Establishing a Community of Learners: Theory and Practice

Reflection

Today in our Language Arts class we were asked to rank the the "Ten Characteristics of Classroom Communities" according to their importance in developing a community of learners at the beginning of the school year (Cambourne & Turbill, 1987). I wondered if the qualities that we chose as most important would remain throughout the year or if we worked in "open" classrooms or with students with disabilities. Bomphray mentioned that we would learn to emphasize different characteristics as we develop professionally, learning more about what the terms mean, how we are able to implement them, and about how to recognize what motivates our students.


Text

As I was reading this text, I tried to pay attention to which characteristics the authors value, which they think are most causual in establishing learning communities, and about what their choices say about their educational philosophy. Our music teacher, Dr. Bolden, warned us that education and pedagogy students tend to read texts in such a way that they confirm what they already believe. I chose to examine this chapter as though I were surveying the authors in the same manner that we were today. I hope that by making a connection between the activity we did in class and this chapter, I will learn something about planning instruction in critical reading strategies.


Major Concepts

Time is precious to the teacher. Teachers are under immense stress because they measure material in quantitative terms and usually organize it in the form in which they are most comfortable: the lecture. They use questions to "set an agenda for a curriculum" or sometimes to "discipline and control".

Misinformation is the biggest fear of a teacher who is trying to control dialogue. Educators sometimes focus on bodies of knowledge and "deficits", rather than on the learning that occurs when students elaborate on an idea, iniate conversations in groups of appropriate size (side-talk), or argue vigorously and with emotion.

Affective response is the most misunderstood and overlooked by teachers who are learning to assess learning. In particular, reflection is often misinterpreted as silence. (Dr. Bolden said today that silence is the "frame" for music.) Force-feeding data or even information to students eventually leads to diminished curiosity and motivation.


Implications

Morgan and Saxton write that a "good question is seductive; like a work of art, the response it generates is for enjoyment, not analysis!" I think that their three key values are reflected in this statement. First of all, a teacher loses less time when his or her students are engaged because they are self motivated and more of the students' time is spent in higher-order thinking. Secondly, the students decode and draw meaning from the question. They discover for themselves that different kinds of learning are possible when dealing with any data or material. And finally, the students become the principle actors. Real learning occurs because they confront their fears.


Questions to Ponder

*If you didn't pick "Time", "Engagement", or "Risk-taking" as the most important characteristics of a classroom community, do you still agree with Morgan and Saxton?

*Do you believe that the "disorganizing" aspects of knowledge (i.e. emotions, attitudes, values, and beliefs) have a place in education?

*Whose responsibility is it to interpret curricula?

*Do you plan on teaching different subjects differently or do you think that there is one, best way to teach?

References

Cambourne, B., & Turbill, J. (1987). Coping with chaos. Rozelle, New South Wales, Australia: Primary English Teaching Association.

Morgan, N., & Saxton, J. (2006). "Chapter 1: What Seems to Be the Problem" in Asking Better Questions 2nd. Ed. Markham, Ontario, Canada: Pembroke Publishers.