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
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: An Emphasis on Quality Learning
Brandi Jones, SMCC
I walked into class last week and overheard two girls talking. One of the girls was telling the other how she had spent six hours, the night before, studying for a test. As a result she was only able to get forty-five minutes of sleep. She seemed very proud of this fact and figured she would therefore get a good grade on her test.
My question is-- had she really learned anything, or was she just studying for the grade? I'm willing to guess that she was just studying for the grade with no thought of wanting to learn about the subject. By stressing things that are "going to be on the test" and telling students what they must do to "get an A," teachers lead students to believe that the point of school is getting good grades. By helping us to put grades out of our minds and focusing on the topics, Dynamic Learning has shown me what school is really about. It is about learning.
I graduated from the Dynamic Learning program in the Spring of 1999. I began Dynamic Learning not knowing what I really wanted to do with my life but knowing that I love kids and wanted to do something that would make a difference. After discovering what real learning is about, I have found that teaching is my life's passion.
In Dynamic Learning there is no emphasis on grades. The emphasis is on learning. We do not study things because they will be on a test. We study them because we want to learn. During my second semester in the program, we were asked to write our educational philosophy. The emphasis was not placed on the grade that we would receive for the project but on what this paper would hopefully mean for us. I was intrinsically motivated to write the paper thinking that this paper would be the best piece of writing I had ever done. After writing the paper, I finally realized what it means to have excellence in my work. It is important to have my own standards to work for, not those that grades supposedly reflect.
Up to this point, I had made good grades in my classes, but, I had not actually learned. I now have a totally different view on learning and formal education. This will help me with my students as I help them to learn.