Telling to Teaching #1

Can a teacher move from the long standing tradition of telling students what they need to know, to a more effective student centered approach of actually teaching students through a dialogue approach? The book I am blogging about, “From Telling to Teaching”, by Joye A. Norris intends to give educators a “step by step workshop” that will help us transform our teaching, our learners, and ourselves. Sounds like an ambitious goal for a book that numbers only 120 pages but I am excited to explore new ways to improve my classroom effectiveness, are you ready for this journey?

I think we all know the deficits of teaching by telling. Picture a lecture hall with students sitting quietly and passively, receiving information empty vessel style-the teacher has the knowledge and fills the vessel (the student), no interaction is needed from the student. Many of you might say “hey I learned this way, painful as it was why can’t everybody else?”  Well, there is a better way to teach and I think Norris is on to something, read on.  

Norris suggests a “dialogue approach” where teachers create a learning environment where students can become emotionally and cognitively engaged in learning. Adults learn best when they are engaged versus sitting listening to a teacher talk the entire class. Students that engage in a dialogue approach, try out new skills, create personal meaning, and reflect on their learning by participating in a dialogue, a back and forth exchange between teacher, material and other students.  This dialogue approach is the foundation of Norris’ book.

Some of the key components to moving from “telling to teaching” are creating a safe learning environment for students, activating prior learning, consideration of learning styles, asking open ended questions that encourage discussion (always a challenge), in other words getting people to talk, and finally how to reinforcing learning in “substantive ways” so your students will remember and use their new learning.  In future posts I will investigate these topics and more, and I look forward to your responses.

Finally thought:  Norris begins each new class by telling her students that she will not call on them nor go around the room for responses. My response is how can she create her dialogue approach if no one talks?……...To Be Continued