Comments on Will Richardson’s Blog

“Online Learning” Isn’t “Learning Online”

I felt defensive about the author’s views on this. He begins with a list of student- generated attributes of online learning (work around busy schedule, courses more challenging, etc.). And then proposes that online learning is “old wine in a new bottle that’s being motivated more by economics and convenience than good or better design” and then he wonders, “what those online students have learned more or better than the ones who took the course in a classroom.I have problems with his statements. First, calling instructional method and content “old wine” is an insult. What we as instructors provide to our students has been crafted with care with the student’s success in mind. It does not have to culminate in their being ambassadors to the world. The success in completing course requirements can in itself be such a reward for a student that she or he can then open up to more learning and independent thinking and these requirements do (because we care and are effective teachers ) offer many ways for students to demonstrate their “intelligences”. Who is he criticizing in this blog? No one I know.

The New Story (?)

Richardson describes the last 10 years in education in the US as unchanging. He writes that “With a very few well documented exceptions, it’s a planned, linear, for the most part standardized process, one that allows everyone to recognize what being “educated” means at the end of the day.” I take exception to this. He is making a big generalization that discounts the creativity and progressive teaching/learning happening in, yes, public school classrooms! He suggests that this inferior method is “…narrative most of us share, at least those of us who didn’t drop out or choose homeschooling as our option. “ This implies to me that somehow these options are preferred! Homeschooling has both positive, negative, and neutral effects on students as most of us know.

Finns Looking Forward

I think comparing what Finns are planning for the future of education with the US trajectory could be a stretch. Richardson asks, “Why aren’t more of us here in the States not seeing these trends and their impact on education more clearly?” I think it is directly related to unwillingness for the “education people” in the US to admit we can learn something from other countries and a feeling of general financial insecurity. In times like this, a fear of change can prevail.

Joanne's Teaching Philosophy

I believe great teaching revolves around motivation and active learning. I think bringing biology to life and then giving an application for that knowledge is the key. I demonstrate my passion for biology (I can’t help it!) and show that the ordinary world is brim full of the excitement of biology. I think students turn more seriously toward biology when inspired with stories of scientific discovery, disappointment, and victory, and those that show the wonder, pleasure in the unknown, of science. Then the learning really begins.

I believe students need opportunities for diverse ways of learning and diverse ways of demonstrating their learning. This starts the very first day of class when I ask my students to discover themselves within the course content by asking “introduce-yourself” questions that center on nature. When I discover a student’s interests, I can bring that directly into our science topics and expand with reports of new research or current events. Whether in a Human Biology or General Biology class, I think they can literally put themselves into the course and feel motivated to find ways to use their newly found information outside the academic world. I deliver the Big Picture in enthusiastic ways, so students will want to fill in the details.

I think that when students are self-confident, they learn more, so I offer my students learning opportunities that give them confidence and new skills. For instance, I always start class with a review from the previous class and question session. However, I like to introduce novel topics with new vocabulary to add excitement. My students almost always work in lab groups on topics that develop ideas in detail, and they benefit from sharing information in a relaxed environment. Being relaxed and self confident with technology is also important. Now that the majority of my classes are delivered online or in a hybrid format, simplicity and clarity are more important than ever. I try to only use technology if it enhances student learning, and every semester I strive for more simplicity and clarity.

My teaching style and philosophy have changed over the years. As a product of early traditional learning, I needed to step back and listen more. Having loved science all my life, I learned the importance of appreciating and mentoring students who did not think they would like biology. What hasn’t changed is the importance I place on modeling the attributes I want my students to develop: professionalism, sense of humor, love of nature, compassion, involvement.

[After I composed a list of what I wanted to describe in my teaching philosophy, I consulted this Web site for guidelines on the format for such a document: Karen L. Smith Faculty Center University of Florida. Developing a Professional Portfolio. http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/FacultySuccess/ProfessionalPortfolios/index.php. Accessed 6 February 2011.]

My Test Blog Post

Maybe I can finally understand how these blogs work and I can begin using the information in my classes.