If the lessons replaced are nothing but teacher-to-student lecturing then little is lost. However, all my best teachers employed more of a Socratic method. That method cannot be substituted with a recording. This program could work well with the Socratic method if students come to class to debate and present the material they studied at home.
Yes, which is the opposite of the proposal to have the teaching at home and the homework in class. But I think any distinctions are not helpful to the students.
In a good class there is no distinction between learning from the teacher and the teacher's assigned material because each is required to excel in critically debating and responding to the other.
I and my wife are educators among other things and want to try this. Please notify me at @mdhopkins or michael at oblique ideas dot com when you're testing.
Comments
If the lessons replaced are nothing but teacher-to-student lecturing then little is lost. However, all my best teachers employed more of a Socratic method. That method cannot be substituted with a recording. This program could work well with the Socratic method if students come to class to debate and present the material they studied at home.
Unfortunately a lot of lessons are just teacher to student lecturing.
True, but software isn't going to solve that. (Note: I am a classroom teacher.)
Teacher to student lecturing happens for a combination of three reasons:
1. The teacher believes it's the best way to present the material.
2. Generally, a lecture is easier to prepare (and easier to keep on task) than any other form of instruction.
3. To the average person (and many administrators) a classroom full of children sitting silently in rows, all taking notes, looks "right".
You mean, if the students did their homework? ;-)
Yes, which is the opposite of the proposal to have the teaching at home and the homework in class. But I think any distinctions are not helpful to the students.
In a good class there is no distinction between learning from the teacher and the teacher's assigned material because each is required to excel in critically debating and responding to the other.
I totally agree. In fact, I am working toward a private beta release of lesson planning software which actually helps teachers build quality lessons.
I and my wife are educators among other things and want to try this. Please notify me at @mdhopkins or michael at oblique ideas dot com when you're testing.
You're on.