Reading Reflection 4 / Borich, Chapters 10 and 11
EDU 6150 / Reading Reflection 4 / Borich, Chapters 10 and 11 / 10 May 2012
In reading Borich, Chapter 10, Self-directed Learning, one of the sample dialogues of self-directed learning (p. 343) was used by the teacher in the class I observed at Seattle World School. The teacher first explained how to measure the mass of wooden blocks with a triple-beam balance to begin the lesson on friction. The balance was unable to measure the mass of three blocks (the balance upper limit was 610 grams, with each block weighing about 280 grams), but the teacher didn’t mention that specific limitation. She emphasized the need to measure the combined mass of the wooden blocks to relate mass to friction, but not how to do it. The technique seemed simple (just weigh each individually), but as she pointed out later, these recent immigrant students (from Asia, Africa, and South America) had little exposure to self-directed learning, and I was surprised at how many had trouble with this part of the lesson. It wasn’t that they lacked the ability, but most had never attempted an independent self-directed lesson. Most tried to weigh all three at once. Some weighed two, then one, and added the masses. The objective of the lesson was not only to relate mass to friction, but also to think critically, and thinking through this technique was an integral part of the lesson. She knew the students’ level of understanding, and guiding them through this seemingly simple exercise prepared them for the next step.
From Chapter 11, Cooperative Learning, the physics teacher I’m observing at Ballard High uses cooperative interaction (p. 380) as part of his lesson on light and building a pinhole camera. His teaching plan involves leaving out information on exposure times so that each three or four person team is forced to communicate outside the team in order to solve for the missing information. He carefully sets up the routine, acts as a resource for the beginning steps, monitors each group’s progress, but deliberately leaves out critical information to force them to “look up from the computer screen,” as he puts it, and ask each other questions. He would point out each group’s reaction as they encountered the missing step, and then had to walk over to the next table to ask and compare data.
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