Readings...

According to Bransford, we have come a long way in the way we learn. He mentions that back when the colonists came to America, they were considered literate if they could write an 'X' on a deed or sign their name. And if you could regurgitate a passage from a textbook, you were pretty well off. In the present day, that wouldn't even be considered skimming the surface. Requirments in schools now call for analyzing and critiquing texts and creative writing. Thank goodness for originality.

Branford talks about learner centered, knowledge centered and assessment centered styles of learning. Learner centered learning is a way for students to talk about their thoughts in a sensitive environment while taking into consideration cultural and conceptual aspects. Knowledge centered environments take seriously that it is important for students to become knowledgeable through understanding concepts and being able to transfer this knowledge in other situations. In assessment centered learning, students should be able to receive feedback and revisions. I guess the style of learning that I can relate the most to is learner centered. I always felt better talking through classes in order to grasp some of the concepts we were learning about. Knowledge centered is a close second and assessment would be last. I was never good at self-assessment when I was younger and it's only more recently that I can be an honest critic of my own work. And I always found it difficult to take my teachers' criticisms because I felt that I was failing them and not being a good student.

I liked the section on community learning and why teachers and administrators need to be sensitive to different cultures. Having taught English in Japan for three years, I could completely relate to section where the author discusses how in Japan students learn from others' mistakes and creating a class discussion out of it. It is important for teachers and administrators to take into account students cultures in a learning environment. Now that American classrooms are becoming more and more culturally diverse, I feel that it is important for instructors to take cultural differences into account when teaching.

Bransford also goes on to discuss the effects of television on children since most children spend a considerable portion of their day watching it. It's true that in some cases t.v. can be educational, however, it's when children are left to watch t.v. unmonitored that it can do more harm than good.

So, yes, we have come a long way from what was taught in days past. Students are able to think more critically now and are learning to apply things that they learn in the classroom to everyday life and vice versa. As long as teachers understand the various ways in which students can and should learn, they will benefit.