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By Cody White, Technical Editor
cwhite@pitsco.com
(Editor’s Note: Following is the first part in
a two-part series on the changing role of the
teacher in the ever-changing classroom. Part 2 will appear in the April-May 2012 issue of The
Pitsco Network.)
Imagine for a moment the kinds of
things that make not just for an
effective classroom experience,
but one that is rich and rewarding
for both students and instructor.
Included on your list might be things such
as captivating content delivery, students
taking responsibility for their own learning,
time for individual attention, and a sense
that you have imparted not just knowledge
but enthusiasm and curiosity as well. It
isn’t difficult to see how a multifaceted,
technology-infused, student-driven learning
lab satisfies those first two wants – but
what about the last two? How does a Pitsco
lab hold up when it comes to fostering the
personal touch that impassioned teachers
enjoy bringing to their classes?
Years of feedback from veteran Pitsco
teachers have proven our classrooms to be
powerful tools for promoting and enhancing
just those intrinsic components that make
the educational process meaningful for both
educators and learners.
The hands-on difference
Teacher Nikki Nalley has come to a
conclusion after three years facilitating
her lab at Pike Central Middle School in
Petersburg, Indiana.
“Teachers have to be proactive in this
type of class,” she states. “I am not afraid
of being replaced or becoming obsolete
in a classroom like this. There are many
opportunities to provide instruction, connect
with students, and be emotionally rewarded
for being a teacher in a Synergistics lab.”
The descriptor “hands on” is often
used in conjunction with Pitsco’s curricula.
But that term could also refer to the one
ingredient that truly makes the difference
between a lackluster lab and a brilliant
one – an active, engaged teacher. Pitsco
learning systems are tools. Like other good
tools, they serve to amplify the work of the
users that wield them – which means that
what you get out of them is a product of
what you put into them.
“I feel my role is to be active,” explains
Nalley. “If my students are up moving around
getting supplies or discussing issues with
their partners, then I need to be a part of
that as much as possible.”
Launchpad
Considering the account given by
teacher Antonio Bernabe of his experience
facilitating his Modules lab in Miller
Intermediate School in Pasadena, Texas,
another way to view the lab is as an ideal
launching point for the unleashing of
educational potential.
“It’s our opportunity to afford students
real depth in learning. . . . We get to really
know our kids because we find more
‘teachable moments’ with them. Core
subject teachers can’t stop a day’s lesson
to explore those topics.”
This is accomplished when the
resources of the lab are considered as
a leg up on learning rather than a final
destination. Bernabe lays out just how this
works in the classroom:
“If you have a teacher in place who
is familiar with the content of all of their
Modules, then you have an expert who
can elaborate on the details the Modules
don’t cover. In my Chemical Math Module,
students are expected to define, or explain,
the law of conservation of mass. Most of my
students can define it . . . verbatim. However,
it isn’t until I explain that they can take a
sledgehammer and shatter their desk into
a million pieces and find that the combined
mass of those particles will still be equal to
the mass of the desk in its initial form that
they truly understand the law.”
This underscores one of the most freeing
aspects of the student-directed approach
that Pitsco curricula fosters. Individual
attention for students is no longer something
that is squeezed in when there is time. It is
the true focus of the teacher’s day.
Nalley wholeheartedly agrees.
“In my lab, there are so many
opportunities to interact with the students
and to take advantage of teachable
moments. . . . On most days, I feel that
there is not enough of me to go around and
help everyone as much as I would like.”
Partners in education.
The question for teachers, then, is how to
make the most out of the powerful teaching
resource at their disposal. It might be useful
to borrow a metaphor from a growing
classroom trend: cooperative teaching.
Two teachers could never think of leading a
class together without first getting to know
one another, learning mutual strengths
and approaches, and planning how to best
synchronize their efforts.
It is no stretch to think of the
relationship between a Pitsco facilitator
and their lab as a partnership. So it is of
paramount importance that these two
become familiar with one another before
trying to work together.
This means learning not just the
management system but the content
itself. Time and time again, those teachers
who report the most effective, fulfilling
experiences with their labs are those who
have taken the time to learn the system and
the content of the titles their students are
going through.
“After you get to know the material,” says
Nalley, “it is easy to interact with the students
because you can predict what questions
they will have (and not want to ask me about)
or what concepts will be harder for them
to understand. When you get that kind of
understanding of your curriculum, then I think
it is easier to interact with the students and
help them learn and make connections.”
By teachers, for teachers
Most teachers don’t come to their line
of work seeking fame and fortune. Tangible
success, too, can often be hard to come by.
Test scores aside, when a student walks out
of your classroom at year’s end, you might
never know for sure the positive ways you
have affected his or her life.
These truths underscore the importance
of the intrinsic rewards of teaching, things
like making connections with students and
finding ways to bridge your world and theirs.
Add to those the pride in knowing you are
playing an indispensable role.
Pitsco has long identified Teacher
Enablement as one of its four primary
pillars. The company was founded 40 years
ago by teachers and to this day employs
exclusively teachers in its curriculum
writing staff. Sharing the common goal
of student success with educators
everywhere, Pitsco understands the value
of teacher commitment. Part of honoring
that commitment is providing you and your
students with the best tools and the richest
possible experience.