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How would you currently describe your overall approach to teaching in your classroom: traditional, process mastery, or constructivist? What works well in your approach? What needs improvement?
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I think I take a process/mastery approach. My fear is that my curriculum is not creative enough to engage the students well in the work of learning.
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Traditional with some constr in the hands-on portions of lab. I would like to design labs in which advanced students may individually dig deeper.
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Perhaps more towards traditionalist, although there’s a bit of all. I think we should use wise discernment into what works best for each students’ learning style as well.
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I would say that there are times when all of these are used in my classroom.
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I do believe the author/speaker is off base with this. Constructivism is about meaning making. I am definitely a constructivist and that is derived from the idea that everyone’s experience is different. I liken it to the fact that there are 4 gospels … because eye witness accounts change as people change. So we are all individuals. I don’t equate individualism with social media. That problem is borne from adults who are unwilling to limit/censor the addictive equivalent of nicotine (the Internet and having smart phones) from people. Quite literally screens produce dopamine that we ALL are addicted to. I will say that “selfies” are a troubling trend, but again an opportunity to reconcile popular culture with biblical teaching. Thank God He made all of us different. The individualism that makes sense to embrace, is to recognize how we are all parts of the body of Christ and what works for one of us will not work for another one of us. We can set general guidelines and limits (like Dad can’t pay to get his offspring onto sports teams) but all students must earn an certain percent in a course to pass … while also supporting the needs of individual students. The more we resist and push back on experiences – the less influence we’ll have on folks. Again, God is BIGGER than all this. All truth is God’s truth. If someone in my family (those who are my responsibility) tells me they are severely anxious and depressed, they must be required to do the hard work (sanctification/therapy) to work through that. They need to lean into the work. If I honor that (from this perspective, “made up or exaggerated” set of feelings) and let the person work through their issues – they WILL run into themselves. God will show up. It’s who He is, it’s how He works! If I dismiss it or minimize it (as it sounds to me like this lecture is suggesting) … then that student/child will feel unheard and unseen and won’t consider Jesus … if I’m the example of Jesus to them.
