Common Misconceptions About Student Learning

There are many common myths circulating that relate to education and the perception of how students actually learn information. Often, these myths developed as a result of individuals projecting their own experiences in school, and not through any professional case study. What is often overlooked is the understanding that education has evolved over the years into an experience that differs from student to student, and is heavily influenced by the integration of technology into the classroom. I don’t think anyone needs data to see that. But unfortunately, as I speak to students, I think that some educators are not providing adequate learning environments for our 21st century learners.

Here are a few of the most common misconceptions regarding student learning:

Talking about a topic means it was taught

Teachers often adopt the belief that if they talk about a specific concept enough, then the students must be learning it, or will eventually get it. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Most students will not fully understand a concept unless it is reinforced, and preferably with some type of student-centered activity. For this reason, I believe it is important for the students to be provided the opportunity to draw conclusions and discover personal means to master content.

Early in my career, I thought that I needed to make the connections for my students and teach them the material. However, over the past several years, I have discovered that students learn best when they are guided to resources and provided the opportunity to explore. My role in their learning is to clarify and provide guidance, unlike the role that my teachers performed. As I have mentioned countless times, I do not see my job as a “teacher;” rather I see myself as the facilitator in the classroom. As I circulate through my classroom, I serve as an additional resource, a sounding board, and/or an evaluator for the students. Even as I assess their work, I never provide the students with a grade. It is more of a subjective point of view to the effectiveness of the project they completed. Sure, I eventually provide them a grade (for the gradebook), but I believe it is more important for the students to achieve personal satisfaction with the outcomes of their work. I have yet to have a student say, “that’s good enough.”

But the question is, how can this translate to a math class? The short answer is, through project-based learning assignments. Students will see the value in completing a task, rather than just solving a problem. What if a teacher taught slope by having students build a staircase? The applied concepts of making steps functional will provide the relevancy the students need while assisting in developing many of the core 21st century skills, including creativity and innovation, communication and collaboration, research, critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making.

A quiet classroom is the best environment for learning

If you were to enter a classroom full of students who are all working quietly, it must mean that they are actively learning, right? Not necessarily! If you take a closer look you will undoubtedly find most students are bored and often disengaged. Today’s classrooms don’t necessarily have to be quiet in order to be functional. In fact, the more students are permitted to talk and move around the room, the more engaged they become in learning the material. In my classroom, we often refer to it as “controlled chaos.” When you enter our classroom, you will see students in the studio, out in the hall, in the classroom, Mac lab, other teachers’ classrooms, etc. I am usually never in the same location for more than a few minutes, unless I am working one-to-one with a student or group that is having difficulty. It is rare that you will find my students sitting for extended periods of time in the classroom, unless they are collaborating about ideas.

Even when being observed, I often explain that I will not be able to provide a “typical” lesson. In the past, I would be sure to provide a lesson where students could demonstrate their knowledge in a lecture-based environment, making sure I hit all of the pedagogical skills. However, over the past few years, my observations have taken place in a multitude of locations, often during live productions.

Imagine the evaluation of the math class where several groups of students are building staircases to suit the needs of various style homes. Each group could work independently to solve “real world” problems for specific challenges the teacher provided (i.e., single home ranch, as opposed to a split level). The interesting part of all of this, is that this is what transpires everyday in your typical Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. For those that may have never experienced a CTE classroom, it is worth every minute of observation.

Traditional schooling prepares students for life in the real world

Placing an emphasis on sitting through lectures, taking standardized tests and writing essays will not prepare students for life after school. Instead, it leaves them with a false sense of what will be expected of them once they get a job and are forced to figure out how to manage their time, finish tasks and meet deadlines. Almost every career field will require students to communicate, collaborate, create and evaluate information and each other, often with technology. Unfortunately, these skills are often not taught in traditional school settings. Whereas in Career and Technical Education, we emphasize these skills by providing students topics in a real world context. Every teacher evaluates students using grading scales that include a work ethic grade. Often this is 25% of the student’s grade. Within this evaluation system, the students are graded on their ability to be prompt and prepared, to follow direction, initiate their learning, and manage their time. More specifically, I have even embedded project management software and other social media tools to effectively teach my students individual accountability. However, these tools become ineffective when students are sitting in their chairs learning from a book, answering questions on a study guide.

If you relate material to students’ interests, you will have to “simplify” the material

Many teachers don’t realize how successful their students could be if they are allowed to relate the material being taught to their own interests. Teenagers learn best by building on what they already know, and if they can’t relate to the information presented to them, they will most likely not be able to retain that information. I believe I have the advantage of teaching students multimedia technology and can provide them the opportunity to develop mastery using content that is of the interest to the students. However, I believe that other teachers can use multimedia to engage students and make connections to their interests.

Maybe not every kid would want to build a staircase, but at some point every homeowner will need to make modifications to their home. Why not have students find areas in their home that they would like modified and have them complete a draft of the room, a materials list, budget, etc.? Imagine the engagement of the students when they are learning the skills and knowledge to modify their bedroom. Then they can complete a persuasive presentation to present to their parents.