Learning – Page 4

Homework is a Waste of Learning Time

October 28, 2012 By Nicole Feledy

The horn has sounded on the controversial game of homework. The sides form up, supporters from both teams prepare to chant and the ball is thrown. Commentators call the shots, referees attempt to maintain order and players grind toward a winning point. The hapless ball bounces at the whim of those who hold it, passing from hand to hand before it is put to boot. Who or what represents the students in this analogy?

I am not a fan of the current homework game – neither as parent, nor teacher. It forces young minds to comply with outdated structures, sit indoors and remain sedentary long after the school bell tolls. It can also be a hopelessly inefficient use of thinking time. Put simply, after studying all day, students are either too tired or too wired to complete homework tasks effectively – often they suffer a paradoxical mix of both.

We know students of all ages need time to burn energy and relax. However, media commentary on the subject is often contradictory. Reports compel young people to forgo TV and computer screens so they may play outside, only to quickly call them back indoors to complete an additional hour or two of homework so they may secure the required amount of knowledge.

“Secure the required amount of knowledge” – now there’s the rub. My big question is why? Why does knowledge need to be secured? In a connected world where we have instant access to information, surely it is more important to develop skills in gathering and evaluating ideas than it is to ‘remember facts’. Supporters of homework generally assert study after school is necessary to a) consolidate learning, b) practice skills, c) promote organisation and time management, d) develop problem solving skills and in many cases to, e) gain more knowledge.

Bah, bah and bah again. Knowledge in itself is less important than the ability to access and evaluate it. Of course fundamental understanding of key concepts is a critical foundation upon which more complex ideas can grow. However, I am talking about fundamental knowledge, for example remembering New York is a major American city, not the date the Statue of Liberty was dedicated. Yes, students need to learn problem solving, organisational and time management skills. Of course a student’s ability to use these skills is improved by consolidation and practice. However in today’s world there are fresh ways to approach the acquisition of skills without resorting to stale ideas about gaining knowledge through homework. We need to rethink the relationship between knowledge and skills. We should be discussing the learning process, rather than worrying about how much work is required before a student has ‘learnt’ something.

Ok, by now you may be thinking of doctors and nurses, pilots and engineers and any other occupation which requires its members to remember key concepts. I wonder how many of them know the exact date the Statue of Liberty was dedicated… I’m sure if they wanted to know, they would look it up. ‘Wanted to know’, that is the key phrase. In any given occupation or activity, there will be fundamental pieces of information that must be remembered – information a person ‘wants to know’. However, these ideas will be coupled with specific skills that give the information a context and relevance, thus ensuring it is easier to remember. So does anyone need to remember the date the Statue of Liberty was dedicated? Yes, a tour guide operating river cruises on the Hudson would probably find remembering the date useful.

I hope by now you can see where I’m going with this. Too often homework tasks lack context or are busy work or are a desperate attempt to cover content in an overly crowded curriculum. However, even though I find most homework a waste of time, I am a firm believer in the rewards to be had from regular reading. We could all, not just school children, benefit from 10 – 20 minutes of reading followed by reflection and discussion. Now before you groan ‘typical English teacher’, I will qualify what I say. I am not suggesting everyone needs to read novels, I am simply suggesting reading with purpose. This purpose could be gathering information about an area you are interested in or it could be entertainment or an opportunity to explore different perspectives. To increase effectiveness, reading activities should be followed by a moment of reflection – a simple internal questioning of the material and your response to it. Social skills may also be enhanced by discussing ideas with friends and family. This process of reading, reflecting and relationships is an active cognitive process which, when practiced consciously, illuminates the learning process.

This post has already lengthened beyond my original intent, so I will finish soon, however there is one more homework inspired dream I would like to share. I dream of a time when ‘homework’ is redefined as ‘consolidation’ and occurs within school, during school hours. This is still a thought in process so please bear with me. If content requirements within subject areas were reduced, class time could focus on the relationship between content and skills. In secondary schools, timetables could be structured so that each 50 minute lesson was followed by a 50 minute study period. Study periods would be an opportunity for students to reflect upon what they have learnt and to practice skills. These study sessions would be supervised by mentors – teachers who actively modeled and made the process of learning visible. Then, once home, students would be encouraged to complete a reading ritual which involved 15 minutes of personal reading, reflecting on what they have read and finally chatting about ideas generated, either with family (during meal time) or on an online forum with classmates.

The world is changing at a rapid rate and the key skills a young person needs to survive in a modern working world are flexibility, creativity, critical thinking and effective interpersonal skills. In other words they need to understand the process of learning so they may become lifelong learners who are in control of their learning. Homework in its current form, even at senior school level, is not necessary. It is simply yet another facet of an outdated education system that has failed to keep pace with a connected technologically enhanced process of information exchange. Homework can murder a love of learning, it can forge anchors of resentment, stifle creative thought and fuel anxiety. Just because we had to endure homework to survive a pre-internet education system does not mean our kids have to.

It is time to blow the whistle on the homework game.

Welcome to a World of Expression

We Don’t Need no Education

September 30, 2012 By Nicole Feledy

Put your hand up if you hated the repetitive restrictions imposed on you at school. Put your hand up if you hated exercises that forced you to identify as part of one group or another. Put your hand up if you hated being asked to put your hand up.

Yes, I thought so. This is why schools are failing our kids. The education system is a cumbersome, monolithic beast that shifts and shuffles to a bureaucratic beat trapping schools within its power struggles. In its quest to categorise students into neat little bands, education systems seem to forget students are individual learners with multiple skill sets (many of which fall outside traditional understandings of being ‘educated’).

Today’s learners require more; you deserve more. You deserve a learning environment that appreciates individuality, awards creativity and recognises the skills required to survive in a world of rapid change. To flourish within a modern world, today’s learners need the opportunity to develop a flexible, courageous, creative mindset that is powered internally. They need to be aware of the choices they make and willingly take responsibility for their actions.

Therefore, rather than ‘educating’ students and imposing ‘top down’ lessons that tell them what they need to know, we need to support students as they learn to become learners. In the words of Pink Floyd, “We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control.”

Rather than educating our kids, we need to teach them how to learn.

As an English teacher, I believe the key to learning is literacy. However I am not simply talking about an ability to consume words on a page and regurgitate thought patterns. I am referring to developing literacy skills that extend beyond reading and writing. If we think of literacy as being the ability to recognise, manage and use information (decode, recode and code), it is possible to broaden the term ‘literacy’ into other domains. This is why I like to challenge students to develop their critical, emotional and creative literacy skills. Students who are critically, emotionally and creatively literate have the power to interpret and evaluate their world. They also have the ability to change it. They have a voice and the skill set required to ensure their voice is heard.

So, rather than looking behind at what has passed, rather than seeking to wrestle old education practices into new shapes, let’s create new spaces for learning. Let’s look forward and look ahead. Students who understand the learning process and take responsibility for their part within it are more likely to be motivated because they are traveling toward a destination they have chosen.

This is a Rite; travel the learning the path to gain access to a world filled with possibility. Develop critical, emotional and creative literacy; open the door to lifelong learning.

Welcome to a World of Expression.

I Can’t Spell

September 23, 2012 By Nicole Feledy

I have a confession to make; I can’t spell and have carried this burden all my life. Primary school was a series of disappointments because I never received ‘spelling’ jelly beans (our teachers rewarded students who spelt their words correctly three weeks in a row). I felt helpless; even when I recognised a word was spelt incorrectly, I couldn’t remember how to re-assemble the letters. To solve the problem, my teachers recommended extensive reading. However, since I was already a book worm who rarely had her nose out of a book, the advice was not helpful.

It wasn’t until many years later that I realized why voracious reading was not an effective way to improve my spelling – I see images rather than individual letters (so those ‘joke’ paragraphs that use a jumbled letter sequence are easy to read). Having identified my problem, I devised other ways to manage my ‘condition’.

I am vigilant in checking my spelling. I also have a deep empathy with students learning to spell, particularly those who find it challenging. I am open about the fact that I find spelling difficult and ask students to check the spelling of all words I write on the board. My students seem to enjoy the opportunity to ‘correct’ their teacher and actively search my writing for potential mistakes. This demonstrates that I expect all writing to be checked before it is ‘handed in’.

Now before anyone recoils in horror at a teacher who may make a mistake when writing on the board, I need to state plainly and clearly, I believe spelling is extremely important. To my way of thinking, taking the time to spell correctly and use grammar appropriately (in other words careful proof reading) shows respect. Correct spelling demonstrates respect for your readers and respect for your ideas. It also shows that you respect the rules of your community and perhaps more importantly, it conveys respect for yourself. So, even though I am a poor speller, I am an effective proof reader. This is the skill I model to my classes. I show them it is ok to make mistakes but, it is very important to correct them. When I ask my students to ‘check my spelling’ I am purposefully doing three things.

1 – I am empowering students within the learning situation. I am asking them to help me identify problems in my writing, which I then correct. We follow the same process when checking their writing. This creates a shared learning opportunity – students learn they are an active part of the learning process. Learning is an exchange rather than a one way presentation. Therefore, when I correct their work they view it as an opportunity to improve their writing, rather than seeing it as ‘marking’ or ‘judging’.

2- I am checking student’s level of engagement, if I find a spelling mistake before they do, they know, I know, they have simply copied information from the board without actively participating or thinking about what they are writing. In these cases we discuss the learning process before we progress further.
3. I am modeling the drafting and editing process. This demonstrates to the students who feel dejected about their spelling ability that a spelling problem can be overcome. They learn, when spelling is difficult, I expect them to use a dictionary or the spell checker on their computer, to edit their work.

I encourage my students to write fearlessly. Therefore, first drafts become a creative opportunity for raw thoughts to ‘flow’ onto the page. Then, in subsequent drafts, these ideas can be organized coherently and cohesively. As drafts reach final stages, they need to be proof read for spelling and grammar errors.

In my experience, adopting this approach actually improves student literacy (and spelling). They learn to self correct and, equally importantly, they are not held back from expressing themself. Rather than assuming spelling skills define their ability to write, they learn that creativity and perseverance have a greater influence on the success of their writing. Spelling is a mechanical process that simply requires a writer to check their work. However, magic happens through creating a message which is entertaining, persuasive or informing.

Welcome to a World of Expression

What Do Students Need?

August 21, 2012 By Nicole Feledy

The pollies are at it again, arguing over educational funding in an attempt to build political credit. Perhaps it is time for a garden variety teacher to weigh into the debate. For what it is worth, here is my 2c.

Yes of course schools need more funding. Yes, funding has an enormous impact on a school’s ability to support and enhance learning opportunities. However, rather than debating the amount of money required, I would like to discuss how funds will be dispersed. Perhaps this will provide a tangible framework for directing money to where it is needed most; places where real, functional, outcomes may be achieved.

So, what do students need? What will have most impact?

Smaller class sizes, more facilities – bigger gyms, rows of computers, a smart board in every classroom, more teacher training? Experience at the ‘coal face’ (over 14 years of classroom teaching) suggests, the biggest single determinate of individual student achievement is a little more personal than simply buying ‘things’. Student achievement is enhanced through;

1. A proactive ‘learning’ mindset
2. Functional, effective, critical literacy
(and yes, I accept numeracy is also very important)

With a proactive mindset a student has the opportunity to become a self motivated learner who accepts responsibility for the learning process. With base literacy skills and a commitment to developing critical literacy, a student has access to the tools required to become a lifelong learner. With an understanding of the learning process, a learner may increase their cognitive and social agility and flexibility. In other words, self-motivated learners are confident in their ability to meet the requirements of any given situation because, they have learnt how to learn.

This is what I would like to hear more about when various interest groups start debating funding initiatives and falling educational standards. As a society we need to be more aware of the impact of emotional well being. Active steps must be taken to support and develop emotional resilience. One solution which addresses low motivation and poor self image is the development of emotional, creative and critical literacy skills. When a person feels secure in their communication skills, they are more self assured – they have a voice that will be heard. This has wide ranging impacts for interpersonal interactions and, education (or learning) thrives in situations where there are productive interpersonal interactions.

So, rather than arguing about how much money should be given to whom, rather than suggesting more regulations, rather than more testing and rather than imposing more ways of demonstrating accountability, can we please be proactive. Let’s cure the disease rather than settling for treating the symptoms. Allow teachers time to think, allow students time to recognize the emotions they feel and allow both the time to work cooperatively. Yes, allow time to develop functional, emotional, creative and critical literacy. There are many different strategies for developing these emotional, creative and critical literacy skills – but I will leave that for another time.

Welcome to a World of Expression

Love to Learn or Learn to Love It

August 12, 2012 By Nicole Feledy

I love to learn, yes I admit it, being in an active learning situation sends waves of wonder dancing through my consciousness. Like a jolt of pure energy it provides an invigorating buzz, motivating me to … well … learn more. How do you feel about learning?

It could be suggested that a person’s attitude toward learning is influenced by their experience of learning. Those who have had positive experiences of learning, those who are able to solve problems as a result of their learning and those for whom learning offers a recognizable reward, tend to view learning as a useful endeavor. Learning can be directly applied so it is valued. However, in different situations, the opposite may be the case. Learning may become meaningless and ‘boring’ because it is too far removed from a learners experience or it is a repetitive reproduction of someone else’s ideas.

From this perspective, one of the potentially devastating impacts of school is the numbing, or in some cases downright destruction of an individual’s love of learning. This demise may come from a number of sources. A love of learning may be murdered by peers who preach the mantra that learning is ‘uncool’. Perhaps worse, a love learning may be annihilated by apathy or destroyed by a belief that it is not worth the effort. In other words, if learning is perceived as irrelevant or difficult, it tends to drown in a grey sea of discontent.

Usually teachers are handed the responsibility for inspiring learning. They are expected to deliver content in a manner that will engage and motivate their students. Teachers are trained to address multiple learning styles and offer opportunities for the meaningful application of knowledge. Yet it it is equally important for the learner to accept responsibility for their learning. The old expression ‘you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’ has some relevance here. Put simply, a learner’s mindset has an enormous impact on the learning situation. Learners who choose to learn, have a massive advantage over those who learn to avoid punishment or gain reward.

I believe I am constantly learning because I choose to be constantly learning. I want to learn simply for the sake of learning. As a result, every situation and every interaction becomes an opportunity to discover something new. The advantage of this mindset is that even if material is delivered in a manner I find confusing or boring, I can look beyond the emotion and find a fresh idea. So, next time you find yourself wondering if you can justify the time and effort it will take to acquire that new skill or thought, perhaps you could look beyond the immediate benefit (or lack thereof) to the wider implications. Learning is an adventure, it is a quest – it is life’s rite. So don’t allow others to take wonder of discovery from you. Take control of your learning and be responsibility for, and to, yourself.

Choose to Be The Author of Your Life

Homework is a Waste of Learning Time

We Don’t Need no Education

I Can’t Spell

What Do Students Need?

Love to Learn or Learn to Love It

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