Monday, April 9, 2012
Instructional Strategies
In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s indicated that hands-on-learning was a very effective teaching strategy yet teachers seldom used the approach. What could be the reasons for the lack of use of this strategy? For approximately the last decade, it has been indicated that an effective teaching strategy in the classroom is hands-on learning. However, some teachers seldom use this type of instructional strategy. What could be the reasons for not implementing this teaching?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Although studies can "prove" that one teaching strategy is more effective for student learning, studies cannot take into consideration each classroom circumstance. The number of students varies tremendously from class to class. Are there any language or cultural barriers that may prohibit student involvement? Do special needs or learning disabilities play a role in your classroom instruction? And probably the most common issue teachers are faced with is; what is the budget? In an ideal world, teachers would have unlimited resources to implement a multitude of teaching strategies; hands on, field trips, individual materials, and one on one discussions. Part of the problem could also be teacher preference. I have noticed that teachers use what they are comfortable with. This is not fair to the students, but is a very tempting style of teaching to use.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, you have some excellent points in your paragraph. I didn't consider the language or cultural barriers that could limit the involvement of those students. That could be a huge factor for many teachers. Teachers' budgets are also a major concern for trying to implement these hands-on experiences. Many teachers do not have money to spend on expensive materials. I think you brought about some very valid points.
DeleteAmanda, I agree with you that some teachers are just not comfortable with creating hands on learning and those teachers are not going to stray very much from what they are comfortable with. There has to be a way that teachers are able to ease in to hands on learning with students.
DeleteI’ve watched videos on hands on experiences and project based learning and they explain how beneficial they are for the students. I’ve also read books about hands on learning and they make everything sound so much more exciting and fun for the students. Then, when I think about creating a hands on experience for my future students I have a hard time knowing what to do. Hands on experiences are fantastic to have in the classroom, but the reason many teachers do not use hands on projects, I believe, is because it is a lot more work. Usually it involves more materials, a bigger mess, and a lot more time. It’s so easy for a teacher to hand out a worksheet and see if the students understand the concept, but how many students are going to remember that worksheet in a couple months? Hands on experiences make children think and use their senses to solve problems or experience something new. I think teachers need to look past the difficult parts of hands on experiences and put their students first. Teachers know that the students will benefit more from hands on experiences; therefore, if you are a good teacher, you will make sure to include project based learning activities.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of these points you have presented. Hands on experience and project based learning are a great way to get the children involved. The only downfalls of this approach are the time and materials needed to carry out these plans. Most teachers pay for their own classroom materials because schools won't fund them with these materials. That turns many teachers off from this approach because who wants to spend their own money on materials for their classroom or an activity that the students may or may not understand. I plan on including hands on experiences for my children in my classroom because I remember those were the times when I benefited the most from those lessons.
DeleteReply to Melissa:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% on this topic. I do feel like it is a lot more work for the teachers and that they do not want to go that extra mile to help students. I feel that students do need hands on experiences to learn from. I know I always learn a lot more from hands on experiences. Power points, worksheets, taking notes, etc. are sometimes just not enough.
However, I do like to take notes because as teachers we need to recognize Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence's and realize that children learn differently. With this said, not all children learn with hands-on experiences.
DeleteI feel that using hands on activities is a great idea. I feel that the students can really learn from these approaches and also it is another way for students and teachers to collaborate and communicate which are two very important issues in the classroom. I feel that the reason teachers do not use this approach as much is because all of the complications that go along with it. I feel that teachers think it is too much work or too much of a hassle and students may not fully understand the concept because things can get too distracting. I understand and agree with those statements but I know growing up I always learned a lot more by experiencing the topic and working through it. I liked the hands on approaches to certain areas and felt that in other ways I did not learn as much. I understand there can be complications but we as teachers are to modify our lesson plans and go with the flow. We need to try to work through things and give our students the best education they can receive.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with you in the fact that the small complications are what keep teachers from using hands on activities. I know teachers that I have had in the past tended to shy away from it because of the classroom environment and the time that it takes to plan it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI beleive there are a few different reasons why teachers do not do hands on teaching as much as they should.
ReplyDelete1.) Hands on teaching is much harder and takes more time to plan than just lecturing. Lecturing with no activites is like an easy way out.
2.) There may not be an easy hands on activity to go with every subject or lesson. For example, if you're talking about the pythagorean theorem in math class, it might be hard to come up with an interesting hands on activity to accompany the lesson.
3.) Teachers may not have time for classes to do activities. If a teacher has disruptive students who do not stay on task, it may be hard to stay on task and therefore not have enough class time for hands on.
4.) The teacher simply may not have the patience to guide each student through a hands on activity.
In any combination of those plus others mentioned above, sometimes it is hard to bring hands on activities to the classroom. As a student, I know that I remember material from hands on activities more than anything else and it got me more interested in the subject. As teachers, I will try and use hands on as much as possible to get the class more involved and excited about learning.
Sara Reicks
I believe that a lot of teachers don't use the hands-on learning approach because of the time that it takes to prepare and initiate such activities. When teachers have disruptive students, it makes it hard to use all of the alloted time for the instruction that is planned. I feel that it is a type of instruction that needs to be implemented in the classroom, but not as frequently as other types. As a student, I think that hands-on instruction is more effective if it doesn't happen very often, because when it does, I really gain from it. It also makes the students feel excited to learn when the daily routine is broken, which implementing hands-on as a substitue for regular instruction does just that.
ReplyDeleteNicole Schroeder
Hands on learning does make the student more excited to learn and to be in the classroom. I am so glad you touched on that point. If a student is not willing to be in the classroom then they are more likely to disengage and not really learn anything.
DeleteI believe that the generations that aren't using the hands-on approach because they seldom used it. Our generation is being taught about this approach as well as seeing the results from all the research. Also, teachers may be afraid of this approach because they think that they need to be in the center of classroom, when in all actuality, it is important to create a student-centered learning atmosphere. When the students feel in control, they may participate more as well as it could possibly mean they are less shy and willing to participate.
ReplyDeleteA lot of teachers turn away from this teaching strategy because of the time and money it takes to plan and actually carry out a hands on lesson. I think it's a shame because I truly believe many children would benefit from these experiences but it's not always ideal. Teacher's get blamed for a lot of things that do and don't happen in a classroom and this shouldn't be one of them. Our job is to provide the best learning experience possible for our students and for some this may mean not having hands on experiences because of the time and energy that is spent planning and carrying out the lesson. Everyone and every classroom is different which means we're not all going to have or provide the same learning experiences for our students.
ReplyDeleteImplementing hands-on instructional activities require more time and work for the teacher. So in my opinion, I believe that some of this may have to do with laziness. Yes, a textbook is great and can be used as a great supplement. But I believe that students learn best when they are pushed to solve a problem they have been given or create a diagram that would explain a certain time in history. I believe this is the best way to learn because it is the best way that I learn. I still remember to this day a few of the models we made to represent a concentration camp we learned about in middle school or how we had to figure out how to test the water of a near by pond. Situations like these engage the brain more and the student is not just sitting in a desk bored and not really paying attention, they are up and moving and learning. I know that in an ideal world the students would never have to listen to teacher directed discussions but would start to learn on their own. I understand this is not the ideal world and therefore it is not possible for teachers to always put students in these types of learning situations, but I think it is our job as a teacher to try our hardest to get as many experiences like that for them as we can.
ReplyDeleteThere are many reasons why "hands on" learning might not be used as much as it could be. One of the first reasons I can think of is that teachers have had lack of training or exposure to methods that they can bring into their lessons and into their classroom. Many teachers might be stuck in their ways and have methods that have worked extremely well for them for many years. I think one thing that is very important for us as educators is to realize to always be flexible and ready for change. Another reason could simply be that teachers don't have the resources (time, money, creative thinking) to come up with new ideas and new ways to teach classroom material.
ReplyDelete