Philosophy of Teaching:
Interactive Learning for Student Success
Although academics are often considered to be the central focus of schooling, the purpose of education stems far beyond the basic learning of facts and figures. As a teacher, I believe that effective education must take into consideration students’ full development. In order for students to be successful beyond the classroom, it is imperative that teachers focus on developing interpersonal skills, critical thinking skills and morality in addition to cognitive development. To achieve this type of balanced education, teachers must incorporate interactive teaching methods and foster a positive classroom environment that encourages student participation.
In previous generations, school was the primary means through which students were exposed to new information and the majority of learning took place within the classroom setting. Consequently, teachers played a central role in the delivery of information. However, with the advent of the digital age, students today have access to more information than was ever available before. As a result, students need to develop the necessary skills to be able to interpret, analyze, synthesize and critically evaluate the wealth of information available to them. In this sense, the teacher’s role in the classroom is becoming less focused on communicating information to students and more focused on helping students develop the skills they need to learn independently (Warlick, 2011).
Vygotsky’s constructivist theory of learning is the foundation of this notion that the teacher’s primary role in the classroom is not to impose knowledge on the learner, but instead is to act as a guide to direct student learning. According to Davydov (1995), the Vygotskian approach to learning is based on the premise that cognitive development occurs when students are challenged to work within their zone of proximal development. In other words, students’ abilities evolve when they are given tasks that they could not complete on their own, but are capable of completing with the assistance and guidance of an adult or more capable peer. This assistance put in place to support the learning is referred to as scaffolding. Therefore, interaction is an essential component of student learning.
In order to adapt Vygotsky’s learning theories in the classroom, I believe that it is important to give students the chance share their thoughts, participate in classroom discussion, formulate hypotheses and explore their own ideas as it allows students to actively engage in the learning process. In her research, Duckworth (1986) discusses the importance of encouraging creativity and curiosity within the school setting to stimulate cognitive development. Too often, it seems as though children’s ideas are dismissed as being incorrect or unacceptable. Instead, students are told to follow the teacher’s model or wait and listen for directions. As a result, “the effect is to discourage children from exploring their own ideas and to make them feel that they have no important ideas of their own, only silly or evil ones” (p. 6). Consequently, students become highly dependent on teacher directed learning. By allowing them the opportunity to express and explore their own ideas, I believe students become more engaged in the learning process and develop essential skills that allow them to become life-long learners.
Collaboration is another way to make learning more interactive for students. Not only does it help develop important interpersonal skills that are necessary to succeed beyond the classroom, but it also helps to increase student understanding. Rather than simply having interaction occur between the teacher and the student, interaction between peers can also be used to enhance learning. By working together in groups, students are able to share ideas and problem solve together to improve understanding. As each student has their own unique strengths and talents, providing students with the opportunity to learn from one another can often result in a deeper understanding than would not be possible if students simply worked independently. Additionally, more capable peers are able to act as scaffolds to assist students who have not yet achieved the same level of cognitive ability.
This interactive approach to teaching is especially important for second language learners as authentic oral expression is an important aspect of language development. In the early stages of language learning, additional forms of communication such as gestures or images can be used along with language to scaffold student learning until they develop a vocabulary base. Once students are able to begin conversing, interaction can continue to be modified by using slower speech rates or by providing additional information. This demand for spontaneous conversation helps accelerate development as it creates a need for the student to learn. According to Lightbown and Spada (2006) “the demands of producing comprehensible output ‘push’ learners ahead in their development” (p. 44). The most important aspect, however, is that the communication be as authentic as possible as it allows for language to develop in a context that is meaningful for the learner. By using the second language to communicate thoughts, feelings and ideas that would normally be discussed in the maternal language, second language learners are more easily able to associate these words with the appropriate meaning and context.
In addition to focusing on cognitive development, I believe that teachers have a responsibility to makes sure their students are engaged and motivated to learn. Kohn (2006) explores this topic at great length by examining the use of punishments and rewards in the school setting to motivate students. Although rewards are often considered to be a positive alternative to punishment, the use of rewards may have unintended long-term consequences. By continually promising to reward students for their positive behaviour, students may come to believe that it is not important to think about what they are being asked to do, but only about the individual reward they are to receive for completing the task. Should this be the case, we are essentially training students to become self-interested individuals who are continually seeking to do whatever provides them with the most personal gain.
Despite my acceptance of Kohn’s theories, I believe that it is important to keep in mind that there is no universal approach that works for every student. For example, during my internship I encountered a few students who were performing poorly in my Post Intensive French class. As a result, they had become disengaged in the learning process and were often disruptive in order to distract themselves from their feelings of inadequacy. In this scenario, I found that rewards were necessary in order to help create a positive experience for those students. Once the students had removed their defensive barriers, they began to more positively associate with the learning experience and I was then able to begin transitioning away from using extrinsic motivation towards fostering intrinsic motivation.
To motivate students to learn, I think teachers must allow the opportunity for students to include their personal interests in learning activities. When students are able to incorporate doing something they enjoy, they are much more likely to engage in the learning process. Furthermore, allowing a student to showcase their talents creates an opportunity for students to build their confidence in that subject area. Whenever possible, I believe that students should be given the option to choose between a variety of differentiated activities. Not only does this allow for students to be creative and choose an activity that is meaningful for them, but it also allows for differentiation to accommodate different learning styles in the classroom. Since each student has their own strengths, talents and challenges, expecting every student to achieve the same standards using the same approach is an unreasonable expectation (Dodge, 2005). Looking back on my own personal experience as a learner, the projects and assignments I remember most fondly are those that allowed me to be creative and express my personality.
The final component of establishing an interactive classroom involves creating a positive learning environment in which students feel comfortable expressing themselves and sharing their ideas. In order for students to be able to effectively learn, they must feel as though they are in an encouraging and supportive environment. Ouellett (2010) suggests using a collaborative approach to classroom management to help create a learning community within the classroom. This collaborative approach involves students in every possible aspect of classroom management including the establishment of classroom rules and discussions to find solutions to issues and conflicts. By allowing students to participate in deciding how the classroom is run, I believe that students become more engaged in the classroom and develop important problem-solving skills. Furthermore, participation allows students to feel as though they are invested in a classroom community that they contributed to building.
In conclusion, every student is a unique individual with their own thoughts, ideas, talents and challenges. As teachers, I believe it is our responsibility to create a learning environment that allows every student to be curious, creative and confident. In doing so, we can empower students to become active participants and take responsibility for their own learning. As a result, students can develop the necessary skills, independence and passion they need to become life-long learners.
References:
Davydov, V.V. (1995). The Influence of L.S. Vygotsky on education theory, research, and practice. Educational Researcher, 24(3) 12-21.
Dodge, J. (2005). Providing choice during instruction. In Differentiation in Action. New York, NY: Scholastic. 49-75
Duckworth, E. (1986). The having of wonderful ideas: And other essays on teaching and learning. NY: Teachers College, Columbia University Press.
Kohn, Alfie. (2006). Beyond discipline: From compliance to community. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. (2006). Explaining second language learning. In How Languages are learned (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 29-51.
Ouellet, L. (2010). Les interventions en classe. In Un enseignant bien outilé, des élèves motivés. Montreal , QC : Chenelière Éducation. 9-13.
Warlick, D. (Performer) (2011, November 05). On teaching online podcast 28: A conversation with David Warlick. On Teaching Online. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://onteachingonline.com/oto-28-a-conversation-with-david-warlick/
In previous generations, school was the primary means through which students were exposed to new information and the majority of learning took place within the classroom setting. Consequently, teachers played a central role in the delivery of information. However, with the advent of the digital age, students today have access to more information than was ever available before. As a result, students need to develop the necessary skills to be able to interpret, analyze, synthesize and critically evaluate the wealth of information available to them. In this sense, the teacher’s role in the classroom is becoming less focused on communicating information to students and more focused on helping students develop the skills they need to learn independently (Warlick, 2011).
Vygotsky’s constructivist theory of learning is the foundation of this notion that the teacher’s primary role in the classroom is not to impose knowledge on the learner, but instead is to act as a guide to direct student learning. According to Davydov (1995), the Vygotskian approach to learning is based on the premise that cognitive development occurs when students are challenged to work within their zone of proximal development. In other words, students’ abilities evolve when they are given tasks that they could not complete on their own, but are capable of completing with the assistance and guidance of an adult or more capable peer. This assistance put in place to support the learning is referred to as scaffolding. Therefore, interaction is an essential component of student learning.
In order to adapt Vygotsky’s learning theories in the classroom, I believe that it is important to give students the chance share their thoughts, participate in classroom discussion, formulate hypotheses and explore their own ideas as it allows students to actively engage in the learning process. In her research, Duckworth (1986) discusses the importance of encouraging creativity and curiosity within the school setting to stimulate cognitive development. Too often, it seems as though children’s ideas are dismissed as being incorrect or unacceptable. Instead, students are told to follow the teacher’s model or wait and listen for directions. As a result, “the effect is to discourage children from exploring their own ideas and to make them feel that they have no important ideas of their own, only silly or evil ones” (p. 6). Consequently, students become highly dependent on teacher directed learning. By allowing them the opportunity to express and explore their own ideas, I believe students become more engaged in the learning process and develop essential skills that allow them to become life-long learners.
Collaboration is another way to make learning more interactive for students. Not only does it help develop important interpersonal skills that are necessary to succeed beyond the classroom, but it also helps to increase student understanding. Rather than simply having interaction occur between the teacher and the student, interaction between peers can also be used to enhance learning. By working together in groups, students are able to share ideas and problem solve together to improve understanding. As each student has their own unique strengths and talents, providing students with the opportunity to learn from one another can often result in a deeper understanding than would not be possible if students simply worked independently. Additionally, more capable peers are able to act as scaffolds to assist students who have not yet achieved the same level of cognitive ability.
This interactive approach to teaching is especially important for second language learners as authentic oral expression is an important aspect of language development. In the early stages of language learning, additional forms of communication such as gestures or images can be used along with language to scaffold student learning until they develop a vocabulary base. Once students are able to begin conversing, interaction can continue to be modified by using slower speech rates or by providing additional information. This demand for spontaneous conversation helps accelerate development as it creates a need for the student to learn. According to Lightbown and Spada (2006) “the demands of producing comprehensible output ‘push’ learners ahead in their development” (p. 44). The most important aspect, however, is that the communication be as authentic as possible as it allows for language to develop in a context that is meaningful for the learner. By using the second language to communicate thoughts, feelings and ideas that would normally be discussed in the maternal language, second language learners are more easily able to associate these words with the appropriate meaning and context.
In addition to focusing on cognitive development, I believe that teachers have a responsibility to makes sure their students are engaged and motivated to learn. Kohn (2006) explores this topic at great length by examining the use of punishments and rewards in the school setting to motivate students. Although rewards are often considered to be a positive alternative to punishment, the use of rewards may have unintended long-term consequences. By continually promising to reward students for their positive behaviour, students may come to believe that it is not important to think about what they are being asked to do, but only about the individual reward they are to receive for completing the task. Should this be the case, we are essentially training students to become self-interested individuals who are continually seeking to do whatever provides them with the most personal gain.
Despite my acceptance of Kohn’s theories, I believe that it is important to keep in mind that there is no universal approach that works for every student. For example, during my internship I encountered a few students who were performing poorly in my Post Intensive French class. As a result, they had become disengaged in the learning process and were often disruptive in order to distract themselves from their feelings of inadequacy. In this scenario, I found that rewards were necessary in order to help create a positive experience for those students. Once the students had removed their defensive barriers, they began to more positively associate with the learning experience and I was then able to begin transitioning away from using extrinsic motivation towards fostering intrinsic motivation.
To motivate students to learn, I think teachers must allow the opportunity for students to include their personal interests in learning activities. When students are able to incorporate doing something they enjoy, they are much more likely to engage in the learning process. Furthermore, allowing a student to showcase their talents creates an opportunity for students to build their confidence in that subject area. Whenever possible, I believe that students should be given the option to choose between a variety of differentiated activities. Not only does this allow for students to be creative and choose an activity that is meaningful for them, but it also allows for differentiation to accommodate different learning styles in the classroom. Since each student has their own strengths, talents and challenges, expecting every student to achieve the same standards using the same approach is an unreasonable expectation (Dodge, 2005). Looking back on my own personal experience as a learner, the projects and assignments I remember most fondly are those that allowed me to be creative and express my personality.
The final component of establishing an interactive classroom involves creating a positive learning environment in which students feel comfortable expressing themselves and sharing their ideas. In order for students to be able to effectively learn, they must feel as though they are in an encouraging and supportive environment. Ouellett (2010) suggests using a collaborative approach to classroom management to help create a learning community within the classroom. This collaborative approach involves students in every possible aspect of classroom management including the establishment of classroom rules and discussions to find solutions to issues and conflicts. By allowing students to participate in deciding how the classroom is run, I believe that students become more engaged in the classroom and develop important problem-solving skills. Furthermore, participation allows students to feel as though they are invested in a classroom community that they contributed to building.
In conclusion, every student is a unique individual with their own thoughts, ideas, talents and challenges. As teachers, I believe it is our responsibility to create a learning environment that allows every student to be curious, creative and confident. In doing so, we can empower students to become active participants and take responsibility for their own learning. As a result, students can develop the necessary skills, independence and passion they need to become life-long learners.
References:
Davydov, V.V. (1995). The Influence of L.S. Vygotsky on education theory, research, and practice. Educational Researcher, 24(3) 12-21.
Dodge, J. (2005). Providing choice during instruction. In Differentiation in Action. New York, NY: Scholastic. 49-75
Duckworth, E. (1986). The having of wonderful ideas: And other essays on teaching and learning. NY: Teachers College, Columbia University Press.
Kohn, Alfie. (2006). Beyond discipline: From compliance to community. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Lightbown, P., & Spada, N. (2006). Explaining second language learning. In How Languages are learned (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 29-51.
Ouellet, L. (2010). Les interventions en classe. In Un enseignant bien outilé, des élèves motivés. Montreal , QC : Chenelière Éducation. 9-13.
Warlick, D. (Performer) (2011, November 05). On teaching online podcast 28: A conversation with David Warlick. On Teaching Online. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://onteachingonline.com/oto-28-a-conversation-with-david-warlick/