Reflection #3: The Hidden Lives of Learners

Welcome back to part three of three in my reflection of The Hidden Lives of Learners by Graham Nuthall.

Chapter 5: "How students learn from the variety of their experiences"

Once again the word "variety" peeks out at us in this chapter. A large focus was once again the way that students need three encounters with a piece of content to incorporate it into their stored knowledge. It is crucial to remember that not all students will come into your classroom on day one and have the same prior or existing knowledge. Recognize their starting level and work your hardest to raise their bar of knowledge no matter where they start out. After all we are trying to make the best better! (shoutout to my 4-H friends out there) I realize that I have yet to take my methods class but I already realize the importance of variety in the classroom. I can't wait to actually learn how to use variations in my lessons because I've read about it and have gotten excited! 

Chapter 6: "Ethnic differences and learning"

Looking back on my experiences with Agricultural and Extension Education in the past year I have been involved in many discussions about diversity in the classroom. While reading this chapter I was reminded about the necessity of recruiting and retaining a population in your classes that represent the demographics of your school. Many times children who are in the minority do not feel welcome or comfortable with a group of students, the majority of which are different than themselves. In the book we were presented a few examples where students would use an individuals differences such as their accent or ethnicity to bully them in a more personal way. When I enter the classroom I aim to create an inclusive environment where students will not be worried about whether their differences make them stand out but can focus entirely on learning and growing as individuals. 

Chapter 7: "Teaching for learning: a summary"

This chapter was the first to be written by Mr. Nuthall's colleagues after his death. It served as a summary of what the reader has gained from the book. Following is a list of a few recent key lessons I am taking away from my time spent reading the final third of this book.

1) Learning is highly individualized and can come from teacher directed and student directed experiences.

2) Inquiry based instruction (although not referred to directly in the book) will create lifelong learners who are able to direct themselves and utilize problem-solving skills.

3) Include everyone in your classroom whether they be a minority through their race, IEP status, or popularity peer group. If you notice that they are being bullied make sure to do something about it ensuring that you follow th policy of the school. 


I would like to thank you all for following along with my take on The Hidden Lives of Learners by Graham Nuthall. May we all continue reading for professional development and become better educators because of our efforts! 

Reflection #2: The Hidden Lives of Learners

Welcome back to my perspective on The Hidden Lives of Learners by Graham Nuthall.

Chapter 3: "Understanding how students learn and remember what they learn"

Chapter three dove deeper into the procedures that Nuthall and his colleagues used to complete effective research in the classroom. As I was reading this chapter, I participated in the Teach Ag! Adventure Orientation where I received syllabi for the upcoming fall & spring semesters. One of my assignments will be completing a "Student Learning Outcome/Action Research Project" while at Manheim Central High School. I sense a connection between this chapter and my research next spring. Nuthall's explanation of how he decided on research practices and fulfilled his goals for the studies will help me to efficiently complete my Action Research Project.

Secondly, I appreciate the conclusions that the research provide. Those that I found to be most important are listed below.

1)  When it comes to teaching our students, we must remember that much of their capability to learn comes from the background or prior knowledge that they have. Background knowledge is often outside of a teacher's control but it is still a key piece to the learning process. 

2) It is recognized that a student must encounter the content that a teacher aims to teach at least three times to understand the concept. This is not to say that vocally repeating a concept three times will ensure that a student learns it. The first time it is taught, a student puts the information into their working memory. The second time they hear it taught or mentioned in a different manner, it has already been in the working memory and is reinforced in a new way. The third time the concept is encountered the student's brain will covert the content from the working memory to the existing knowledge. A variety of methods of teaching need to be used which I am enthralled to learn this fall in my preparation classes!


Chapter 4: "Life in classrooms: the contexts within which learning takes place"

The key point that I received from chapter four was that "students live their lives in classrooms within the context of three different but interacting worlds." These three worlds act to shape a student's attitude and experiences in the classroom. 

1) Public World - this world is seen and managed by the teacher
2) Semiprivate World - encompasses the peer relationships carried out by students
3) Private World - this world is found within the child's own mind

While considering these worlds that student's live in, we must recognize that students learn from teacher managed activities and self-generated learning experiences. Nuthall's studies show that the teacher provided a critical mass of the things learned in the classroom. Of course this is reassuring for me as I begin teaching. However within that data, I was most interested to read that students who are labeled "less able" based on standardized test scores depended more on teacher managed activities. It was also found that no matter what ability level a student was ranked at as long as they were provided the same experiences, they would learn the same amount. Going back to the Student Learning Outcome Research there is a similarity with wanting to track the growth as opposed to raw scores of students in a certain area. 

Chapter three and four were two more interesting chapters in which I learned many interesting conclusions of Nuthall's research and also came up with some ways to approach my Student Learning Outcome/Action Research Project during my time student teaching!  (Ps. If you have any ideas please comment to let me know!)


Coming in August: My final reflection covering the rest of the book. Stay tuned!

Reflection #1: The Hidden Lives of Learners

This summer all members of the 2018 PSU Ag Ed cohort have been tasked to read a fitting "education focused" book for professional development. I chose "The Hidden Lives of Learners" by Graham Nuthall.

I have not been disappointed by what I have read in this book so far and I look forward to reading the rest!

The author of this book, Graham Nuthall, was a highly accredited professional and reported to be an extremely humble man. Throughout his career he completed world wide research. Although not his ultimate goal, he received international acclaim for his work. His research focused on finding solutions to benefit students and teachers. A unique aspect of his studies looked at the student perspective in an effort to help teachers improve the educational experience for those they teach. Graham passed away prior to 2007 but his writings still carry-on his legacy each time a reader opens the text.

Graham Nuthall
https://sudburybeach.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/
graham-nuthall-the-most-important-education-
researcherwe-never-heard-of/

Chapter 1: What do we know about effective teaching?

Chapter one reviewed the key points of effective teaching. Those I found most significant are as follows:

1) How are teachers different from computers, television, or good books? Sure, these may be some awesome tools teachers can use to compliment learning, none can replace a teacher. In the classroom teachers do many more things than just stand at the front of the room and act as a fountain of knowledge. With practice a teacher can read a room and tell when students are disengaged, redirect to present a new method of learning, and refocus their pupils on the task at hand.

2) Why can't we identify a good teacher by solely observing one of their classes? This can be approached with another question. What does an effective classroom look like to an observer? To an observer, an effective classroom is one in which all students are engaged and actively participating. Sometimes adults forget that students are people too, many with complex situations happening in their daily lives. Many unseen and unknown stimuli can affect a child's attention span. A good teacher knows their students and when to act and react on these particular behaviors. Would an outside observer be able to de-code these actions? No. This is why a good teacher cannot be judged so quickly from outside observation.

3) Why can't utilizing the best methods of teaching turn us all into super effective teachers? "Pharmaceutical drugs do not change their content when given to different people, but teaching methods do change when carried out by different teachers with different students." This quote spoke to me in that there must be constant readjustment to engage students at their point of need. Superior teachers have tried, failed, researched, tested, and adapted methods over their teaching career to help each child succeed. I am looking forward to learning more through AEE 413 this fall.

Chapter 2: Myths and misunderstandings about assessment

This chapter helped shed light on content testing and the validity of knowledge gained through that testing.

"I am now convinced that tests that have little or no personal significance for students and do not measure what the students know, or can do. Instead, tests reflect students' motivation and test taking skills."

This quote started turning cogs and gears in my mind. After reading a few paragraphs, I made a deeper connection with inquiry-based learning. If students are to actually learn, remember, apply information, it is more effective to have them approach topics through inquiry to better prepare them for a successful career and life. It is reported that students who gain knowledge through an inquiry based format will be better prepared to solve problems. Knowing that questioning and inquiring dramatically increases successful learning, it is clear that this is a much better model for learning than exercising a student's memorization muscles. 

The chapter also dives into what it would take to gain a more accurate assessment of knowledge acquisition. The author suggests the need to question the intention of each student in their choice reasoning to accurately assess knowledge gained. He also notes this method of assessment is neither practical nor attainable.

Coming in July: My next reflection on chapters three and four. Stay tuned!