Cognition & the Cognition & the Art of InstructionArt of Instruction

PreviewPreview

1. T-540 basics in a nutshell

2. A broad viewpoint: The tame and the wild in education

3. Words from our TFs

4. T-540 nuts and bolts and flowers and thorns, with handouts

5. Q&A

T-540 BasicsT-540 Basics

1. Taught since forever (1984) = 22nd time this year; constantly evolving.

2. Foregrounds how cognitive science speaks to the design and practice of teaching.

3. Not just about learning in schools: also, online learning, corporate settings, adult learning, museums, etc.

4. Involves technology-based examples and welcomes technology-based term projects

5. Organized to foreground not technology but principles of learning and design.

6. Main student work is a personal design project with great latitude to focus on areas of personal and professional interest.

The taming trapThe taming trap

The easiest way to The easiest way to create the illusion of create the illusion of learning is to make the learning is to make the task simpler.task simpler.

More rule-More rule-likelike

More routineMore routine

More More piecemealpiecemeal

More memory More memory orientedoriented

Teach to the testTeach to the test

Ten tame topicsTen tame topics

1. Quadratic formula

2. Underlining topic sentences

3. Essays, “knowledge telling” style

4. The four causes of the industrial revolution

5. How long does it take a 10 kg object to…

Good tame Good tame illuminatesilluminates the wild. the wild.

Bad tame Bad tame eliminateseliminates the wild. the wild.

The taming trapThe taming trap

Wilding the tameWilding the tame

Tame…Tame…

A train goes 500 miles in 10 hours.

How far on the average does the train go in one hour?

But check this out…But check this out…

A hen and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half.

How many eggs does one hen lay in one day?

Or this…

Estimate the water needs of your city or town in the year 2020 and whether current sources could supply them.

Wilding the tameWilding the tame

Should President Should President Harry Truman Harry Truman have approved have approved the dropping of the dropping of atomic bombs on atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Hiroshima and Nagasaki?Nagasaki?

Tame…Tame…

What key event led to the United States entering World War II?

Wilding Wilding the tamethe tame

Tame…

What key event inspired Picasso to paint the famous Guernica?

Wilding Wilding the tamethe tame

Wilder…

What strategies does Picasso use to build up an intense expression of the horrors of war?

Wilding Wilding the the tametame

““Elegy to the Elegy to the Spanish Spanish Republic Republic #34,” Robert #34,” Robert MotherwellMotherwell

Wilder yet…Wilder yet…

Does this speak to Franco’s revolution? How? How can we tell? How certain do we need to be? Why?

My favorite My favorite teacher, 3teacher, 3rdrd

grade, grade,

Educators as wildersEducators as wilders

My favorite My favorite teacher, 3teacher, 3rdrd

grade, grade,

Educators as wildersEducators as wilders

Educators as wildersEducators as wilders

We need wilder “wolf We need wilder “wolf teaching”teaching” Deeper

More complex

More engaging

But it’s not just a thing But it’s not just a thing of the spiritof the spirit Technically informed

Enabled by tools

Artfully done

Taming the wild and wilding the tame through T-540Taming the wild and wilding the tame through T-540

Words from Words from our Teaching our Teaching FellowsFellows

HandoutsHandouts

Course Course descriptiondescription

Schedule Schedule and readingsand readings

Taming the wild and wilding the tame through T-540Taming the wild and wilding the tame through T-540

UnitsUnits

1. The challenge of new knowledge and ideas

2. The challenge of better thinkers and learners

3. The challenge of new behaviors

Taming the wild and wilding the tame through T-540Taming the wild and wilding the tame through T-540

Typical class meeting Typical class meeting (but there are more complex variations)(but there are more complex variations)

1. Quick administrative stuff

2. Mini-lecture

3. Case of the week presentation

4. Activity & discussion evaluating the case of the week by applying concepts and tools of the week

5. Wrap up

Q & AQ & A

Taming the wild and wilding the tame through T-540Taming the wild and wilding the tame through T-540

http://my.gse.harvard.edu/course/gse-t540/2006/fallhttp://my.gse.harvard.edu/course/gse-t540/2006/fall