TEACHING

Teaching for Understanding



Teaching for Understanding

Introduction

If understanding a topic means building up performances of understanding around this issue, the pillar of education for understanding must be actual participation in such proceedings. Students must spend most of their time with activities that ask them to generalize, find new examples, the applications, and work through understanding of other activities. And they must do so in a thoughtful way, with adequate information so they can do better. (Grant, 2005).

Thesis statement

In "Understanding by design”, Wiggins and McTighe (1998) provides a conceptual structure for instructional designers.

Discussion and Analysis

Knowledge and skills have traditionally been the pillars of American education. We desire students to be knowing about annals, research, geography, and so on. We want students to be skillful in the routines of arithmetic, the art of writing, the use of foreign languages. Achieving this is not very simple, but we work hard at it.

So with the knowledge and skill that deserves a lot of concern and a lot to get attention, why seek understanding? While there are several reasons, stands out: The knowledge and skill alone do not guarantee understanding. People can acquire knowledge and usual skills without comprehending their cornerstone or when to use them. And, by and large knowledge and skills that students do not understand do little good! What can students do in history or math they have learned unless you understand?

In the long term, education must aim for active use of knowledge and skills. Students share ideas and knowledge and skill in schools so they can put to work - in professional roles - scientist, engineer, designer, doctor, businessman, artist, writer, and musician - and to establish the roles - citizens, voters, parents that require recognition, understanding and trial. Yet rote knowledge generally defies the active use of routine skills often serve poorly ...