Author: Terrell Heick
by Terrell Heick Will robots replace teachers? I was asked this in an interview a years ago for Futurism and tried to offer up some abstract nonsense whose lack of clarity represented my own thinking: “Will artificial intelligence replace teachers? Will the students themselves replace teachers through self-directed learning, social/digital communities, and adaptive technology?” These might be the wrong questions, a product of our sentimentality as a culture and human insecurity in general. For example, if we say that robots can replace teachers, it is seen as a slight at teachers because we suggest that even simple, mindless machines can…
by Terry Heick Phonemic awareness is knowing that certain letters make certain sounds. Phonemic awareness is knowing that sounds can blend together in predictable and unpredictable ways. Phonemic awareness is about loving the sounds that letters can make, then noticing common patterns across symbols, media, and languages. Phonemic awareness makes decoding possible. Decoding is being able to blend sounds together to ‘make’ words you recognize. Decoding is collecting as many words as possible into your ‘sight word bank’ to increase your reading speed and comprehension. Decoding is recognizing common word parts used in many words and using knowledge of those…
by Terry Heick Quality—you know what it is, yet you don’t know what it is. But that’s self-contradictory. But some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality. But when you try to say what the quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! There’s nothing to talk about. But if you can’t say what Quality is, how do you know what it is, or how do you know that it even exists? If no one knows what it is, then for all practical purposes it doesn’t exist at all. But for…
The Difference Between Constructivism And Constructionism by Terry Heick While working on the learning theory visual overview, I realized I couldn’t clearly explain the difference between constructivism and constructionism. So I did a little research and initially didn’t find much to ease my confusion. The Difference Between Constructivism And Constructionism Constructivism is–more or less–the same thing. So what’s the difference between constructivism and constructivism? Definition of Constructivism Constructivism is an educational theory in which learners actively construct their own understanding and knowledge through experiences and reflection on those experiences. It emphasizes the importance of learners’ prior knowledge, social interactions, and…
by Terry Heick Having gone on for decades now, discussions around the idea of ed reform are a bit tired. They seem pointless. Exhausting. A waste of time and creative bandwidth. Bottom-up change is exhausting and top-down change is exhausting for entirely different reasons. Rather than state or federal policy, make schools and communities accountable to one another. This would require supporting those communities in various ways and supporting learners by expanding the definition of ‘academic’ success. Among the benefits, the improved visibility of our collective, shared challenge to educate every learner every day for every standard regardless of background,…
by Terry Heick If the ultimate goal of education is for students to be able to answer questions effectively, then focusing on content and response strategies makes sense. If the ultimate goal of education is to teach students to think, then focusing on how we can help students ask better questions themselves might make sense, no? Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers The ability to ask the right question at the right time is a powerful indicator of authentic understanding. Asking a question that pierces the veil in any given situation is itself an artifact of the critical thinking teachers…
by Terry Heick A few years ago, I wrote about Types of Learning Journals and reflection was a part of this thinking. I’ve also shared a small collection of basic reflective questions in the past that could be used as a tweet or other social media post. Now, for an updated post, I’ve collected many of these questions into a single post that you can sift through and hopefully find something you can use in your classroom tomorrow. Some are questions while others are question stems that can be used to guide reflection in specific lessons or scenarios where unique…
by Terry Heick Reflection is a natural part of learning. We all think about new experiences–the camping on the car ride home, the mistakes made in a game, or the emotions felt while finishing a long-term project that’s taken months to complete. Below I’ve shared 15 strategies for students to reflect on their learning. Modeling the use of each up front can go a long way towards making sure you get the quality of work you’d like to see throughout the year–and students learn more in the process. 15 Reflection Strategies To Help Students Retain What You Just Taught Them…
Once it’s begun, it’s difficult to fully separate the person from the task. When the artist is painting, the painter and the act of painting become a single ‘thing.’ The painting becomes a part of it all, too. As a teacher, your ‘self’ is embedded within your teaching—which is how it goes from ‘job’ to craft. The learning results are yours. You probably call them ‘your’ students. The same goes for students as well. There is a pleasing kind of string between the 8-year-old playing Minecraft and his or her digital creation. This is the magic of doing. But this also…
by TeachThought Staff Do not limit a child to your own learning, for they were born for another time. R Tagore While each generation is unique, possessing its own challenges, opportunities, and cultural contexts, the methods of teaching and the knowledge passed down often reflect the values and norms of previous eras. This gap between the present generation’s needs and the past’s teachings can limit children in various ways, inhibiting their ability to engage with and thrive in their contemporary world fully. From the moment they enter the world, children are shaped by the values, beliefs, and practices of the…