1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
3. How do you build independence in your students?
Please use the corresponding numbers to indicate the questions to which your are responding.
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1. School skills are archaic and a cultural clash with the digital natives we have as students, ie-criterion testing.EQ is important and should be addressed directly. Begin with the end in mind has run its course.
ReplyDelete2.My students tend to be in a learned helplessness mode. I spend time modeling ways to change strategies and evaluate the effectiveness of ones they choose. It helps my particular student population to determine whether or not they have prerequisite skills to answer a question or solve a problem, before they become frustrated. That way, they can approach the situation differently and won't internalize defeat. By using a rubric or logical approach, they can begin to separate emotions and work at solutions instead of spiraling away with anger or avoidance.
3. I build independence by learning about my students and then taking what they have an interest in or talent for as a starting point. I break down difficult tasks into smaller steps. I reward behavior that approximates the desired outcome. I let them simmer over ideas and spend time to find answers. The most important thing to me for building independence is a trusting rapport and a non judgemental reflection on their work.
3. Definitely a gradual process, building independence in the classroom can be achieved by allowing students time to explore and own a process. Students should be allowed to explore and communicate experiences with their peers. If I give students minipulatives with basic instructions to explore ideas, they eventually get to the same content I could have written on the board but it means more and becomes an idea that they own. Afterwards, we debrief and fill in vocabulary and formulas.
ReplyDelete1. Ted McCain states that the current skills taught in school will not prepare students to work in the real world unless we make changes in our classrooms. Teachers will need to give students more opportunites to focus on real life world problems and challenging situations found in the work place.
ReplyDelete2.When students do not know what to do in my clasroom, I first ask if they have consulted each member of their group first. If all of the students have discussed the problem and still do not know the answer, I allow one student "manager" to ask me for further direction. When the student comes over to me, I ask them to share their problem and tell me what steps they used so far to solve the problem. I listen to their steps and then make suggestions for further actions. This ususally works in my room.
3. Building independence varies from student to student. I take a long time teaching my students about classroom procedures so they can learn to solve problems within the classroom without me. Some students need to be taught advanced skills to work on bigger projects independently. I try to group them in small groups so that they can problem solve together. Other students might need lots and lots of basic building skills in order to work independently. I normally have to model a lot of those skills for them and then give them guided opportunities to practice those skills. Many times I will group a very independent student with one needing more help. Some students make great teachers. Peer tutoring works great. In any case, I believe that "you never know something unless you can explain it to someone else".
1. School skills will not be successful when they leave the school system because we are not producing independent logical thinkers to problem solve in the real world.
ReplyDelete2. Currently my students rely on me to guide them to the answers which I tend to help them along with quetioning techniques.
3. Independence is built by having a real world link to the content being taught and not giving the answers without the students taking responsibility for thier own learning.
1. While I agree with Patricia that school skills are archaic and need to be overhauled, the book says they are not without value. "They can earn students much positive feedback from teachers and parents...these techniques can enable students to enter prestigious postsecondary institutions and to earn a considerable amount of money in scholarships...teachers and administrators receive accolades...district funding (and) promotions for administrators are tied to how well students acquire school skills." As a whole though, school skills do not lead you to be successful in the real world when faced with problems...there are no A, B, C, D choices.
ReplyDelete2.
Students:
- ask questions
- ask a friend to explain
- some give up and play around
Teachers:
- ask them a question in return
- direct them to an informational source
- redirect students that are off task by breaking steps down into smaller chunks (they get overwhelmed) - usually the kids with labels
3. I build independence by gradually releasing the amount of help I give. In the beginning, I give a lot of hints and reminders. Later on when I am asked a question, I usually ask it right back to them and they magically come up with the answer on the spot. Those that are still helpless later get the Fred Jones "helpless handraiser" treatment. A quick acknowledgment of their progress, a question or comment, and then walk away. It works!
1. School skills is not enough to enable students to be successful in the "real world."
ReplyDelete2. My students usually will ask me what to do. I encourage them to talk to their group or partner to see if they can help them. If that doesn't work, I ask them guiding questions in hopes that they will have a "spark" without me having to tell them explicitly what to do.
3. I model, model, model routine procedures at the beginning of the year and then use "gradual release" so that students become more and more independent. I strive to ensure an emotionally safe classroom so my students feel comfortable stepping out of their comfort zone.
Check POst
ReplyDelete1. I feel when our focus is on school skills, we tend to miss out on the real world components of education. An exemplary education should not focus on getting the perfect grade on a test, but on being productive members of society.
ReplyDelete2. The author is correct when he explains how needy our students can become if we do not push them to become independent thinkers and problem solvers. I have found this to be a problem and I have made it a point to back off from holding their hands. They must begin to think for themselves.
3. By presenting students with challenges at the beginning of a lesson, students are given the opportunity to address components of my lesson or objective before I begin.
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteSchool skills are necessary to pass TAKS type exams. However, in today's times, students also need to be ready for the job force which requires problem solving skills. As teachers, it is our responsibility to provide students with both skills.
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
I often have them talk me through the concept, providing an occasional hint or two if needed. I also have them talk it through with a peer to see if that helps.
3. How do you build independence in your students?
Often, I will pretend that I am a new student in class, and ask them to explain the concept to me. Sometimes, I have them act as group leader and make them responsible for ensuring everyone in the group understands the concept.
We need to teach students to think on their own, to be able to think through a situation and know where to go to get the information they need. It's not always about knowing the answer but knowing where to find the answer.
ReplyDeleteWhen students don't know what to do they oten as me or ask another student. I like to connect to something they may have done in the past and brainstorm how this situation might be the same and what strategies from the past might help us with our current situation.
We do a lot of center activities where the students have to take the role of teacher and work with the other students in their group.
1. I hope that the things I am teaching my students are skills they will need for the real world. Do I fall miserably short in applying their context to the real world...absolutely...but decimals and fractions, adding and subtracting and basic organizational skills in problem solving can't be thrown to the wayside.. They should come along real world experiences and be married together...so that you can't see distinctive lines between but that they become seamless.
ReplyDelete2. There are some that ask for help, some that ask their friends for help and some that shut down. Each need to be addressed obviously at different levels. I am thrilled to help those that need help although I want them to use their own ideas and thoughts. It is easy as a teacher with 23 other students needing help to just hand them the answer. I think it is also easy to have students hand them the answer. Fred Jones talks about the helpless handraiser and honestly I am still figuring out the balance between letting them problem solve on their own with guidance and letting them get completely frustrated and start facilitating those gaps.
3. Think time...discussion...experience....guidance. I believe all of these require students to learn independence. Do I do them well...not yet but I am learning!
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteSchool skills are just basic.If you only know school skills your life will be limited. If you have problem solving skills it opens your world up to so many more possibilities.
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
Most of my students come to me. We have a saying ask 3 then me. They can ask 3 students if they still don't understand then I help them.
3. How do you build independence in your students?
They follow a routine. We practice procedures. They know my expectations. They have a say in OUR classroom. I listen to them.
1. School skills might be good for right or wrong answer type questions, but do not help in real world situations. School skills also do not benefit the student in problem solving realities of the work environment.
ReplyDelete2. They are quick to ask me for help. I ask questions and, depending on the frustration level, give them clues that might help them continue on their own.
3. I start off with extra support in the beginning. I really try to back off as much as possible by the middle of the year. It helps when they feel comfortable and safe to have a wrong answer. They love to know that I also make mistakes.
1. Students need more than school skills to be successful when they leave school. School skills linked to real-world context is necessary according to McCain. When I graduated from high school in 1969 students were prepared for the road they would travel after graduation - college, trade school (auto mechanics and wood working were 2 classes offered), business school. When will we accept the fact that very few of the students we teach will actually go to college? When will we go beyond school skills?
ReplyDelete2. This past school year I team taught with a general ed 3rd grade teacher. One of us would pull a small group to work with those who needed more instruction - encouragement while the other monitored the other students. This minimized the discipline or off-task problems with those who didn't know what to do. The small group was not always the same and no student felt stigmatized by joining when they were struggling with an assignment.
3. I have one firm rule. "You may not ask for help until you have tried to do the work independently first." Students need to learn it is all right to skip a problem/question they cannot solve/answer and come back to it later. I also teach students to chunk their work so they don't feel overwhelmed. These 2 simple ideas develop independence and success with students.
1. I feel school skills give children positive feedback in school and will give them the confidence to do their school work but does not give them life experiences. I feel if they are going to do better in real life situations we need to challenge them and teach them problem solving skills.
ReplyDelete2.Most of my students rely on me to answer their questions. I usually will ask them to either ask a friend or what do they think will happen. If that doesn't work, I usually guide them throught the problem.
3. In my classroom we build independence by role playing and small groups. We talk about what we are learning and why we need to know the information.
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteSchool skills offer students the basic building blocks to be successful when they leave the school system. We need to go beyond those basic building blocks to produce successful business men and women. It is up to us to incorporate real world applications into our lessons to help students see the relationships between what they learn in the classroom and what they will do after high school or college.
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
They sometimes become discouraged and frustrated when they do not understand my methods. But, instead of continuing to teach them my way, I ask for volunteers to explain alternatives to arrive at the same answer.
3. How do you build independence in your students?
Before teaching a new unit, I will sometimes pose a problem and allow them to think of ways to solve the problem. We see who has the best methods and see how they relate to the new information.
1. While school skills help students progress from grade to grade, they don’t really prepare students for real-world jobs in today’s world where problem solving skills are required.
ReplyDelete2. When students don’t know what to do they can talk to a partner or come to me for hints. I try to guide them with questioning techniques or have them use manipulatives to help them solve the problem.
3. I try to build independence in my students by encouraging them to show their work and explain their answers instead of having me explain it.
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteStudent need certain school skills, the basics which is what everyone needs in order to read, write and do math but the skills that students are taught are to help them pass onto the next grade, pass TAKS tests and make good grades but they are not the skills they need to succeed once they leave the school system. Students need more open-ended type questions, problem-solving skills and higher-order thinking questions. Matching, T/F, fill-in-the blanks and A,B,C choices will not help them in the real world.
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
If my students aren't sure what to do they will always ask me. I always have them tell me what they think they are supposed to do to make sure they understood. If the understanding is there, I tell them to take a minute and really think about it and try. I have found that some students don't want to think and want someone to just tell them what to do or give them the answer and I won't do that at all. Usually after a few minutes, I check on the student and they always say, "I got it". If they are still frustrated, then I step in and guide them through whatever it is they didn't "get".
3. How do you build independence in your students?
I answer this question also in #2. I want my student to be independent thinkers and they have to try, not just say "I don't get it". When I challenge them to try, they mostly figure out thier problems and get it.
Red Ryder :-)
ReplyDelete1. School skill depend on the thought and planning that goes into the lessons and questions that the teacher presents. When it comes to curriculum there is a lot of memorizatoin involved but if we can make the students think using Blooms Taxanomy of higher order thinking it will help students reach the next level.
2. If my students are working in partners then I have them try to figure it out by working together. If they ask me then I ask them, what part are you having problems with, is this simmilar to something you have done before, can you come up with a hypothesis and my favorit have you read the instructions. It might be the way that I explained it then I have to take a real hard look at myself. It just depends on the situation.
3. Think, pair, share,. They first find a way to do it themselves, they then colaborate with a partner to see if they got the same answer and the method by which they they came to their conclusion, they then share with the class their result. This follows an important concept train the trainer. They master a skill, they then recieve affirmation from their peer, and show confidence by demonstrating to the class what they have learned. Even shy kids want affirmation. This is just one method
1. School skills give students a knowledge base to pull from when working and problem solving. Students need a foundation of basic knowledge in specific instances to be able to tackle a problem. Students must also learn in context of real world to be able to apply their basic knowledge and solve a problem or develop a new way of doing something.
ReplyDelete2. My students tend to completely shut down and wait to be spoon fed the answer. They are afraid to even try to attempt their problem without guidance or reassurance from an adult for fear of being "wrong" or "failing". I try to help them break down the problem at hand into small achievable steps by finding the most important information or relevant information first, and building on what they already know. I realize this is still teacher guided and will continue their dependence on me.
3. I build independence in students by modeling strategies of defining the problem, finding the facts provided, relating it to something they already know, and then tackling the problem one attainable step at a time. I give them plenty of opportunities to explore, work with peers, and "mess up and try again" in a safe environment that allows for mistakes.
1. School skills are the skills that students use in the school system to help them advance to the next grade. They do not do much for the real world situations they will face. We need to develope problem solving skills.
ReplyDelete2. When a student does not know what to do on a problem, their do one of 3 things, they either give up, they guess at an answer, or they become helpless handraisers and want me to just give them the answer. I try to find out exactly what part of the problem they don't understand and work from their. I will also show them multiple ways to solve a problem and then allow them to choose the one they like the best.
3. I teach independence to my students by modeling steps and gradually letting them solve on their own, and by asking engaging questions that make them think about what they are doing.
1. School skills prepare students to continue and maybe even succeed in the world of education. These skills do not transfer to the real world. They need to be able to problem solve...to create a plan in order to finish a task. My husband complains that many of the young engineers that work for him have vast knowledge, but need him or others in charge to "lead them through" the process or steps of a project.
ReplyDelete2. It is painful when my students don't know the next step. I try and allow them to discover the answer on their own...and some do. But, I am embarrassed to admit that many times I end up "telling" the ending to the story :(
3. I build independence in my students by making sure the classroom has routine and that I am always clear with my expectations. I try and catch them thinking on their own and give praise in front of the class. In some cases, I make sure they have collaborated with another student or searched online before turning to me.
1. Unfortunately our day to day school skills we teach our students are not beneficial to students after they leave the school setting. They do not teach our students to be problem solvers or figure things out for themselves.
ReplyDelete2. Our students are taught from a young age if they do not understand something to ask the teacher. A majority of the time the teacher then turns around and "tells" the students how to solve the issue. I myself have been guilty of "telling" students out of my frustration of them not understanding. If I just tell them they get the answer rather than the learner understanding or discovering for themselves.
3. In order to build independence in my students I try to ask them questions that will enable them to determine the answer. I will sometimes ask them what they have so far and what do they think they should do next. They can then ask a partner or refer to another source to determine a way to solve the problem. Many times students will become frustrated with me, but in the end I am not succumbing to providing them the answers.
1. School skills are a basis to start from. A student must have a knowledge base to pull from in order to use problem solving skills. (ie. I need to know what an integer is before I understand how to work with the ups and downs of the stock market)
ReplyDelete2. Many of my students will simply shut down and flat out ask me to solve the problem(s) for them. And would wait for me to do so if I allowed them to. I typically will prompt my students in the right direction. My 1st question to them is usually "what do you think you should do first?" They typically will start moving in the right direction. I will then continue following up with "ok, now what?" I rarely ever just flat out tell them how to do it.
3. I typically have my students take ownership in the classroom. Instead of myself standing and lecturing, after a brief overview of the current lesson, I will have students guide me through examples. If they get too far off the path, we will then discuss what went wrong and where to go from there.
1. School skills give the students foundational skills (basic skills) needed to be successful in real life daily situations.
ReplyDelete2. When students don't know what to do most of the time they shut down and refuse to do anything. Other times they pick an answer - any answer just to be done. Finally, they try their best to get me to answer the question for them. I try to provide as many examples and different ways to approach the problem as possible and allow students to choose the way that works best for them.
3. I believe students need daily positive reinforcement to build their self esteem and make them willing to be more of an independent learner.
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author that school skills have been largely focused on assimilation and retrieval rather than analysis and problem solving.We have to develop school skills in such a way that they mirror the skills that will be necessary for success.
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
I have noticed a similar phenomenon of what seems to be "learned helplessness" coupled with a wait and wait and wait until she tells me strategy. My strategy has been to ask probing questions and encourage sharing among the students and usually solutions develop.
3. How do you build independence in your students?
High expectations - accountability - encouragement and consistency are key components for me.
1) School and education as a whole have been focused on building a student's set of school, but we fail to teach the student how to use the skill (or new tool). If we cannot link the importance and usage of a new skill to something that is applicabe to the student, they will forget the new skill and never be able to use it.
ReplyDelete2) When my students know what to do, usually they ask for clarification. I sometimes will answer their question and clarify, but more often I reflect the question back to student so they can prove to themself that they do know. Another strategy is to reflect the question back to the other students because you learn better when you can explain the process to another.
3) We start all new section with a discover activity or we a remembering activity. If you can build upon what the student already knows, a link is made and they are more apt to rememeber what they are being taught.
1. School skills are the fundamentals. We need to build on these skills to ensure our students are ready for the real world by teaching students the thought process of problem solving.
ReplyDelete2. Fred Jones discusses "helpless handraisers" and I see this a lot in my students. I usually go over to the student, pat them on the shoulder and tell them to keep trying and then walk away. This is hard for me!! :) Students have to learn to take risks. That strength alone will help them in the "real world".
3. I give lots of praise and encouragement. When a student's trust level is high, they will take more risks and start to become more of an independent thinker. Trust has to be felt from both the teacher and the other students in the class. Building a rapport with students, especially the struggelers, is one of the most crucial aspects of teaching. If a student doesn't trust you and/or feel safe in their environment, they're not going to take a risk in the learning process.
(1) Some of the school skills are valuable. Skills acquired in school as note taking, solving word problems, gathering information for a book report, critical analysis are some of the skills we need in order to succeed in work place.
ReplyDelete(2) My students ask me questions when they have no clue. Sometimes I give them the answer. At times, I ask them to refer back to their own notes.
(3) By first much hand holding, then gradually take my hands off and give them more decision making freedom.
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteSome school skills are a part of learning to function in society............getting to class on time, having the supplies you need, etc. Even skills such as passing a test have value in the real world.........driver's license tests, many pre-employment tests, certification tests. I think the issue in education today is that we often teach only school skills and neglect problem solving skills.
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
Generally, they just give up. They figure if they wait long enough, someone else will do it for them or tell them exactly how to do it. I had a really bad experience last year with a student in a discovery type of lesson. Students where given an assignment to explore slope using a Gizmo. I walked the room and encouraged them to read the instructions and do what was asked. She got mad and walked out of class because I would not tell her exactly what to do. And she was a "good" student. We have been mollycoddling students for so long that when they get into a class where some independent thinking is expected, things don't always go well.
3. How do you build independence in your students?
You have to scaffold support into activities and slowly withdraw. You have to make it safe for them to produce a product that is not 100% correct and give them opportunities to revise and edit it. I just don't know where to find the time to do those kinds of things and teach all of the curriculum that is required in my courses.
1. School skills give the student just one piece of an important foundation they will need in the real world. I like to think of it as the intellectual piece.
ReplyDelete2. When a student is "stuck" and needs my help, I always ask them to tell me specifically what they don't understand. I will not take "I'm confused" or "I don't understand". It is hard, but I try to give them as little help as possible. We would start with re-reading the problem or question and then using the strategy they have been taught go to work underlining key information and then re-reading the question. I tell my students they must show their work because if you can prove your answer, then you should get the correct answer.
3.Building independence takes time and lots of encouragement. I give my classes "pep talks" and tell them they all have the same amount of brain and that they CAN do this, if they will just try! Because you won't know if you can, unless you try. So just constant praise and "high fives" and "whoops" when they work through something that was very challenging to them.
Shortened Version (first time I typed and lost it all when attempting to post it)
ReplyDelete1. School skills are effective for school related activities and may assist students in being accepted into a college and even receiving financial assistance. However, these skills shortchange students when they get into "the real world" and are expected to think for themselves.
2. and 3. Teaching Math Models has allowed me to foster independence with my students. I am able to reply to questions with "what do you think?" rather than giving answers. It takes a while for students to realize that they already have the skills needed, but must apply them to solve the overall problem. At the beginning of the year, students respond with frustration. By the middle of the year, students begin their questions with "I know you aren't going to answer this, but...". However, by that time, they have begun to understand what is expected of them and I can typically ask a few guiding questions to get them back on track.
I had previously been using the modeling process provided by our Math Models textbook, but transitioned relatively seamlessly to EPSE as it is very similar to what I had been using.
1. School skills can allow a student to be successful if taught in conjunction with real world skills. Unfortunately students today are taught how to test and they struggle when thrown into a real world situation. I feel that too many of our students are not taught or allowed to think for themselves. We must allow students to think, make a mistake and learn from those mistakes.
ReplyDelete2. They usually want to ask for my assistance, however I instruct them to figure it out on their own. I tell them that this is how we learn.
3. I push them to do things on their own with little or no help from me. Some will succeed and some will struggle. I let them know that it’s okay. It happens to all of us.
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteI believe that the content that we teach is necessary for students to be successful... However, I do believe that we have to move towards a more problem-based learning system. I do think that we are headed in the right direction (with more and more of the curriculum having students apply their knowledge, not just recall their knowledge.)
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
When my students do not know what to do, they will first go to other students (I tend to work in cooperative groups the majority of the time) and if they still cannot figure it out, they come to me. I will guide them towards a solution, however, they do the work. As far as myself, I will go to other teachers, facilitators, etc. to help me when I am struggling with something.
3. How do you build independence in your students?
My usual formula is to model first, and then progressively reduce my help/assistance as we go through the topics. Building the students confidence is key in the students gaining independence.
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteThe students do need to learn sills that we teach in school, but we need to give it to them in a different way. We need to go to a problem first content second approach and back away from the lecture form. We also need to help students with skills to figure out problems.
2. What do your students do when they don’t know what to do and what do you do?
When students do not have an answer, they expect the teacher to give them the answer. I try to ask the students questions to help them to find the answer on their own. I do not do this enough of the time, but when I do students feel proud of themselves for solving the problem.
3. How do you build independence in you students?
At the beginning of the year I model more , but as the year goes along I try to become more of a facilitator and not as the lecturer. I also get students to do more of the teaching when I can.
1. How are school skills the kind of skills that students will need to be successful when they leave the school system?
ReplyDeleteSchool skills are necessary for students’ success once they leave school because it provides structure and the zeal to work for incentives. However, they need real-world skills to be effective problem solvers.
2. What do your students do when they don't know what to do and what do you do?
Some students shutdown and others ask for directions or answers when they do not know what to do. I redirect and ask the students questions that will lead them to find answers to their questions.
3. How do you build independence in your students?
I give my students most of the decision –making responsibilities. I stress that they take ownership of their work by doing it themselves. This will ensure success. My lessons include real-life situation problems that give students hands-on problem solving experiences.