Diagram:
Big Idea: Learning happens by children wanting to explore deeper into things that begin to interest them.
As a teacher, you need to provide hands on activities that can allow children to discover and learn new things.
Big Idea: Learning happens by children wanting to explore deeper into things that begin to interest them.
As a teacher, you need to provide hands on activities that can allow children to discover and learn new things.
Reflection:
I grew up in a very small elementary school. The entire 4th grade class consisted of less than 30 people. With that being said, because there were such a small number of students, my class and I were able to do a lot of hands on activities without it being too overwhelming for our teacher. For example, to learn about stalagmites and stalactites we went and visited Marengo Cave and saw them in person. When we learned about the old days and pioneers, we hosted a Pioneer day where all students dressed up as Pioneers and we learned how to cook over a fire, how to milk a goat and how to weave baskets. Then finally, when we learned about Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad, we reenacted the Underground Railroad to learn what it was like to be a part of it. As you can see, I grew up learning by doing. When I became involved with an activity I was much more apt to wanting to learn about a specific topic. That is why I believe students learn best by being provided with hands on activities that can allow them to discover and want to learn new things.
Madeline,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your reasoning behind active or hands-on learning. My school also did Pioneer day and the Underground Railroad and they are the days I remember most from elementary school. It was a great learning experience, and helped us connect well with the actual situation. This goes hand in hand with the ideas in “Theories of Learning and Teaching, What do They Mean for Educators?” by Susan M. Wilson and Penelope L. Peterson. They similarly stated that active engagement is very valuable in the classroom. Hands on activities allow the students to be able to use the ideas they have and put them to the test. This not only permits the students to think for themselves, but it helps develop their creative side. They can find out themselves what works and what does not. This creates a more personal experience for the student, and they will take away and understand more from the situation.