Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Teaching has fallen off
Has nothing to do with teaching. It has to do with public education.
We expect algebra/calculus but a finance class is optional at MCPS.
Most legit private schools have study skills, public speaking, and executive function courses that are mandatory in middle school.
God I hope they don't require some silly finance class for numbskulls. This would be a waste of time for anyone with a 3 digit IQ.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is mind-blowing that they don't teach kids how to take notes or study in middle school.
Note taking was important when the teacher (and the text book) was the only source of the information. And then came the internet with all the information taught in MS/HS easily available in multiple formats. What really is the point of notes anymore? Good classroom teachers don't just "lecture" to students anymore. They have a variety of activities, simulations, labs, readings, etc. to engage students in the material. Copying from slides is not engaging to students at all, and a terrible way to learn material.
The research on handwriting does not support your argument. Writing something helps create neuronal connections/memories that typing or reading from a screen do not.
That's what Luddites say.
No, that's what an academic department chair at a university with more than 20 years of teaching experience from freshman through doctoral says. (And I'm not even the one who originally wrote it.)
So academic department chair is a Luddite?
Depends on how much high-quality knowledge I want my students to obtain and what I want them to be able to _do_ with it. It's a lot harder to cultivate independent creators, thinkers, evaluators, writers, inventors, and entrepreneurs than it is to just let people download stuff and pretend they know things. It's also a lot harder to foster habits of active learning (and this goes not just for notetaking but also writing and public speaking) than it is to just give multiple-choice online quizzes. But if I don't do it the hard way and challenge my students to build their own intellectual identities separate (and different) from mine, then what are you paying me for?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is mind-blowing that they don't teach kids how to take notes or study in middle school.
Note taking was important when the teacher (and the text book) was the only source of the information. And then came the internet with all the information taught in MS/HS easily available in multiple formats. What really is the point of notes anymore? Good classroom teachers don't just "lecture" to students anymore. They have a variety of activities, simulations, labs, readings, etc. to engage students in the material. Copying from slides is not engaging to students at all, and a terrible way to learn material.
The research on handwriting does not support your argument. Writing something helps create neuronal connections/memories that typing or reading from a screen do not.
That's what Luddites say.
No, that's what an academic department chair at a university with more than 20 years of teaching experience from freshman through doctoral says. (And I'm not even the one who originally wrote it.)
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is mind-blowing that they don't teach kids how to take notes or study in middle school.
Note taking was important when the teacher (and the text book) was the only source of the information. And then came the internet with all the information taught in MS/HS easily available in multiple formats. What really is the point of notes anymore? Good classroom teachers don't just "lecture" to students anymore. They have a variety of activities, simulations, labs, readings, etc. to engage students in the material. Copying from slides is not engaging to students at all, and a terrible way to learn material.
The research on handwriting does not support your argument. Writing something helps create neuronal connections/memories that typing or reading from a screen do not.
That's what Luddites say.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is mind-blowing that they don't teach kids how to take notes or study in middle school.
Note taking was important when the teacher (and the text book) was the only source of the information. And then came the internet with all the information taught in MS/HS easily available in multiple formats. What really is the point of notes anymore? Good classroom teachers don't just "lecture" to students anymore. They have a variety of activities, simulations, labs, readings, etc. to engage students in the material. Copying from slides is not engaging to students at all, and a terrible way to learn material.
The research on handwriting does not support your argument. Writing something helps create neuronal connections/memories that typing or reading from a screen do not.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is mind-blowing that they don't teach kids how to take notes or study in middle school.
Note taking was important when the teacher (and the text book) was the only source of the information. And then came the internet with all the information taught in MS/HS easily available in multiple formats. What really is the point of notes anymore? Good classroom teachers don't just "lecture" to students anymore. They have a variety of activities, simulations, labs, readings, etc. to engage students in the material. Copying from slides is not engaging to students at all, and a terrible way to learn material.
The research on handwriting does not support your argument. Writing something helps create neuronal connections/memories that typing or reading from a screen do not.
Anonymous wrote:College prof here. Possessing information is not the same as knowing it, or (more importantly) the same as having learned enough about it to be able to redeploy it in new ways. Notetaking - active distillation accompanied by organization and thought - is a first step towards building active control of information before examining and synthesizing it. Downloading a copy of my PowerPoint does not constitute learning anything. Neither does having a copy of my notes. My notes helped *me* learn so I could teach. My students' own notes, made by them (including those made in accordance with learning accommodations) help *them* learn so they can use what I am teaching them.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is mind-blowing that they don't teach kids how to take notes or study in middle school.
Note taking was important when the teacher (and the text book) was the only source of the information. And then came the internet with all the information taught in MS/HS easily available in multiple formats. What really is the point of notes anymore? Good classroom teachers don't just "lecture" to students anymore. They have a variety of activities, simulations, labs, readings, etc. to engage students in the material. Copying from slides is not engaging to students at all, and a terrible way to learn material.
The research on handwriting does not support your argument. Writing something helps create neuronal connections/memories that typing or reading from a screen do not.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Teaching has fallen off
Has nothing to do with teaching. It has to do with public education.
We expect algebra/calculus but a finance class is optional at MCPS.
Most legit private schools have study skills, public speaking, and executive function courses that are mandatory in middle school.
God I hope they don't require some silly finance class for numbskulls. This would be a waste of time for anyone with a 3 digit IQ.
I don't think that's true. Some super smart people have harder time with common sense things.. like balancing your checkbook (not that people do that anymore, but you get the idea).
My brother was a physics major at Cal. Very smart.. in that way. Couldn't balance a checkbook.
We have taught our kids about finance, investments and about compounding interests, at home.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:People process in different ways. If you are an audio learning, the opportunity to listen to the class again is great. For another kid the process of writing notes aids in memory. Another kid really needs that study group to discuss.
I think those of us who went to school before all the high tech of classrooms today have a different concept of learning. I could never snap a picture of my teachers summary outline or graph from the board! It is better than my writing down some notes about it.
which do you think will actually help you learn and remember the content? Handwriting notes where you paraphrase what the teacher is saying or snapping a photo and never looking at it again until you want to remember one point from it?
Neither. Answering a question that forces me to think is the best way. Bonus points if the question came from me, not from the homework I was given.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Teaching has fallen off
Has nothing to do with teaching. It has to do with public education.
We expect algebra/calculus but a finance class is optional at MCPS.
Most legit private schools have study skills, public speaking, and executive function courses that are mandatory in middle school.
God I hope they don't require some silly finance class for numbskulls. This would be a waste of time for anyone with a 3 digit IQ.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Teaching has fallen off
Has nothing to do with teaching. It has to do with public education.
We expect algebra/calculus but a finance class is optional at MCPS.
Most legit private schools have study skills, public speaking, and executive function courses that are mandatory in middle school.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is mind-blowing that they don't teach kids how to take notes or study in middle school.
Note taking was important when the teacher (and the text book) was the only source of the information. And then came the internet with all the information taught in MS/HS easily available in multiple formats. What really is the point of notes anymore? Good classroom teachers don't just "lecture" to students anymore. They have a variety of activities, simulations, labs, readings, etc. to engage students in the material. Copying from slides is not engaging to students at all, and a terrible way to learn material.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The Chromebook already exists.
And personal devices are generally not allowed.
I make my middle school students write notes (yes, note-taking is taught, PP) by hand. Chromebook use easily diverts into game-playing and I want to teach, not patrol Chromebook misuse. Also, writing helps students remember more effectively.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The Chromebook already exists.
And personal devices are generally not allowed.