An interesting learner I've known.... is Jordan. Funny thing is I ran into Jordan today at the Sonic drive through. And other than asking how he was these days, I asked one other question. A question about how Jordan learns. Well, I guess it's a question about how Jordan thinks and lives. I asked, "So, how's basketball?".
Jordan was in my 8th grade Algebra I class. He was also the star player for our middle school basketball team. Jordan was the epitome of what a student athlete should be, he was student and then an athlete, and he was good at both.
Naturally intelligent with a solid mathematical foundation, most topics we covered he already had a strong grasp of. So, I didn't realize how warped his thinking/ learning was for a while. Simply showing Jordan how to do the problems didn't work for him. Verbally explaining to Jordan, how to do the problems didn't work. Letting Jordan manipulate tiles didn't work. It was during this section of coursework (the part that Jordan didn't already know) that I realized I had to figure out what WOULD work for Jordan. I was despirate to get to Jordan. It wasn't until was attempting to explain something that had NOTHING to do with academics, that I made some leadway with Jordan learning something. I compared it to basketball. Then the next time I had to attempt to explain something to Jordan I tried it again. So when it came time for Jordan to learn about factoring, for Jordan it was factoring basteball style. Order of Operations wasn't the normal Please Excues My Dear Aunt Sally. It was Passes Eventually Make Dunks And Scores. I had to show him how I did the problem. Let him tell me what he saw me do. And then we had a convo about how it could relate to basketball. And when it started to happen, we started discuss his English Language Arts work. And if his ELA teacher let him re-explain it to her or she explain it to him basketball style, he got!
So, maybe for some it visual, musical, spacial, or auditory. For Jordan, it's basketball (sportial).
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
A Sandwich...
It's interesting that Instructional Design was compared to a sandwich. I learned early in my education career that if you want to paint a smile accross the face of an educator, you only need food. So it is very fitting that it was said that using ISD (Instructional System Development) to create a training program is similar to shopping at a deli. I think this is a great metaphor.
I guess it is fitting that in any sandwich you need to major "standard" things, your before and after, your bread, and everything in between in where the fun a happens. In the ID process it makes sense that this would be your analysis of what needs to happen and your evaluation of did it really happen. I think sometimes we forget our bottom piece of bread. We don't ever go back to evalute if what we had hoped would happen ever really come to pass. That would be a messy and nasty sandwich. Or really, not a sandwich at all.
The middle part of the sandwich is what makes it fun. I don't get too excited about the thoughts of getting some honey wheat bread. That's an everyday thing, not what makes my sandwich different/ unique from the one that my son will walk into the kitchen and create 10 minutes later. It's my unique combinations of veggies and meats (man i'm greedy) that makes me want a sandwich, and especially any specific sandwich that i have a taste for. And that is the part of the ID process that makes the instruction individualized and "fun" for the learners. It's here that we make sure that everyone gets out of the sandwich what best fits them.
So I guess the next time I'm teaching a unit( I get drafted into that role again from time to time) and my students want to pass on the test, I'll just have to explain that their sandwich just won't be complete without it! :o)
I guess it is fitting that in any sandwich you need to major "standard" things, your before and after, your bread, and everything in between in where the fun a happens. In the ID process it makes sense that this would be your analysis of what needs to happen and your evaluation of did it really happen. I think sometimes we forget our bottom piece of bread. We don't ever go back to evalute if what we had hoped would happen ever really come to pass. That would be a messy and nasty sandwich. Or really, not a sandwich at all.
The middle part of the sandwich is what makes it fun. I don't get too excited about the thoughts of getting some honey wheat bread. That's an everyday thing, not what makes my sandwich different/ unique from the one that my son will walk into the kitchen and create 10 minutes later. It's my unique combinations of veggies and meats (man i'm greedy) that makes me want a sandwich, and especially any specific sandwich that i have a taste for. And that is the part of the ID process that makes the instruction individualized and "fun" for the learners. It's here that we make sure that everyone gets out of the sandwich what best fits them.
So I guess the next time I'm teaching a unit( I get drafted into that role again from time to time) and my students want to pass on the test, I'll just have to explain that their sandwich just won't be complete without it! :o)
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Why Design Instruction?
Why Design Instruction? That’s a very interesting question that at first glance I didn’t think I had an answer to. However, after very little thought I’ve realized that maybe designing instruction only make sense. Anything else that valuable goes through an extensive design process, and so instruction probably should as well.
There are roller coaster and video game designers whose jobs are to “create fun”. Now, teenagers may beg to differ, but neither roller coasters nor video games are a life necessity. However designers take months even years to ensure that riders or player have the best and safest experience possible. There are interior designers whose jobs are to ensure that the inside of offices and homes are as aesthetically pleasing. For all of these jobs, there is trial and error, and there are rules of the trade.
Instruction/ learning is arguably one of the most important things that exist in a person’s life. Without the formal instruction in school and work environments and their results people wouldn’t function nearly as well as we do. If video games and the inside of an office are important enough to have designed, I think instruction is too. We need to plan for and design our instruction in advance so that we know exactly what the outcomes will be. Just like the video game designer, we should desire and plan for our clientele to have the greatest possible experience with the results of our design. The act of designing something means that all parts of that have be plan out. Nothing in the “design” is by chance.
So why design instruction? Because it's worth it. Or better still it's too valuable not to design. We can't afford to leave any part of it to chance.
There are roller coaster and video game designers whose jobs are to “create fun”. Now, teenagers may beg to differ, but neither roller coasters nor video games are a life necessity. However designers take months even years to ensure that riders or player have the best and safest experience possible. There are interior designers whose jobs are to ensure that the inside of offices and homes are as aesthetically pleasing. For all of these jobs, there is trial and error, and there are rules of the trade.
Instruction/ learning is arguably one of the most important things that exist in a person’s life. Without the formal instruction in school and work environments and their results people wouldn’t function nearly as well as we do. If video games and the inside of an office are important enough to have designed, I think instruction is too. We need to plan for and design our instruction in advance so that we know exactly what the outcomes will be. Just like the video game designer, we should desire and plan for our clientele to have the greatest possible experience with the results of our design. The act of designing something means that all parts of that have be plan out. Nothing in the “design” is by chance.
So why design instruction? Because it's worth it. Or better still it's too valuable not to design. We can't afford to leave any part of it to chance.
Here we go...
So, I'm writing a blog....
I would like to think I've experienced most things internet. I have or have had most free instant messengers, NUMEROUS e-mail accounts, joinged all kinds of message boards including the dreaded myspace. Blogs have always been one of those things I just never got into. I don't know exactly why. I don't think it's the idea of "the world" knowing what I'm thinking or doing... I have no problems with that... I even update my status frequently some of the message boards. Maybe, it's that I would actually have to write more than 2 sentences, and I'm a mathematical- logical being. I don't know..
But hey, I feel accomplished. I typed a blog!
I would like to think I've experienced most things internet. I have or have had most free instant messengers, NUMEROUS e-mail accounts, joinged all kinds of message boards including the dreaded myspace. Blogs have always been one of those things I just never got into. I don't know exactly why. I don't think it's the idea of "the world" knowing what I'm thinking or doing... I have no problems with that... I even update my status frequently some of the message boards. Maybe, it's that I would actually have to write more than 2 sentences, and I'm a mathematical- logical being. I don't know..
But hey, I feel accomplished. I typed a blog!
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