Dewey's concept of "learning by doing" is certainly an idea I wish to incorporate in my classroom. The best indicator of learned knowledge is applied knowledge. As a future history teacher, I would like my students to act as "historians."
In my U.S. History course, I was required to create an oral history project. While this project was time consuming, it was such a worthwhile and meaningful endeavor. The assignment consisted of interviewing a willing participant who was either a veteran or older than the age of 65. Using a recording device, it was my job to interview my participant. The intent was to essentially discuss the individual's life journey in the context of historical events.
It was an amazing experience that has really stuck with me over the years. I believe that such an activity encompasses all facets of a high quality educational experience. The student completes the following tasks: (1) meet with community member, (2) create a primary document (transcript, recording), (3) use technology, (recording device) (4) create secondary document (analysis of the primary source in context of historical events).
I think it may be challenging to expect high school students to complete this task. Nevertheless, it is beneficial for both the participant and the student. For instance, senior citizens may not receive many visitors and would love the chance to share their knowledge to young students. It gives the student the opportunity to actually create an artifact and analysis it, which are both higher orders of thinking. There is also the necessity of involving technology such as a digital recorder or even a mobile phone during the interview process. Overall, this kind of assignment would be an amazing experience for everyone involved and could even become part of an archive.
Stephen, I really like this Oral History Project, and the fact that you remember it a decade later, makes me think your students will reflect it as a meaningful experience as well. I really like this project idea for a number of reasons: it connects students' to the communities they are from in a new way, understand a new perspective in their community, an opportunity to explore via interviewing in the "real world", and its provides an applicable/usable end product for the entire community. I am very much an advocate of student's contributing to disciplines and their communities in a real/tangible and meaningful way. I wish I had this opportunity to explore my community's history in High School, I think it may have changed my perspective on the community.
ReplyDeleteStephen, thank you for sharing your Oral History Project experience on your blog. I think this is a great way for students to learn outside of the traditional classroom, textbook, testing rubric. It also extends to some of the other topics of this class, especially using technology as a learning tool. It's certainly a creative way to engage students and obviously something that has stuck with you after all these years.
ReplyDeleteStephen, I love how our readings made you reflect on an awesome classroom idea and how you blogged in a relate-able manner. Your oral history project sounds very applicable and useful and I wonder how I could do something similar with my future chemistry class. Even if I attempt to work in tandem as an interdisciplinary approach with a history teacher. Maybe one day we will get the chance to work together to find out!
ReplyDeleteBut I definitely agree with Dewey here about "learning by doing." In class, if you remember, I refer to it as "touching education." I can definitely relate to your experience with history. It really wasn't until I was doing full on laboratory work did I really understand the "behind the curtain" effect of chemistry. How does one student really understand something unless they take what their given and use it. It's kind of like when a student starts playing a game and watches the demo play on how to shoot a gun (Hold L1, And Press Z2). They can definitely read that and understand it to a certain extent. But it's not until they're in the middle of game play and become comfortable with shooting the gun in the game that they could actually kill people and progress on in the game. I know that was a bit violent to think about, but it's the first thought that popped in to my head that I think best relates to all of the above. How else can we, as educators, help our students "touch education?"
Hi, Stephen. Like everyone else who has commented on your post thus far, I also loved hearing about your oral history project and it made me reflect on some of the hands on learning experiences I was fortunate enough to have during my secondary schooling - most of which were also self-guided projects. I fully agree with you that the best indicator of learning knowledge is applied knowledge. I think that any teacher who does not create space for applying knowledge is failing his or her students. In response to Anthony's comment, I believe that the best way to "touch education" is to draw on students' real-life experiences and to find relevance and meaning in the topic to who they are and who they are becoming. I think Lauren, from TCEC, said it best when she said, "Teachers must take what their students say and what they are interested in and run with it." I am confident that students will find their own ways to "touch education" given the right set of tools and a teacher who has authentic and impactful relationships with each of them. Listening and paying attention is key here in order to pick up on those things that students show interest in. Also, I place a high value on community when it comes to "touching education." Getting the students outside of the classroom to explore and interact with other members of the community gives them the opportunity to learn in a hands on way by experiencing the world they live in. I also think community engagement facilitates students' participation in the social consciousness of the race, another aspect of Dewey's Pedagogic Creed.
ReplyDeleteWow, I wish I was in your history class now. My own history experience has been strictly between the book and taking a test, and now I hardly remember anything.
ReplyDeleteI think this would be an awesome way to incorporate technology into the classroom, and perhaps sneak in a comment about how in the old days (Greeks and Romans), history WAS passed down via epic poems and stories.
Also, I think schools here tend to focus on US, World, and European history, so interviewing people from different countries would be pretty awesome, especially if said country doesn't keep records. My parents grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution, and the only records that exist from then were for propaganda purposes, which gives it an extremely twisted view on what actually happened.
Thanks for all the comments! You guys are the best!
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome idea for a lesson! This will tackle so many aspects of learning! I really like how your idea for a lesson could promote community (as Dewey likes), but it also makes history come alive! While I'm not a history teacher, I think there's so much potential when you make history come alive. This makes for a way more effective history lesson when a personal/emotional connection can be made, otherwise everything is just an even or number on paper. I also like how you can get your students to create a primary document. I feel like I never got to use primary documents in my history class. Let me know how this project goes when you finally get to use it!
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