Learning to Unlearn

Because, Bruce Lee

     For me there is quite a lot that I need to unlearn and relearn about education. Especially in my earlier education, many of the lessons were undated and used materials that no longer work in the world today. However, that was the way I learned and when I think over how I might teach, I often find that these methods spring to mind. Another issue is the changes in what teachers are allowed to do. I remember trading papers with my classmates and grading each other's work on a very regular. Now because of FREPA guidelines, we are no longer allowed to have the students do that.
     In trying to unlearn and relearn, I will likely struggle with letting go of antiquated techniques that I used in my education. The way I learn is likely very different than that of most of the students I will have. I will have to go to great lengths to study other learning styles so I can then differentiate my teaching to fit those styles as opposed to my own. This will be challenging because, even now, I can have difficulty understanding how others fail to grasp concepts that nearly come naturally to me. Being able to view learning from other perspectives will be very important for developing myself as an educator.

Interactive Whiteboards in Today's Classroom

     I believe that Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) can play a very important and successful role in education. They offer a very effective way to display information visually and on top of that also allow for a hands on experience as well. IWB's, when used effectively, could aid a teacher's ability to differentiate instruction in the classroom. However for them to truly be useful teachers must be trained on proper use of IWB.
     At my high school there where IWB's in nearly every classroom. However, a limit few teachers actually used them, leaving most of the IWB's gathering dust in the corner. Those teachers that did use them regularly, used them as little more than projectors and marker boards. This added up to a massive waste of funding for the school. This trend seems to be at play in many schools also using IWB's. In Stephanie McCrummen's article, "Some educators question if whiteboards, other high-tech tools raise achievement", it is shown that many teachers don't see the IWB's useful in the classroom and that it does not actively involve the students in learning. This issue, in my mind, stems from a lack of training with IWB's.

     In order for IWB's to make the impact in the classroom that we believe they can, teachers must have proper and in-depth instruction on how to use them. The capabilities, especially with the newest models, reach far beyond being a projector/marker board. By setting up the IWB in a way that allows for the students to use it, it can give them control over their education. This could let students of several different learning styles mix their methods together in order to reach a common goal. In the end, teachers that have IWB's should get advanced training on how to use them to their greatest potential so that they can truly
 aid in education.