|
|
Engaging Students to Make Meaning out of their Own Learning: Constructing Student-Centered Electives and Focusing on Student Decision-Making in Required CoursesJames A. Diskant, Ph.D.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This has been a wonderful year for decision-making that has stretched me as a teacher in three complementary ways: I have been involved in coaching seniors (and juniors) to construct their own classes, in assisting sophomores to define key terms for classroom projects, and in facilitating graduate students to reflect on their theoretical approaches to be effective teachers. As I continue to share these approaches with others, I am confident that it may a part of a larger trend of constucting meaningful teaching and learning of which world history and its focus on interactive skills and teaching methodologies play a large part. For the first time in the eight years that I have been at the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury (a neighborhood of Boston), I've taught two electives; while it's been enormously pleasureable, there have been unanticipated challenges. I knew that I had to find a ways to have these students "buy-in" to these courses, given that many of them, while among the brightest in the school, were psychologically already out of high school. Unlike AP courses, where the test loomed large in their minds, these courses needed to tap into something else: intrinsic motivation, peer pressure, or what? The situation was compounded by the fact that one of the two courses, Latin American History, is neither my specialty, creation, nor offered when I wanted it to be which would have been in the spring of this year when I would have felt better prepared. Nonetheless, I figured out that I needed to do something unusual at my school: have the students create the courses with me through a process of decision making. Perhaps it is no conincidence that I am also teaching a graduate course in educational theories and encouraging more decision making among 10th graders – both excellent developments for them and for me.1 I also had the luxury of not working in a state which tests its students merely on what they remember and thus was able to teach what matters in World and United States History without worry about an artificial assessment: my Department of Education has put off the state mandated test on only United States history indefinitely.2 I could also stand on the proverbial shoulders of writers such as Susan Eaton, Robert Fried, Jonathan Kozol, Deborah Meier, Theodore and Nancy Sizer, and ultimately Bruce King, Fred Newmann and Dana Carmichael, all of whom discuss the importance of teachers—particularly those who teach in urban settings—to provide the truth to our students in a way in which they can work to grapple with "authentic intellectual work" that will prepare them for life after high school. While intuitively urban students understand injustice and unfairness around them; our job is to help them learn something positive about themselves and to explain the foundations that will serve them as they tackle the world.3 Students confirmed my intended course of action: One of my most thoughtful students wrote me in an email a few months ago after a particularly vibrant classroom exchange of despair and hope in my Latin American History course: "Being in your class has been a huge advantage because it has opened my eyes to the world in a new way and I view the world differently; literally to be brief, when we studied Cape Verde I had a huge sense of nationalism come over me and now when I get older and make decent money I want to go back and help my country some how."4 Of course, I had as additional resources the syllabi and texts both for the Latin American History Course that I taught in the fall and for a current course on Contemporary Global Issues, 1968-Present. But I knew that unless students played a role in the design of both courses, they would not do much work and I would not be able to cajole, persuade, or encourage them to do so. Still, a little context is needed to explain what I did, how it worked, and the positive feedback that I received from all involved. Theoretically I was hired eight years ago to teach AP World History; I had previously written some AP materials while at Northeastern's World History Center and was known by the headmaster who had hired me (two principals ago!) as a curriculum writer.5 Instead I became involved in the creation of an Integrated Approach to Teaching United States and World History.6 During the past few years my current supervisor had come to acknowledge that we needed to rethink our electives and proposed semesterized ones. In that context I had been encouraged to propose one, which I did first three years ago: Contemporary Global Issues, which I was going to teach to graduate students at Northeastern.7 At the same time a colleague proposed a course in Latin American History. After a few years of bureaucratic inertia, this past year students finally had the ability to choose these courses, among others, in their junior or senior year. When I left for the summer in late June 2008, enrollment was low so I was told: "maybe next year." A few weeks later I got an email, offering that I teach the Global Issues course, assuming that I would pair it with the Latin American History course (that is my colleague who had initially proposed it, now declined to teach it). I agreed, as long as I could teach Global Issues first. Two days before school started, I was told that due to scheduling, Latin American History had to be offered first! I quickly finalized the syllabus (see Addendum A), redid my opening day materials, devoured the text that had been chosen by my colleague who was going to teach the course (a rather dry book on the subject), and – after a few hours of panic – realized that I could use the same approach to this subject, as I had planned to do with the Global Issues course, that is have students design the course! Perhaps obvious, if one teaches at a private school, but in a large urban setting, where students were accustomed to following directives? While my supervisor agreed with my approach, I wasn't sure whether it would fly given students' perceived lack of initiative. Yet I knew that the approach was right. Cynics might say that any delay might time to read up on the subject, to feel comfortable, to become the expert that I was not. Thursday, September 11th arrived: 18 seniors and 2 juniors met me to answer survey questions; a few looked surprised that I was teaching the course, since through the school grapevine they had expected my younger colleague. I explained that my approach entailed their initial participation as planners: to decide how to define Latin America, to decide what we would study, and how we would study it. While many looked quizzical, most got it and loved the series of votes (see Addenda B & C) During the course of the next week, they made three important collective decisions:
What great decisions! Futhermore, students developed thought-provoking essential questions that would serve as a basis for superb debate and essay and assessment questions … It was a dynamite course! We learned many things together; I felt free – freer than usual – to admit what I didn't know. Students had a huge buy-in, I was motivated to help these kids, many of whom identified themselves in one form or another as Latino, to delve into their families' past and understand their place in a world, dominated by interests that were limited, based on their backgrounds. Students did their homework – even reading the dry text – and participated in great discussions. We concluded the class in January with a trial: for the United States' alleged abuses against the people of Latin America (See Addendum D) The jury was hung. The students and I learned a great deal together for those 5 months: high school students can be motivated to create their own courses, just like many college students had argued in era of the 1960's: as long as they can create something meaningful that allows them to be actively engaged.8 As I was working with students in this elective, it also enhanced by teaching in my required tenth grade course. I was more inclined this year than past ones to be influenced by students" engagement.9 One example, like last year, they did an activity focusing on evaluating leaders.10 Unlike last year we spent two days, discussing and voting – through consensus of the students in all of my three classes – on a definition of a great leader. Our collective decision started from Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals.11 It expanded to include the following 11 components:
Furthermore, I have used many of the activities created by Kevin O'Reilly to get my students engaged in decision making about problems in the past.12 This work on student construction of learning has been encouraged by the graduate students in my Theory course at Boston College, where I have had to justify my teaching values and approaches quite explicitly.13 This has allowed me to have many reflective moments, pondering whether these approaches are meeting students' needs, as well as a broader sense of the curriculum that they "should" be learning. Given a higher sense of student engagement, the answer is, of course, a resounding yes. Since the beginning of February I have a new group of 20 (18 seniors, 2 juniors; 3 of whom had taken Latin American History in the fall). Given the time of year, their sense of senoritis was even greater than for those in the fall; already (or almost) in college, wondering why they were still taking a (new) course when some of their friends beat the system and were assigned a study hall! This course I had originally taught a few years ago at Northeastern to graduate students as a year course; I had to both refocus it and all things being equal I would love to have it paired with a Community Service component. So I distributed the syllabus (see Addendum E) and explained that I had planned the content for the first half of the course —the 1960's, issues in the 1970's, and the Revolutions of 1989—the rest of the course was for them to plan, which they did (see Addendum F). As the spring continued they quickly figured out that I wanted and encouraged them to deliberate nad negotiate with me about most things; they even bargained about homework. Yes, they used all the problem solving techniques that they will need in life. One of the best culminating activities of the 1960's was a debate between Kurlansky and DeGroot (see Addendum G).14 As we finishing figuring out the meaning of the Revolutions of 1989 (see Addendum H) and had an inspired two day role play, I got an email from my supervisor, suggesting that I create a Model United Nations Club. After I said "no", I realized that the more correct and thoughtful anaswer was that it depends on my students in the Global Issues course. While half of them were immediately ready to do so, we had another series of voting, pep talks, and yes, they agreed. Now my students in the Global Issues course are getting ready to represent delegates from Niger and Malaysia in Model United Nations in May. Now students are studying the Global Issues that they wanted to, understanding the historical context of the people involved, and working on decision making. I enthustically am looking forward to the participation in the May Conference, which I predict, will be a formative experience for many of them, as they put away experiences in their "suitcases" of high school memento. What do I take from these combined experiences: facilitating seniors to make their own decisions about learning, listening to sophomores about how to define leaders, and moderating graduate-level discussions about theories of education? A few things, I suppose. First, meaningful education has to be continually a dynamic combination of teacher and student dialogue. Second, in so doing we prepare our students to compete in a world that is frightening to many of them in its expectations of behavior and yet strives to reward those with initiative. Third, these approaches are more fun and engaging for all of us involved: teacher and students obviously, and even parents and adminstrators. Finally, history and world history matter greatly so that we can figure out who we are, how we got where we are, and that all of us – not just the brightest – are entitled to those lessons. Ultimately, the lessons – if there are any from the 1960's activists and their successors in the 1980's – are that, as Timothy Garton Ash wrote: "So I maintain that, for all its pitfalls, the literary enterprise of writing 'history of the present' has always been worth attempting … Is the result true, important, interesting, or moving? It it is, never mind the label. If it isn't, then it's not worth reading anyway."15 I maintain that if substiute the word "writing" in Garton Ash's quotation for "teaching" then perhaps we will acknowledge to our students and to ourselves the real purpose of history education: self-design of meaningful study. James Diskant, World History Connected's editor for Pioneering New Classroom Approaches, is at the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury (Boston), Massachusetts; and currently (spring 2009) also teaches graduate students at Boston College's School of Education.
Addendum A Mission Statement: The John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science is a diverse, supportive community of learners that engages in a rigorous and comprehensive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program integrated with Humanities. Our college-preparatory exam school enables our students to reach their full potential and become leaders who will shape the direction of society. Expectations for Student Learning Academic Expectations: John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science Students will be skillful:
Social and Civic Expectations: John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science students will:
Teacher's Name: Dr. Diskant Subject: Latin American History Textbook: Benjamin Keen & Keith Haynes, A History of Latin America, Seventh Edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Other Instructional Materials: Selections from additional sources, both primary and secondary materials, will be provided; videos, computer technology, overheads, and use of an Infocus machine Course Description: This course investigates the history of Latin America by looking at the evolution of "Latin America" as a term and by looking at cases of different Latin American countries in the 19th century through the present day. We will look at examples of different people to understand the different ways in which people created their own history. In the first week students will vote on the particular countries that we will study. Major topics include: cases of ancient American cultures, the role of the different European conquerors in contact with indigenous people, revolutionary movements in the 19th century, economic and political neocolonialism, 20th and 21st century developments in different South and Central American countries, the Cuban Revolution, contemporary Latin American culture Required Student Products/Assessments:
The following are samples of the type of open-ended, "key" questions students will be able to answer by the end of the course.
Assessment: Students' progress will be continually assessed using the following methods.
Instructional strategies will include: informal lecture presentation revolving around the answering of key questions, class discussion, group work, primary source analysis and discussion, debates and simulations. A culminating activity will be a simulation of a trial, involving a contemporary issue. Students are expected to come to class having completed daily assigned homework. In most cases the homework is assigned to give students a background in the content for the next day's lesson/activity.
Expectations; Extra Help Schedule; Parent Conference Times: I am available before school from 7 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and most days after school until 2:30. For an appointment, please call 617-635-9932 or e-mail me at: jdiskant@boston.k12.ma.us Students' expectations are detailed in the classroom guidelines handout dated September 4, 2008. Student/Parent Signatures:
Parents/guardians should keep one copy. The other copy must be signed and returned to the teacher.
Latin American History
Read the lists below, and reread the definition of Latin America that we discussed on Friday and decide on the following:
List One: From the 16 students who handed in homework on Friday, the following are the results:
List Two: In Friday's class, we also discussed the following countries or regions:
Addendum C Latin American History Based on last week's vote, the course will be structured as follows. In addition to the essential questions listed on the syllabus, we will work to answer the essential questions that you raised that are also listed below: Part One: Economic, Political, Social, and Cultural Background of the Colonial Societies in Spanish and Portuguese colonies, 16th – 19th centuries: in September
Part Two: Independence Movements in the 19th Century and the Creation of Independent States: in October
Part Three: Issues in the 20th Century: in November
Part Four: Contemporary History: in December and January:
Our Case Studies: In Central America and the Caribbean:
In South America:
In western Africa:
In eastern Africa:
Addendum D Latin American History Dr. Diskant As one of the culminating activities of the course, we will review this year's work by "putting" the United States Government on trial for crimes that its leaders allegedly committed against Latin Americans during the last 200 years and continue to do so today. Imagine that contact has now been made with a species from another galaxy. The unnamed species has been observing the interactions between Americans from a distance for centuries and has come to believe that "the United States' leaders are selfish and egotistic and that despite the rhetoric that they espouse about equality for all are only interested in two things: profit and influence" and that they are "intellectually and morally inferior" to themselves. THE CHARGE:
I. ROLES:
Prosecution Team:
Defense Team:
Jury/Species from Another Galaxy:
II. RULES
III. TIME PLAN:
IV. EXPECTATIONS:
EYES ONLY
PROSECUTION: Your argument will be based upon specific crimes that specific United States leaders have committed against Latin Americans since 1800. Most of this alleged abuse can be traced to the desire for power and greed. If these conditions can be proved, the defense cannot effectively argue that they are simply isolated incidents, because they represent the basic values upon which this government is based. If the basic value system is flawed, then the government is flawed.
EYES ONLY DEFENSE: Your argument will be based on the positive role that the U.S. government has had in Latin American countries since 1800. You will want to emphasize the rational and helpful behavior of U.S. leaders. Encourage the jury to look at the cumulative effect of their role, not just isolated incidents. Remind them that every leader is a unique individual. According to earth's international law, they cannot be held accountable for others' actions. This includes their ancestors, leaders, or subordinates. However, you cannot deny any events that happened.
Latin American History Dr. Diskant During the next few days you will hear the cases of the prosecution and defense attorneys. Take good notes so that you will have this material to form you opinion. Once the trial is over, you will need to decide on the verdict. You will need to do this by yourself and then you will have time to consult with other members of the jury. I. Case for the Prosecution II. Case for the Defense Addendum E Mission Statement: The John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science is a diverse, supportive community of learners that engages in a rigorous and comprehensive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program integrated with Humanities. Our college-preparatory exam school enables our students to reach their full potential and become leaders who will shape the direction of society. Expectations for Student Learning Academic Expectations: John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science Students will be skillful:
Social and Civic Expectations: John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science students will:
Teacher's Name: Dr. Diskant Subject: Contemporary Global Issues, 1968 – Present Textbooks: Timothy Garton Ash, History of the Present: Essays, Sketches, and Dispatches from Europe in the 1990's & Mark Kurlansky, 1968: The Year that Rocked the World Other Instructional Materials: Selections from additional books, both primary and secondary sources, will be provided, including from Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson, Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World & Issues in Our Changing World, Books 1 & 2; videos, computer technology, overheads, and use of an Infocus machine Course Description: This course investigates contemporary global issues by looking at cases in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas where different people have attempted to bring control and order to their communities and to create political systems that exemplify what they need and want. While by 2009 more and more people appear to share an understanding for the need to access adequate food, health care, and other life's necessities and to overcome unfair systems that have led to injustice, overpopulation, and political corruption, during the last forty years people continue to clash with one another over the "correct" definition of community. During the first week of the course students will vote on the particular global issues that we will investigate during the second half of the course. Major topics include: the revolutions of 1968 and the creation of both local and global communities, the globalization of the economy, revolutions of 1989, a comparison of life in capitalist and post-communist societies, the mal distribution of resources at the beginning of the 21st century, and the relationship between Christian and Islamic societies. Required Student Products/Assessments:
The following are samples of the type of open-ended, "key" questions students will be able to answer by the end of the course.
Assessment: Students' progress will be continually assessed using the following methods.
Instructional strategies will include: informal lecture presentation revolving around the answering of key questions, class discussion, group work, primary source analysis and discussion, debates and simulations. A culminating activity will be a simulation of a trial, involving a contemporary issue. Students are expected to come to class having completed daily assigned homework. In most cases the homework is assigned to give students a background in the content for the next day's lesson/activity. Expectations; Extra Help Schedule; Parent Conference Times: I am available before school from 7 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and most days after school until 2:30. For an appointment, please call 617-635-9932 or e-mail me at: jdiskant@boston.k12.ma.us Students' expectations are detailed in the classroom guidelines handout dated February 2, 2009. Student/Parent Signatures:
Parents/guardians should keep one copy. The other copy must be signed and returned to the teacher. Contemporary Global Issues Part One: Definition A contemporary global issue is an issue that affects all of us today. It has one or more of the following four components:
Part Two: Our 12 Issues and Your Key Questions: I. Culture: relationship of "modern" and "indigenous" culture; role of technology in cultural transmission
II. Economic globalization: its effects in terms of uneven growth and the current crisis
III. Educational opportunities or lack thereof
IV. Environment: global warming; pollution; endangered species
V. Health and Medicine
VI. Human and Civil Rights: freedom of expression or lack thereof
VII. Land Conditions in Developing Countries: primarily in parts of Africa and the relationship to developed countries
VIII. Politics: different social responses to politics; role of different political leaders
IX. Poverty: food distribution; hunger
X. Racism and Prejudice that either leads to genocide and war or ways that people have learned to co-exist
XI. Religious Conflicts: Christians, Muslims, and Jews
XII. Sexuality: Practices and Abuses
Addendum G Contemporary Global Issues Imagine that most of you are from another planet; you will listen to the debaters – one side representing Mark Kurlansky and the other representing Gerard DeGroot—explain their divergent positions, and then you will vote as to which view is more persuasive. As we conclude the first unit of the course on the 1960's, this debate will:
So, I need 4 volunteers: 2 to represent Kurlansky and 2 to represent DeGroot. You will have 5 minutes to prepare! Addendum H Contemporary Global Issues Garton Ash concludes his book, The History of the Present, by arguing for the integration of Europe. He also acknowledges the opposite development of nationalistic movements that divide Europeans and of the emergence of many small states in the former communist countries of eastern Europeans, along with the continuing separation of Ireland. So what will the new Europe look like? Before we have that discussion/debate, take a look at this material: "Peace Efforts in Northern Ireland" and "Religious Conflict in the Balkans" and answer the questions about them.
You'll have most of the period to use the book and your creative intelligence to prepare your role; then we'll open up a discussion to discuss the Europe of the 1990's to make sense of these contradictory movements. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes
1 In addition to teaching the required 10th grade course at the O'Bryant that I've helped design: "United States and World History II, 1820-1913, I have also been teaching two self-designed electives: "Latin American History" and "Contemporary Global Issues, 1968-Present" as well as a graduate course on educational theories at Boston College this spring: "Theories of Instruction". 2 James Vazunis, "State delays debut of MCAS history exam by 2 years" in The Boston Globe, 2/15/09 3 The phrase "authentic intelletual work" comes from the article from King, Newmann, and Carmichael: "Authentic Intellectual Work" in Social Education, 73:1, January/February 2009, pp. 43-49. The other titles include: Susan Eaton, The Children in Room E4: American Education on Trial (Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 2009; Robert L. Fried, The Game of School: Why We All Play It, How It Hurts Kids, and What It Will Take to Change It (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005); Jonathan Kozol, The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America (NY: Three Rivers Press, 2005); Deborah Meier, In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization (Boston: Beacon Press, 2002); and Theodore R. Sizer and Nancy Faust Sizer, The Students Are Watching: Schools and Moral Contract (Boston: Beacon Press, 1999) 4 Unsolicited email from an anonymous student received in January 2009. 5 "Free and Unfree Agrarian Workers: Peasants and Slaves, 1550-1750" at http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/30771.html & "Decolonization: Struggle for National Identities, 1900-2001" athttp://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/30766.html Accessed on May 1, 2009 6 See "Makeover Column IV: Engaging Students to Think Comparatively by Placing United States History in a "Real" World History Course" at http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/4.3/diskant.html Accessed on May 1, 2009 and "Makeover Column VI: Engaging Students to Think Comparatively by Placing United States History in "Real" World History Courses, Part Two" at http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/5.2/diskant.html Accessed on May 1, 2009. 7 Contemporary Global Issues, 1968 – 2005, Summer and Fall, 2005 8 King, and others. 9 See articles in Carl Guarneri and James Davis, eds., Teaching American History in a Global Context(Armonk/NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2008) 10 See Addendum A in "Makeover Column VII: Engaging Students to Retain Important Facts About the Past While Making Learning About the Past Meaningful" at http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/5.3/diskant.html Accessed on May 1, 2009. 11 Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (NY: Simon & Schuster, 2005), pp. 747-749. 12 See for example: Kevin O'Reilly, The Gilded Age: Decision Making in U.S. History (Culver City/CA: Social Studies School Service, 2007) 13 As I did, for example, on April 27, 2009, when I argued for the value of "problem solving" as the basis of teaching, learning, and assessment. 14 See Mark Kurlansky, 1968: The Year That Rocked the World (NY: Random Trade, 2005) & Gerard J. DeGroot, The Sixties Unplugged: A Kaleidoscopic History of a Disorderly Decade (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2008) 15 Timothy Garton Ash, History of the Present: Essays, Sketches, and Dispatches from Europe in the 1990s (NY: Vintage Books, 2001), p. xxv.
|
|
Home | List Journal Issues | Table of Contents |
© 2009 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois |
|