Human beings are unique creatures. We walk upright, and this freed our forelimbs so we developed unusual dexterity allowing us to build and use tools. Because we walk upright, our pelvises are narrower than the pelvises of other primates. To accommodate birth through such a pelvis, human babies are born small and helpless (despite this, Read More
Category: Learning
Emerging Models of Schooling
As educators recognize they need to prepare students for a far different future than they ever imagined, they are beginning to recognize that the traditional models of “offering a course” or “teaching a lesson” to fill the gaps in students’ preparation is untenable. We cannot possibly provide all of the knowledge, skills, habits, and experiences Read More
Epistemology is Not a “Four-Lettered” Word 5: Innateness of Learning
A final epistemological assumption that affects who teachers approach their work with students is the innateness of learning. Clearly, there are individuals who have different abilities to learn, and those are grounded in physical and developmental aspects of the learner as well as social aspects of the learners’ experience. Some extend these differences to the Read More
Epistemology is Not a “Four-Lettered” Word 4: Speed of Learning
Continuing to examine the effects of epistemology on how teachers approach their craft, this post considers the speed at which learning is assumed to occur. For some, once information has been been transferred to a brain, we can assume the person in whom that brain exists has “learned” the information and can use it in Read More
Epistemology is Not a “Four-Lettered” Word 3: Authority
This thread in my blog addresses epistemology, the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge. I maintain that educators avoid epistemology like it is a vulgar word, but the reality is that every decision they make, and every activity they plan can be interpreted in terms of epistemology and it defines in many Read More
Epistemology is Not a “Four-Lettered” Word 2: Simplicity
Here is my second post on the theme “epistemology is not a four-lettered word.” In this series, I am considering the philosophy of knowledge and the assumptions about the nature of what is known. My rationale is grounded in my belief that educators should recognize the role of epistemology in the design of their classrooms Read More
Epistemology is Not a “Four-Lettered” Word #1: Certainty of Knowledge
I found a draft of an essay I wrote a few years ago that still seems relevant… the essay never made it off my hard drive… until now and it is going to be a series of blog posts. Epistemology is a branch of philosophy in which we consider the nature of knowledge. What is Read More
Capacity for Learning
77: Capacity for Learning Every day, we read and hear about the changing nature of work. “The job that existed before no longer exist” and “the jobs that our students will have do not exist yet” are themes we encounter in the business press, the education press, and in the current events press. We could Read More
Multitasking
Rereading The Teenage Brain and I found this image which struck me as I had minutes earlier finished a conversation in which students debated the degree to which they can multi-task. I am gal to hear some students beginning to realize that they cannot perform as well when they are distracted by phone, friends, or Read More
Vygotsky and the Zone of Proximal Development
70: Vygotsky and the Zone of Proximal Development Lev Vygotsky was a Russia psychologist who worked in the early part of the 20th century before he died at 38. Many educators who adopt methods that are commonly called constructivist ground their pedagogy in ideas he developed. One that is particularly useful in designing all curriculum Read More