Innovative Or Traditional discussion essay
After you watch both videos, think about the focus of this week’s reading: delivering effective lessons that connect your students to learning.
How do you reconcile the two different perspectives on learning exhibited in the videos?
Watching the video on “What if Khan Academy was made in Japan?”- the concept of allowing student to struggle with problems, gave them a chance to solve the problem on their own and then being grouped with fellow students and teacher observing students on how they concluded to the answer, would be a great approach for teachers in America to try in their classrooms. Both videos have one thing in common which is peer to peer assisting with lesson, which allows the teacher to help students one on one. It is a collaborative effort with both teacher and students benefiting from “technological classroom”. Allowing students to struggle with a problem, so that teachers can assist with the areas of not comprehending and trying different approaches to allow the student grasp and fully understand the lesson. Salman Khan stated “it’s not about technology trying to replace human beings, it’s about technology trying to empower human beings (TakePart, 2014). Technology is the way forward for schools today and for students to have 21st century skills.
What relevance do you see in each perspective?
According to TakePart, the concept of blended learning, it’s called blended learning part computer time, blended with part instruction, kids learn by watching lessons online, which allows students to visually learn from Khan Academy, if they miss something they can rewind as many times, they answer questions to master the concept. The program allows teachers to see where students are having trouble, with this data, teacher will know exactly they are getting it or not (2014). Then the concept of C3B4ME – See three before me – train students to always check with three different sources before asking teacher for help (Rystad, 2013). The idea of peer to peer collaboration, reinforces that the student has mastered the lesson and they are able to teach the concept to fellow students.
In what ways, if any, does either approach to teaching and learning reflect constructivism?
Constructivism is a process of active learning that allows students to link new information to prior knowledge. This concept allows children to not fall behind but to learn and master to move on to the next lesson and apply the past knowledge to the new knowledge. For teachers to allow for peer to peer assistance, which allows students to facilitate the learning in a different style and allowing teacher to assist students who may require more help than peer to peer.
If you were asked to pick a side to support, which strategy would have a greater impact on ensuring students master twenty first century skills? Explain your thinking.
Khan Academy approach is a great resource for students and an additional tool for teachers to move toward the blended classroom approach. Traditional classrooms are considered as a one size fits all type of teaching. Allowing laptops and collaborating with peer to peer facilitating, gives ownership to students, responsibility and respect for both fellow students and teachers and “Partnership for 21stCentury Learning’s model for acquiring 21st century skills. In order to master 21st century learning, students must develop crucial skills, including: life and career skills; learning and innovation skills; and information, media, and technology skills. These skills are built on the foundation of core subjects and curriculum” (Newman 2013).
References
Michael Pershan. (2012, July 6). What if Khan Academy was made in Japan?
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHoXRvGTtAQ
Rystad, M. (2013, April 7). Assessment for learning
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcLMlY6R7RM
Takepart (2014, August 18). Khan Academy Empowers Teachers/TEACH/ TakePart. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyumCz5lJ8c
