Our Philosophy And Methods Of Teaching Kids How To Dance
Teaching Methods
The term teaching method
refers to the general principles, pedagogy and management strategies
used for classroom instruction. Your choice of teaching method depends
on what fits you; for instance, your
educational philosophy, classroom demographic, subject area(s) and
school mission statement.
Methods of Instruction
Teacher-Centered Approach to Learning
Taken to its most extreme interpretation, teachers are the main authority figure in a teacher-centered instruction model. Students are viewed as “empty vessels” External link
who passively receive knowledge from their teachers through lectures
and direct instruction, with an end goal of positive results from
testing and assessment. In this style, teaching and assessment are
viewed as two separate entities; student learning is measured through
objectively scored tests and assessments.
Student-Centered Approach to Learning
While teachers are still an authority figure in a student-centered
teaching model, teachers and students play an equally active role in the
learning process. The teacher’s primary role is to coach and facilitate student
learning and overall comprehension of material, and to measure student
learning through both formal and informal forms of assessment, like
group projects, student portfolios, and class participation. In the
student-centered classroom, teaching and assessment are connected
because student learning is continuously measured during teacher
instruction.
Teaching theories can be organized into four categories based on two major parameters: a teacher-centered approach versus a student-centered approach, and high-tech material use versus low-tech material use.
Student-Centered Methods of Instruction
Kinesthetic Learning (Low Tech)
Sometimes known as tactile learning"or "hands-on learning", kinesthetic learning is based on the idea of multiple intelligences External link , requiring students to do, make, or create.
In a kinesthetic learning environment, students perform physical activities rather than listen to lectures or watch demonstrations.
Hands-on experiences, drawing, role-play, building, and the use of drama and sports are all examples of kinesthetic classroom activities.
Though a great way to keep students engaged and, at times, simply awake, very few classrooms employ kinesthetic learning activities exclusively.
One reason is that, despite the popularity of learning style theories, there is a lack of researched-based evidence that shows that teaching to certain learning styles produces better academic results.
One upside is that kinesthetic learning is rarely based on technology, as the method values movement and creativity over technological skills.
Kinesthetic learning can be more student-centered than teacher-centered when students are given the choice of how to use movement to learn new information or experience new skills, so it’s also adaptable to a teacher’s particular classroom preferences.
Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligences
Jordan Peterson - The Theory of Multiple Intelligences is Rubbish!
Differentiated Instruction (Low Tech)
Differentiated instruction is the teaching practice of tailoring
instruction to meet individual student needs.
It initially grew popular
with the 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act External link (IDEA), which ensured all children had equal access to public education.
The Individualized Education Programs External link
(IEPs) that started under IDEA helped classroom teachers differentiate
for students with special needs.
Today, differentiated instruction is
used to meet the needs of all types of learners.
Teachers can differentiate in a number of ways:
how students access content, the types of activities students do to master a concept,
what the end product of learning looks like
how the classroom is set up.
Some examples of differentiation include: having students read books at their own reading levels, offering different spelling lists to students, or meeting in small groups to reteach topics.
Though differentiation is focused on individual student needs, it is mostly planned and implemented by the teacher.
And technology, though a potential aid, is not a hallmark of the differentiated teaching style, making it a fairly traditional, low-barrier method to adopt.
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Students' Feedback
From this class,
the most meaningful sentence Professor Jorge give us is “Do whatever you
like, and earn money later”. Actually I always affect by my parents
voice that learn something based on business,
it’s better way to get a job. But I hope I can follow my own willing. Sirong Fu
In today's class, we saw some videos. I learned that we can teach more
than one way. For example, if we want to understand science, we should
learn through many kinds of experiences. And the assessment cannot only be
exams, but also be self-assessment. Finally,
we learned some ideas from educational psychology and human intelligence. Yinghui Ma
I think interest is the most important. If you want to
teach, you should know the students' interests first. Start with what
they like. This will make teaching more efficient. It is one of the
manifestations of the wisdom of teaching. I quite
agree with what the teacher said, find the job you like first. Then the
money will follow. I think so, too. Jiaxi Lin(Vicky)
It’s very valuable to see
another view-point about multiple intelligences that I don’t entirely
share as I now have a better understanding of how others can interpret
intelligences and talents. Grace Migliozzi
Today in class I learned how psychological theories can be applied to
understanding how different students would best be taught dance. Sydney Wisnosky
I think as an educator, it’s important
to think in the students ‘ positions. In other words, the purpose of
teaching is to make students be more knowledgeable, instead of pushing
them to learn what they don't want to learn. Jiahui Rao
Different students have different strengths. Their performances in the class are not only depend on their grades on the exams. Ruiming Wang
As a teacher, I would like to treat each one of my students differently based
on their different kinds of minds and personalities, because it is
unfair to treat everyone the same in an educational system if
they have different minds and behaviors.Yi Gao
The responsibility for teachers is to let all of their students enjoy the
class, in order to inspire their potential physical and mental abilities. Lingzi Ye
It is important, as an
administrator, to recognize that there are different methods in which
students need to learn, and an inclusive teaching strategy would cater
to each of these throughout the course. Avery Gawel
Today I feel like what stayed with me
the most was the fact that when I am a teacher and a student isn’t
learning, I really need to look into how I’m teaching and what I can do
to change and help them, rather
than just assuming they won’t learn. Ali
Lofgren,
Today’s class made me
realize that learning is about perspective - the way we take in
information had to do with how we perceive it, and teachers are
responsible for being aware of the different perspectives that may be in
their classroom and how they can teach so that every child can relate
to what they are saying. Kylie Lavine
Today my opinions on the
flawed education system were confirmed. Teachers only assess students in
one way and that way might not always work for every student. As
teachers, it is important for us to listen to the needs of EVERY
student, not just the majority. Emily Connell
Today I took away that it’s
necessary to respect all kinds of learners in my students regardless of
how I want to teach. It is their education and I am responsible for
making sure they are learning rather than making sure I am teaching.
There is a difference. Alli Sharifi
Today is a good class to reinforce me that providing multiple resources
to students with different strengths is really important to teachers. Quianyu Di
Based on the teaching philosophy the teacher should try to make students engage and participate. Rundian Yuan
I learnt today that many students have different learning styles.
Some are visual learners, some are auditory and some are kinetic. The
list goes on. It’s important to consider these while making informed
decisions about teaching! Lara Hopknis
I think one of my takeaways from today’s class like I mentioned is that
school systems really need to realize how diverse of a group of students
they hold, whether it be financially, the diverse learning styles of
students, or even
what students want to get out of being in school. Although it is hard to
cater to so many people, when only one group of people is catered
towards, it takes a large toll on the rest of the student body. I think
that the first step is to make facilitators, professors,
and people in charge of school systems more aware. I think once people
are more aware and really realize what kids enjoy and what they get out
of when they have all of their accommodations at school, then we can
move forward and make changes. School systems
will become much more inclusive and a “safe” place for diverse learning
styles once the people in charge are more aware. Leyla Shapiro
