I’ve been teaching for nine years. I knew I would be a social studies teacher after spending two years as a U.S. Peace Corps teacher in Ethiopia, East Africa. The economic/opportunity disparities that exist on this planet were brought in to sharp relief for me as a result of my time there. I knew I would spend my time trying to heighten awareness about this.
What do you like best about teaching in a Learner-Active classroom?
I like helping students develop skills that allow them to take control of their own learning. Kids are smart. They have perspectives that might never come to light if they did not have the opportunity to trust their own brains and instincts. The other day a student took an assignment and put her particular "twist" on it. It made the work more complex, and time consuming. She did it because she felt empowered to do so. That’s a skill that will serve her well in the future.
What’s best about it for your students?
Absence of choice breeds helplessness and hopelessness; I saw this often during my time in Africa and I see it in this country as well. I think my students like the feeling of being in control of their learning. They like becoming experts about how they learn. I think many of them realize that serious responsibility is not far off and that the more they take control of their learning now, the more they are setting themselves up for success in the future.
Which of the Ten Principles is most important to you in your classroom and why?
That’s a tough one. These are the competencies, the "life skills" I want all students to develop. These are the tools that allow students to take control of their lives. That said, I’m partial to Student Responsibility for Learning followed closely Global Citizenship. I see these two as inextricably linked in that they both imply an ability to manage precious resources.
What PBL struck you as transformative?
I had a number of students who aimed for the "expert" level as suggested by the rubric attached to the "A Day in a Life, Without..." PBL. According to the PBL, that level entails including inventions that will likely be created in the future. A number of kids came up with great inventions. This gave me a window into some of their worlds. They are already thinking about the future, about possibilities and about how they might be part of that future. This is a great thing to witness.
How do you think problem based learning helps students experience & learn through real life situations?
I think the answer lies mainly in the authenticity of the PBL itself. Our recent PBL asked students to take stock of technology in their lives. This is something they must negotiate on a daily basis now. This dynamic will only intensify as technology advances so it makes complete sense that they wrestle with these issues now as a form of training for the future.
How do you create connections for students between what they learn and today’s society?
My primary tool in this area is practicing what I preach. I consistently emphasize to kids the importance of being informed about what’s going on in the world. As such, I need to know what’s going on in their world. I recently talked with kids about what happens on buses going to and from school. As you might guess, the older, more experienced (read, powerful) kids decide who sits where. In short there is a hierarchy of power. This has turned out to be a great tool for teaching social hierarchy in the ancient world.
How do you show students that subjects are interconnected?
I view this as a twofold process. The first is to establish a set of overarching competencies. Some call these "Habits of Mind" or "Principles of Active Learning." Regardless of the name, these are the "life skills" that kids need. Once these are established across the team, then it becomes a matter of relating examples from across the curriculum. For example, a student who learns how to create a PowerPoint presentation in a computer class can use that knowledge to create a slideshow timeline for Social Studies or to illustrate the plotline of a novel in Language Arts.
What does connected learning look like in your class?
The example above captures what I try to do. I use a modified version of the "Ten Principles of Active Learning" as a framework that students can adhere to in any learning situation.
What led you to become a teacher? How many years have you been teaching?