Lecture, Direct-Instruction or Talk - There's the Confusion!

In yesterday's weekly #edchat Twitter collaboration the discussion focused on the flipped classroom, where, naturally, there was quite a bit of debate around the idea of video lectures. What became apparent was the many different interpretations of the term 'lecture'. This came to the forefront for me when I offered up the idea of TED Talks as one option for learning rather than a teacher's video lecture, and someone said "TED talks are just lectures, so how is that better?"

This stumped me as I have never thought of a TED talk as a lecture, which is funny, because now, forced to think about it, I guess they could be construed as lectures, depending on your definition. Which of course has led me to this post!  Obviously, my perception of a lecture is not the same as others.

What is MY definition of a lecture?

Perhaps it's my many years of being both a student and a teacher, but for me a 'lecture' has rather negative connotations, as I envision a lecture as someone standing at the front of the room giving out information and facts that are to be written down, learned and/or memorized.  When I think lecture, I think teacher/person talking, students/people listening (or sleeping) and absorbing the information, whether that be through just listening or taking notes.  Little interaction/engagement or back-and-forth. As a student, this is what I remember most from my high school and early college days (and thankfully not so much the case in my current doctoral studies which are much more collaborative).  Think huge lecture halls with a professor talking at us.  Lecturing. Spewing information that at some point we need to regurgitate. In my mind, a lecture is a stand-and-deliver form of imparting information. Sit and get, as we say, and not terribly engaging.

Lecture is often misconstrued with direct-instruction. My definition of direct-instruction is also someone with the "knowledge" giving out information, but I think perhaps the difference might be that direct-instruction involves more how-to type information.  Many lectures involve direct-instruction components, but I do think you can have direct-instruction that is not a lecture.  For example, in math, a teacher can use direct-instruction to show the steps in solving an equation, which would not be a lecture by my definition. But, you could be lecturing on what an equation is and the different types of equations, and then show the how-to of solving an equation, which I then would construe as a lecture with direct-instruction. (Neither of which I think is a great way to teach math, by the way).

Now, back to a TED Talk.  I think that right there sums up what I see these as - talks.  Not lectures, not direct-instruction, but talks.  Which, while very similar to a lecture, also very different in my book.  A talk imparts knowledge and information but interweaves that knowledge and information with stories or contextual applications and connections. A talk makes a concerted effort to engage the audience/students.  Engagement, whether through questioning and interacting with the audience/students or simply by providing visuals or real-world applications and examples or models, is to me the difference between a lecture and a talk. There are plenty of teachers who talk to, and with, their students rather than lecture at them and to me, that makes a world of difference in learning.

Here are examples of what I am defining as lecture, direct-instruction, and talks.  Which one would you be more engaged by?

Lecture (this is LONG...but the first few minutes will give you the idea):

 

Direct Instruction:

 

Talk:



Of course, this is all my own personal take on the differences between lectures, direct-instruction and talks. In the context of the #edchat discussion yesterday about the flipped classroom, my point was that I believe there is too much reliance on video lectures and direct-instruction videos. If you are going to use the power of technology to flip your classroom, then go beyond the traditional methods of teaching and look at all possible online resources, such as TED talks, or real-world stories (see mathalicious.com for one example of this).  It's NOT the videos that make flipped classrooms effective, it's the engagement, collaboration, discovery, ownership and ability to explore anything, anyway, anytime and then come back together in the classroom to share, discuss, and learn together. So - no more lectures and direct-instruction. Start talking!

A Challenge to Start This School Year Different

It's that time of year when I really miss teaching - the start of the new school year where everything is fresh, exciting and new. There is so much hope for what lies ahead.  I remember going in with all these great ideas and new things I was going to try and being filled with the thought that I was really going to be better this year and my students were going to have amazing experiences that would just spark their learning.

I miss that.

Some years it really did pan out the way I hoped. Most years, there were ups and downs. But - every year was a new challenge and every year I tried to do things differently.  Granted, I was usually teaching the same subjects, but that didn't mean I had to do the same thing, did it? I certainly didn't believe so. Sure, I may have used some of the same projects or activities, but I had different students, I had learned some new things over the summer, and I didn't want to be bored repeating what I had done before.

The same old thing. Doesn't that just sound boring?

I know you teachers out there know some folks, if not yourself, who basically open up their file drawer and pull out the lesson plans from last year and just start all over again. Another year, just a repeat from last year. (Which I think explains some of the teacher burnout we might see or the stagnant student achievement). I personally, even in my current position, which is supporting teachers technology integration, don't do the same thing every year or even every day. Change is great and makes life more exciting, so why not embrace that in the classroom?

Here's my challenge to teachers. Try to change at least one thing you do in your classroom this year, change one thing about your instructional strategies, and change one thing in the resources you use.  So - three things.  Clearly, changing more is great, but very few people like change, so starting small is better. And these are not changes that might be hoisted upon you from the district or standards - those are often out of your control.  The change I am talking about is a conscious effort to change yourself and your practice to create an engaging environment and help your students learn.

1) Changing one thing in your classroom.  This might mean the way you arrange your desks, how you decide on and enforce the classroom rules, or where you put your desk. For example, if you are a by the row kind of teacher, try arranging the room in small groups instead. Classroom environment goes a long way in creating a place that is exciting to learn in.

2) Changing on thing about your instructional strategies. This might mean changing from lectures to inquiry once a week. It might mean focusing on improving your questioning skills so you are asking rather than telling.  It might mean incorporating small group or pair collaboration. It might mean increasing your wait time. There are little things you can do that will make the learning in your classroom more engaging and provide an avenue for students to have a voice in their own learning.

3) Changing one thing about the resources you use. This can mean many things - for instance, trying to use hands-on manipulatives or using a visual demonstration of a concept rather than reading a definition.  What I would really like to encourage is adding some type of technology into your resource choices, whether this means starting a class blog, or using some videos to spark learning or questions (great idea to launch lessons), or using the computers with some relevant software for what you teach. Introduce something that is going to spark the students interest (so not just a replacement for a drill-and-kill worksheet) and get them thinking in new and interesting ways. You want them involved in their learning, not passive receivers of information.

Not a lot to ask - change 3 things about yourself and what you do.  I believe it will give you new hope and excitement about the coming school year. And it will definitely benefit your students - who wouldn't want to come to an open, inviting classroom where thoughts matter and learning is about exploring and engagement? School should be fun - for you and your students. Not the same old boring thing AGAIN.

The Flipped Classroom Revisited

I posted an article a while back about my thoughts on the flipped classroom: Math Anxiety and the Flipped Classroom.  In this post, I basically expressed my concern that many teachers are using the flipped model to continue the same traditional way of teaching - lecture and homework, and merely switching where these things happened. If this is how the model is being used, especially in math, it is not going to improve student learning because it's the same old thing. My hope was that those embracing this model were truly doing something different - really using the class time to connect with their students, provide collaborative learning experiences, engaging in real-world applications, projects and extending the learning to make connections - not just reviewing homework. In short, teaching DIFFERENT in the classroom - where the classroom becomes a student-centered learning experience, not just a regurgitation of what they saw/learned in the online 'lecture'.

That's my hope.  I am still on the flipped fence. But...since I am inundated with articles about the flipped classroom model, I have actually succumbed to reading them rather than ignoring them, and have been pleasantly surprised more often than expected. There are people out there offering great examples of how this flipped model, if done right, can change the learning experiences for students for the better. I thought I would share a few of those articles below because they have at least given me some hope that not everyone thinks an online lecture is the answer or the way to 'integrate technology' appropriately. They also provide some great ideas and strategies if you are considering this model.

Catlin Tucker wrote a great blog post entitled Flipped Classrooms: Beyond the Videos where she gives three suggestions on how to make this model work.  Her point is that everyone is focusing on the online lectures or videos, when in fact the idea behind this is that you can use so many different avenues to help students learn and you are not confined to lectures or worksheets.  The classroom, flipped or not, can be about using all possible resources to help students understand, be creative, apply what they are learning. It's really more about flipping the students than the classroom - engaging students in learning rather than having them be passive receivers of knowledge.

Brian Bennett, Jason Kern, April Gudenrath and Philip McIntosh wrote a series on the flipped classroom, but their last post in the series, The Flipped Class: What Does a Good One Look Like? outlines what a good flipped classroom should look like. What you will notice when you read the article is that the classroom culture is student-centered, involves active student engagement and collaboration, where students are learning in context using real-world applications of concepts. There's no 'sit and get' the information - it's an active, participatory learning environment.

 An article just posted by Kyle Stokes entitled "Why Good Teachers - Not Good Videos - Are the Key to the Flipped Classroom"` reiterates the point Catlin Tucker made, that it's not the videos but the quality of the teacher.  The video is not the magic of the flipped model, rather it's what happens in the classroom. Brian Bennett in his post entitled Redesigning Learning in a Flipped Classroom talks about how the classroom and the way a teacher thinks and structures that time has to be completely rethought.  The role of the teacher is entirely different because you are learning along with your students in class time rather than doling out the information. A good flipped classroom is NOT easy - it requires thought, planning, engaging activities, real-world activities, questioning, listening, collaboration...

I have hope, or at least more hope than before.  I still worry a great deal about math classrooms, as I think there is more of a tendency to rely on the lectures (i.e. Khan Academy) as the magical fix to improving students math abilities. But - there are at least people talking and sharing ideas on how to use this model effectively. May that trend continue.

End of Days - Where's the Learning?

My 11th grade daughter just finished her last day of school today.  Guess that actually makes her a senior now.  Yikes!  Anyway, she had exams the last two days, which she didn't have to take because of her grades, yet...she had to show up and be there or she would fail.  So, she sat for 4 hours each day doing not much. Not a great use of time, but that I sort of understand.  Sort of.  (Though, in schools I taught at, if you were exempted from an exam you did not have to actually show up...different state, different rules I guess).

What I really was concerned about was the last two weeks of school, particularly the last week.  My daughter watched more movies in that time than she has all year.  State tests were over, only thing left to do was kill time apparently. She was able to view the entire Star Wars saga in Astronomy (at least there was some far-fetched content relationship there).  But I find it hard to explain Finding Nemo in English. Math did continue to do work - review worksheets and problems for the upcoming exam which my daughter was not taking.  But - at least there was some actual content work going on.

I am not saying that these final weeks of school shouldn't be fun - I get it.  The year is ending, things are closing down. I was a teacher, so I know exactly what the end of school is like. But - it is possible to continue learning and doing content related things that are fun and relevant, versus resorting to watching movies. It worries me, especially when districts are 'adding time to the school year to increase student achievement'.  If that time results in things like watching movies or playing cards (yes...that happened too), then I am not seeing the increase in student achievement. Increased time for student achievement only works if it is being used for learning - not watching time-filler movies.

Some Ideas:

• Instead of drill-and-kill review worksheets, how about the students identify the areas they want to review, then assign small groups specific areas to create a review summary and present it to the class? Gets them talking and working together.  Or - have each group create a review game from the key areas and then swap games.  I've done this in math classes and it was a hoot!

• If you are going to watch a movie, pick a movie that is relevant to the content you teach, identify key concepts you want them to identify while watching the movie, and then have them write up a summary of how those key concepts played out in the movie. For me, I always showed "Donald Duck in Mathemagic Land" and then we would do math activities related to things in the movie (usually with Sketchpad) - so The Golden Ratio, or pool-table simulations, or fraction instruments. 

• Use technology - i.e. a software tool you never got around to using with your students, creating a class video, using some type of social media tool (blog, wiki, Twitter, etc.).  Let the students explore or create a project using technology that ties together what they have learned.  In my math classes, students use to do an end of year Sketchpad project, where they created dynamic sketches showing the concepts they had learned (there were specific concepts focused on or maybe these were the concepts they wanted to review for the exam.  Often times it included student choice of 10-12 concepts.)

• Playing cards - I admit - I did this with my students.  HOWEVER - we also collected data, used Fathom to determine the probability (and now you could use TinkerPlots as well by creating a sampler) and guessed the probability of winning certain games, of drawing specific hands, etc. It was fun, but we were doing mathematics.  

These are just a few ideas - be creative.  Don't forget, you have a captive audience in your students so use that time to learn and have fun - it is possible to do both.  End of days should not be wasted, mindless time-kill.

Teaching is The #1 Fun Career?

I am sitting on my porch and trying to do some fine edits on my first 2 chapters of my dissertation proposal and start my third chapter.  Naturally, I am doing anything but that!  I was looking at my twitter feed (@vpigreenie) and saw this post from @iEducator about five careers that let you have fun on the job, of which teacher is the number one career for having fun.  As the article puts it:

"Fun factors: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, teachers often "use games, music, artwork, films, books, computers, and other tools to teach basic skills." And because teachers are constantly around kids, it's more natural to be light-hearted than it might be in a workplace full of adults".

Looking back on my 17 years in the classroom, I would agree that I definitely did have a lot of fun.  I was one of those teachers that used games, let my students work together and talk in class as we learned, and used the computers as much as possible. However - especially as standardized testing became more and more a focal point for all things, the fun was harder and harder to come by. Not because I didn't keep trying to do those things, but because I was forced to abide by the constant testing and assessment rules, leaving less time for innovation and fun in learning and teaching.  Teaching became less fun and more of  a chore, for both the students and me.  And this I fear is the situation today - teaching is no longer fun, and learning is no longer fun, because there is so much pressure and judgement, based on standardized testing, that teachers are afraid to let their classrooms be fun.  (Can't tell you how many times I have heard "we don't have time to do the fun things".)

My question - since when did having fun in teaching mean students weren't learning?

We need to get out of this horrible pattern of drill-and-kill learning, where learning is brought down to a bunch of memorized skills and procedures in order to perform well on assessments. It is possible to create learning environments where in fact, it is fun to teach, fun to learn, and everyone still does well on assessments.

Math Manipulatives: From Physical to Virtual

I have been thinking and planning for my upcoming NCTM presentation on taking the hands-on, physical math manipulatives we use to help students learn and model mathematics to the virtual realm in order to provide  unlimited capabilities to explore and understand. It's something that I think is often thought of as an either or - either teachers use hands-on, physical models or they use virtual models, such as The Geometer's Sketchpad, and my thoughts are we should be using both. It's a way to help students see and understand the power of technology by exposing them to the limitations of the physical and then providing them the opportunity to see the capabilities to go beyond with technology.

Some simple examples of what I mean:

1) Geoboards - students begin to explore polygons with geoboards, but are limited by the number of pegs on the geoboard, the number of rubber bands and the physical limitations of both (you can only stretch a rubber band so far before it snaps and hits you in the eye!).  On a virtual geoboard, which is very easy to create in Sketchpad using a grid and snap points, you can use the polygon tool to create infinite polygons of many sides and shapes. You can measure sides, angles, area, perimeter. Students can explore and question and test to their hearts content and no students get injured in the process! There are no physical limitations to hinder discovery and understanding.

2) Algebra Tiles - a great way to introduce students to multiplying and factoring polynomials is with algebra tiles. But again, eventually you are limited by the physical constraints of the tiles - you can only work with fairly simple polynomials due to the number of tiles you have available. Using Sketchpad, you can create infinite examples and explore many possibilities and test conjectures - there are no limits and students still get the hands-on manipulation, but can go even further by then graphing and looking at the equations, so that they see all the connections.  It becomes a multiple representational cornucopia.

As people consider technology and appropriate technology for classroom, look for technology that doesn't just replicate what is done in the class, but rather allows for exploration and discovery beyond what the physical models allow and leads to deeper understanding and a greater appreciation for the beauty and power of mathematics.

To end, just a quick how-to construct perpendiculars using The Geometer's Sketchpad.  Unlimited possibilities.

Take some time to remember a teacher

In my perusal of Twitter postings this morning, I ran across this link "What's the Most Important Lesson You Learned from a Teacher?" Touching story about remembering teachers who have impacted your life.  If you haven't done it, with Facebook and Twitter and other social media avenues, it's easy to find that teacher (or teachers) who made some impact in your life.  Admit it - there's at least one - so go find them and thank them. With the constant bashing teachers get for the failed education system, it would be nice to get some positive feedback that yes, indeed, they did make a difference in at least one of the hundreds of lives they have touched.  We know it's more - but they they usually never even hear about one.  So...reach out.  Let a teacher know that in fact, because of their hard work and dedication and caring, you are who you are.

I did this last year - found Senora Frances Pettigrew from McLean High School and let her know that in large part, because of her, I became a teacher.  And it wasn't the Spanish, since I became a math teacher - it was the humor, the dedication and caring she showed me as a student, and the way she taught - allowing her students to express their thinking, creativity, and respect. She put up with me for three years, but her influence I hope helped make me a dedicated, caring teacher who showed respect for my students and taught math with creativity and humor.