Comments on: Myths and Superstitions http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/ Technology is neither the problem nor the solution. Wed, 7 Jan 2009 03:28:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Kim Clevinger http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10850 Kim Clevinger Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:19:42 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10850 These myths are interesting and very true of what most of us believe. Myth #1 is definitely one to consider. I have to admit that I think the internet can be a dangerous venture, just as many other things today (such as letting your child play outside by themselves). This is why we must teach our children the safety of the internet, just as we teach them about strangers. (I like Ashley's explanation on this topic). Myth #2 was interesting. I have always been taught about learning styles and have had to plan according to the different learning styles. When thinking about this issue, I do think that it could be possible to teach by Solomon's thought. If something is difficult for me I do have to try harder and do seem to learn a lot from it. However, it is very hard to think in those terms when I have been taught that children learn in particular ways and we need to teach them according to their particular style. I have heard many times about myth #3. Personally, I do not believe this myth. I think that all children are capable of learning. I also think that if we "teach" our children that they are not good at a particular subject then they will not be good at it. Concerning myth #4--I don't feel as if we ever get too old to learn. I think that our thinking changes and new technologies that we are not familiar to comes about and causes us to think we can't learn as well. I think that myth #5 is something I have probably agreed with a little since I have begun to take online classes. It is not that my classes haven't been well structured. With me, I think it is simply the worry that I am going to miss something of importance--maybe I just worry too much! I am trying to change my frame of mind. I guess I will get more used to things as I have more classes (My first was over summer II). These myths are interesting and very true of what most of us believe. Myth #1 is definitely one to consider. I have to admit that I think the internet can be a dangerous venture, just as many other things today (such as letting your child play outside by themselves). This is why we must teach our children the safety of the internet, just as we teach them about strangers. (I like Ashley’s explanation on this topic). Myth #2 was interesting. I have always been taught about learning styles and have had to plan according to the different learning styles. When thinking about this issue, I do think that it could be possible to teach by Solomon’s thought. If something is difficult for me I do have to try harder and do seem to learn a lot from it. However, it is very hard to think in those terms when I have been taught that children learn in particular ways and we need to teach them according to their particular style. I have heard many times about myth #3. Personally, I do not believe this myth. I think that all children are capable of learning. I also think that if we “teach” our children that they are not good at a particular subject then they will not be good at it. Concerning myth #4–I don’t feel as if we ever get too old to learn. I think that our thinking changes and new technologies that we are not familiar to comes about and causes us to think we can’t learn as well. I think that myth #5 is something I have probably agreed with a little since I have begun to take online classes. It is not that my classes haven’t been well structured. With me, I think it is simply the worry that I am going to miss something of importance–maybe I just worry too much! I am trying to change my frame of mind. I guess I will get more used to things as I have more classes (My first was over summer II).

]]> By: lowell http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10841 lowell Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:51:47 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10841 Well the problem with forcing "him to do his work in a mode that really isn’t his preference" is that you can't be sure what that preference is to begin with since the jury is still out on whether or not they actually exist. There's no guarantee that you'd be actually presenting against preference. The Solomon work was about perceived difficulty in understanding the delivery mode. His findings were a bit shaky, but they DID indicate that when the student believed that the lesson was going to be difficult, they did more processing and that incremental processing yielded better outcomes. Not surprising that more processing yielded better outcomes but interesting that the students' perception of difficulty -- not the lesson, or the content, or any other factor -- was enough to trigger additional processing. Hm... What an interesting idea for a course ... Well the problem with forcing “him to do his work in a mode that really isn’t his preference” is that you can’t be sure what that preference is to begin with since the jury is still out on whether or not they actually exist. There’s no guarantee that you’d be actually presenting against preference.

The Solomon work was about perceived difficulty in understanding the delivery mode. His findings were a bit shaky, but they DID indicate that when the student believed that the lesson was going to be difficult, they did more processing and that incremental processing yielded better outcomes. Not surprising that more processing yielded better outcomes but interesting that the students’ perception of difficulty — not the lesson, or the content, or any other factor — was enough to trigger additional processing.

Hm… What an interesting idea for a course …

]]> By: Tim Toews http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10840 Tim Toews Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:20:33 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10840 So, if I were to really do a student a service I would be bold and force him to do his work in a mode that really isn't his preference, to produce greater effort and better work. I looked into the research a bit today, the difference between gardner and the learning styles school. The Learning Styles School seems to point at Gardner, but then doesnt do a very good job of replicating his results in a classroom setting. There's not much out there, and there is a difference between learning style and innate gifts. They jump from gardner to other things, but in the end dont seem to have much more than gardner. The only one that really seems to do anything of worth in that regard is Marzano and his nine effective instructional strategies, but even those aren't technically "Learning Styles" So, if I were to really do a student a service I would be bold and force him to do his work in a mode that really isn’t his preference, to produce greater effort and better work. I looked into the research a bit today, the difference between gardner and the learning styles school. The Learning Styles School seems to point at Gardner, but then doesnt do a very good job of replicating his results in a classroom setting. There’s not much out there, and there is a difference between learning style and innate gifts. They jump from gardner to other things, but in the end dont seem to have much more than gardner. The only one that really seems to do anything of worth in that regard is Marzano and his nine effective instructional strategies, but even those aren’t technically “Learning Styles”

]]> By: lowell http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10839 lowell Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:02:17 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10839 One of the pernicious problems with these myths, and the reason they've become so deeply seated, is that there ARE so few counter claims. The problems arise when people take them at face value and don't look at the sources. One of the pernicious problems with these myths, and the reason they’ve become so deeply seated, is that there ARE so few counter claims.

The problems arise when people take them at face value and don’t look at the sources.

]]> By: Shellae http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10838 Shellae Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:00:59 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10838 Wow! We have hit them all and this is just the 2nd week of class! I know that I can not blame it all on the media, but they are definitely a factor. When you are flooded with information on the dangers of the internet, studies on learning styles, boys are better at math (which happens to be the opposite in my family), I am too old (I hear from my parents and in-laws all the time), and the self-motivation need in online learners; you begin to inadvertantly believe it. This got me thinking, so I started looking for articles that refute these ideas and it is a lot harder to find. You really have to look through the articles to find opposing comments or research. Could it be that we are being geared toward these beliefs? Definitely food for thought. Just goes to show that you can't believe everything that you hear (or read). You have to dig a little deeper to get the whole story and then make a well informed decision. Wow! We have hit them all and this is just the 2nd week of class! I know that I can not blame it all on the media, but they are definitely a factor. When you are flooded with information on the dangers of the internet, studies on learning styles, boys are better at math (which happens to be the opposite in my family), I am too old (I hear from my parents and in-laws all the time), and the self-motivation need in online learners; you begin to inadvertantly believe it. This got me thinking, so I started looking for articles that refute these ideas and it is a lot harder to find. You really have to look through the articles to find opposing comments or research. Could it be that we are being geared toward these beliefs? Definitely food for thought. Just goes to show that you can’t believe everything that you hear (or read). You have to dig a little deeper to get the whole story and then make a well informed decision.

]]> By: Elizabeth Freeman http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10837 Elizabeth Freeman Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:32:03 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10837 I think that some of the myths are pretty funny. I do not find the internet to be very dangerous. If kids are taught and supervised on how to use the internet just like they are taught and supervised on how to cross the road or not talk to strangers then it is not a worry. How many parents are going to explain to a child how to cross the road and then not watch them while they are doing it? Hopefully not very many. I do not think that you can ever be too old to learn. I hear this from people that I work with when it comes to using technology. "I didn't grow up with computers like you." " I hope I don't get a Promethean Board...it's just something else that will sit in my room that I can't use." I think it's pure laziness and bad attitudes, not the inability to learn. I also agree that horrible online teachers are what can cause an online class to be more self-directed. I had one that had to learn how to change things on blackboard and didn't post anything for 2 1/2 weeks at the beginning of the semester. It went downhill from there. It was a long semester! As far as the myths if visual learners and boys are better at...I think that students can be successful in all subjects. If teachers believe that boys are better at math then they may cater their lessons for those boys and leave the girls behind without even realizing it. I had a teacher like this in grade school. I teach my lessons using a variety of approaches not so much to appeal to the "visual learner" or the "auditory learner", but to expose the children to a variety of instruction and keep them from getting bored. I think that some of the myths are pretty funny. I do not find the internet to be very dangerous. If kids are taught and supervised on how to use the internet just like they are taught and supervised on how to cross the road or not talk to strangers then it is not a worry. How many parents are going to explain to a child how to cross the road and then not watch them while they are doing it? Hopefully not very many.
I do not think that you can ever be too old to learn. I hear this from people that I work with when it comes to using technology. “I didn’t grow up with computers like you.” ” I hope I don’t get a Promethean Board…it’s just something else that will sit in my room that I can’t use.” I think it’s pure laziness and bad attitudes, not the inability to learn.
I also agree that horrible online teachers are what can cause an online class to be more self-directed. I had one that had to learn how to change things on blackboard and didn’t post anything for 2 1/2 weeks at the beginning of the semester. It went downhill from there. It was a long semester!
As far as the myths if visual learners and boys are better at…I think that students can be successful in all subjects. If teachers believe that boys are better at math then they may cater their lessons for those boys and leave the girls behind without even realizing it. I had a teacher like this in grade school. I teach my lessons using a variety of approaches not so much to appeal to the “visual learner” or the “auditory learner”, but to expose the children to a variety of instruction and keep them from getting bored.

]]> By: lowell http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10827 lowell Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:47:27 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10827 Gardner's work in Multiple Intelligences is often confused with Learning Styles. Gardner's work is exactly the kind of credible research that the whole learning styles movement lacks. The Learning Styles school of thought holds that each student has one "preferred" mode of learning and that by catering to that mode, teachers can achieve better outcomes. This is not supported by any credible research that I am aware of. If you have some, send me a link and I'll check it out. The Multiple Intelligences school of thought holds that some people have innate talents in specific areas -- linguistic, numeric, musical, etc. There is no part of Gardner's work that suggests one can get better outcomes by warping the content to fit a particular student's special intelligence. These are not related ideas. Credible research is valid and reliable. It uses a consistent methodology and reaches conclusions based on the findings. Ideally it has been replicated. Gardner’s work in Multiple Intelligences is often confused with Learning Styles.

Gardner’s work is exactly the kind of credible research that the whole learning styles movement lacks.

The Learning Styles school of thought holds that each student has one “preferred” mode of learning and that by catering to that mode, teachers can achieve better outcomes. This is not supported by any credible research that I am aware of. If you have some, send me a link and I’ll check it out.

The Multiple Intelligences school of thought holds that some people have innate talents in specific areas — linguistic, numeric, musical, etc. There is no part of Gardner’s work that suggests one can get better outcomes by warping the content to fit a particular student’s special intelligence.

These are not related ideas.

Credible research is valid and reliable. It uses a consistent methodology and reaches conclusions based on the findings. Ideally it has been replicated.

]]> By: Tim Toews http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10826 Tim Toews Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:06:49 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10826 If there is no credible evidence for learning styles, what about Howard Gardner's work? What makes something credible, in your estimation. If there is no credible evidence for learning styles, what about Howard Gardner’s work? What makes something credible, in your estimation.

]]> By: Ashley Pelfrey http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10820 Ashley Pelfrey Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:06:48 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10820 I must reply to Myth #1. I have always wondered why parents always want to place the blame on something or someone else. The internet is out there... eventually children will discover it no matter how hard some people try to avoid it. Why not teach children about internet safety and expose them to the possbilities. So they don't miss out on experiences that could change heir lives in a positive way. With any other "danger" (guns, strangers, etc.) we expose our children to the truth and they understand..but if we hide from it and pretend it doesn't exist, they are bound to discover it on their own, when we are not there to lead them in the right direction. I must reply to Myth #1. I have always wondered why parents always want to place the blame on something or someone else. The internet is out there… eventually children will discover it no matter how hard some people try to avoid it. Why not teach children about internet safety and expose them to the possbilities. So they don’t miss out on experiences that could change heir lives in a positive way. With any other “danger” (guns, strangers, etc.) we expose our children to the truth and they understand..but if we hide from it and pretend it doesn’t exist, they are bound to discover it on their own, when we are not there to lead them in the right direction.

]]> By: phaedrus » Blog Archive » Myth Guided http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10814 phaedrus » Blog Archive » Myth Guided Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:22:22 +0000 http://durandus.com/phaedrus/2007/09/20/myths-and-superstitions/#comment-10814 [...] OLDaily in her recent post and that made me think that it’s probably time to wheel out the Top Five Myths post. I’m not sure what it says that we’re going down this road so early in the class (Note [...] [...] OLDaily in her recent post and that made me think that it’s probably time to wheel out the Top Five Myths post. I’m not sure what it says that we’re going down this road so early in the class (Note [...]

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