Simple Teaching Can Reap Best Results

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CHALK TALK

Simple teaching can reap best results

By The Nation

Just as so many schools are going after high-tech tools like the Internet and computer programmes to enhance their students' learning experiences, I opt for things much simpler.

Everything in a student's surroundings in fact can provide a lesson or more.

During a recent lunch break, I ran into a group of students who were enjoying rice with tomyam kai (spicy sour soup with chicken) and fried gourd with egg.

"Oh, some ingredients here came from the sea," I raised the topic.

The students became very curious. They carefully examined what they had on their plates. They were trying hard to find an answer, and I got many responses.

Then, a boy said, "I've got it. The water is from the sea. Sea gives vapour that soars up to form cloud. The cloud precipitates to give us rain. Then, a cook uses the rainwater to prepare this soup for us".

From a very simple question, I successfully encouraged my students to exercise their brains and to think about things around them. The boy, for example, could retrieve his science knowledge for use.

"What food is from the soil then?" I asked. And came many more answers.

Sometimes, I just point at millipedes and ask students to do the drawing. From there, I will ask analytical questions like, "What do millipedes and men have in common?" and "Why does the Earth need to have millipedes".

All such lessons can be conducted without the need to rely on expensive, power-consuming devices.

I am not against modern technology. However, I would like to make it clear that teachers do not need to rely on just hi-tech tools. Even without these expensive devices, they can teach so many things to their students.

At the Lamplaimat Pattana School, students do have access to computers, Internet and the likes. Yet, students spend more time thinking and working with their brains.

All teachers here have encouraged students to search for answers themselves through discussions. During the discussions, the students have learnt not just new knowledge, they have also learned to interact with one another, to share opinions, and to respect one another.

It is not necessary that teachers must provide answers for students all the time. Through such discussions, the students more often than not can come up with the answers themselves. The discussions, moreover, are successful tools to engage the students deeply in the learning process.

Teachers must understand that without active learning and real attention to class, students will hardly learn anything even if they sit in the most well-equipped learning facilities.

Therefore, I would like to urge all teachers to utilise resources at hand in enhancing their students' learning. Everything around us can be used as a lesson. All teachers need to do is to integrate it efficiently into class activities that may appear in classroom or even in a schoolyard.

Knowledge has no boundary and hi-tech tools are by no means the fundamental part of learning.

WICHIAN CHAIYABANG

Headmaster of Lamplaimat |Pattana School

www.lpmp.org

http://lamplaimatpattanaschool.blogspot.com/

chaiyabang50 [at] gmail.com

-- The Nation 2010-06-28

[aussiebebe]

I'm unsure why this article has been copied and pasted in this forum - maybe to stimulate discussion? This article deserves an award for stating the obvious in such a long-winded fashion, but seeing as it's from the Nation, a 'newspaper' whose journalists frequently quote wikipedia, themselves and/or their own wiki contributions, I'm hardly surprised.

I'm actually impressed by the length of the article, it's quite an achievement to stretch it out, instead of summarise it in a single sentence: 'Teachers shouldn't misuse technology to substitute research-proven traditional teaching methods and classroom management techniques'. Yeah, I doubt anyone is doing this, I think teachers know this already. There's some good reserach from last year, fom Cheryl Lemke and Ed Coughlin (2009) far more worthy of an educational article, about how technology is actually changing the nature of learning and giving more power to the student. Those authors concluded this change can be seen in 'democratization of knowledge, participatory learning, authentic learning and multimodal learning'.

This article about simple teaching in the Nation might have better addressed the challenges for teachers in helping learners to interpret and understand technology. Contrary to the author's conclusion; good use of technology to enhance and promote learning and technological literacy is a fundamental part of students learning as he doesn't address this change in learning. In balance, technology like mobile devices, probably has some negative effect on cognition and in-depth reading, particularly, though it's presently unclear what exactly this is.

Edited June 28, 2010 by aussiebebe

[walterego]

That will be the last time the students eat their lunch wiith that teacher at their table then.

[Scott]

So I guess this big learning event can be translated effectively and efficiently to a class with 45 students or so.

[MagnumForce]

Presumably the Q+A's with the students were in Thai. Imagine having the good fortune to have a student give those answers in English instead of arai wah?

[asiawatcher]

I'm unsure why this article has been copied and pasted in this forum - maybe to stimulate discussion? This article deserves an award for stating the obvious in such a long-winded fashion, but seeing as it's from the Nation, a 'newspaper' whose journalists frequently quote wikipedia, themselves and/or their own wiki contributions, I'm hardly surprised.

I'm actually impressed by the length of the article, it's quite an achievement to stretch it out, instead of summarise it in a single sentence: 'Teachers shouldn't misuse technology to substitute research-proven traditional teaching methods and classroom management techniques'. Yeah, I doubt anyone is doing this, I think teachers know this already. There's some good reserach from last year, fom Cheryl Lemke and Ed Coughlin (2009) far more worthy of an educational article, about how technology is actually changing the nature of learning and giving more power to the student. Those authors concluded this change can be seen in 'democratization of knowledge, participatory learning, authentic learning and multimodal learning'.

This article about simple teaching in the Nation might have better addressed the challenges for teachers in helping learners to interpret and understand technology. Contrary to the author's conclusion; good use of technology to enhance and promote learning and technological literacy is a fundamental part of students learning as he doesn't address this change in learning. In balance, technology like mobile devices, probably has some negative effect on cognition and in-depth reading, particularly, though it's presently unclear what exactly this is.

This response deserves an award for stating the obvious in such a long-winded fashion...

[siampolee]

Exactly the sort of information one exchanges with ones own children as a parent ,and also at school as one teaches students.

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MagnumForce

Presumably the Q+A's with the students were in Thai. Imagine having the good fortune to have a student give those answers in English instead of arai wah?

Visited the school web site, and the through the good services of google translator one could actually see what was on offer from the school.

No sign of any English language content though.