Usually, my posts on here are my own thoughts and observations about life, love, and the plight of the duck-billed platapus, but today I want to ask you about a topic that has been at the center of some great conversations among members of the faculty here at PCHS recently. We have been spending a lot of time discussing the ways in which the current way of delivering instruction to students may or may not be the best, most effective, way of doing it. I'm not talking about, "Oh man, my English teacher is sooooo booooooring! All he does is talk about pronouns." I am talking about the kinds of classes we offer and the context in which those pesky pronouns are presented to you. Now, we have had one student join our discussion (this all takes place on Mr. Meister's blog, which you can link to through the high school's website), and I would encourage more of you to join in if you would like, but it occured to me that since I offer extra credit for responses on my blog, I might get a little more feedback. So, this is your opportunity to sound off and let us know what kinds of learning opportunities you would like to see in a perfect world.
I would remind you that chances to voice your opinions should be treated with ultimate responsibility. I often hear students complain about one thing or another in regards to how the school operates, but I must remind you that if you really do want your voice to be heard, you need to make sure you are speaking out as a young adult if you want to be taken seriously.
Every student learns in a different way. Some of the styles of students learning are Visual, Presentational, and through audio. But some kids just plan and simple don't want to learn or think its cool to act like a delinquent. Those students need reaching or discipline. Me on the other hand am a visual learner which is why it is tough for me to even be in school sense the main teaching method at PHS is Presentational. Also students in a big class of 20 students are harder to teach due to the fact that if one acts up they all follow in a disorderly fashion. Students prefer one on one if you want the truth. All of them do. Many are just too scared to speak up or just don't think about it. If you want to connect to the students you must adjust to them and be on their mentality level otherwise you really are just forcing the knowledge into their brains. Oh and one more thing is students prefer to enjoy school than to being yelled at for forgetting one single problem on a homework assignment. There. I hope that at least helps you guys out a little bit. -Jakob Shumaker
ReplyDeleteTo me I think the perfect learning world would be where the teachers make it fun to be in the classroom and also funny to where the students would at least make their best efforts to pass the course. And if you do this I think everyone will want to go to school and like it. But also try to limit the fun sometimes so that the students don't get out of hand and end up doing something bad and then not wanting to come back. To me that would be the perfect learning world.
ReplyDeleteAs the former has stated, students do learn in a particular way, each being different. As for my own opinion, one on one can work, depending on the student. Adapt to student's different way(s) of learning. It might help a little, but mostly, what I would recommend has already been said. -Terry P.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jakob on this. Every student has his own way of learning. Schools need a new revolutionary way of learning that is both fun, and educational. This is hard to do when there are so many people that learn in so many different ways. The Ning project is a good idea but there are many people that don't care enough to even do it. There is not a whole lot you can do for that. Those are my ideas -Drake Wiseman
ReplyDeleteSixx and Drakewww are right. Many students learn in different. We need a way that would make kids want to be at school. Something that would make kid's dread coming here. It would not allow kids to want to sleep in class or sit there blankly. It would allow kids to get up and pay attention without being bored all of the time.
ReplyDeleteI've met teachers who try their hardest to help kids pass. Weather it’s by giving them credit for any little thing they do, or actually giving them something that’s going to help them learn. Giving them credit for any little thing they do isn’t fair. Teachers should be giving them something that’s going to help them learn and also get them points, if that’s what the teachers trying to do. Then when the student slacks all year and gets points for anything just so the teacher can pass them, fails the finals. I think that if teachers are going to let us have a blow off class because students are too lazy to do anything they need to fail the student. The student should have to learn from their own mistakes.
ReplyDeleteTaylor H
I feel that the best way to learn is when teachers make it fun! I hate sitting and listening to teachers rattle on about the most boring things, if more teachers made it fun the more students would get out of it. A lot of students sit back & fail, and the teachers just let them. If class was more fun, more kids would participate, and less would be failing.
ReplyDelete- Mallory Henn (:
It's true, students do learn in different ways. I could be given a word problem on paper and try to solve it, but not seem to get it, or understand really what it means. Show me the problem in an actual situation and it seems easier to understand. Maybe this is why I like chemistry so much...I can see how chemicals react by seeing them actually react. I think there should be more visual learning in classrooms.
ReplyDelete-Nikki McMullen
I believe the perfect learning world would be a quiet but fun. Also it would be better if it was one on one not in bigger groups or even smaller groups.
ReplyDeleteAustin Winkler
4th
I think the perfect learning would be to have fun. More people woould pay attention and like to learn. Mr.Ogle should do raps and stuff lol. Though school would be fun if it were funner and more colorful
ReplyDelete-Brendan Fansler
I think that the students should be able to interact more and get to do more hands on things than just sit around and do either book work or presentations. Like me I hate having to do presentations, especially infront of the whole class.
ReplyDeleteI think that if teachers were more envolved with the students than just sitting/standing and telling them what to do, that it would be easier to learn, and we would be more motivated.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jakob Shumaker on how one on one teaching is best. Although, I can tell you one class that obviously is not working. What is this town most well known for or more specifically the high school? It isn't our grades or athletics. It is the high sex/pregnancy rate. I doubt the teachers have had an up to date health class. It isn't working. Health class is just the teacher standing up front, showing and telling why sex is bad. Shows us pictures of herpes, syphilis, and how one too many beers can lead to sex with someone very ugly. If you tell a five year old "don't go into the basement." What do you think a teenage delinquent is going to do, "Motel Eight, here I cum." Obviously the topic abstinence isn't really working. The Health teacher focuses on it too much. We have a high pregnancy rate because no guy wants to or knows how to use a condom. Do you really think that they will read the directions or check the expiration date. Rather than crossing your fingers and hope that the entire high school will be abstinent (which would be less than 1%) go get a banana/cucumber and condom then they can figure the rest on their own. Teach the girls to take a pill on a regular basis or just teach them to say no like most girls do in other towns. Sorry, but Paris girls are excluded from that say "no" squad of girls.
ReplyDeleteKevin Dalia
^^ To that comment up there by Kevin, umm, I am one of those say no "squad" of girls, and I'm kind of offended that you believe that basically the blame is the girls.
ReplyDeleteMR. OGLE!
I think that you have NO problem, and shouldn't think about being the "boring" English teacher, only because to be honest, your classes are really fun! This year alone, I have learned about working with others through our movie project. I say, keep up the good work!
Andreanna Smith!
5th hour!
I agree with everyone has their own way of learning. I learn from watching and listening. I dont learn anything from just sitting in class reading about something. Someone has to explain it to me and show examples.
ReplyDeleteOakley Haddix
I think that the best way to learn is to make sure you are having fun when you do it. Instead of setting in a desk all day we should have more learning not just setting down and reading a book and then telling people about it. I learn by watching a listening. Its so much better if we had someone to show us examples and how to do it. Instead of just throwing it at us and telling us to do it.
ReplyDeleteMakayla Mayer
Every student learns differently, such as different paces and levels. I believe having a fun way of teaching things give kids more passion for learning. They won't be so bored in class and maybe will even be more excited to come to school. Kids love to be involved in activities instead of sitting around, listening all day.
ReplyDelete1st hour
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