Good evening! My name is Hilda Taba. Let me tell you a little about myself. I was born in 1902 in Estonia. I began my education there at a parish school and then at an all-girls grammar school. I received my undergraduate at Tartu University in English and Philosophy. I got my masters in Pennsylvania and then went to the Teacher's College at Columbia University. After I completed that program, I went back to Tartu University to get a job, but was turned down for being female. I ended up as the curriculum director at Dalton School in New York City.
I was a student of John Dewey and have many of the same views as him. While I was curriculum director, I formed some strong opinions on how accountable educators should be for their teaching. I've even written seven books on this subject. I believe curriculum should be focused on teaching students to think rather than just to regurgitate facts. One of my famous quotes is "no matter what views people have of the function of education, they can at least agree that people need to learn to think." We should be preparing our young people to participate in our culture.
I believe there are three levels of knowledge: 1) facts, 2) basic ideas and principles, and 3) concepts. Too often, too many facts are presented too quickly and it does not give the student enough time to connect with prior knowledge, form their own opinion and develop the concept. If facts are given too quickly, they will be forgotten within two years. Because I died in my sixties while I was still an educator, my students continued my work. Many of my students (who were members of the Institute for Staff Development in Miami), used the ideas above to create four thinking strategies known as the Taba approach. The four strategies are concept development, interpretation of data, application of generalizations, and interpretations of feelings, attitudes and values. Using all four strategies, the Taba approach’s goal is to facilitate students in thinking more efficiently.
I also think all teachers should serve as mediators rather than lecturers. They should lead the discussion, but allow students to share opinions and relate to their peers ideas. I also think that too many times teachers give their opinions, not verbally, but with non-verbal cues, such as smiles and head nods when they agree with what is being said, and eyebrow raises or scratching of their head when they don't agree. This is judging the student and shuts down their answers, thinking they will be wrong every time.
I am not swayed easily by all the glitz and glamour of new curriculum. I think advancing technologically is important, but I can discriminate well between what is essential in curriculum and non-essential. Teachers should not be misled by all the materials included in curriculum (workbooks, overhead, CD's, etc.), because most likely it won't be used. My theory is teach them to think and they will go far.
With that being said, do you think we "spoonfeed" our students in this country too much? Are we giving them answers as opposed to making them think for themselves?
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Ms. Taba,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic about which I continue to challenge others. I believe we as a society should be ever critical of how much we 'give' to our children, rather than teaching them how to think. We need to look not only at what we are teaching or how we are teaching, but what is our end goal? Do we simply want them to understand the facts and memorize the information...or do we want them to be valuable participants in today's society? The latter required the ability to think critically, which is not taught through fact and skill-building teacher.
~Horace Mann
I agree with your ideas about requiring children to think, but I would add on to that notion. Children should not only be taught to think, but they should be taught to reason. I believe the culmination of a good education is to make a reasonable man. Children must be able to make inferences about their world and this can only be taught by encouraging them to explore their environment.
ReplyDeleteJean-Jacques Rousseau (Emile)
I agree with the thoughts about making children think. As I have developed reading recovery techniques for younger children, I have also worked on strategies for older children when reading. I like to think that "reading is thinking." Therefore students must ultimately think about their own thinking when reading (metacognition) as to receive benefits from reading. I believe that reading with guidance is the best way not to give students answers and to make them think to make connections between their lives and books.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that students need to be able to think on their own. You mentioned how students may shut down because of an eyebrow raise or a certain look from his or her teacher. I agree with you. The punishment or shaming of students is not effective. Appropriate teaching, not spoon feeding, is the only way to be successful.
ReplyDelete~ Johann Herbart
I do think we "spoonfeed" our children these days in education. Children need to learn to think for themselves, including making moral decisions. If we give them all the answers, how will they learn to think and act on their own as adults? Education is about building character. Besides, children are able to learn on their own, so they should be able to think on their own.
ReplyDeleteI do think we "spoonfeed" our students in this country too much. Too often children sit in classrooms and teachers talk at them. Children need to be allowed to self-direct their activities, and need to be allowed to concentrate and learn on their own. Teachers need to stand back and observe their students and only step in when it is necessary; they certainly should not spoonfeed.
ReplyDelete-Maria Montessori
I do believe we tend to spoonfeed our own ideas to children. Allowing them time to think and intereact with others is a great way for them to learn. Mnay times students are either caught up on what is told to them or the first idea that comes to their head. Allowing them time to think and talk through their ideas with others gives them an opportunity to form other opinions and find true meanigs that go along with their prior knowledge.
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ReplyDeleteI think we do sometimes "spoonfeed" our students too much. Students do not need to be lectured so much but allow students to interact with one another. Students should also be given time to read books of their own interest. Reading should take place without the fear of being tested or graded.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we could 'spoonfeed' our children any more than we do! Children are perfectly capable of listening to instruction on a daily basis and should be expected to do so. Expecting less from them would be an insult!
ReplyDeleteI think that critical thinking skills in this country are not used as much as they should be. Often times students are taught material that will be on a standardized test. This kind of learning only requires rote memorization of material.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we do "spoonfeed" our children too much. Children need to learn how to figure things out on their own- to solve their own problems. When children engage in the world around them, they learn. They need a teacher their to guide them, not spoonfeed them.
ReplyDeleteYes I think they are spoonfed too much. We have too much structure in the learning process also. I believe the children do need the teacher to facilitate more of the learning and allow them to l earn from each other's experience. Allowing studetns to story tell thier ideas and have students inact them allows a lot of learnign to take place form other's ideas. This gives the students more confidence in their learning also.
ReplyDeleteNo, we do not feel that we are “spoonfeeding” our students because in our schools student’s guide their own education through their interests. With this type of education they are required to think for themselves thus, becoming better thinkers, problem solvers and well-rounded individuals.
ReplyDelete--Reggio Emilio
Perhaps America does spoon feed students. Is this because students seem so passive in their studies? The key is to provide students with an environment that fosters character development. If this occurs, and there is a solid support system for the student, students will be willing to seek out new knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThe traditonal school tends to spoon feed students. I think you woould feel right at home at New York's City & Country School. Our students recreate the world around them through meaningful play. I created wooden unit blocks that children use in their play to creat, solve problems, and challenge themselves. You won't find the glitz and glam from the text book companies here.
ReplyDelete