1.
-"Student's in schools, classrooms, and educational systems that teach less and teach it better score higher on standardized measures than students in schools that seek coverage of massive amounts of information with little emphasis on understanding. In other words, curriculum that is a mile wide but only an inch deep is ineffective in producing real learning."
It is so amazing to me that even with this information, some teachers/schools/districts choose to ignore this fact. It seems so common sense to me. But, all I can do is keep in mind this information and change the ways in my own classroom. Also, doesn't it seem like the higher the grade the shallower the water?
-"...Teachers must struggle against 'coverage' and strive for 'uncoverage' of meaning..."
This part of the bullet point really stuck out to me as going hand in hand with the first bullet point I quoted. The word "struggle" particularly stuck out as it was a clear indication that it will take effort to eliminate some of the content we had planned. Yet, allowing this idea to play out in the classroom will result in our students contracting a deeper understanding of the content.
2.
"Take time to be human with your students and give them time to do likewise" (pg. 73).
This quote is when Tomlinson is talking about giving students examples of things from your (the teachers) life. I believe that doing so would put a real life meaning on the content. It also makes the students feel safer with the teacher because the teacher is willing to share, and is modeling that sharing is not threatening in his/her classroom.
"There are students whose handicaps make some tasks daunting, if not impossible. There are too many students whose home circumstances are unthinkable and impose great stress in their lives" (pg. 81).
This quote makes me sad and it makes me think. It is so true. I think about all the terrible things that we hear going on in the news and it makes me sad to think that the children of these people have to go to school with horrible things on their shoulders. Students need differentiation!
2 comments:
I know... that last quotes makes me sad, too. Because I remember feeling that way. But like you, it made me a better teacher because I cared about it. If we ignore those honest feelings, it's like living in a black & white classroom, and preventing everyone else from seeing colors, too. Insightful: "the higher the grade the shallower the water".
I just love "clicking" in and seeing Zoey smiling at me!
Oops! I forgot the points... 4 of them!
Post a Comment