ED 7722 Week 5 reflections

From the readings this week, explain what you find to be the most potent concepts that can be transferred into your own teaching practices and why. Remember to respond to at least two of your peers.

I took serious notes during the two videos about UbD (Understanding by Design) with Grant Wiggins. My teaching is all in collaboration with subject area teachers. I want to be able to more deeply engage students, as the topics I cover are necessary life skills for our time - Internet research, proper attribution, and such.

When Wiggins asked his pupils to write down a one sentence mission statement for their program, I didn't hesitate.
"Each student will become an independent researcher."
As far as an assessment (not a test), I came up with some thoughts, but for instruction, I drew a blank. I know where I need work.
Wiggins compared instruction to the video game, "Rock Band." How can we incentivize every lesson in every unit to keep students as engaged as they are in a video game?
I am not a video game developer.
I have more patience and self-motivation than the average student I encounter, and I'm not even sure what would keep ME that engaged? I stop playing my favorite games if an ad gets too long and I go back later.
Was education ever so exciting and engaging as today's video games? Is that attainable? I think pieces might be that exciting, but even a game like Rock Band can become dull over time.

When I initially read A Pedagogy is Emerging, I thought, "Oh no...same old same old..." and dismissed the article. After skimming some of my cohort's reflections, I thought I might have missed something, so I re-read the article, focusing on the point that it referred to post-secondary education.

There are three shifts in pedagogical trends in higher education right now. We are enjoying these trends in our sixth year program: flexibility, change in power between professors and students, and growth assessments. Because we in ITDML are all motivated learners who want to use the material, it works. As an adult learner, I appreciate the flexibility, rapport, and feedback and feel like I am truly learning the material. That said, I work with high school students. Until we hold them, rather than the teachers, accountable for their own learning, the pedagogical shift cannot happen.

References:

Bates, T. A Pedagogy is Emerging...and Online Learning is a Contributing Factor. Contact North, 2015.

Wiggins, G. Understanding by Design videos.