I found several interesting things while reading the feeds that I subscribed to. I would like to discuss the idea of a mini-term. This student seemed to really get a lot out of this project that deviated from the normal routine of bells and rotating from class to class. I think it would be nice to see something like this in my school, but I do see the drawbacks from a teacher standpoint. It would take away from critical classtime, takes a lot of creative thought, well-thought and detailed planning, and requires highly skilled and pationate teachers. The instructors would have to totally buy-in for the project to be successful.
Teachers would have to develop a "hands-on" project like the one described and be very well organized. I read a few of the comments on his story and one said that it was too teacher-centered. While I agree with that statement, I understand the reasoning behind that fact. It was the first time trying something like that before. If the program is deemed successful, then I suggest it become more student-centered as they modify and change the program to improve it.
I also really enjoyed the fact that the writer, Anthony, could assess his learning at such a deep level. He gets the big picture of learning. This idea would probably be a very successful move for those students that feel confined or are board with the routine found in a typical schedule. I am not sure how successful this program would be if it were done more than twice in a year. We would lose out on the time necessary to cover all the material necessary for a student to have the foundation for college. Otherwise, I like it and would like to try to find a way to do something similar.
2 comments:
I've just had a look at the "mini-term" idea referred to in your blog post and would love if we could try it. The way in which the students seemed to engage with the project seems to very rarely happen with traditional classroom instruction. Having the time free to focus on a single project - what a luxury! Unfortunately, when our schools seem to be driven by exam results and successes, I doubt (perhaps pessimistically) that we will see them in the near future. I also found it interesting to read the comment about "stealth homework" being issued. I can imagine some teachers feverishly panicking at the "lost" time from their course due to the project and seeking to compensate like this!
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