Discussion Forum 7

Divinia Joy Tuzon wrote:
1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

Josh wrote:A novice educator like me see the learner-centerd approach as a challenge. the challenge is how to make learnign meaningful? To make learning meaningful is to create self-directed activity. According to the author, Self-directed activity had proven to students who have the opportunity to investigate topics of personal interest, they grow acaademically and socially/emotionally competent (Helm and Katz 2001, quoted by the author).
" The first, second and three challenges are critical. and to that the 6th also. The preparation of teachers and succeeding teachers is critical because for me, to be able to see the longer effect of this approach it should be applied by students continously. The institution and societal aspects also a big challenge, worse in the Philippines the hardest challenge to beat because of the traditional and cultural biases. The time for preparation and resources are very critical factors that may affect its implementation. The parents, traditional parents, preferred the passive approach.
However, the bottom line here is the author's suggestion "by becoming advocates for high-quality instruction, we can offer a model to teachers and help them introduce more appropriate practices." I think this is feasible and eventually work into our educational system if there will be one group who will serve as benchmark of success. This will attract parents, support groups and then will be spontaneously accepted by Philippine educational system.

patmarban wrote:By involving parents in their children's learning, maybe they will see the benefits of learner-centered approach. Although it is a challenge when parents confront and criticize one's teaching style, open communication should be encouraged.

Josh wrote:A novice educator like me see the learner-centerd approach as a challenge. the challenge is how to make learnign meaningful? To make learning meaningful is to create self-directed activity. According to the author, Self-directed activity had proven to students who have the opportunity to investigate topics of personal interest, they grow acaademically and socially/emotionally competent (Helm and Katz 2001, quoted by the author).
" The first, second and three challenges are critical. and to that the 6th also. The preparation of teachers and succeeding teachers is critical because for me, to be able to see the longer effect of this approach it should be applied by students continously. The institution and societal aspects also a big challenge, worse in the Philippines the hardest challenge to beat because of the traditional and cultural biases. The time for preparation and resources are very critical factors that may affect its implementation. The parents, traditional parents, preferred the passive approach.
However, the bottom line here is the author's suggestion "by becoming advocates for high-quality instruction, we can offer a model to teachers and help them introduce more appropriate practices." I think this is feasible and eventually work into our educational system if there will be one group who will serve as benchmark of success. This will attract parents, support groups and then will be spontaneously accepted by Philippine educational system.

Divinia Joy Tuzon wrote:Classmates, please relate your discussion with the following guide questions we provided:

1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

patmarban wrote:YEAH a strategy such as project work seems great,
BUT facilitating it takes too much time and I don't have time left to teach all the subjects necessary for children in my class to perform well on proficiency tests.

This is specially true in teaching Human Anatomy and Physiology. Imagine teaching the very complex human body, the 12 systems, its parts and functions in just 1 semester to second year nursing students! A traditional teacher can finish the cardiovascular module in 1 or 2 meetings without batting an eyelash. Yet, I hear some students gasping for air; it is really hard to catch up with this course if the instructor will not carefully plan the learning experience and select what to be included in the objectives.

Recently, I have tried enforcing the numbered heads together for the cardiovascular module. I gave them a list of reference books and animations for their use. So far, it really consumes time when they have to consult different books on topics unfamiliar to them while giving them opportunity to discover the knowledge themselves. However, it feels very rewarding to know that you are not only teaching them the concepts, you are also teaching them how to discover these. Surprisingly, they even came up with such diverse and new teaching tools like youtube animations and mnemonics to teach their peers!

How did Einstein became great? Was it because he perfected all the examinations given to him? Or was it because of his discoveries?

This boils down to quality over quantity. In the end, learners will be using more of the learning skills they acquired than the facts and theories they have studied (for tests) in school.

Divinia Joy Tuzon wrote:
1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

silva731 wrote:I think the critical issue that we are facing is on how our curriculum is structured today. It is ussually teacher centered. And also some teachers really do resist change. That is why it is very hard to implement learner centered approaches to the classroom.

Nonetheless learner centered principles are very good to implement because we focus on each individual and not on the whole class. Giving the students a family atmosphere. In my own experience iam really trying to use this approach, eventhough iam not paid for the extra time and effort but it is the sense of being an educator that matters.

All we have to do , I think is to increase their awareness, people who do not know fears the unknown. Making them aware the effectiveness of this approach is a crucial step in improving our way we teach students.

Divinia Joy Tuzon wrote:Classmates, please relate your discussion with the following guide questions we provided:

1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

Josh wrote:
" The first, second and three challenges are critical. and to that the 6th also. The preparation of teachers and succeeding teachers is critical because for me, to be able to see the longer effect of this approach it should be applied by students continously. The institution and societal aspects also a big challenge, worse in the Philippines the hardest challenge to beat because of the traditional and cultural biases. The time for preparation and resources are very critical factors that may affect its implementation. The parents, traditional parents, preferred the passive approach.
However, the bottom line here is the author's suggestion "by becoming advocates for high-quality instruction, we can offer a model to teachers and help them introduce more appropriate practices." I think this is feasible and eventually work into our educational system if there will be one group who will serve as benchmark of success. This will attract parents, support groups and then will be spontaneously accepted by Philippine educational system.

="Divinia Joy Tuzon"]Classmates, please relate your discussion with the following guide questions we provided:

1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

evancarlo wrote:A growing body of research from such diverse fields as developmental psychology (Bruner, 1972; 1983; 1986; Sroufe, 1979; 1986), cultural anthropology (Heath, 1983), linguistics (Cazden, 1981; Halliday, 1975), early childhood education (Bowman, 1994; Clay, 1966; Kagan, 1992; Katz, 1993) and brain-based research (Caine & Caine, 1994; Hart, 1975) has provided a rich literature to inform best practices in the field of education. Yet, according to Darling-Hammond, professor of education at Columbia University's Teachers College, " Our school system was invented in the late 1800s, and little has changed. Can you imagine if the medical profession ran this way?" (Hancock, 1996).

If change has come slowly for middle and secondary-age children, during the last ten years, the field of early childhood education has seen a great deal of change in educational practices, due, in large part to the influence of DAP. Cooperative learning, integrated curriculum, whole language, family involvement, authentic assessment, and "hands-on learning" are just a few of the buzz words that have become part of the popular vernacular and are increasingly influencing classroom practices. Changes are being implemented, despite the difficulties presented by insufficient time for study, practice and reflection, and confusions regarding the practices themselves. Meier (1995) observes:
Unlike most industries, we can't retool by closing down the factories while we build new ones and send all the workers back to school for retraining. We need to do everything at once. It's driving while changing the tires, not to mention the transmission system (p. 151).

Reference:

http://www.nwrel.org/cfc/publications/DAP2.html

silva731 wrote:I think the critical issue that we are facing is on how our curriculum is structured today. It is ussually teacher centered. And also some teachers really do resist change. That is why it is very hard to implement learner centered approaches to the classroom.

Nonetheless learner centered principles are very good to implement because we focus on each individual and not on the whole class. Giving the students a family atmosphere. In my own experience iam really trying to use this approach, eventhough iam not paid for the extra time and effort but it is the sense of being an educator that matters.

All we have to do , I think is to increase their awareness, people who do not know fears the unknown. Making them aware the effectiveness of this approach is a crucial step in improving our way we teach students.

Divinia Joy Tuzon wrote:Classmates, please relate your discussion with the following guide questions we provided:

1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

silva731 wrote:I agree, and these are all because of people resisting change. Researches are done, but still we stick to something we are comfortable with. I just thought that why the situation is like this maybe because people are not fully aware of the advantages it will do. We or they are educators, they educate so that students learn something because not all could be learned in school and we must face the fact that quantity is irrelevant in the field of education. I myyself just learned this at our class, but iam willing to change for my students.

evancarlo wrote:A growing body of research from such diverse fields as developmental psychology (Bruner, 1972; 1983; 1986; Sroufe, 1979; 1986), cultural anthropology (Heath, 1983), linguistics (Cazden, 1981; Halliday, 1975), early childhood education (Bowman, 1994; Clay, 1966; Kagan, 1992; Katz, 1993) and brain-based research (Caine & Caine, 1994; Hart, 1975) has provided a rich literature to inform best practices in the field of education. Yet, according to Darling-Hammond, professor of education at Columbia University's Teachers College, " Our school system was invented in the late 1800s, and little has changed. Can you imagine if the medical profession ran this way?" (Hancock, 1996).

If change has come slowly for middle and secondary-age children, during the last ten years, the field of early childhood education has seen a great deal of change in educational practices, due, in large part to the influence of DAP. Cooperative learning, integrated curriculum, whole language, family involvement, authentic assessment, and "hands-on learning" are just a few of the buzz words that have become part of the popular vernacular and are increasingly influencing classroom practices. Changes are being implemented, despite the difficulties presented by insufficient time for study, practice and reflection, and confusions regarding the practices themselves. Meier (1995) observes:
Unlike most industries, we can't retool by closing down the factories while we build new ones and send all the workers back to school for retraining. We need to do everything at once. It's driving while changing the tires, not to mention the transmission system (p. 151).

Reference:

http://www.nwrel.org/cfc/publications/DAP2.html

silva731 wrote:I think the critical issue that we are facing is on how our curriculum is structured today. It is ussually teacher centered. And also some teachers really do resist change. That is why it is very hard to implement learner centered approaches to the classroom.

Nonetheless learner centered principles are very good to implement because we focus on each individual and not on the whole class. Giving the students a family atmosphere. In my own experience iam really trying to use this approach, eventhough iam not paid for the extra time and effort but it is the sense of being an educator that matters.

All we have to do , I think is to increase their awareness, people who do not know fears the unknown. Making them aware the effectiveness of this approach is a crucial step in improving our way we teach students.

Divinia Joy Tuzon wrote:Classmates, please relate your discussion with the following guide questions we provided:

1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

patmarban wrote:By involving parents in their children's learning, maybe they will see the benefits of learner-centered approach. Although it is a challenge when parents confront and criticize one's teaching style, open communication should be encouraged.

Josh wrote:A novice educator like me see the learner-centerd approach as a challenge. the challenge is how to make learnign meaningful? To make learning meaningful is to create self-directed activity. According to the author, Self-directed activity had proven to students who have the opportunity to investigate topics of personal interest, they grow acaademically and socially/emotionally competent (Helm and Katz 2001, quoted by the author).
" The first, second and three challenges are critical. and to that the 6th also. The preparation of teachers and succeeding teachers is critical because for me, to be able to see the longer effect of this approach it should be applied by students continously. The institution and societal aspects also a big challenge, worse in the Philippines the hardest challenge to beat because of the traditional and cultural biases. The time for preparation and resources are very critical factors that may affect its implementation. The parents, traditional parents, preferred the passive approach.
However, the bottom line here is the author's suggestion "by becoming advocates for high-quality instruction, we can offer a model to teachers and help them introduce more appropriate practices." I think this is feasible and eventually work into our educational system if there will be one group who will serve as benchmark of success. This will attract parents, support groups and then will be spontaneously accepted by Philippine educational system.

evancarlo wrote:Developmentally appropriate practices and culturally relevant teaching, well grounded in human development and brain-based research, are a pervasive force in our educational system. Yet the tension between the views of education as nurturing a child's intelligence and curiosity and education as a means to transmit the knowledge, skills, and social and moral rules of the culture (Kohlberg & Meyer, 1972), often creates an environment that makes their implementation problematic. Teachers may feel caught between emphasizing skills and meaning, between coverage and "the having of wonderful ideas," and between raising standardized test scores and nurturing multiple intelligences.

As Apple (1992) has argued, school curriculum is not neutral knowledge. "Rather, what counts as legitimate knowledge is the result of complex power relations and struggles among identifiable class, race, gender, and religious groups (p. 4). In short, schooling takes place in a wider political context, one in which currently there is a great deal of anxiety and controversy regarding the nature of schooling, the economy, and our society, itself.

Reference:

http://www.nwrel.org/cfc/publications/DAP2.html

silva731 wrote:I agree, and these are all because of people resisting change. Researches are done, but still we stick to something we are comfortable with. I just thought that why the situation is like this maybe because people are not fully aware of the advantages it will do. We or they are educators, they educate so that students learn something because not all could be learned in school and we must face the fact that quantity is irrelevant in the field of education. I myyself just learned this at our class, but iam willing to change for my students.

evancarlo wrote:A growing body of research from such diverse fields as developmental psychology (Bruner, 1972; 1983; 1986; Sroufe, 1979; 1986), cultural anthropology (Heath, 1983), linguistics (Cazden, 1981; Halliday, 1975), early childhood education (Bowman, 1994; Clay, 1966; Kagan, 1992; Katz, 1993) and brain-based research (Caine & Caine, 1994; Hart, 1975) has provided a rich literature to inform best practices in the field of education. Yet, according to Darling-Hammond, professor of education at Columbia University's Teachers College, " Our school system was invented in the late 1800s, and little has changed. Can you imagine if the medical profession ran this way?" (Hancock, 1996).

If change has come slowly for middle and secondary-age children, during the last ten years, the field of early childhood education has seen a great deal of change in educational practices, due, in large part to the influence of DAP. Cooperative learning, integrated curriculum, whole language, family involvement, authentic assessment, and "hands-on learning" are just a few of the buzz words that have become part of the popular vernacular and are increasingly influencing classroom practices. Changes are being implemented, despite the difficulties presented by insufficient time for study, practice and reflection, and confusions regarding the practices themselves. Meier (1995) observes:
Unlike most industries, we can't retool by closing down the factories while we build new ones and send all the workers back to school for retraining. We need to do everything at once. It's driving while changing the tires, not to mention the transmission system (p. 151).

Reference:

http://www.nwrel.org/cfc/publications/DAP2.html

silva731 wrote:I think the critical issue that we are facing is on how our curriculum is structured today. It is ussually teacher centered. And also some teachers really do resist change. That is why it is very hard to implement learner centered approaches to the classroom.




Nonetheless learner centered principles are very good to implement because we focus on each individual and not on the whole class. Giving the students a family atmosphere. In my own experience iam really trying to use this approach, eventhough iam not paid for the extra time and effort but it is the sense of being an educator that matters.

All we have to do , I think is to increase their awareness, people who do not know fears the unknown. Making them aware the effectiveness of this approach is a crucial step in improving our way we teach students.

Divinia Joy Tuzon wrote:Classmates, please relate your discussion with the following guide questions we provided:

1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

silva731 wrote:Iam really moved with your material because iam the teacher who is always scolded by his coordinator because I usually dont finish the topics in the course outline becuase I always make sure they know the concept before we move to another. Quantity of what you have taught is irrelevant. What iam after is the retention my students get. And Iam really glad we have a subject like this because iam learning more.

Divinia Joy Tuzon wrote:Classmates, please relate your discussion with the following guide questions we provided:

1.Among the eight challenges mentioned in the article that are encountered by educators in implementing the developmentally appropriate practice approach, what do you think is the most critical issue that educators are facing today and how can we respond to the "Yeah, But's" in our own curriculum?

2.Knowing the advantages students receive from a learner-centered approach, do you think applying developmentally appropriate practice is feasible and more appropriate in our setting, considering:

a.Absence of No Child Left Behind policy and organizations such as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that advocates such approach?

b.The cost of applying multiage programs, child-initiated activities and project approach over the traditional “cookbook” curriculum?

3.How can we as educators and would be educators overcome our own resistance and help others included in the education of our students such as our fellow colleagues, the administrators and most importantly the families of the students to do so also?

Thank you very much and we are really looking forward for your opinions.
God bless!

patmarban wrote:By involving parents in their children's learning, maybe they will see the benefits of learner-centered approach. Although it is a challenge when parents confront and criticize one's teaching style, open communication should be encouraged.

Josh wrote:A novice educator like me see the learner-centerd approach as a challenge. the challenge is how to make learnign meaningful? To make learning meaningful is to create self-directed activity. According to the author, Self-directed activity had proven to students who have the opportunity to investigate topics of personal interest, they grow acaademically and socially/emotionally competent (Helm and Katz 2001, quoted by the author).
" The first, second and three challenges are critical. and to that the 6th also. The preparation of teachers and succeeding teachers is critical because for me, to be able to see the longer effect of this approach it should be applied by students continously. The institution and societal aspects also a big challenge, worse in the Philippines the hardest challenge to beat because of the traditional and cultural biases. The time for preparation and resources are very critical factors that may affect its implementation. The parents, traditional parents, preferred the passive approach.
However, the bottom line here is the author's suggestion "by becoming advocates for high-quality instruction, we can offer a model to teachers and help them introduce more appropriate practices." I think this is feasible and eventually work into our educational system if there will be one group who will serve as benchmark of success. This will attract parents, support groups and then will be spontaneously accepted by Philippine educational system.