Comments for Teachers #3

C4T#3, Comment 1

Why Student-Centered Learning Can Change The World
by: Tina Barseghian

In this blog post, Ms. Barseghian highlights Juarez Correa's article, "How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Genuises." Ms. Barseghian explained how Correa was bringing learning to the impoverished. She explained that Correa's story was highlighting the need for a, "new breed of educators inspired by everything from the internet to evolutionary psychology and neuroscience." She explained further that knowledge is not a commodity that's delivered from teacher to student; rather it is something that emerges from the students' own curiosity-fueled exploration. She stated teachers should provide prompts, not answers, and then they step aside so students can teach themselves and one another.

I commented on this post advising Ms. Barseghian that I enjoyed Mr. Correa's article. I explained that this line of thinking was right on track with the Project Based Learning that we are experiencing in our EDM310 course. I expressed my gratitude to Ms. Barseghian for sharing her own thoughts as well as Mr. Correa's.

C4T#3, comment 2

What Compels Teachers To Quit - Or To Stay?
by: Tina Barseghian

In Ms. Barseghian's post, "Quit or Stay," she brings the insight of Richard Ingersoll by linking an article referencing his research on why teachers stay or go. In this article, Ingersoll explains that he interviewed many teachers who had left the profession. Some top reasons include the wear and tear the after hour work puts on teachers and their families. He says also that the profession is not respected by parents and students, and the pay is not desirable. Ingersoll did find that schools where behavioral problems in students were adequately addressed had a lower turnover of teachers. Overall, Ingersoll gives us a glimpse into the world of why teachers quit.

Commenting on Ms. Barseghian's post was difficult, as her post referenced Mr. Ingersoll's article. I did however state that the turnover rate of teaching professionals could not be denied, and I added that the retention of teachers is an area that needs to have more scrutiny. I also expressed my gratitude to Ms. Barseghian for sharing Mr. Ingersoll's research.