tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9539359.post916729486111593977..comments2023-10-24T10:06:05.391-05:00Comments on Instructivist: Gates wrecking ballInstructivisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01652458042291988959noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9539359.post-50695800038789935792008-01-24T11:14:00.000-06:002008-01-24T11:14:00.000-06:00I guess I got out just in time. I really couldn't ...I guess I got out just in time. I really couldn't deal with classrooms full of idiots. A handful at a time is about all I can do.rightwingprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12419372059353408855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9539359.post-55635245316718989152008-01-22T05:14:00.000-06:002008-01-22T05:14:00.000-06:00If by "balanced approach" you mean guided inquiry ...If by "balanced approach" you mean guided inquiry that relies upon appropriate scaffolding, employing Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development then we are talking about what used to be the model for education in schools in the 40's and 50's. It has fallen out of fashion with the tendency being to provide less guidance and scaffolding. "Balanced approach" now usually means the teacher spends perhaps one day going over some practice skills and the next day back to an inquiry-based lesson with hands-on activity. It is justified by saying that teachers are constantly assessing their students learning, giving hints and prompts as they visit the inevitable "small groups" into which the teacher has divided the class. This method is pointed to as successful because kids are supposedly engaged (i.e., they didn't burn the building down or throw chairs at the teacher) and exposed to key ideas. Exposure and mastery are two different things, however. This difference continues to elude the zealots and followers of inquiry-based programs. No matter how many papers are written by respected cognitive scientists on the subject, showing that such technique is not effective, the zealots point to such papers in the same way as the die-hard red-baiters of the 50's used to claim that anything bad was a Communist plot.Barry Garelickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01281266848110087415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9539359.post-27180572076433064042008-01-21T18:28:00.000-06:002008-01-21T18:28:00.000-06:00As with most things, a balanced approach can draw ...As with most things, a balanced approach can draw upon the best of both worlds and minimize some of the negatives. There is a lot to be said for building a classroom around inquiry--if only to engage and motivate students. But the idea that nothing needs to be taught is, of course, absurd. Some of the IDSs in Chicago have tried to use a "Guided Inquiry" model, to frame instruction around essential questions and tie instruction to interesting work of immediate concern to students...while still teaching important skills and concepts as part of a rigorous and planned curriculum.Andrew Ordoverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16777077962983909449noreply@blogger.com