Landscape

Landscape

Kathryn Seitz 07 Jun 2010 19:19

List metaphors that you think describe learning, teaching, and schooling.
Teaching is similar to being an architect. We have to create a good foundation for our students to stand on and use to build upon their knowledge. If students are not able to understand basic skills then they will have more difficulties later on, you cannot build upon something that is unstable. This is especially true in my classroom, I have students that come to me with no basic understanding of how to read and they are in sixth grade, if a student does not have their basic reading skills down by the time they are in sixth grade think about how much information and learning they are missing out on. Basic skills, foundations, must be mastered at an early age so that students can continue to to build and learn more complex information.

Re: Landscape

Rachel Hansen 07 Jun 2010 19:31

I liked your metaphor about teaching being like architecture. It is so true that without a strong supportive foundation a student is unable to continue to build knowledge.

Re: Landscape

Karsten Hansen 07 Jun 2010 22:09

Well put and I know what you are talking about with sixth graders having no basic understanding of how to read. This is most evident in my ELL students I have had. While I was volunteering I was getting a bit frustrated with one boy until I found out that his parent was a functional illiterate in their native language so he was the first person to learn how to read and write, albeit poorly, and in a foreign language at that.