in boxes Ikea style… ‘some’ assembly required!

Today I was back at school and boy has reality hit! Tomorrow morning our Grade 8 team has to get the ball rolling for our yearly Renaissance Fair (coming in May); Tomorrow at lunch I start training a Leadership Crew to run a Grade 5 leadership retreat/afternoon at our feeder schools; Some time in the next two weeks I have to set up an afternoon to introduce this program to other middle school leadership teachers/admin; I am running a Pro-D session on ‘Starting Your Own Blog’ a week from Saturday and I still have a number of hours work to do to set things up; I have a sleepover fundraiser at the school in just over two weeks; and my kids are in musical theatre plays (playing at alternating performances) this Thursday & Friday night as well as two shows Saturday… yikes!

And then there is my class Science Alive! wiki. As I said in a comment earlier this week, “I think that I am guilty of seeing the value of using technology in guiding learning, but not effectively guiding learning in my technology use.”

I have done a pretty good job of getting my students going… but now as momentum builds I have come to the realization that I don’t have a marking rubric to guide me, or my students, as we move towards a final product.

My class is assembling a lego model without the instructions, or even the image of the final product on the front of the box. This isn’t a problem for the creative/motivated students; they will assembly a better model in ways that I could never have ‘instructed‘ them… but some students need structure, they have been fed it for years and expect it (even from yours truly – this isn’t finger pointing, it is observation).

I let technology supersede pedagogy.

On the bright side, I am a teacher in my 9th year and I’m loving the vitality and enthusiasm my attempts at a 2.0 Classroom have given me. So what if I am out of my comfort zone, as are some of my students. So what if learning is messy. Of course my approach will be more pedagogically sound next time... but as I start putting all the pieces together, I have come to the realization that some things are worth doing… even if some assembly is required!

Feedback and suggestions for the wiki are invited…

Images: 050724006lego05 & 050724007lego06 by quadrapop on flickr.

Originally posted: April 11th, 2007

Reflection upon re-reading and re-posting:

This is the power of a blog… I won’t reflect here, instead I will let the two comments on my original post do that for me. Thanks to Gabriela and Claudia for being so insightful and contributing to my learning!

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Comments

  1. David, I’ve been reading your posts since I started blogging for my students. I am amazed to see that I share some of your concerns as regards education. Amazed because of the different educational realities we live in and because we teach different subjects.How to deal with “structure dependent” students (most of them) is one of my concerns. They get puzzled when you don’t provide the expected, clear and well organized instructions. I love playing that game, though.I have to admit that I have failed many times. The worst was to feel frustrated and give up. Then I learnt to insist and be patient (both things at the same time). Success is not guaranteed, but when it finally happens the feeling of achievement the students get is so rewarding that it’s worth the “discomfort”. If students have the chance of making decisions, they have an experience and you also have an experience.I had a look at your wiki and I thought: “If I had had a science teacher like him, I would have learnt something at school.”Insist and be patient, and, please, never stay too long in your comfort zone.

    Gabriela Sellart on Wednesday, 11 April 2007, 23:28 CEST

  2. David,I believe there is nothing wrong with needing some structure. It may be a sign of a totally different learning style compared to our own. Let’s say we should learn from it as well. What scientific basis is there to conclude that one style is better than the other?

    I would refrain from thinking either that the student in need of “structure” should embrace any other way just because it is better to so many other people. I am sure that by taking part in your wiki, they are already experiencing 2.0 style and, to a certain extent, they must have challenged their previous structures for learning. No need to go over the board with efforts to help. The student can be an expert in his own needs.

    Second, I would not try to device any steps to “instruct” these students. Perhaps I am not the best node in these student’s network to go beyond or learn more. Let’s admit it: we are in love not only with what technology enables us to do but also with ‘learning my way’! So I wonder whether I would not create a sense of lack of confidence in those students if I continue to encourage another learning style.

    I would definitely help the “structure-needed” student to find a learning node within the wiki members. Peer help will do it. And I would expect that their interaction -unpolluted by my words- teaches me a lesson in learning. As a teacher, I think I would be quite effective if I simply manage to help the student find who can teach/provide the structured view he needs so much.

    Look forward to your posts about how your students get on with all this.

    It’s a pleasure to see how your wikispaces grow.

    Claudia Ceraso on Sunday, 22 April 2007, 22:50 CEST