Can you give an example of an experience you have had as a student that seemed traditional? How about progressive? Please very briefly one or the other. Was it a good experience? Why or why not?
During my 11th grade algebra class, I had a teacher who was very traditional. I didn't know he was very traditional until I paid attention to his teaching skills as months went by. He was not strict but had the layout of a traditional classroom. It was conservative, meaning we had to only sit facing him and not speak for the 1 hour and 30 minutes we had in his classroom. He perceived himself as a bored and unenergetic teacher that did NOT want to be there. For me, I believed it was far from a good experience because I did gain the engagement that I wanted to have because of his low energy. Having a teacher who is excited about what they want to teach and wants their students to succeed would be the opposite of how my algebra teacher was. Alongside a teacher who is traditional, I had a progressive history teacher who allowed democracy in her classroom. I found her class odd because she would allow us to do what we wanted but would monitor us every now and then. Why I found it odd was because I never was in a classroom like that before. I remember vividly that she would give us assignments to where we had to build our own country however we wanted but we still needed to add specific things to get an A. A traditional classroom, like John Dewey said, is like having sponges absorbing information but being overflowed because of the pressure. Progressive learning seems more educational and allows you to build social skills while being about to critically think.
Emma Finn- My experience in school that was very traditional was the way my 11th grade history class was set up. We sat for an hour and a half and listened to my teacher talk and it was so boring. I don't even remember my teachers name. I only learned main points and only payed attention to info on our study guides because that was "all that mattered" because it would be on the test. A progressive experience I had was with my 12th grade English teacher Mr Russo. He always gave us a choice for what to do in class/ for projects and was understanding about deadlines. He connected with ALL students personally and was really passionate about what he taught. Senior year, everyone would skip school if they already knew what college they were going to. Most of my classes were hal empty, but I noticed Mr Russos class was always full. People liked participating in his class and I think its because he didn't run his classroom by strict rules and he connected with students personally.
Alistair here: I've had plenty more traditional experiences in education than progressive, and they all go the same: Read the book, take notes, study for a test, take the test, move on to the next chapter. This is no blame to the teachers, plenty of them have bosses and curriculum that binds them to such structures. However, I have had teachers in the same schools that try their best to bring some enthusiasm to the classroom, and that is what I feel is progressive education. Using props to make lectures more exciting and playing games that are topical and fun, these teachers make the best of their curriculum and pushed us toward learning in a more interactive and real way, like Dewey wanted. These are the teachers that I liked, and the teacher that I want to be: Passionate!
In both 11th and 12th grade I had the same math teacher, and he was pretty conservative in his style of teaching. He would talk and we had to listen, then complete the problems on the paper, and turn them in for a grade. He was a very nice teacher, but just didn't seem like he wanted to be there. On the other hand, I had a teacher who consistently asked for ideas from the class, and what we wanted to talk about. She was always assigning group projects, and often took us on trips outside (because it was an environmental science class). Weirdly, although the environmental science class was more fun, I felt like I didn't learn much and it was a waste of time. I felt like the math class where we listened to a lecture and did problems, was more useful.
For me, most of my schooling was very traditional, I don't remember ever going to school and having a teacher that did follow the basic guidelines; they speak, we listen. While most of my teachers were very traditional, I didn't mind it I felt like some teachers could have made it a bit more interesting, or maybe it's just because I am so used to the traditional ways, but I never had a problem with letting the teacher speak while we listened or gave us papers to write after watching a movie, etc. For me, the only issue I had was teachers who very obviously didn't want to be there, I remember having one teacher in my freshmen year of high school he was an older man and very quiet and bland, but even with this "boring" characteristics, you could tell that he enjoyed what he did and he liked telling us about history even if he wasn't doing it most engagingly and that's what I really liked about his class. I loved that even though he didn't really show it, we knew that he was excited to tell us something new. I enjoy my class so much more when I know my teacher is excited to teach us something new or when they have passion for something even if they don't spread that information in new and exciting ways.
Claire Cook As I’ve gotten older and gone through high school, the teaching (in my experience) got much more traditional as time went on. I noticed that all the fun, hands-on learning experiences slowed way down once I got to high school. There were still occasionally some projects and activities to do in class, but nothing in a consistent way. Most classes were just about listening to the teacher go over a text we read, or reading off a powerpoint. Then we take the quiz and test and move onto the next unit/module. In my teacher cadet class every week we would have a project where we split into groups, learned a subject/lesson really well and taught the class. We got graded not only on our teaching skills, but on the weeks we weren't up teaching a lesson we would be graded on participation and engagement in the other students' lessons. That was a very good experience because not only did it get everyone involved and engaged in class, but it was also very interesting to learn in a different way than just reading a slideshow and taking notes on it.
Riley Baber In my 11th and 12th grade year I took cosmetology and while that's not necessarily a traditional class, the teacher definitely was. When I'm saying she was traditional, she was traditional. We sat in assigned seats, we could only use pencil and paper, and she read to us straight from the textbook. When we'd ask a question her answer would be "look it up," and she didn't mean on our phones. We had to search through the textbook to find the answer ourselves. She's part of the reason I lost all my passion for the class as well as the hair industry in general. Despite absolutely dreading this class I did retain information, and even passed boards my first try. I'd say the class itself was a negative experience because I had constant negative feelings towards it.
Elise Ginn For my experience in school a majority of my classes were teachers just teaching the unit and directly speaking from the PowerPoint only, eventually leading to a test. Which in my opinion is more of a traditional way to teach. But then there's classes that have open conversations, constant group activities and hands on experiences that make learning more enjoyable and also tends to stick in my brain for longer. My UNIV 111 and 112 classes always have ice breakers that engage the whole class that also corporates learning into the lesson. It was an amazing experience as well as I'm in the class again this semester which I'm excited for.
Cady Ayers When looking back on my experiences in public schools, I found it difficult to think of any progressive moments. The only one that came to mind was from my Teachers for Tomorrow course. This was during my senior year, and the first semester was spent in our classroom. We went over things like child development, Piaget's theory-- those sorts of topics. When we were on the subject of various learning obstacles, our teacher had us teach the class instead. We were all assigned one of the subcategories to then plan out our lessons whether it be a slideshow or a poster. I liked this change in practice because it served as a good experience for the future of my career. I’ve always enjoyed making slideshows for presentations, but this time I was really "in charge" of what was going on these slides. Aside from this experience, I’ve found it to be somewhat progressive in my focused inquiry this year. Every one of our days in this class is focused on communication between students. I’d say I talk voluntarily in my focused inquiry more than I do in any of my other classes. The emphasis on communication has fostered a more social and welcoming environment. I believe that the social aspects of school is so important for one's overall education. Collaboration can have a positive effect on different kinds of learners as they're able to exchange their thoughts and methods.
Peyton Plummer Most of my schooling has been untraditional when looking back on my educational career. Going to very a heavily art based school was definitely untraditional. Core classes such as math, science, and history were of equal value to our art classes which could've been anything between ceramics to music recording tech depending on your department. I am pretty grateful for everything I learned though that time although in the moment it was pretty stressful, but I learned skills that I still use to this day. I think that there are also many different ways to conduct "untraditional" schooling besides more art or hands on based curriculum. Traditional school also works really well for some students who need that typical structure in their lives. While other students fall short in that environment and possibly feel confined by that same structure that others may thrive in. I think that in all we do need more untraditional schools and educators because learning is not a one size fits all concept, different people have different needs. And in a perfect world all of our future generations would have that option regardless of location or economic class. We can dream:)
Veronica here I had a traditional experience back in high school. It was my senior year, and it was my chemistry class. I know it's kind of weird but looking back, the rest of my classes were sort of going the untraditional route. They were striving to make sure that they would go beyond to make sure I knew everything that I was supposed to, but with my chemistry class, it was way different. Every time someone would ask for an explanation of what something was, she would say, "Ohh, I can't say anything about that because it's outside of the curriculum." That was the class I most struggled with because I knew nothing. So I'd say that was a horrible experience.
Danny Trainham: My high school experience was very traditional. Teachers often taught lectures using slides or a textbook, while students sat, listened, and answered questions. Students would take a test after every unit before continuing to the next chapter. Traditional schooling was extremely boring to me, and I would often fall asleep during class. I could not concentrate for such long durations; one of my classes was almost three hours long! I prefer the way college courses are organized. Simple freedoms, such as the ability to use the restroom without asking, make college a much more enjoyable experience than high school. Additionally, my college classes have more class discussions, allowing for interaction between peers.
Taylor Duquette My dual english class senior year was very traditional. My teacher had been teaching for around 30/40 years and liked to do things very old fashioned. We sat in rows with very strict assigned seats and had to listen to her at all times. We were given packets and sat through hours and a half long lectures without being able to give input. Compared to my other classrooms where we were hands on and very interactive with one another, I had felt as if i had time traveled back to the 1950's every time i entered that classroom.
Yea man, I didn't realize John Dewey was such a cool guy. Is the same dude who did the Dewey Decimal system? I still don't know how to use it that well but point being; he had a tremendous amount of influence in our schools. An example of traditional vs progressive for me would be how back in science class, I could not understand circuit electricity systems for the life of me. Every time my teacher would try to explain definitions and terms with a whiteboard and marker, I could not put the pieces together. I didn't get it. But one day, we came to class and we got to build a circuit system of our own with a group and a tiny pamphlet of instructions. My teacher gave us half an hour to figure it out on our own. By fiddling with the different pieces, trying 100 different things and collaborating together, we finally got our light bulb to turn on--and that's when I actually understood how the circuit conducted energy. So Dewey was right, experience is one of the top ways to truly grasp something.
Jordan Dent: Some of the most perceived "progressive" moments I had in school actually involved a bit of division. I often think about honors or gifted programs. I remember in middle school having an upstairs and a downstairs that divided the sixth grade class. The upstairs, full of honors classes and students that had been carried through the gifted program through elementary school. The downstairs, full of the traditional courses. I would say that this division caused a lot of animosity between students with a lot of it being fueled by the faculty's persistent aims at using the upstairs kids' "good behavior" and/or "better grades" against the downstairs kids or even using it against the upstairs kids to tell them how they should be behaving because they are above someone else. This division was also fueled by a lack of perceived belief in one's education based on where they were placed on a school floor, which I think can greatly relate to the first video for homework. In the fifth grade, I got to experience what I call an "experimental gifted school". Same things here, but with greater division. A lot of faculty weaponizing a child's "intelligence" and/or "greatness" above students that weren't in the school. Went to an arts high school as well, where a lot of former gifted children went. Not as much of the harsh division culture based on smarts, but there were moments here on there where you were expected to be a certain way because of this perceived 'status'. I guess that could make sense in a way, since you do have to apply, interview for the school, and go through a selection process, but sometimes it adds an air of entitlement. Although, other progressive moments occurred at this school though. A highlight would definitely be that ability to pursue one's major. During my senior year, there was the beginning of what was called 'focus area fridays', that allowed students to spend less time in core classes and over an hour with their major. This actually came to fruition after complaints from students about not being able to spend a lot of time with their field.
My 2nd grade Catholic School was very traditional. She had only stopped hitting students on the knuckles with rulers a few years before me. Students sat in rows, you raised your hand, and memorization was very important.
My experience with math at this level was the teacher calling “5x5 is” and we would all say “25” and so on. Then we would do worksheets of 100 straight multiplication problems.
I found this experience incredibly valuable. I was able to focus on my studies and if I finished my work faster than others I could read so I got really good at doing math fast and in my head which served my extremely well in life so far.
A traditional experience I had as a student occurred all throughout high school; I was sitting in rows, listening to lectures, and memorizing information for tests. There was really never any connection with other students nor a desire from the teacher to really teach complex thinking, the curriculum in my county often felt rigid and didn’t encourage much creativity, but it was effective for learning certain subjects.
On the other hand, I had one teacher where the complete opposite was experienced: Mr. Clark's American history class in sophomore year. Our desks were set up in the socratic method every single class and his teaching style was led mostly by the students' discussions themself. It was engaging and helped develop critical thinking and collaboration skills, making it a more enjoyable and meaningful experience.
Progressive teaching methods are particularly advantageous for students as they promote active involvement, a deeper grasp of concepts, and connections to real-world scenarios. Rather than simply taking in information, students in Mr. Clark's class were motivated to pose questions, explore different perspectives, and cultivate their own ideas. This strategy not only boosts engagement but also reinforces skills like problem-solving, communication, and teamwork—capabilities that extend beyond the classroom and equip students for future achievements.
I would say that most of my schooling growing up was traditional. It was a lot of powerpoint's, notes, reading, and things like that. Powerpoint's are something that a lot of teachers use, which is okay, but when you are just reading off slides all day it's very disengaging and repetitive. It's important to take breaks, have discussions, ask questions, but when you are just sitting for the entirety of a class staring at a board everything goes in one ear and out the other for me. Also as someone that wears glasses, staring at a board all day just makes my eyes water and gives me a headache. That being said, it wasn't a "good" experience, but it wasn't necessarily bad either. The teachers themselves were nice with good intentions, but a lot of the time they just weren't doing enough to actually engage the students.
Nida Hadi---I have had mostly traditional school teachers growing up but very few progressive ones. The teachers in my elementary school were quite traditional, and so was the structure of the school itself. Teachers had to follow a specific set of curricula by the state, the rules to which to speak and raise your own perspective and voice involved seeking permission, as well as the freedom to movement. In elementary school, we were taught by our teachers to walk on the third tile everywhere we went outside of the classroom while raising three fingers, which represented (respect, responsibility, and "ready to shine,") and our finger on our mouth to show our quite demeanor to others. Everything about it felt strict and rigid, almost prison-like, given the amount of discipline and compliance with the rigid set of rules required for kids like us. The very few progressive teachers I remembered were the ones that I remember vividly because of the indelible mark in my mind because they stood out from all the rest of the teachers, often defying the strict and standard boundaries of what was expected by their school boards and instead prioritized the well-being of their students in order to create a welcoming and often more "liberating" environment to which people were free to express their pov and were freely able to foster their own sense of curiosity and excitement toward learning.
Last semester there was a kid in my stats class that always dressed very nice with his hair gelled and everything to every single class. He had a briefcase instead of a backpack and spoke like an old person. I did not interact with him much but when he spoke he seemed intelligent and was always polite. -Halie Murphy
Throughout my high school years specifically, most of my teachers were traditional in the ways they went about teaching the curriculum provided by the county. It was pretty much just lecturing, taking notes, then quiz, then test. This kind of teaching, I found, was not helpful or beneficial to all students. It was very structured, with little room for interaction, this to me feeling passive and disconnected. On the other hand, I had a teacher my senior year of high school that was much more progressive in his teaching. A lot of what we did in class involved project-based learning, where I was able to collaborate with my peers to solve real-world problems, with a bigger focus on critical thinking and creativity. This kind of learning was much more engaging and motivating for me personally because it connected learning to practical applications.
Mia- Although a lot of my school settings were very traditional (the desks, chalkboard and promethean board, paper work, etc.) I was always at extremely progressive schools. In elementary school I went to an ESL school I was zoned for, and we'd have "International nights" where we would celebrate all of the cultures at our school. As well as being surrounded by some kids who didn't speak English, although a melting pot of languages and cultures isn't "progressive" as it is something so normal and beautiful now, it was so nice having times to celebrate those cultures.
Every class you go to feels pretty traditional, especially as you get older, but what changes that feeling is how the teacher decides to teach their lesson/ material. But I remember having this one specific teacher in high school who would just talk the whole time, barely get any interaction from the class, and it would be an everyday thing within that particular class. When it comes to that specific teaching, I believe that it is not helpful at all, you're not feeling engaged, and you're sitting there wondering the whole class if this teacher even cares about their students, let alone if we're even taking in the information that they are teaching.
Allie here? An example that I can think of is when a few teachers still used those projector machines for reflecting their work onto a projector screen on the wall instead of using the new smart whiteboard that was installed.
Deborah Mattos - My senior year government class my teacher would always start the class by having us stand in a large circle around the classroom, then ask us something interesting or fun during our weekend or week so far, then she would take prayer requests, then pray one of the generic prayers, and we’d get to the lesson. I think it was progressive because I went to a Catholic High School so praying before class was normal, but the way she did it was unique. I also think that her asking us in a circle if we had anything we’d like to share was more effective than if we were just sitting in our seats, because almost every person in that class would say something. That was my favorite class all year, because everytime we all became friends with each other and we’d talk to each other outside of class if we didn’t already and she helped us to grow connections with each other without even trying
Most of my interactions with teachers were very traditional. I went to high school in the early 2000's and back then it seemed like more of a pump than a filter. By that I mean that teachers typically just wanted to get the info out to you, have you accomplish your homework, and there wasn't so much worry about how students felt. I believe that was a product of the times but that some teachers also went above and beyond. It was not hard to see the ones who were truly passionate about their field and wanted to foster the success of their students. I had a teacher in particular who happened to be my linebacker and offensive line coach who not only paid more attention to my future success but that of all of his students who were engaged in his teachings. He was one of the few that I truly looked up to and was inspired by in a way that drove me to work harder and strive for the things that I dreamt to have in my life. To have a teacher like that is essential for every student in my eyes. I believe that everyone just wants someone to see their efforts and believe in them in order to foster a mentality that drives them harder to accomplish their goals. He would sit me down and talk about life in general, nothing related to school or future career aspirations and that connection made a world of difference to me.
Talia Gose: I feel like I have had a lot of experiences with both traditional and progressive schooling. Now, being older and understanding the differences between the two I feel I had a very mixed schooling experience. Although from Kindergarten to third grade I'd say was mostly traditional. Assigned seats, heavy focus on memorization of material, etc. I would say that I did well in a traditional schooling environment, but I was also just very obedient and never really questioned anything, only focused on following rules/meeting expectations. However, I went to a gifted school for middle school. There I can distinctly remember one of my first progressive schooling experiences. I took a creative writing elective and we read an article, I can't remember about what, and had a socratic seminar after. It was really interesting, I remember being a little nervous to give my input, but nonetheless I was very engaged and remember learning a lot from others perspectives.
During my 11th grade algebra class, I had a teacher who was very traditional. I didn't know he was very traditional until I paid attention to his teaching skills as months went by. He was not strict but had the layout of a traditional classroom. It was conservative, meaning we had to only sit facing him and not speak for the 1 hour and 30 minutes we had in his classroom. He perceived himself as a bored and unenergetic teacher that did NOT want to be there. For me, I believed it was far from a good experience because I did gain the engagement that I wanted to have because of his low energy. Having a teacher who is excited about what they want to teach and wants their students to succeed would be the opposite of how my algebra teacher was. Alongside a teacher who is traditional, I had a progressive history teacher who allowed democracy in her classroom. I found her class odd because she would allow us to do what we wanted but would monitor us every now and then. Why I found it odd was because I never was in a classroom like that before. I remember vividly that she would give us assignments to where we had to build our own country however we wanted but we still needed to add specific things to get an A. A traditional classroom, like John Dewey said, is like having sponges absorbing information but being overflowed because of the pressure. Progressive learning seems more educational and allows you to build social skills while being about to critically think.
ReplyDeleteYuritzy Martinez :)
DeleteEmma Finn-
ReplyDeleteMy experience in school that was very traditional was the way my 11th grade history class was set up. We sat for an hour and a half and listened to my teacher talk and it was so boring. I don't even remember my teachers name. I only learned main points and only payed attention to info on our study guides because that was "all that mattered" because it would be on the test. A progressive experience I had was with my 12th grade English teacher Mr Russo. He always gave us a choice for what to do in class/ for projects and was understanding about deadlines. He connected with ALL students personally and was really passionate about what he taught. Senior year, everyone would skip school if they already knew what college they were going to. Most of my classes were hal empty, but I noticed Mr Russos class was always full. People liked participating in his class and I think its because he didn't run his classroom by strict rules and he connected with students personally.
Alistair here:
ReplyDeleteI've had plenty more traditional experiences in education than progressive, and they all go the same: Read the book, take notes, study for a test, take the test, move on to the next chapter. This is no blame to the teachers, plenty of them have bosses and curriculum that binds them to such structures. However, I have had teachers in the same schools that try their best to bring some enthusiasm to the classroom, and that is what I feel is progressive education. Using props to make lectures more exciting and playing games that are topical and fun, these teachers make the best of their curriculum and pushed us toward learning in a more interactive and real way, like Dewey wanted. These are the teachers that I liked, and the teacher that I want to be: Passionate!
In both 11th and 12th grade I had the same math teacher, and he was pretty conservative in his style of teaching. He would talk and we had to listen, then complete the problems on the paper, and turn them in for a grade. He was a very nice teacher, but just didn't seem like he wanted to be there. On the other hand, I had a teacher who consistently asked for ideas from the class, and what we wanted to talk about. She was always assigning group projects, and often took us on trips outside (because it was an environmental science class). Weirdly, although the environmental science class was more fun, I felt like I didn't learn much and it was a waste of time. I felt like the math class where we listened to a lecture and did problems, was more useful.
ReplyDeleteFor me, most of my schooling was very traditional, I don't remember ever going to school and having a teacher that did follow the basic guidelines; they speak, we listen. While most of my teachers were very traditional, I didn't mind it I felt like some teachers could have made it a bit more interesting, or maybe it's just because I am so used to the traditional ways, but I never had a problem with letting the teacher speak while we listened or gave us papers to write after watching a movie, etc. For me, the only issue I had was teachers who very obviously didn't want to be there, I remember having one teacher in my freshmen year of high school he was an older man and very quiet and bland, but even with this "boring" characteristics, you could tell that he enjoyed what he did and he liked telling us about history even if he wasn't doing it most engagingly and that's what I really liked about his class. I loved that even though he didn't really show it, we knew that he was excited to tell us something new. I enjoy my class so much more when I know my teacher is excited to teach us something new or when they have passion for something even if they don't spread that information in new and exciting ways.
ReplyDeleteClaire Cook
ReplyDeleteAs I’ve gotten older and gone through high school, the teaching (in my experience) got much more traditional as time went on. I noticed that all the fun, hands-on learning experiences slowed way down once I got to high school. There were still occasionally some projects and activities to do in class, but nothing in a consistent way. Most classes were just about listening to the teacher go over a text we read, or reading off a powerpoint. Then we take the quiz and test and move onto the next unit/module. In my teacher cadet class every week we would have a project where we split into groups, learned a subject/lesson really well and taught the class. We got graded not only on our teaching skills, but on the weeks we weren't up teaching a lesson we would be graded on participation and engagement in the other students' lessons. That was a very good experience because not only did it get everyone involved and engaged in class, but it was also very interesting to learn in a different way than just reading a slideshow and taking notes on it.
Riley Baber
ReplyDeleteIn my 11th and 12th grade year I took cosmetology and while that's not necessarily a traditional class, the teacher definitely was. When I'm saying she was traditional, she was traditional. We sat in assigned seats, we could only use pencil and paper, and she read to us straight from the textbook. When we'd ask a question her answer would be "look it up," and she didn't mean on our phones. We had to search through the textbook to find the answer ourselves. She's part of the reason I lost all my passion for the class as well as the hair industry in general. Despite absolutely dreading this class I did retain information, and even passed boards my first try. I'd say the class itself was a negative experience because I had constant negative feelings towards it.
Elise Ginn
ReplyDeleteFor my experience in school a majority of my classes were teachers just teaching the unit and directly speaking from the PowerPoint only, eventually leading to a test. Which in my opinion is more of a traditional way to teach. But then there's classes that have open conversations, constant group activities and hands on experiences that make learning more enjoyable and also tends to stick in my brain for longer. My UNIV 111 and 112 classes always have ice breakers that engage the whole class that also corporates learning into the lesson. It was an amazing experience as well as I'm in the class again this semester which I'm excited for.
Cady Ayers
ReplyDeleteWhen looking back on my experiences in public schools, I found it difficult to think of any progressive moments. The only one that came to mind was from my Teachers for Tomorrow course. This was during my senior year, and the first semester was spent in our classroom. We went over things like child development, Piaget's theory-- those sorts of topics. When we were on the subject of various learning obstacles, our teacher had us teach the class instead. We were all assigned one of the subcategories to then plan out our lessons whether it be a slideshow or a poster. I liked this change in practice because it served as a good experience for the future of my career. I’ve always enjoyed making slideshows for presentations, but this time I was really "in charge" of what was going on these slides. Aside from this experience, I’ve found it to be somewhat progressive in my focused inquiry this year. Every one of our days in this class is focused on communication between students. I’d say I talk voluntarily in my focused inquiry more than I do in any of my other classes. The emphasis on communication has fostered a more social and welcoming environment. I believe that the social aspects of school is so important for one's overall education. Collaboration can have a positive effect on different kinds of learners as they're able to exchange their thoughts and methods.
Peyton Plummer
ReplyDeleteMost of my schooling has been untraditional when looking back on my educational career. Going to very a heavily art based school was definitely untraditional. Core classes such as math, science, and history were of equal value to our art classes which could've been anything between ceramics to music recording tech depending on your department. I am pretty grateful for everything I learned though that time although in the moment it was pretty stressful, but I learned skills that I still use to this day. I think that there are also many different ways to conduct "untraditional" schooling besides more art or hands on based curriculum. Traditional school also works really well for some students who need that typical structure in their lives. While other students fall short in that environment and possibly feel confined by that same structure that others may thrive in. I think that in all we do need more untraditional schools and educators because learning is not a one size fits all concept, different people have different needs. And in a perfect world all of our future generations would have that option regardless of location or economic class. We can dream:)
Veronica here
ReplyDeleteI had a traditional experience back in high school. It was my senior year, and it was my chemistry class. I know it's kind of weird but looking back, the rest of my classes were sort of going the untraditional route. They were striving to make sure that they would go beyond to make sure I knew everything that I was supposed to, but with my chemistry class, it was way different. Every time someone would ask for an explanation of what something was, she would say, "Ohh, I can't say anything about that because it's outside of the curriculum." That was the class I most struggled with because I knew nothing. So I'd say that was a horrible experience.
Danny Trainham:
ReplyDeleteMy high school experience was very traditional. Teachers often taught lectures using slides or a textbook, while students sat, listened, and answered questions. Students would take a test after every unit before continuing to the next chapter. Traditional schooling was extremely boring to me, and I would often fall asleep during class. I could not concentrate for such long durations; one of my classes was almost three hours long! I prefer the way college courses are organized. Simple freedoms, such as the ability to use the restroom without asking, make college a much more enjoyable experience than high school. Additionally, my college classes have more class discussions, allowing for interaction between peers.
Taylor Duquette
ReplyDeleteMy dual english class senior year was very traditional. My teacher had been teaching for around 30/40 years and liked to do things very old fashioned. We sat in rows with very strict assigned seats and had to listen to her at all times. We were given packets and sat through hours and a half long lectures without being able to give input. Compared to my other classrooms where we were hands on and very interactive with one another, I had felt as if i had time traveled back to the 1950's every time i entered that classroom.
Back to the 1950's lolll nooooo
DeleteYea man, I didn't realize John Dewey was such a cool guy. Is the same dude who did the Dewey Decimal system? I still don't know how to use it that well but point being; he had a tremendous amount of influence in our schools. An example of traditional vs progressive for me would be how back in science class, I could not understand circuit electricity systems for the life of me. Every time my teacher would try to explain definitions and terms with a whiteboard and marker, I could not put the pieces together. I didn't get it. But one day, we came to class and we got to build a circuit system of our own with a group and a tiny pamphlet of instructions. My teacher gave us half an hour to figure it out on our own. By fiddling with the different pieces, trying 100 different things and collaborating together, we finally got our light bulb to turn on--and that's when I actually understood how the circuit conducted energy. So Dewey was right, experience is one of the top ways to truly grasp something.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for Dewey, I think school would be pretty boring and way less animated.
DeleteJordan Dent: Some of the most perceived "progressive" moments I had in school actually involved a bit of division. I often think about honors or gifted programs. I remember in middle school having an upstairs and a downstairs that divided the sixth grade class. The upstairs, full of honors classes and students that had been carried through the gifted program through elementary school. The downstairs, full of the traditional courses. I would say that this division caused a lot of animosity between students with a lot of it being fueled by the faculty's persistent aims at using the upstairs kids' "good behavior" and/or "better grades" against the downstairs kids or even using it against the upstairs kids to tell them how they should be behaving because they are above someone else. This division was also fueled by a lack of perceived belief in one's education based on where they were placed on a school floor, which I think can greatly relate to the first video for homework. In the fifth grade, I got to experience what I call an "experimental gifted school". Same things here, but with greater division. A lot of faculty weaponizing a child's "intelligence" and/or "greatness" above students that weren't in the school. Went to an arts high school as well, where a lot of former gifted children went. Not as much of the harsh division culture based on smarts, but there were moments here on there where you were expected to be a certain way because of this perceived 'status'. I guess that could make sense in a way, since you do have to apply, interview for the school, and go through a selection process, but sometimes it adds an air of entitlement. Although, other progressive moments occurred at this school though. A highlight would definitely be that ability to pursue one's major. During my senior year, there was the beginning of what was called 'focus area fridays', that allowed students to spend less time in core classes and over an hour with their major. This actually came to fruition after complaints from students about not being able to spend a lot of time with their field.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Campbell:
ReplyDeleteMy 2nd grade Catholic School was very traditional. She had only stopped hitting students on the knuckles with rulers a few years before me. Students sat in rows, you raised your hand, and memorization was very important.
My experience with math at this level was the teacher calling “5x5 is” and we would all say “25” and so on. Then we would do worksheets of 100 straight multiplication problems.
I found this experience incredibly valuable. I was able to focus on my studies and if I finished my work faster than others I could read so I got really good at doing math fast and in my head which served my extremely well in life so far.
Rosalyn Harper
ReplyDeleteA traditional experience I had as a student occurred all throughout high school; I was sitting in rows, listening to lectures, and memorizing information for tests. There was really never any connection with other students nor a desire from the teacher to really teach complex thinking, the curriculum in my county often felt rigid and didn’t encourage much creativity, but it was effective for learning certain subjects.
On the other hand, I had one teacher where the complete opposite was experienced: Mr. Clark's American history class in sophomore year. Our desks were set up in the socratic method every single class and his teaching style was led mostly by the students' discussions themself. It was engaging and helped develop critical thinking and collaboration skills, making it a more enjoyable and meaningful experience.
Progressive teaching methods are particularly advantageous for students as they promote active involvement, a deeper grasp of concepts, and connections to real-world scenarios. Rather than simply taking in information, students in Mr. Clark's class were motivated to pose questions, explore different perspectives, and cultivate their own ideas. This strategy not only boosts engagement but also reinforces skills like problem-solving, communication, and teamwork—capabilities that extend beyond the classroom and equip students for future achievements.
I would say that most of my schooling growing up was traditional. It was a lot of powerpoint's, notes, reading, and things like that. Powerpoint's are something that a lot of teachers use, which is okay, but when you are just reading off slides all day it's very disengaging and repetitive. It's important to take breaks, have discussions, ask questions, but when you are just sitting for the entirety of a class staring at a board everything goes in one ear and out the other for me. Also as someone that wears glasses, staring at a board all day just makes my eyes water and gives me a headache. That being said, it wasn't a "good" experience, but it wasn't necessarily bad either. The teachers themselves were nice with good intentions, but a lot of the time they just weren't doing enough to actually engage the students.
ReplyDeleteNida Hadi---I have had mostly traditional school teachers growing up but very few progressive ones. The teachers in my elementary school were quite traditional, and so was the structure of the school itself. Teachers had to follow a specific set of curricula by the state, the rules to which to speak and raise your own perspective and voice involved seeking permission, as well as the freedom to movement. In elementary school, we were taught by our teachers to walk on the third tile everywhere we went outside of the classroom while raising three fingers, which represented (respect, responsibility, and "ready to shine,") and our finger on our mouth to show our quite demeanor to others. Everything about it felt strict and rigid, almost prison-like, given the amount of discipline and compliance with the rigid set of rules required for kids like us. The very few progressive teachers I remembered were the ones that I remember vividly because of the indelible mark in my mind because they stood out from all the rest of the teachers, often defying the strict and standard boundaries of what was expected by their school boards and instead prioritized the well-being of their students in order to create a welcoming and often more "liberating" environment to which people were free to express their pov and were freely able to foster their own sense of curiosity and excitement toward learning.
ReplyDeleteLast semester there was a kid in my stats class that always dressed very nice with his hair gelled and everything to every single class. He had a briefcase instead of a backpack and spoke like an old person. I did not interact with him much but when he spoke he seemed intelligent and was always polite. -Halie Murphy
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ReplyDeleteTola Reasons:)
Throughout my high school years specifically, most of my teachers were traditional in the ways they went about teaching the curriculum provided by the county. It was pretty much just lecturing, taking notes, then quiz, then test. This kind of teaching, I found, was not helpful or beneficial to all students. It was very structured, with little room for interaction, this to me feeling passive and disconnected. On the other hand, I had a teacher my senior year of high school that was much more progressive in his teaching. A lot of what we did in class involved project-based learning, where I was able to collaborate with my peers to solve real-world problems, with a bigger focus on critical thinking and creativity. This kind of learning was much more engaging and motivating for me personally because it connected learning to practical applications.
Mia-
ReplyDeleteAlthough a lot of my school settings were very traditional (the desks, chalkboard and promethean board, paper work, etc.) I was always at extremely progressive schools. In elementary school I went to an ESL school I was zoned for, and we'd have "International nights" where we would celebrate all of the cultures at our school. As well as being surrounded by some kids who didn't speak English, although a melting pot of languages and cultures isn't "progressive" as it is something so normal and beautiful now, it was so nice having times to celebrate those cultures.
Every class you go to feels pretty traditional, especially as you get older, but what changes that feeling is how the teacher decides to teach their lesson/ material. But I remember having this one specific teacher in high school who would just talk the whole time, barely get any interaction from the class, and it would be an everyday thing within that particular class. When it comes to that specific teaching, I believe that it is not helpful at all, you're not feeling engaged, and you're sitting there wondering the whole class if this teacher even cares about their students, let alone if we're even taking in the information that they are teaching.
ReplyDeleteAllie here?
ReplyDeleteAn example that I can think of is when a few teachers still used those projector machines for reflecting their work onto a projector screen on the wall instead of using the new smart whiteboard that was installed.
Didn’t mean to put question mark
DeleteDeborah Mattos -
ReplyDeleteMy senior year government class my teacher would always start the class by having us stand in a large circle around the classroom, then ask us something interesting or fun during our weekend or week so far, then she would take prayer requests, then pray one of the generic prayers, and we’d get to the lesson. I think it was progressive because I went to a Catholic High School so praying before class was normal, but the way she did it was unique. I also think that her asking us in a circle if we had anything we’d like to share was more effective than if we were just sitting in our seats, because almost every person in that class would say something. That was my favorite class all year, because everytime we all became friends with each other and we’d talk to each other outside of class if we didn’t already and she helped us to grow connections with each other without even trying
Most of my interactions with teachers were very traditional. I went to high school in the early 2000's and back then it seemed like more of a pump than a filter. By that I mean that teachers typically just wanted to get the info out to you, have you accomplish your homework, and there wasn't so much worry about how students felt. I believe that was a product of the times but that some teachers also went above and beyond. It was not hard to see the ones who were truly passionate about their field and wanted to foster the success of their students. I had a teacher in particular who happened to be my linebacker and offensive line coach who not only paid more attention to my future success but that of all of his students who were engaged in his teachings. He was one of the few that I truly looked up to and was inspired by in a way that drove me to work harder and strive for the things that I dreamt to have in my life. To have a teacher like that is essential for every student in my eyes. I believe that everyone just wants someone to see their efforts and believe in them in order to foster a mentality that drives them harder to accomplish their goals. He would sit me down and talk about life in general, nothing related to school or future career aspirations and that connection made a world of difference to me.
ReplyDeleteTalia Gose:
ReplyDeleteI feel like I have had a lot of experiences with both traditional and progressive schooling. Now, being older and understanding the differences between the two I feel I had a very mixed schooling experience. Although from Kindergarten to third grade I'd say was mostly traditional. Assigned seats, heavy focus on memorization of material, etc. I would say that I did well in a traditional schooling environment, but I was also just very obedient and never really questioned anything, only focused on following rules/meeting expectations. However, I went to a gifted school for middle school. There I can distinctly remember one of my first progressive schooling experiences. I took a creative writing elective and we read an article, I can't remember about what, and had a socratic seminar after. It was really interesting, I remember being a little nervous to give my input, but nonetheless I was very engaged and remember learning a lot from others perspectives.