As we have already witnessed in Poli 477, the course is not structured as a normal college class. Starting from the way we are literally structured, in a round table layout, we are able to interact better with our classmates and professors. This allows for a more comfortable and inviting setting that I feel reduces anxiety. Whereas, in large typical classrooms the professor is preaching from the front with the students lined in rows. In this setting it is less likely that a good discussion will start and less students will question the professor.
After reading about student democracy in the classroom I feel that this is something that has been seen in the majority of my classes in the Green Quad. There is almost always a mutual respect between the students and teachers and all viewpoints on a subject. Afterall, if we can not debate topics and viewpoints then we are just learning what the teacher is telling us and trusting in their opinion. In many of these courses the structure is similar to William Caspary's. His goals are to integrate the students viewpoints and discussion with the course material. This forces students to think about the material in rational and intriguing ways to try to contribute to the conversation. I also felt that his grading system approach was interesting and very true. In other courses I am given 3 or 4 chances to do good just by studying the material and hope that I can understand it. Personally, I do not think this is necessarily a fair form of judgement, however, that could be because I am not good with memorization.
I feel that through my experience with green learning community classes I have become more open to new ideas and view points. This has helped me explore my own thoughts and feelings while also speaking up about the issues that I feel strongly about. Even during our class on Monday I may not have had much to contribute, but I was intrigued by the view points and interests in my peers. It resulted in me doing more research outside of the classroom on these topics so that I could be more knowledgable. While I do agree with the green learning models, I question how it would be applied in other courses such as a chemistry lecture or a physics class. Has this ever been tried?
As an educator myself (secondary social studies and leadership courses), I was not taught to teach in this way. As I now adopt these values/processes into my class rooms, it is odd to see some "push back" from other teachers who feel that they may loose a certain sense of 'power' should they adopt some of these values. However, research has shown that as students take ownership of their learning, are more involved in curriculum decisions they remain more engaged.
ReplyDeleteDo you feel that students "push back" as well? In some senses it is an easy way for students that are not engaged to slide by. Which is where the issues with grading come in. However, do you feel you've had a better response from your students through teaching this way? I understand it is very different from younger students who need structured education though.
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