Chapter+05+-+A+Word+for+Learning

He begins this chapter defining pedagogy as the art of teaching but then asks what word exists for the art of learning? He proposes mathetics because the root meaning of math- (as a prefix) is “one who has learned broadly” (p. 84). The guiding principles of mathetics are to allow time to think and review, good discussions, and look for connections. He then talked about Frank who learned “to let them think that he was doing it their way” to belong to the “culture of School” (p. 91) when in reality he had found a personal and successful way to do addition. He then details how he overcame his disability in recognizing flowers by connecting the new knowledge to areas of personal interest. He summarizes “a strategy to facilitate learning by improving the connectivity in the learning environment, by actions on cultures rather than on individuals” (p. 105). Learning should happen naturally. I hope I am not a teacher who forces her way of learning onto the students. In art, I am blessed to have many ways to teach and believe I allow for exploration. In fact, it is essential that the students' solve the art “problem” their own way. I want to foster creativity not provide limitations. However, I do feel that we as teachers do not give our students the time to figure things out because we feel do not have the time. Or have we been made to just keep marching and shoving building blocks on our kids…? I hope to be that teacher that has an effect on my students’ consciousness. I would rather them constantly be seeking knowledge rather than to know a fact or a few facts and consider their learning complete. TD

__ Chapter 5: A Word for Learning __ Does technology improve teaching? This chapter would suggest that yes technology does improve teaching and learning. If you are able to give the students the tools to find information that is relevant to them on their own the students will learn more through time then we could teach them in a curriculum. • Even though this book was written 20+ years ago, its application relates to address on today by.. I believe this chapter is still relevant. All teachers are now trying to figure how to keep curriculum relevant and interesting for kids. The teachers are also using the different learning strategies to their benefit to teach to the students in many different ways. Although I agree that we can still do more in this area, I think in the last twenty years the focus of education has been put back on how children learn effectively and how can we help teach the curriculum in a meaningful way. . This chapter ties into the TPCK model by.. I think Papert would like the TPCK model in this chapter. This chapter is all about giving the students time to learn and research and explore information after the curriculum topics have been taught. I think Papert is saying the students need structure in where to start with all the information at their fingertips but give them that start of curriculum, time, and materials to explore and the students will learn a lot more than you would have imagined. Practical uses for this site? info in my classroom... Although I don’t’ like to give out worksheets and such sometimes that is necessary. I never really thought about us rushing the students through material to get on to the next thing. I would like to think up a plan where I could give them computer time with some websites for them to look through and have them explore to see what they can learn on their own. I teach second grade and they are all beginner readers so the text in books and on websites might prove to be a little tricky to get around. Maybe giving them a question and having them look through different medias to explore on their own.

This topic of a "Word for Learning" is so interesting. It reminds of when you ask kids what they did at school, and they respond with "nothing ." What did you learn? "Nothing." Even if they had a word to describe the art of learning, I think they'd feel more confident and accomplished at the end of the day. As for actually coming up with a word for it -- yes, I think that would be valuable, but the actual act of learning and what it entails is not something that is agreed upon by all educators. I recall in my first year of teaching, I worked as a reading specialist and also taught one section of 6th grade pre-algrebra. I had to use another teacher's room to teach. That teacher was always in the room when I was teaching, and she had many years of teaching under her belt, so I assumed she was the expert. Looking back on that experience, I now know that she was an expert in the blocks of skills that was discussed in the last chapter, but she was no expert in learning. When I saw a large number of students struggling with new material, I decided their learning would be more meaningful if they did less problems, like half, and spent more time grasping the information -- and perhaps even doing the problems 2 different way -- the way prescribed by the book and their own way, if they had one that was different. As soon as I would tell the students that I didn't want them spending so much time on doing all the problems, this teacher would pipe up and so, "Oh no, you're being too easy on them!" Additionally, in class, when I would offer the whiteboard up to students who found their answers in a different way than the text explained it, she would send her scowling glares my way -- as if I'd waste time letting a student teach -- was I an idiot or what? I remember questioning my ability to teach? Perhaps I was in the wrong field -- if I thought that differently from "seasoned" teachers, surely I must be doing something wrong. Thankfully, the more comfortable I got in my positiion and the more I chatted with other teachers and how they do things, the more I realized I was OK. But looking back on this makes me realize that probably many teachers think and teach like that seasoned veteran -- lots of problems being solved equals lots of learning. I knew that couldn't be further from the truth, and after reading this chapter, it does make me agree that we should have a term for it. I don't agree with the "mathetics" term because it sounds too much like "math" and even though the "math" term itself has its roots further back than what we now know as "mathematics", I feel like it would get ignored by other subject teachers. --Carol





<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">"The art of learning is an academic orphan" (page 83). Sorry, but I don't bite on this one. A lot of this chapter is about we have names for the "art of teaching" but we don't have any names for the "art of learning". Papert makes it seem like all we do in school is cover content without every paying any attention to students or skills. That premise torques my lug nuts.

<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Papert goes on to quote Scott Peck about the virtues of taking time to think when solving problems. I agree with the idea that we need more time in the classroom to approach topics in more of a "hands on" approach. I think if we need to extend the school year and perhaps even reconfigure the school day to allow us the time to explore topics in more depth and provide students with the time to consider problems more completely.

<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I also agree with Papert's point that discussing ideas helps a great deal. I think that is the one part I miss about this class. I know a little bit about the people with whom I work, but it is such a different kind of knowing compared with how I am used to operating in an old fashioned classroom. Chats help, but even that is very different from being in the same room and being able to pickup on all the non-verbal nuance.

<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">On the last page of this chapter, Papert writes, "This suggests a strategy to faciliate learning by improving the connectivity of the learning environment." (p. 105) This statement certainly mirrors all the emphasis in the literacy department put on "activating prior knowledge" when beginning a new unit of study. This is the type of teaching that takes more time at the beginning, but usually gets better results at the end.