So I've been thinking really hard about how I'm going to apply all of this great information that we have been exposed to this quarter to my class next quarter. So far I really feel very strongly toward applying a combination of Bandura and Dewey's perspectives in my class. I really like the way he talks about learning, and what steps he believes are necessary in order for learning to occur. So far, my thinking about application in class consists of presenting the topics that we will cover a week in advance. For the next few days, I thought I would ask the students to read the material, and post (kind of like a blog), about what really piqued their interest and what they would like to see presented in the following class. Then, I would be able to develop a presentation that consists of models - media, visual, role playing, etc., that the students would watch. Then, I would ask them to form their discussion groups - which last quarter had no more than 5 students in each group - in order to practice the skills that I have shown them. Then, we could come back together and discuss why these skills are important based on their knowledge of reading about them, seeing them in practice, and them practicing themselves.
Dunno, just an idea...
Letitia - this sounds really neat; I wonder if they could be involved somehow in the construction of the "lecture" portion - e.g. if students could find relevant clips, or develop role plays based off what they read...
ReplyDeleteDo you find it hard that they can't really pick a problem they are interested in to work on? I struggle with that idea so much... I want to revamp the class I teach and make it more this way, but I feel confined; that someone in our position does not really have that level of freedom... and I guess I wonder if anyone at a UG level does?
That's a nice idea. Maybe I could do something where the groups would present something relevant and interesting that they could present each week - maybe for like 5 mins or so?
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm kind of glad that they can't pick a problem completely on their own, because I don't know a whole lot about the helping skills that are related to family therapy lol. I think it would be great to be able to revamp the class and make it less of reading a book and more of solving a problem, but then again I would feel more comfortable in a class that was related to my field of interest. So I agree with you, but unfortunately I don't feel as though I am in the position to lead a class like that :(