The Digital Story will start with pictures of famous teachers and popular teachers in the media.
Rich: "Do these people look familiar? They are all famous teachers from history or the media. Some teach classrooms, and some teach on an individual level, but they are all teachers. In the media, teachers are usually portrayed in a positive light (Walsh, 2008). According to Walsh, teachers in movies are often intelligent, caring, and dedicated.
Fictional representations of teachers are memorable because they reflect archetypes which have existed for a long period of time. These archetypes are relevant to many teachers, and they serve as guides. It is important that teachers expand their teaching ability to take on more than one role as an educator and to practice more than one teaching strategy. (Pajak, 2003)."
Danielle: "What makes a great teacher? In his book, Chalkbored, Jeremy Schneider says, “The great teacher you remember was not that great – at least not to everyone.” (Schneider, 2007) Perhaps it is unrealistic to label teachers as "good" or "bad." Different teachers have different teaching styles and different characteristics. Let's look at some teachers practicing the four main teaching styles. These include formal authority, demonstrator or personal model, facilitator, and delegator."
Kaila: The first teaching style we will discuss is called the Formal Authority, with which we all have some degree of experience. This is an instructor-centered approach where the instructor feels responsible for providing and controlling the flow of content which the student is to receive and assimilate (Teaching, 2007). The advantages of this teaching style are that it quickly and efficiently presents necessary information to the students. Unfortunately, it may also result in poor teacher/student relationships, and may make it difficult to hold students' interest.
Rich: A popular example of a Formal Authority is the Economics Teacher from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.' Portrayed by Ben Stein. I'm sure you all remember the scene in which he’s giving a lecture: 'In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the... Anyone? Anyone? ...the Great Depression, passed the... Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill (Dirks, 2008).'
- By asking "Anyone? Anyone?" periodically, he projects the half-hearted illusion of attempting to involve the students in his lecture when really he is, at best, wasting time asking his students for input while they are chewing on pens or asleep in puddles of their own spit. The best this teacher could be called is a Formal Authority who has barely retained his humanity.
Danielle: Another teaching style is the Demonstration or Personal Model Teaching Style. This is an instructor-centered approach where the instructor demonstrates and models what skills and processes are expected and then acts as a coach or guide to assist the students in applying the knowledge (Teaching, 2007) this teaching style emphasizes "teaching by personal example" and gives students a prototype for how to think and behave (Grasha, 2008). Advantages of this teaching style are that it encourages student participation and incorporates various learning styles. However, some demonstrators or personal models could hold too high of expectations for students, which may lead to problems. Kaila: An example of a demonstrator or a personal model would be Bill Nye the Science Guy who shows his young viewers how to perform experiments before encouraging them to perform them by themselves at home or at school. This may be an important strategy to use when dealing with a situation when it is imperative that it be performed properly. Rich: Facilitating is a slightly more liberal and empowering style is the Facilitator. Facilitators use a student centered approach where the instructor facilitates and focuses on activities (Teaching, 2007).” Facilitators often focus on the personal nature of teacher-student relationships and provide support and encouragement). Advantages of the facilitator's style are that it practices independent learning and peer collaboration through various group activities. It also encourages active learning and problem solving (Stein, 2001). However, this style can also be time consuming. Facilitating teachers may practice active learning, which is a strategy emphasizing role plays, simulations, games, demonstrations, and problem solving (Jackson,). Carl Rogers once said, "The only learning that really sticks is that which is self discovered" (Jackson, 1995).
Danielle: An example of a facilitating teaching style is Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus. Miss Frizzle has her students participate in various activities in which they learn about science. These will often involve letting the children roam around an open environment and learning through mistakes. This has also fostered very strong relationships between Miss Frizzle and her students.
Kaila: In this class, we are all familiar with the delegating teaching style. This style emphasizes a student-centered approach whereby the instructor delegates and places much of the control and responsibility for learning on individuals or groups of students (Teaching, 2007).” Delegators often have students work independently or as a part of a team on projects in which the teacher serves mainly as a resource (Stein, 2001). This teaching style allows students to work with others and learn more than just course material, incorporating independent learning as an integral part of this style (Stein, 2001). Sometimes, however, students are unable to grasp the concept of independent learning, and this stylemay be more responsibility than some students can handle.
Rich: A delegator is a teacher who provides loose guidelines for students to encourage creativity and an ownership of their learning. Our own Dr. Toledo used the delegating teaching style when she assigned us the digital story projects. This puts us in charge of our own learning and makes us responsible for what we will take away from this project and apply in the real world. In Chalkbored, Schneider also discusses a delegating teaching style through his advocating of Computer-Assisted Technology. In computer-assisted technology, teachers would be available to answer questions and support students, but students would have the main responsibility for learning material, practicing, and completing lessons. (Schneider, 2007).
Danielle: There are many other teaching styles outside of the four just discussed. Some other popular teaching styles include Online Teaching, which centers on the internet and web-based tools. -Some teachers may be considered to use an "expert teaching style," if they display detailed knowledge by maintaining their status as an expert on a subject (Grasha, 2008). Experts display a large and accurate knowledge base, but they may intimidate students not always show the underlying processes (Grasha, 2008). An expert teacher strives to maintain status as an expert among students by displaying detailed knowledge and by challenging students to enhance their competence (Grasha, 2008). While highly informative, this style can also intimidate students with the rate of and confidence with which this amount of information is being given to them. -Cooperative learning is a style which encourages collaboration, interaction, and sometimes a loud classroom (Think Quest, 2000). Cooperative teaching strategies often have a loud classroom, but the discussion should be about sharing in a learning environment. Some feel it fosters warmer relationships among students and a positive attitude towards the subject. -Discussion is a style which emphasizes free dialogue between students and teachers and approaches issues with an open mind from many different perspectives (Think Quest, 2000) Students guide most discussions, and open-mindedness and considering aspects from different perspectives is important.
-These styles can also be incorporated into the four main styles to make a unique teaching style that may prove more effective than the main style would have been alone. Kaila: "It is important to use a variety of teaching style and to match your teaching style to the learning style of the classroom. Many times teachers and students have different perspectives on the same teaching style (Center, 2008). It is not a matter of whether the student or teacher is right, but it should be the goal for students and teachers to be aligned and comfortable with strategies used to promote learning (Center, 2008). Teachers must keep the diversity of learners in mind as well and strive to integrate many different teaching styles into a comprehensive and effective way of communicating and facilitating the growth of students. Think about some strategies that you have found effective, and think about some strategies that may be effective for other people’s learning. And then ask yourself; What kind of teacher will you be?
References:
Center for Instructional Development and Research (February 1, 2008). Inclusive Teaching. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from University of Washington, Center for
Grasha, A. (2001).Grasha's 5 teaching styles. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from Indiana State University, National Teaching and Learning Forum Web site:
Jackson, T.(1995). More Activities That Teach. Cedar City, UT: Red Rock Publishing.
Pajak, E. (2003). Honoring Diverse Teaching Styles. Alexandria,VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Schneider, J. (2007). Chalkbored: What's wrong with school and how to fix it.United States: Pace of Mind.
Stein, J., Steeves, L., and Mitsuhashi, S. (2001, April 13). Teaching styles categories. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from Indiana State University Web site:
The Digital Story will start with pictures of famous teachers and popular teachers in the media.
Rich: "Do these people look familiar? They are all famous teachers from history or the media. Some teach classrooms, and some teach on an individual level, but they are all teachers. In the media, teachers are usually portrayed in a positive light (Walsh, 2008). According to Walsh, teachers in movies are often intelligent, caring, and dedicated.
Fictional representations of teachers are memorable because they reflect archetypes which have existed for a long period of time. These archetypes are relevant to many teachers, and they serve as guides. It is important that teachers expand their teaching ability to take on more than one role as an educator and to practice more than one teaching strategy. (Pajak, 2003)."
Danielle: "What makes a great teacher? In his book, Chalkbored, Jeremy Schneider says, “The great teacher you remember was not that great – at least not to everyone.” (Schneider, 2007) Perhaps it is unrealistic to label teachers as "good" or "bad." Different teachers have different teaching styles and different characteristics. Let's look at some teachers practicing the four main teaching styles. These include formal authority, demonstrator or personal model, facilitator, and delegator."
Kaila: The first teaching style we will discuss is called the Formal Authority, with which we all have some degree of experience. This is an instructor-centered approach where the instructor feels responsible for providing and controlling the flow of content which the student is to receive and assimilate (Teaching, 2007). The advantages of this teaching style are that it quickly and efficiently presents necessary information to the students. Unfortunately, it may also result in poor teacher/student relationships, and may make it difficult to hold students' interest.
Rich: A popular example of a Formal Authority is the Economics Teacher from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.' Portrayed by Ben Stein. I'm sure you all remember the scene in which he’s giving a lecture: 'In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the... Anyone? Anyone? ...the Great Depression, passed the... Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill (Dirks, 2008).'
- By asking "Anyone? Anyone?" periodically, he projects the half-hearted illusion of attempting to involve the students in his lecture when really he is, at best, wasting time asking his students for input while they are chewing on pens or asleep in puddles of their own spit. The best this teacher could be called is a Formal Authority who has barely retained his humanity.
Danielle: Another teaching style is the Demonstration or Personal Model Teaching Style. This is an instructor-centered approach where the instructor demonstrates and models what skills and processes are expected and then acts as a coach or guide to assist the students in applying the knowledge (Teaching, 2007) this teaching style emphasizes "teaching by personal example" and gives students a prototype for how to think and behave (Grasha, 2008). Advantages of this teaching style are that it encourages student participation and incorporates various learning styles.
However, some demonstrators or personal models could hold too high of expectations for students, which may lead to problems.
Kaila: An example of a demonstrator or a personal model would be Bill Nye the Science Guy who shows his young viewers how to perform experiments before encouraging them to perform them by themselves at home or at school. This may be an important strategy to use when dealing with a situation when it is imperative that it be performed properly.
Rich: Facilitating is a slightly more liberal and empowering style is the Facilitator. Facilitators use a student centered approach where the instructor facilitates and focuses on activities (Teaching, 2007).” Facilitators often focus on the personal nature of teacher-student relationships and provide support and encouragement). Advantages of the facilitator's style are that it practices independent learning and peer collaboration through various group activities. It also encourages active learning and problem solving (Stein, 2001). However, this style can also be time consuming. Facilitating teachers may practice active learning, which is a strategy emphasizing role plays, simulations, games, demonstrations, and problem solving (Jackson,). Carl Rogers once said, "The only learning that really sticks is that which is self discovered" (Jackson, 1995).
Danielle: An example of a facilitating teaching style is Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus. Miss Frizzle has her students participate in various activities in which they learn about science. These will often involve letting the children roam around an open environment and learning through mistakes. This has also fostered very strong relationships between Miss Frizzle and her students.
Kaila: In this class, we are all familiar with the delegating teaching style. This style emphasizes a student-centered approach whereby the instructor delegates and places much of the control and responsibility for learning on individuals or groups of students (Teaching, 2007).” Delegators often have students work independently or as a part of a team on projects in which the teacher serves mainly as a resource (Stein, 2001).
This teaching style allows students to work with others and learn more than just course material, incorporating independent learning as an integral part of this style (Stein, 2001). Sometimes, however, students are unable to grasp the concept of independent learning, and this style may be more responsibility than some students can handle.
Rich: A delegator is a teacher who provides loose guidelines for students to encourage creativity and an ownership of their learning. Our own Dr. Toledo used the delegating teaching style when she assigned us the digital story projects. This puts us in charge of our own learning and makes us responsible for what we will take away from this project and apply in the real world. In Chalkbored, Schneider also discusses a delegating teaching style through his advocating of Computer-Assisted Technology. In computer-assisted technology, teachers would be available to answer questions and support students, but students would have the main responsibility for learning material, practicing, and completing lessons. (Schneider, 2007).
Danielle: There are many other teaching styles outside of the four just discussed. Some other popular teaching styles include Online Teaching, which centers on the internet and web-based tools.
-Some teachers may be considered to use an "expert teaching style," if they display detailed knowledge by maintaining their status as an expert on a subject (Grasha, 2008). Experts display a large and accurate knowledge base, but they may intimidate students not always show the underlying processes (Grasha, 2008). An expert teacher strives to maintain status as an expert among students by displaying detailed knowledge and by challenging students to enhance their competence (Grasha, 2008). While highly informative, this style can also intimidate students with the rate of and confidence with which this amount of information is being given to them.
-Cooperative learning is a style which encourages collaboration, interaction, and sometimes a loud classroom (Think Quest, 2000). Cooperative teaching strategies often have a loud classroom, but the discussion should be about sharing in a learning environment. Some feel it fosters warmer relationships among students and a positive attitude towards the subject.
-Discussion is a style which emphasizes free dialogue between students and teachers and approaches issues with an open mind from many different perspectives (Think Quest, 2000) Students guide most discussions, and open-mindedness and considering aspects from different perspectives is important.
-These styles can also be incorporated into the four main styles to make a unique teaching style that may prove more effective than the main style would have been alone.
Kaila: "It is important to use a variety of teaching style and to match your teaching style to the learning style of the classroom. Many times teachers and students have different perspectives on the same teaching style (Center, 2008). It is not a matter of whether the student or teacher is right, but it should be the goal for students and teachers to be aligned and comfortable with strategies used to promote learning (Center, 2008). Teachers must keep the diversity of learners in mind as well and strive to integrate many different teaching styles into a comprehensive and effective way of communicating and facilitating the growth of students. Think about some strategies that you have found effective, and think about some strategies that may be effective for other people’s learning. And then ask yourself; What kind of teacher will you be?
References:
Center for Instructional Development and Research (February 1, 2008). Inclusive Teaching. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from University of Washington, Center for
Instructional Development and Research Web site: http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/inclusive/diversify.html
Dirks, T. (2008). Best film speeches and monologues. Retrieved February 26, 2008 from Filmsite.org Web site: http://www.filmsite.org/bestspeeches12.html
Grasha, A. (2001). Grasha's 5 teaching styles. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from Indiana State University, National Teaching and Learning Forum Web site:
http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/faq/ts-indiana.htm</span
Jackson, T. (1995). More Activities That Teach. Cedar City, UT: Red Rock Publishing.
Pajak, E. (2003). Honoring Diverse Teaching Styles. Alexandria,VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Schneider, J. (2007). Chalkbored: What's wrong with school and how to fix it. United States: Pace of Mind.
Stein, J., Steeves, L., and Mitsuhashi, S. (2001, April 13). Teaching styles categories. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from Indiana State University Web site:
http://members.shaw.ca/mdde615/tchstycats.htm#formal
Teaching and Learning with Technology (2007). Teaching styles. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from Pennsylvania State University, Information Technology
Services Web site: http://tlt.psu.edu/suggestions/research/teaching_styles.shtml
Think Quest (2000). Teaching Styles. Retrieved February 19, 2008 from Oracle Education Foundation, The Learning Curve Web site:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005704/content_teaching_it_styles.php3
Walsh, B. (2008). Stereotypes of Teachers in the Media. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from University of Oregon, Web site:
interact.uoregon.edu/medialit/JCP/articles_mlr/walsh/teacher.html
We believe the script is finished.
Rich Foerch
Danielle Kiefner
Kaila Sloyan