Critical
and Creative Thinking
Objective:
Critical thinking is the active, persistent, and careful consideration of a
belief or form of knowledge, the grounds that support it, and the conclusions
that follow. It involves analyzing and evaluating one’s own thinking and that
of others. In the context of college teaching and learning, critical thinking
deliberately and actively engages students in:
- Raising vital questions and problems and formulating these clearly and precisely;
- Gathering and assessing relevant information, and using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively;
- Reaching well-reasoned conclusions and solutions and testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
- Openly considering alternative systems of thought; and
- Effectively communicating to others the analysis of and proposed solutions to complex challenges.
Creative thinking is the generation of new ideas within or across domains of
knowledge, drawing upon or intentionally breaking with established symbolic
rules and procedures. It usually involves the
behaviors of preparation, incubation, insight, evaluation, elaboration, and
communication. In the context of college teaching and learning, creative
thinking deliberately and actively engages students in:
- Bringing together existing ideas into new configurations;
- Developing new properties or possibilities for something that already exists; and
- Discovering or imagining something entirely new.
NC
State University, (2012).
Reflective:
My
understanding of critical thinking is the logical process of thinking;
it includes reasoning, evaluating and making a decision based on the
information. Creative thinking is
thinking outside the box, using your imagination and creating original thoughts
and ideas. Reflecting on my skills in these areas of cognitive
ability, I believe I have a moderate level of critical thinking skills but as
for creative thinking, I am not a blimp on the radar. I believe my biggest
hurdle to critical thinking is being impatient.
I do not allow people; myself included time to think about the question
or problem to come up with ideas and answers.
In regards to my creative thinking barriers, I can only offer that it is
substantially harder to do, so I stay in the safe critical thinking zone where
I know the elements and can defend my position.
I find it very difficult to step out of the box, even though I know
there are wondrous things that could be waiting for me.
Interpretive:
I see lots of examples of critical thinking in our classroom and the
development of these thinking skills in students as they move through the
course. We use classification and case
study strategies quite often which foster high level thinking skills. Student use the data provided to create
treatment plans for clients with various skin conditions, and must include
procedures or products which are recommended for the treatment of their
case. Students must also list contra-indications for their particular
case. We have students troubleshoot
solutions and reasons for cases with unsatisfactory treatment results. By
figuring out why something did not work helps the student to apply their
knowledge without harming a client. In addition, students are required to
analyze each service they perform in the practice lab and document their results
and thoughts. These are discussed with the instructor and feedback is
provided.One article in my research I found very interesting discusses how the brain develops pathways for thinking, making shortcuts and overtime these limit our regard to alternatives. I wonder if this is this a reason I find creative thinking so difficult, because of the way I have trained my brain to think over the years?
"Habits, thinking patterns and routines with which we approach life gradually accumulate until they significantly reduce our awareness of other possibilities." Michalko, M (2015).
I will be conducting further research on thinking patterns before I buy in, but it’s interesting none the less.
I am disappointed to realise we offer very few opportunities for creative learning in our class and the few we may do are surface learning at best. In groups our students create a 3D representation of the cross section of the skin. The students are learning about the 3 dermal layers of the skin, what each layer contains and how the components of each layer work with the others. While they do like the creative aspect of this project, to me this is superficial thinking as the students are essentially creating a 3D model of an existing image, they are not taking this image and creating something new with it. I realize now that it’s probably not even a creative thinking activity at all. Hmm…There is another example of learning the colour wheel and students must create the secondary and tertiary colours themselves. Is this creative thinking? I think it might be.
Decisional:
I will embrace a 3-5 second delay when waiting for
an answer or in responding to an answer.
The more I
develop this skill the more I can help myself and students develop critical and
creative thinking skills.
I would like to include an additional project which
is open to the student’s imagination and one I believe to be a creative
thinking activity. Students must study an era/style and create a modern makeup look that highlights one
component of that era/style. Detailed
photographs of their original makeup look are to be accompanied by their self
assessment mark and rationale outlining their ideas and decisions. Examples could be Victorian, Renaissance, and
Elizabethan or Egyptian....They are free to choose and create as they wish.
Assessment will be a combination of self and instructor marks.
Ethical dilemmas or Split-Room Debate are two
critical thinking SET’s I'd like to try for topics such as tanning or Botox. Having the students develop flow charts and
concept maps in class, explaining how the Endocrine system (e.g.) interacts
with the skin is an example of a critical thinking activity I will build into
my Anatomy and Physiology lessons.
Including short answer questions and a short essay
question in exams will further display the student’s critical thinking
skills. Students are given a set of
symptoms of a skin disorder in a case study scenario. They must determine the disorder and
formulate a treatment plan for their client in writing, detailing which
disorder it is, how they came to that conclusion and the proposed
treatment.
As I progress in my instructing career I am
committed to learning many more strategies to foster critical and creative
thinking in myself and those students I have the pleasure of assisting.
References:
Michalko, M. (2015). Creative Thinking: Think outside your Caged Imagination, Retrieved From: https://creativethinking.net/articlesandtechniques/
NC State University. (2012). Critical & Creative Thinking Definitions, Retrieved From: http://accreditation.ncsu.edu/critical-creative-thinking-definitions
Introverts
This journal focuses on my reflections on Susan
Cain’s ted talk titled “The Power of Introverts”.
Objective:
The terms introvert and extrovert relates to how an individual
responds to various levels of social stimulation. Extroverts crave and enjoy lots of
stimulation; they gain energy from being in social situations with lots of
people, they can be very talkative and their mind tends to process information very
quickly. Introverts need and seek less
stimulation, they gain energy from being alone, prefering quieter and calm
environments.
These individuals like to take their time processing information which
can often lead to deep levels of cognitive thinking. (Cain. 2012)
Introversion is different
from shyness. Shyness is a fear of social judgment and often shy people feel
anxious or awkward when interacting with others. Introverts do not feel anxiety when
interacting with people they just like to spend time alone.
Being unique, all people fall on a
different place within the spectrum of introvert and extrovert. Those who land in the middle area of the
spectrum are known as Ambivert.
Institutions like our schools and work are currently
being designed towards group based working environments which leaves little
privacy or space for a person to be alone.
This extrovert orientated design approach when creating work/school spaces is not ideal. The constant distraction from other people does not enable a person to
engage their mind to a level of focus required for deep and creative thinking. All people whether extrovert or introvert,
need some quiet time to enable the mind to
navigate and maximize their thought processes.
Reflective:
I definitely have a more extroverted
personality and my husband is more introverted.
This has and sometimes still does create challenges for us. It has taken me along time to accept and allow
him the freedom to be himself without pushing my social behavior biases on him. I often catch myself overpowering a situation
with my chatter, and have to remind myself to quiet down, allowing others the
opportunity to talk.
When in the grips of learning, I do
need time to reflect on the information that I am absorbing and focus on my
thinking without distractions or interference.
Interpretive:
In today’s society there is a belief
that bigger and bolder is better. Being
an introvert is commonly viewed as socially unacceptable and this bias in our
thinking has resulted in many introverts behaving in more extroverted ways to
try and fit the mold that is favored in our societies. This
inauthentic behavior and pressure to be what we are not, affects a huge
percentage of us. Cain suggests that at
least a third to a half of the world population is introverts. These people should not be shunned or shamed
but given the freedom to spend the time they need alone to recharge and perform
to their highest potential.
I recently attended a parent teacher
meeting with my daughter who is in grade 3.
Their classroom is designed so the students sit at round tables with 5
or 6 children to a table. She was asked
what was most difficult about sitting at these group tables and although my
daughter has more of an extrovert persona she said that she gets distracted by
the other students, which then leads to problems with her achievement. The solution (for now) when she requires
solitude, is for her to ask if she can move to the one single table in the back of the room, or to use a privacy
screen at the group table. Even though
she is confident enough to ask, I wonder if other students would feel
comfortable to ask. I saw firsthand how
ingrained group based learning is in our society and the detrimental effects
it’s having. It is essential to allow
people the space and time they require to work individually without
interference from others.
Decisional:
I do expect and foster a mutually
respectful climate in the classroom. A
class discussion during the first week of the course on introverts/extroverts will
provide information and promote understanding on the needs and expectations of people
on both ends of the spectrum.
I commit to being mindful of the
classroom design with some group settings and individual settings. Where I work, I am fortunate to be blessed
with a room big enough to have the space and furniture to achieve this.
I will give breaks often and establish
regular quiet time in the classroom which will provide opportunities for all
students to focus their mind. During
classroom discussion I will allow adequate wait time for those quieter students
to think thru their answer and the opening to voice their thoughts. Giving students notice of changes or upcoming
events removes the surprise element that most introverts find unnerving. I strive to meet the needs of all people, both
introverts and extroverts in my classroom, to help them reach their maximum
potential.
References:
Cain, S., The power of introverts. (2012). Retrieved November 7, 2015, from
Psychology Today: Shyness.
Retrieved November 7, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/shyness
Student
Engagement
Objective:
“Student
engagement is a process and a product that is experienced on a continuum and
results from the synergistic interaction between motivation and active
learning.” Barkley, E., 2010. p8.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines motivation as
“a force or influence that causes someone to do something.”
Motivation can intrinsic or extrinsic and often is a
combination of both. Intrinsic motivation
refers to a person’s attitudes, beliefs and values and is personal in
nature. Extrinsic motivation refers to
factors outside the individual such as grades, professional development and money.
Active learning involves students participating in
reading, writing and discussion activities that encourage higher order thinking
like analysis, creation, evaluation and problem solving skills. Students are performing tasks and thinking
about what they are doing and not just passively listening in the classroom. Bonwell,
C. 2009.
Both motivation and active learning are required for
student engagement to be a real and empowering process.
Reflective:
When I fully participate in my life activities, I
find them more rewarding than if I sit on the sidelines and watch. This positive experience fuels my motivation
to experience that feeling of enjoyment again.
My attitude to learning is the same, the more I participate the more I
learn and the more I want to engage.
Interpretive:
My first day in Esthetics College began with a quick
lesson of theory and a demonstration. We
were then taken through the procedure step by step, and performed an eyelash
tinting treatment. The class assessed
and compared results and discussed ways in which we could improve. I was hooked!
We jumped right in and were actively learning which left us wanting
more. I have witnessed the joy of
students who are fully engaged in their learning; they participate to a greater
extent and are motivated to push themselves deeper and further in their tasks. On the flip side, I have also seen students
completely detached from the learning experience, which is disheartening for
everyone.
Being interested in the lesson motivates students to
participate actively in the lesson. There must be relevance to the lesson that
links to the course objectives or outlines and the students must be aware of
these connections. Motivation comes from
applying the newly acquired knowledge or skills and building it onto our
current knowledge bases. However, I do
think ultimately the level of a student’s motivation is linked to how the
student feels about them self as a learner (self-efficacy), their intrinsic and
extrinsic motivating factors and their perceived success or failure in the
course.
Active learning can be as simple as turning to your
neighbor and discussing a topic in a face to face classroom or posting your
thoughts on a discussion forum in an online setting. There are higher levels of active learning
such as critical thinking tasks. One
such learning task is Classifying, which requires the student to understand the
content, and use analysis and evaluation skills to determine the items should
be sorted, and finally create a classification system.
The two go hand in hand, when students are actively
learning, the motivation to continue and keep making connections is increased
leading to further participation in active learning activities.
Decisional:
I believe establishing and maintaining a classroom
environment that is positive, respectful and energetic helps fosters individuals
who are motivated and enthusiastic learners.
Keeping lessons short or incorporating quick breaks into a long session
will help the students maintain attention.
The content and context of the lesson
must be relevant to the students learning goals. I will continually link the activity or
lesson to prior learning/knowledge and course/lesson outcomes. These strategies
will assist students to keep up their motivation.
I will ensure there are plenty of active learning
activities and tasks throughout the lessons.
One example of this is to have students develop a blog or digital
portfolio at the beginning of the course and document their learning and
progress for the duration of the program.
They will be required to write journals and visually display their newly
acquired knowledge and skill development, via photos, videos or pictures. This
will be graded and a portion of their final evaluation. I will regularly check on these portfolios
and offer feed forward comments.
It’s my sincere desire to witness students be
successful in their education goals but my ultimate goal is to see students
take responsibility for their own learning and be motivated to become a
lifelong learner.
References:
Barkley, Elizabeth F. 2010. Student Engagement
Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
Print.
Bonwell,
C. 2009. Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. Retrieved
from: http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/hbcu/documents/Active_Learning_Creating_Excitement_in_the_Classroom.pdf
“Students learn by doing” (Bowen,
J., 2012, p 192).
Objective:
Students need to actively
participate in class lessons and activities in order to gain and retain their
newly acquired knowledge. The term
Active Learning “indicates that to learn, students must do more than just
listen: They must read, write, discuss, or be engaged in solving problems. In
particular, students must engage in such higher-order thinking tasks as
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation” (Active Learning, Wikipedia).
The pyramid below
displays the general abilities of students to perform learning outcomes in
relation to particular learning activities (UBC, 2010). It shows that people remember only 10% of what
they read and 20 % of what they hear. Alternatively,
people retain 70% of what they say and write and 90% of what they do.
Doing tasks or writing reports enhances students’ critical thinking
skills, as their knowledge is required to analyse, evaluate and create
solutions or to successfully achieve a learning outcome. Collaborative learning demands, that students
discuss, negotiate, solve problems and make decisions. These abilities enhance a student’s social,
communication and higher level thinking skills.
References:
Keeping lessons short
or incorporating quick breaks into a longer session will help hold the student’s
attention. Being interested in the
lesson motivates students to participate in the “active” portion of the lesson.
There is “long standing evidence that
student attention and retention decreases dramatically after 15 minutes,
regardless of the quality of the lecture” (Wankat, 2002; Bowen, 2012 p 193). Active learning is possible in all learning
environments, by creating valuable lessons either in the field, in the
classroom or online.
Reflective:
This
subject reminds me of the Chinese proverb:
When
I hear, I forget. When I see, I remember. When I do, I understand.
I am a hands-on learner
and I believe that is one reason I chose a career in esthetics. What I am discovering, is that I am also a
hands-on instructor. I find the best way
to teach and learn a treatment is by the methods of modelling or demonstration
and then practise, practise, practise. My very first day in esthetics college, rather
than beginning with theory, we were taught and then performed an eyelash
tinting treatment, I was hooked! We
jumped right in and were doing tasks that were exciting and left us wanting
more. I can say that all my fellow class
mates felt the same way.
It is my sincere desire
to see students be successful in their education but my ultimate wish is for
students to take responsibility for their own learning. When I fully participate in my life
activities, I find them more rewarding and I learn more than if I sit on the
sidelines and watch. I have witnessed
the joy of students who are fully engaged in their learning, they participate
to a greater extent and are motivated to push themselves. I will strive to create a learning
environment that fosters enjoyment with the added bonus of learning as
well.
Interpretive:
To
me, active learning can be as simple as turning to your neighbour and
discussing a topic in a face to face environment or posting your thoughts on a
thread or forum style discussion, in an online setting. Presenting an assignment also contains higher
order thinking skills as information must first be gathered, analysed, evaluated
and then used to create the project.
Being mindful of how knowledge
is gained, questioning that information and then using it to solve problems and
develop ideas is active learning in progress.
Techniques like mind mapping, journaling, pair or group tasks and my
favorite, case studies are all examples of active learning strategies.
For esthetics students,
I believe active learning really comes into focus when students are performing
treatments, in the school spa. For
example, when performing a facial; first the student must use their knowledge
to analyse a client’s skin, create an appropriate treatment plan and then
evaluate their treatment results by assessing the changes to the skin and how
the client feels.
Decisional:
I
believe that a class discussion, in a safe and non-judgemental climate, is one
of the best ways in which students learn. It helps them understand and apply
what they have learned and can provide insight for the teacher as there may be
some areas of a lesson that need reviewing.
I like using case studies in my classroom; they are
a wonderful opportunity for student to practise their knowledge in a secure
environment before experimenting on their clients. I will ask students to pair up and choose and
research a topic, then create and perform a presentation on their chosen
subject. This exercise contains several
active learning components, firstly the collaborative learning benefits, next
analysing and evaluating the information that they have gathered and finally
preparing and understanding their subject so they are able to teach it. By giving students the choice of how they
will learn, empowers and motivates them to succeed.
Another example of
active learning for students is to create a course long journaling
assignment. They could develop a digital
portfolio, blog or even a hand written journal with pictures, videos or
photographs of their learning journey. Not
only is this a great way for students to solidify their understanding, it
provides a valuable future resource.
I commit to incorporating
active learning tasks into my lesson plans and having short but regular breaks
when I have to speak for longer than 15 minutes. This course has provided me with many
resources to use in the class room, for example, a game site that I can
customise for my subject and a makeup game that allow students to upload a
photo and use make up and application techniques to age the person. As I progress as an instructor I look forward
to gathering and updating a portfolio of active learning activities and ideas.
Active learning, (2013). In Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:51, October 17, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Active_learning&oldid=577528354
Bowen, J., (2012), Teaching Naked: How moving
technology out of your college classroom will improve student learning, Wiley
& Sons; San Francisco, p 192
UBC, (2010), Active
Learning, http://wiki.ubc.ca/Course:EDCP371_951_2010/Active_learning
“Teaching is
all about making connections” (Bowen, J., 2012, p 30).
Objective:
We are social creatures
and most of us desire to have meaningful connections with other people. To be successful in the classroom we must
first connect with our students to build teaching and learning relationships. Creating an ideal learning environment and
getting to know our students in person are good examples of connecting in the
classroom. In addition, by using and
encouraging communication through various technological mediums, an effective
and efficient means of connecting with students is possible both inside and
outside of the classroom. “Communication
is highly motivating and has a direct impact on students’ learning” (Bowen, J.,
2012, p 108).
Facebook now boasts 1.11
billion people using the site each month (The Associated Press, 2013) and
Twitter just released its figures at 218.3 million active user each month
(Gibbs,S., 2013). Today most students
have a Facebook profile or a Twitter account and there are many on other social
networking sites. In our busy lives
connecting face to face seems to be increasingly difficult, with some students enrolled
in courses whose only option is to connect online. Developing a Facebook page for the classroom
allows the instructor to post interesting links and articles or general
housekeeping information. Students can
join and keep their personal pages private (Bowen, J., 2012, p 35).
Reflective:
I feel developing
relationships and making connections are at the very core of my learning and
also how I teach. I remember being more
attentive and wanting to work harder in the classes where I trusted and liked
the teacher and behaved quite the opposite for the classes with teachers I had
no personal connection. Of course it
goes without saying that those classes I actively participated in, I achieved
higher grades. I also believe that my
connection to what I was learning and how relevant I thought it was to me also
helped, but for this journal I will concentrate on social connections.
Getting help outside of
school hours was a challenge for students, they would have to find the teacher
who may or may not have stayed after school and phoning them for assistance was
not an option. Using technology like email
or facebook now makes it easier for students to access help from either the instructor
or from their peers. People can connect
from anywhere at any time with real time conversations, providing they are
online.
This summer I
participated in a course on delivery of instruction and one of my fellow class
members was in Costa Rica and joined us online each day. She was on a large screen and we could all
see and hear her, as she could us. While
the occasional technical hitch was a little frustrating, it was an interesting
experience and connecting with her throughout the course was enjoyable for all
of us. I realise now, that
part of the foundation of my academic success was and still is my relationships
with teachers. While most of my early
connections were based solely on face to face interactions, recently I took a
course and my only communication with the instructor was online. I was nervous, but five minutes into the first
meeting I was comfortable and at ease with the new learning environment because
I felt a connection with my instructor.
Interpretive:
My
thought is that trust is what’s most important in building and maintaining
connections with students. It is
important for students to trust that I am respectful, available, and fair and
that I value their previous experiences and knowledge. I am aware there will be times when all my
attempts at connecting with a student may be refused, but I will keep trying as
it is my sincere desire for all students to know I care about them and that I
want to help them achieve their goals.
This year our college
class has a Facebook page and all the students do subscribe. The instructor posts fun pictures or
activities the group has participated in and this has proven to be a positive
experience for our class. It does need
to be managed to ensure appropriate information is published, and that is
overseen by the instructor.
I do think it is necessary
for the instructor to keep the number of social networks used for class
communications low, maybe one or two sites.
Keeping track of any more is tedious and time consuming. I think Twitter is a great tool to replace
texting for announcements or reminders as it allows contact with all students
at once rather than sending multiple texts.
Decisional:
My esthetics
class is small, and in order to learn, our environment is one of face to face
and hands on learning. Smiling and
greeting the students in the morning is one way I connect and let them know I
am happy they are present. I will build
the trust of my students by being available either in class or online when outside
of class hours, and reply within a set time frame. I will also continue to be encouraging with
feedback and offer objective suggestions in a timely manner.
To create out of class
connections, we will collectively decide which communication tool/s to use, (i.e.
email, Facebook or Twitter), for class announcements and be consistent with
these. I see the benefits of using these
sites and would encourage all class members to join and participate by
regularly posting interesting information, videos or new trends in the beauty
industry to the class Facebook page. I
will now invite students to follow me on Twitter as engaging in these methods
of communication with the instructor (e.g. to follow the instructor on Twitter)
is useful to deliver information quickly and easily, I may occasionally Tweet
helpful study or exam tips to keep interest up.
As a result of this exercise I see myself integrating e-communications
into my classroom.
References:
The Associated Press, (2013), Number of
active users at Facebook over the years,
Gibbs, S., (2013) The Guardian, Twitter's IPO
filing: nine scintillating things we've learned,
06/10/13
Roles of the Educator in a Multiple Intelligence Environment
Multiple Intelligences is a theory
developed by Howard Gardner in the early 1980’s. “The theory defines intelligence as the
ability to solve problems or create products that are valued in one or more
cultures or communities. It counters views that intelligence can be measured
solely through IQ tests. It contends that all humans possess at least eight
forms of intelligence: linguistic, logical/mathematical, spatial/visual,
bodily/kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist” (Kallenbach,
1999, p.14).
The main
role of a teacher in this theory is to be a mentor or guide to students and
create a positive learning environment where students feel safe and free to
explore their new knowledge. In the late
1990’s multiple intelligences was extensively studied in the area of adult
learning, particularly adult literacy. It was found that using multiple
intelligence teaching strategies can lead to a more effective learning environment. An important aspect of this theory is
assessing a student’s intelligence strengths. Having students discover their unique intelligence composition can be achieved by them participating in a questionnaire at this site. Educators can use the assessment results to connect with and know their students better and ultimately be more effective in teaching.
By broadening the
approach to developing lesson plans an instructor offers a more individualised
mode of teaching which benefits all students.
This customising of instruction can be seen through offering a variety
of activities and theme or project based lessons, resulting in an increase in creativity
and a more positive learning environment.
Allowing the choice of activities in class enables students to use their
strongest intelligence and often follows with an increase in student attendance,
participation and retention of the lesson material; this is even more evident
with students with learning disabilities or focus issues. “As a whole,
MI-based approaches can be characterised as constructivist. They invite students to construct their own
meaning through problem-solving and the media of their intelligence strengths,
building on what they already know and feel competent in.” (Kallenbach, et al.,
p.15).
An
instructor should develop and plan assessments that enable students to
demonstrate their knowledge of the course material through the use of their
preferred intelligence style. This builds on the teaching approach of validating the
strengths of the learner. While this
does require much thought and initially extra work for the instructor, once the
lesson activities and assessments are built the learning benefits for the
student are invaluable. I will strive to
become more creative in my own thinking to involve the intelligences when
developing lesson plans and assessments, and insure a wide variety of resources
are readily available for all students to use. As Gardner (1999a) states, “the multiple
intelligence theory is best thought of as a tool rather than an educational
goal” (Gardner, 1999a; Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., Baumgartner, L., 2007, p 376).
References:
Gardner, H, (1999a), A Multiplicity of
Intelligences. Intelligence, 9(4), p
21. In Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., Baumgartner, L., (2007), Learning in Adulthood, Wiley & Sons; San Francisco
Kallenbach, S, (1999) Emerging Themes in Adult Multiple
Intelligences, Focus on Basics, Volume 3, Issue A, pp. 16–20
taken from http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/teach/ami_pract.pdf
Trends in Multiple Intelligences
Flipped classroom is a recently revived
trend in adult education in which the typical lecture and homework elements of
a course are reversed. “The term is
widely used to describe almost any class structure that provides pre-recorded
lectures followed by in class exercises, projects or discussions. The
value of a flipped class is in the re purposing of class time into a workshop
where students can enquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying
knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities”(Eli, 2012). The fundamental element in this approach is
the video lecture although the lecture content can certainly be made available
through text format.
Multiple intelligence theory can be engaged when using a flipped classroom format as
students are able view a podcast, learning the content by utilising
a method best suited to their intelligence strengths and at their own
pace. For example, a spatial student may be able to retain the infomation by just looking at the video, a linguistic students may want to take notes, a kinesthetic learner has the opportunity to move around and a musical student may have music playing in the background. These habitual activities performed while viewing the video help a learner to remember the content and are usually automatic in nature. Concepts of active learning and
student engagement are enhanced by using the flipped format, students can
decide if they need to review the material, pause or skip forward the lecture being
presented, thus putting the learner in the control of the lesson. The accountability that develops by taking an
active role in their own learning process builds students self confidence and
has empowering results. This video of Aaron Sams demonstrates how effective combining these two modes of teaching can be. By using the
time in class and having a choice of activities or projects, students are able
to use their intelligence strengths to reiterate knowledge learned in the
podcast. Additionally the instructor can catch misinterpreted information encouraging
the student to master one concept before continuing on. Careful preparation by the instructor is
essential to be sure all the elements of a flipped class are right. The fluid integration
of 'in' and 'out' of class aspects helps motivate students to be
prepared for class. When the flipped model is adopted, the time in class also allows for
students to engage with each other and help their fellow student with challenges.
An example of combining the multiple intelligence theory and flipping my classroom would be to provide students with a video of a facial massage lecture to be viewed prior to class, with various activities to be completed in class. The video lecture contains information on the contraindications and benefits both physically and psychologically of massage, definitions of various techniques and movements and an actual example of a facial massage. Time in class is spent reviewing the content of the lecture and performing hands on training of the treatment. The classroom would be set up with centres, each with a different project but focused on the subject matter. Individuals are free to choose which centre they will work on. Finally, students would be required to produce the sequence of movements and massage techniques on a fellow student for constructive feedback.
Specific examples of facial massage activities at each centre are as follows:
Intelligence
|
Centre Activity for Lesson
|
Linguistic
|
Describe in writing the
massage movements and correct sequence on cue cards
|
Logical
|
Develop
a pattern of movements on cue cards and organise in sequence
|
Visual
|
Design
a map of the massage by drawing pictures or using photos of the movements and
place in sequence
|
Interpersonal
|
In a group (2 or more) discuss the massage and
create a plan/chart of the movements and their sequence
|
Intrapersonal
|
Reflect
and journal your thoughts about massage and how you interpret the
movements and sequencing
|
Musical
|
Compose
a rhythm or song and perform the massage to your composition
|
Kinetic
|
Perform
massage on a partner and provide feedback for each other
|
Reference:
Eli, (2012). 7
Things You Should Know about Flipped Classroom
Web
Conference on Multiple Intelligences
Participating in this
learning opportunity with my fellow classmate has been a fun and enlightening
experience. We discovered and shared
many sites and articles relating to multiple intelligence (MI), flipped
classrooms and e-learning. We spoke of our
thoughts regarding these teaching methods and tools and how we could integrate
our new knowledge into the classroom, enabling students to utilise their learning
strengths.
Ronna introduced the term "e-learning" to me. It is the use of
electronic media (television, video, audio, computers and smart phones) to
enhance and deliver instruction to students.
Web based learning, virtual classrooms, moodle, mobile learning, skype,
social networks, blogs and you tube are just a few vessels in which education
today is presented.
Electronic
learning can be diversely interactive; this teaching mode is well suited to developing
lessons and activities which engage the MI theory. Students can control the pace as they travel
through the lessons and activities can be formed with consideration to
intelligence styles. Establishing live
chat rooms or discussion forums within a course community creates shared
experiences and student to student learning opportunities. Flipped classrooms most commonly use videos to
prepare students before a class; it is an effective e-learning platform and is essential
to implement the concept of flipping. E-learning
instruction is generally a step by step format and learning is able to occur in
and out of the classroom.
A
few examples of e-learning in action are Harvard and Yale Universities who have
produced entire free online courses, also Khan Academy which is home to one the
largest collections of educational videos on the web today. Today, more instructors are embracing the
multiple intelligence theory and utilising the teaching concepts of flipped
classrooms and e-learning platforms. These
are tools that enhance learning and ultimately the advancement of individuals.
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