Over the past three years I have spent at the University of South Alabama, I have experienced both types of classroom settings shown in the pictures I have provided. I think that most of the classes I've taken where I was bored, the professor never really learned my name, or I felt like I was having facts "thrown" at me where my pre-requisite courses. The only stadium seating class I have taken was Geography 101 and 102. I was always bored. I wasn't interested in the material that was given to me on the printed out power point, which was the same power point the professor put on the screen and pretty much read word for word with the occasional addition to what was already given. Once I got in to my education and English courses, I was much more interested. The classroom settings have been small to regular size with professors, for the most part, who were interested in our input on what we were learning. Sometimes, my professor's views have changed after listening to how we interpreted the literature that we were learning. I think that it's true that information has become less and less valuable since it's free online. The only thing about the information given to us at universities that makes it more valuable than what we can read online is the medium it is given through. At universities, we are given this information from professors who have gone to school for many years and who have been teaching a lot of people about the same information. There is something about a good professor that a person can not get from reading information online. They have more insight on the subject being taught. Something that was said that kind of bothered me was about the student in this equation. Dan Brown was talking about how students just memorize that facts thrown at them to be able to pass the test. Well, that isn't the university's fault. We students have to be able to take the facts given to us and learn how they apply to what we are learning. We have to be able to show how something given to us as a definition applies to the material. Memorizing facts given is something students tend to do in a "crash study session" normally the night before the test. If we actually learn what the definitions are and how they apply to the material, it is a lot easier to pass the test. I don't think that universities are losing their value. For me, it is much easier to learn something in a classroom setting than an online setting.
My sentence: I am trying to learn how to inspire and encourage children to want to learn and to do their best in accomplishing their goals and dreams.
Do we really test for what students should be learning? Not if we test for facts. That applies to K-12 and university classes.
ReplyDeletePencils?
I feel the same way about most of my classes as you do. Although, I have had many stadium seating classes. I am usually bored with the material and feel like there needs to be more interaction between the students. I like how you brought up the point that Dan Brown said students only memorize facts thrown at them to pass the test. I also agree it is the student’s responsibility to take the facts and to apply them in a way they can understand how the facts relate. I think your sentence proves that you will be a wonderful teacher and that you want what is best for your future students.
ReplyDelete