This is not an original idea – for years we’ve been told that teaching is more effective if the learner can see the value of what is being taught. With that in mind, however, I am beginning to look for ways to help my teachers make connections between what they must teach in the classroom to meet the state standards and what is currently going on in the world. Since I am not in the teaching rotation, and I have time to research, perhaps that is a good way I can support my teachers – I can look at their upcoming units and prepare some web-links that will connect what they are teaching to how it is being applied today. Some subjects are easier to connect than others – for example: our language arts does a unit on the Holocaust, and sometimes I think students look at that as an example of a horrible thing that happened in the past, without realizing that similar atrocities are still occurring today. I did some research online and in a short amount of time I was able to find news articles and reports on current-day conflicts where the terms ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ and ‘Genocide’ are being used. I’m not sure what the next step should be, though – I’m sure the students’ reactions will be “That’s awful, someone should do something about that” – but I really want to have some resources and suggestions available for them in case they want to take that next step. Where to go from here?
Making Learning Relevant
Posted by: Kathy | November 20, 2008 | 2 Comments |Responses - Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
Sorry this is sooo late as a response, but I’ve only just found your blog. Have you used Darfur is Dying? It’s a thought provoking site and well worth introducing to a class. Lots of conversations to be had.
at 4:38 pm
Thank you – I will look that site over and add it to our developing wiki. – KG
By: Kathy on January 3, 2009
at 11:03 am
