teacherstoolkit1

“Weshouldbeasconcernedwithhowweteachaswetraditionallyhavebeenconcernedwithwhatweteach.”JohnBruer,SchoolsforThought,INSANITY-doingthesamethingthesamewayandexpectingadifferentresult.Withoutdeviation,progressisnotpossible.,Ahabitisformedwhenwheneverapersonknowswhattodo,knowshowtodoitandhasagoodreasonfordoingit.Inotherwordsknowswhy.Understandingwhyhelpstocreatemotivation,Ahabit.,Knowingwhattodo=awareness,Newknowledgecausesnewripplesofactivity.Thebrainischaracterisedbyactivity,plasticity,responsiveness,interplay,speed,adaptability,continualreshapingandinexhaustibleresources.,Brainislikethesurfaceofapond.,Theonlywaytolearnhowtodosomethingisbydoingit.,1.Everyoneneedstoworkthingsoutforthemselves.Learningoccursthroughthebraininmakingitsownmeaningsandmakingitsownsenseofthings.Learningistheextractionofmeaningfulpatternsfromconfusion.,ThereareSimilaritiesbetweenLearners.,Learningdependsonwhatstudentsdo,intheirheads,notwhattheteacherdoes.Makelearningmentallyactiveandsetupinvestigativeproblemsolvingactivities.Learningdependsheavilyonwhatexperienceonebrings,1.Everyoneneedstoworkthingsoutforthemselves.,1.Encouragestudentstofindthingsout,andworkthingsoutforthemselves.Reversethetraditionalroles-encouragestudentstoaskyouquestions.,Howtoencouragestudentstoworkthingsoutforthemselves.,2.Encouragestudentstodraftideas.Peopleretain95%ofwhattheyteachtoothers.Shifttheratioofteachertalktostudenttalk.,Howtoencouragestudentstoworkthingsoutforthemselves.,3.Thereslittlepointingivingstudentsreadymademeaning.avoidexercisessuchascopying/fillinginthegaps.Encouragestudentstorecordtheirownpatternsofmeaninge.g.Mindmaps,Howtoencouragestudentstoworkthingsoutforthemselves.,4.Comeatthesamekeyconceptsfromdifferentanglesindifferentways.Lotsofexamplesandapplicationswillhelpstudentsreallygetit.E.g.Drawingit,mimingit,speakingit,chartingit,sayingit,singingit,dancingit,demonstratingit,listingit,writingit.Combinationsofthesetechniquesinrapidsuccessionisthebestwaytoensurealllearnersprogress.,Howtoencouragestudentstoworkthingsoutforthemselves.,5.Provideinteractivefeedbackthatsspecificandimmediate.Thinkofwhathappensinacomputergame.Studentslearnquicklybecausetheygetinstantandprecisefeedback.Thebrainisgearedtofeedback.Itdecideswhattodonextbasedonwhathashappenedbefore.,Howtoencouragestudentstoworkthingsoutforthemselves.,6.Punctuatethelearning.Thereare3reasonsforthis.1.Muchofwhatwelearncannotbeprocessed,ithappenstoofast.2.Inordertocreatenewmeaningweneedinternaltime.3.Aftereachnewlearningexperienceweneedtimeforthelearningtoimprint.,Howtoencouragestudentstoworkthingsoutforthemselves.,Thebrainisfarmoreinterestedinwhatisnewratherthanwhatsnormal.Makesurethatther