Comments on: On the importance of ‘real-world learning’ http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/ Education. Technology. Productivity. Fri, 25 May 2012 09:42:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-6222 Doug Belshaw Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:35:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3299#comment-6222 I *haven't* seen that book before, so thanks for the link! If it wasn't £25 I'd be buying it now... Alienation is definitely an issue as if a student feels like the lesson is completely disconnected from their experiences in the 'real world' they'll just switch off! I *haven’t* seen that book before, so thanks for the link! If it wasn’t £25 I’d be buying it now…

Alienation is definitely an issue as if a student feels like the lesson is completely disconnected from their experiences in the ‘real world’ they’ll just switch off!

]]> By: Marco Polo http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-6218 Marco Polo Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:37:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3299#comment-6218 Doug, Might have mentioned this before, but I learned a lot from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1879618036?tag=marcoshomep04-21&camp=1406&creative=6394&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1879618036&adid=1PG7K6M9YH9H0BR3S6C1&" rel="nofollow">Preparing Instructional Objectives</a>, although it's aimed at vocational or on-the-job training. And, I wonder if by "to completely disconnect teaching and learning from real-world experience", you mean alienation? I'm rediscovering the importance and practical, classroom value of personalizing: relating the material to students' lives. Doug,
Might have mentioned this before, but I learned a lot from Preparing Instructional Objectives, although it’s aimed at vocational or on-the-job training.

And, I wonder if by “to completely disconnect teaching and learning from real-world experience”, you mean alienation? I’m rediscovering the importance and practical, classroom value of personalizing: relating the material to students’ lives.

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-6159 Doug Belshaw Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:52:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3299#comment-6159 Andy, I think we're talking at cross-purposes. As a proud holder of a degree in Philosophy there's no way you'd get me to sanction the removal of non-vocational subjects from the curriculum. What I'm talking about is the way that subjects are presented to students and connected to their lives. There's lots of scope to do this with Maths - as Dan Mayer shows! One of my favourites is to show the links between Islam and Maths (probably because it includes a bit of History). The thing I'm really opposed to is what is, in effect, a 'transmission' model of teaching. In other words, the teacher presents some completely disconnected mathematical (or other) bit of knowledge or process. Students then practice this without any interest or idea why it may ever be useful. I used Maths as an example because that's the subject I've seen worst taught in my teaching career, but I could easily have chosen other subjects. Apologies if I caused offence! Andy,

I think we’re talking at cross-purposes. As a proud holder of a degree in Philosophy there’s no way you’d get me to sanction the removal of non-vocational subjects from the curriculum.

What I’m talking about is the way that subjects are presented to students and connected to their lives. There’s lots of scope to do this with Maths – as Dan Mayer shows! One of my favourites is to show the links between Islam and Maths (probably because it includes a bit of History).

The thing I’m really opposed to is what is, in effect, a ‘transmission’ model of teaching. In other words, the teacher presents some completely disconnected mathematical (or other) bit of knowledge or process. Students then practice this without any interest or idea why it may ever be useful.

I used Maths as an example because that’s the subject I’ve seen worst taught in my teaching career, but I could easily have chosen other subjects. Apologies if I caused offence!

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-6158 Doug Belshaw Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:47:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3299#comment-6158 No problem - glad to be of help! No problem – glad to be of help!

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-6157 Doug Belshaw Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:47:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3299#comment-6157 Hi Ian, Thanks for the reminder r.e. learning objectives. It's something I need to revisit so expect a blog post soon! :-) Hi Ian,

Thanks for the reminder r.e. learning objectives. It’s something I need to revisit so expect a blog post soon! :-)

]]> By: Anonymous http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-6152 Anonymous Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:25:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3299#comment-6152 Thanks for this Doug. Our CLC is working with those of our partnership schools in National Challenge on being innovative with Maths and English, especially with vulnerable groups. There's some useful inspiration here which we can share. Of particular interest is the Dan Meyer stuff. One of our themes is using digital photography as a way into maths, so some great stuff there. Thanks for this Doug. Our CLC is working with those of our partnership schools in National Challenge on being innovative with Maths and English, especially with vulnerable groups. There’s some useful inspiration here which we can share.

Of particular interest is the Dan Meyer stuff. One of our themes is using digital photography as a way into maths, so some great stuff there.

]]> By: Anonymous http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-6150 Anonymous Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:15:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3299#comment-6150 Doug, I can see what you are trying to say here but I feel compelled to respond to your comment about: "I’ve seen some really bad, disconnected-from-reality lessons during my teaching career thus far. And it has to be said the worst one I ever saw was a Maths lesson." It is often assumed by many non-Mathematiciansthat the purpose of Mathematics is to be useful or practical, and in mine (and many others opinions) nothing could be further from the truth... It may be worth at this point saying that the introduction of the term 'numeracy' at primary was one of the few good things that the NC did for Maths. I am happy to accept that 'numeracy' is a practical skill, but the Mathematics studied at secondary school is not numeracy and is not as a general rule useful... Pure-Mathematics should be totally disconnected from reality, as it is not attempting to describe 'reality' but abstract possibility. The Physicist will attempt to use Mathematics to describe what happens in our universe, it is the job of the mathematician to describe what could happen in any universe. GH Hardy who wrote one of the seminal works on the Philosophy of Mathematics (A Mathematicians Apology - http://www.math.ualberta.ca/~mss/misc/A%20Mathematician's%20Apology.pdf) goes to great lengths to explain that for him Mathematics is neither 'useful' nor has it ever done any 'harm'. I have a lot of sympathy for this perspective and feel that Pure Mathematics should be the realm of abstract thought. I'm not saying that what dy/dan is doing isn't valuable - for the students he wis working with a connection to reality can sometimes help motivate, but it should also be pointed out that strictly much of what he is doing is applied maths be it in the form of Physics, Sociology, etc. Also the majority of attempts to make maths 'realistic' just results in questions which are not interesting to the students, or questions which are not sufficiently mathematical. I'm not denying that some mathematics is of use in other disciplines, and that much mathematics has been used to do harm, but that application is no longer mathematics... I am keen to defend the only place in school where students are encourage to work in a strictly logical manner, to transcend reality, and think about the generality of possibilities in an infinite number of possible universes where the rules do not need to match our own... Cheers, Andy Doug,
I can see what you are trying to say here but I feel compelled to respond to your comment about:
“I’ve seen some really bad, disconnected-from-reality lessons during my teaching career thus far. And it has to be said the worst one I ever saw was a Maths lesson.”

It is often assumed by many non-Mathematiciansthat the purpose of Mathematics is to be useful or practical, and in mine (and many others opinions) nothing could be further from the truth…

It may be worth at this point saying that the introduction of the term ‘numeracy’ at primary was one of the few good things that the NC did for Maths. I am happy to accept that ‘numeracy’ is a practical skill, but the Mathematics studied at secondary school is not numeracy and is not as a general rule useful…

Pure-Mathematics should be totally disconnected from reality, as it is not attempting to describe ‘reality’ but abstract possibility. The Physicist will attempt to use Mathematics to describe what happens in our universe, it is the job of the mathematician to describe what could happen in any universe.

GH Hardy who wrote one of the seminal works on the Philosophy of Mathematics (A Mathematicians Apology – http://www.math.ualberta.ca/~mss/misc/A%20Mathematician's%20Apology.pdf) goes to great lengths to explain that for him Mathematics is neither ‘useful’ nor has it ever done any ‘harm’. I have a lot of sympathy for this perspective and feel that Pure Mathematics should be the realm of abstract thought.

I’m not saying that what dy/dan is doing isn’t valuable – for the students he wis working with a connection to reality can sometimes help motivate, but it should also be pointed out that strictly much of what he is doing is applied maths be it in the form of Physics, Sociology, etc.

Also the majority of attempts to make maths ‘realistic’ just results in questions which are not interesting to the students, or questions which are not sufficiently mathematical.

I’m not denying that some mathematics is of use in other disciplines, and that much mathematics has been used to do harm, but that application is no longer mathematics…

I am keen to defend the only place in school where students are encourage to work in a strictly logical manner, to transcend reality, and think about the generality of possibilities in an infinite number of possible universes where the rules do not need to match our own…

Cheers,
Andy

]]> By: Ian Guest http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/10/17/on-the-importance-of-real-world-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-6149 Ian Guest Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:17:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3299#comment-6149 Doug, Thanks for the pointer to infographics. I wasn't really aware of this area of study - design meets data! I like it . . . a lot, and I'll be looking out for more. Wonder how we might use infographics to encourage our students to think about how they present information? Also wonder if there are any sources of infographics with an educational focus? Feel some searching coming on! A slight aside if I may. In your conclusion you point out the importance of learning outcomes. Earlier today I was trying to get a better handle on learning objectives and started with a Google search which returned: http://teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2006/01/20/how-to-write-better-learning-objectives/ ...which is unfortuntely no longer available Are your comments still around in a different location? I'd be really interested to read your thoughts. Doug,
Thanks for the pointer to infographics. I wasn’t really aware of this area of study – design meets data! I like it . . . a lot, and I’ll be looking out for more. Wonder how we might use infographics to encourage our students to think about how they present information? Also wonder if there are any sources of infographics with an educational focus? Feel some searching coming on!

A slight aside if I may. In your conclusion you point out the importance of learning outcomes. Earlier today I was trying to get a better handle on learning objectives and started with a Google search which returned:
http://teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk/index.php/2006/01/20/how-to-write-better-learning-objectives/ …which is unfortuntely no longer available
Are your comments still around in a different location? I’d be really interested to read your thoughts.

]]>