Fall 1999
Vol 8 Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
Student Voices-Insights on Invaluable Learning Experiences
Taking Learning and Leadership Seriously
Redefining the Learning Environment
A Win-Win Situation for Everyone
Challenging Beliefs about Good Teaching
Student Collaboration
An Emphasis on Quality Learning
Involvement in the Teaching Process
Providing Support and Motivation
Learning at a Community College: An International Perspective
ASSIDERE
Getting Students Involved in Assessment
Students Sharing Their Learning
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Dynamic Learning: Student Collaboration
Estevan Rivera, SMCC
"Quiet down, eyes forward, pencils down, now you will do as I say. Everything I say is right because I am the instructor and I am always right."
Maybe this scene is a little drastic, but in reality even in this day, teachers repeatedly drill and mold students into submissively regurgitating facts used to measure academic achievement. The students are not being prepared by quality of education, but instead by a quantitative form of education, one that can be measured to satisfy interest groups at the federal, state, district, and community levels. It is in this context that many educators fall immensely short of teaching students the "love of learning."
The source of my learning experience comes from several cities in three different states. I remember the traditional three R's as well as the traditional classroom setting. It seemed as if the teacher was in an imaginary cubicle that could not be penetrated by the students. We were in the same classroom but in different areas. One could question, then, if my experiences of learning were so bad, how did I learn? My interaction with my fellow classmates had a lot to do with my gaining knowledge. Since my family moved around a lot, I relied on my classmates to bring me up to par on what the class had completed. The teachers I had also assisted (whether or not they knew it at the time) by placing me with a partner. You see, the student became the teacher, and I was more comfortable conversing with someone my own age.
Dynamic Learning reintroduced me to this philosophy of peer/students collaboration with a more hands-on, teacher-as-partner environment. At first, I was reluctant to let go of my traditional beliefs about learning. This was understandable because I, like many others, had been drilled repetitively with the traditional methods. The Dynamic Learning Program takes learning and teaching to a deeper level, with real-world applications and stresses, above all else, the success of all students. It is this philosophy that has inspired me to achieve high academic standards, not for myself but my fellow colleagues, my community, and students I may teach in the future.