Learning for the Sake of Learning
Recently, one of my classes has been analyzing Plato’s Crito and Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience. I always look forward to giving my students these particular texts because of the vitriolic responses that they often evoke (Socrates was crazy for not escaping! I bet Thoreau never showered! among other, more critical and analytic verbalizations). These pieces are challenging to students, because they require kids to comprehend writing styles that are unfamiliar while grappling with overarching ideas that provide a unique view into historical contexts that often first appear to be strikingly anomalous (although upon reflection, they find out that this is not at all the case). Nevertheless, I have experienced instances in which my students become embittered and disappointed with me as a teacher because the texts seem so overwhelming to them that the challenge almost seems to be too much; i.e. why bother reading if I can just have the teacher explain the answers to me?
I admit that the impulse to just go ahead and explain the underlying ideas and themes is fairly strong at times, especially when working with, say, a dyslexic student who has emerged victorious from traumatic experiences in other school settings prior to her placement in the school I happen to teach at. With that said, I have recently been doing a lot of thinking (or, perhaps, the better word would be ruminating) about ways in which I can motivate my students to become more independent and autonomous. I should clarify here: this is not to the extent that they don’t need me anymore, but rather, how can I maximize my effectiveness as an educator AND get my students to feel comfortable with a mindset that encourages learning for the sake of learning?
I don’t have an answer to this question, but I have suggestions. I think that becoming familiar and comfortable with utilizing technology in classrooms is an essential component of encouraging students to find answers. I realize that a huge part of this means teaching students how to find reputable sources and become saavy internet users, but what an incredible tool they have at their disposal, since technology can greatly improve learner-centered teaching. In a recent article directed towards educators employed at instituions of higher-learning (but is very much applicable to anyone), Mary Bart writes that “learner-centered teaching means creating assignments that allow students to practice building connections with the material, and evaluate their learning. The technologies that can be used to help students take ownership of their learning include blogs, wikis, online quizzes, and VoiceThread.”
In attempting to create a culture that essentially values learning for the sake of learning, I emphasized to my students that the onus was on them; though I stated that I felt that learning these texts was crucial to their development of critical thinking skills, I let them know that ultimately it was their choice to take it a step further. We brainstormed a list of methods that they could use when they found themselves stuck or overwhelmed with a particularly challenging piece of text (my personal favorite being “text the author and ask him/her”; I guess you can get most anyone’s cell number these days via www.spokeo.com which is inherently frightening to me but that’s probably for another blog entirely) and they came up with a detailed list that included “ask a peer,” “take a short walk,” and “use Google Scholar.” These types of simple responses, in conjunction with helping students understand how they learn, are the first steps into learner-awareness. As we proceed with Crito and Civil Disobedience, we will hopefully do so in an environment in which students are aware that the subject being taught isn’t necessarily as important as how they use it.
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