A few months ago, I wrote a blog post entitled 'Learning as dialogue'
which was essentially about how students can learn through conversation
and by discussing their ideas with each other. This theme is echoed in
my new book Learning with 'e's which was published in January. An extract from the book relates one of my own student experiences:
"The
teachers who have inspired me most are those who have been accessible
rather than remote, personable instead of stand-offish, and
knowledgeable without being arrogant. Most importantly, they conversed
with me rather than lectured. One of the lecturers in the first year of
my undergraduate degree inspired me to learn more and to push myself to
my limits to become more knowledgeable in my subject area.
"Dr
Ken Gale did this using nothing more than a whiteboard and pen, along
with constant discussion and questioning. Ken has since become one of my
valued colleagues. This kind of simple Socratic discourse
was deceptively powerful, did wonders for my self esteem and piqued my
appetite for more knowledge. There was no need for him to use any other
visual aids or learning resources. Ken simply pointed us in the
direction of relevant reading, and strategically slipped the names of
key theorists into his discussions with us.
"For
me this was a skillful, but relaxed and unobtrusive kind of pedagogy,
involving every student in the room, debating, deliberating and
generally exploring together the nuances and intricacies of our subject.
There was no lecturing, and there were no absolutes. Just the
inspiration of the discussion and the joy of knowing that you were going
to leave the classroom with more questions than when you came in.
"It
seems clear to me that to encourage open and frank dialogue in a formal
learning environment, the power differential between teacher and
student must be removed. When teachers wish to promote democratic
learning, students are given license to challenge and encouraged to
discuss, debate, argue. Passive consumption of delivered knowledge is
then replaced by full engagement with the subject matter through
conversation. The conversation around the topic becomes the new
curriculum, enabling each student to act as an open minded, independent
thinker who can defend his or her position without resorting to dogmatic
assertions based on partial understanding or incomplete knowledge.
"The
best teachers encourage all students to participate and value all
contributions, incorporating as many as possible into an extended
conversation around the topic."
Learning with 'e's: Educational Theory and Practice in the Digital Age is published by Crown House Publishing, ISBN 13 978-1845909390
Photo by Steve Wheeler
"The
teachers who have inspired me most are those who have been accessible
rather than remote, personable instead of stand-offish, and
knowledgeable without being arrogant. Most importantly, they conversed
with me rather than lectured. One of the lecturers in the first year of
my undergraduate degree inspired me to learn more and to push myself to
my limits to become more knowledgeable in my subject area.
"Dr
Ken Gale did this using nothing more than a whiteboard and pen, along
with constant discussion and questioning. Ken has since become one of my
valued colleagues. This kind of simple Socratic discourse
was deceptively powerful, did wonders for my self esteem and piqued my
appetite for more knowledge. There was no need for him to use any other
visual aids or learning resources. Ken simply pointed us in the
direction of relevant reading, and strategically slipped the names of
key theorists into his discussions with us.
"For
me this was a skillful, but relaxed and unobtrusive kind of pedagogy,
involving every student in the room, debating, deliberating and
generally exploring together the nuances and intricacies of our subject.
There was no lecturing, and there were no absolutes. Just the
inspiration of the discussion and the joy of knowing that you were going
to leave the classroom with more questions than when you came in.
"It
seems clear to me that to encourage open and frank dialogue in a formal
learning environment, the power differential between teacher and
student must be removed. When teachers wish to promote democratic
learning, students are given license to challenge and encouraged to
discuss, debate, argue. Passive consumption of delivered knowledge is
then replaced by full engagement with the subject matter through
conversation. The conversation around the topic becomes the new
curriculum, enabling each student to act as an open minded, independent
thinker who can defend his or her position without resorting to dogmatic
assertions based on partial understanding or incomplete knowledge.
"The
best teachers encourage all students to participate and value all
contributions, incorporating as many as possible into an extended
conversation around the topic."
Learning with 'e's: Educational Theory and Practice in the Digital Age is published by Crown House Publishing, ISBN 13 978-1845909390
Photo by Steve Wheeler
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