In today’s classroom
teachers face many challenges. These challenges range from overcrowded
classrooms to running out of time to teach all of the content needed for the
students to succeed. One of the major problems many teachers face is the fact
that many classrooms have a large diversity of students who come from varying
backgrounds with many different traditions and beliefs. Often these students
come to class with misconceptions, especially in science, so it can be a major
task to address these misconceptions or misunderstandings.
Another problem seen in
today’s classroom also has to do with the wide diversity of students in
schools; many of them have different levels of understanding and capabilities.
It can be tremendously challenging to adapt lessons in a way that ensures all
students success. Often teachers who attempt to simplify content will create a
condition where high achieving students are bored and their mind turns off
which can actually lead to these students falling behind. If teachers teach to
the high achieving students the students with less skills and abilities will be
left behind leaving them with a sense of confusion and feeling of low self-esteem.
A third problem teachers
may experience is difficulties in engaging students to follow along in the
less. Historically teachers have conveyed their knowledge to students in one
direction. This is often called the banking system where the teacher’s wealth
of knowledge is deposited into the students’ brain. This is found to be very
unaffected often students learn only the fact that the teachers know the
information. A much better way to not only engaged students but to ensure their
success is by creating a classroom environment which is student centered. In
this way the information flows in both directions creating a dialogue between
students themselves as well as between students and teachers. The following is
a video focused on student centered-learning http://youtu.be/-12mquzsHl4
. Another very effective way of engaging all students is by the use of Project
Base Learning or PBLs these can be very effective because the students often
are the guiding force behind the learning. As I said before and traditional
teaching when a teacher conveys information the student often learns that the
teacher knows that information. When teachers are guided in a way which creates
an environment where the student learns new information on their own this
information is there’s and will stay with them for life. One of the leading nonprofit
organizations which are producing curriculum which is PBL based is a company
called Project Lead The Way. This company has produced curriculum for high
school students which range from such topics as computer science, forensics,
engineering to biomedical. The organization originally focused on curriculum
for high school students then included middle school students through a project
called Gateway and now two years ago created curriculum designed to be used in
elementary school, Launch. Launch curriculum can be used as early as
kindergarten these three programs are designed to dovetail into each other
smoothly. Elementary students are given the tools they need to succeed in
middle school. Middle school students increase their skills preparing them to
enter high school. The following is a link to the P TLW homepage: https://www.pltw.org/ the next link is to a
future you which promotes the organization: https://www.youtube.com/user/TeamPLTW
