5/24/2012

Learning To Fly


When I teach I have one thing in mind:  to transmit my love for the knowledge more than to teach a certain lesson, looking to develop in them a critical mind, I want them to learn to think, to use their brains, I am always encouraging them to obtain more from the teachers as from themselves.  Because I experienced that when I was a student of secondary school, I was always tormenting my teachers with questions, in some aspects I was an autonomous learner, and when I went to the university I become in one, of course. That is why I am trying to wake up this ability on my students, they may be young, but we as teachers have the obligation to encourage them to learn with, or without us. My country suffers the lack of good researchers, and us the teachers and fathers are the ones to blame of this situation. Even when I give a lecture at the University level sadly, I find that the critical thinking is almost nonexistent, I f us the teachers,( and here I’m just talking of mi dear country, México) begin now to implement this kind of educational schemes,  maybe will figure in the future as a thinking and working nation, we have a very good  resource to work with; our young s are eager to know, to experiment, they just want to eat the whole world,  the only problem is that most of them do not know how to, or chose a bad way to achieve their goals,  we, the teachers need to work  on those aspects. To change the way they look the education, the life and the way they look at us the teachers, as I mentioned before, we have the need  of create or discover our potential  students and encourage them to go ahead  of  what we teach,  to look  more far and reach it, unfortunately  most of the old school teachers , dislike the smart students , because they represent more work for them and most of the times  represent a challenge in which they do not want to participate, especially in public schools,  and  take In count that most of the population can only access to the public education system on Mexico. This is sad, but it is true.  I want this to change, that’s why I teach my students to explore their potentials.
This week’s readings are very significant for me for the reasons I mentioned before, now I know the psychological and cognitive aspects of the learners autonomy, more tools to work with my kiddos, the cognitive strategies included on:  Dimitrios Thanasoulas’ article as the self evaluation tips , are something I’ll translate and share with my  old school partners here, maybe all the article
Just to let them know that we have to work on it right now, not when they get to the university,
Thus we have to encourage them to learn to fly instead of cut off their tinny wings…..

5 comments:

  1. Great picture first of all!
    It is indeed a "learning to fly" situation but at the same time, it is a "teaching to fly" as well. As you've mentioned, we need to provide our students with the necessary tools to "eat" the world. We must pay attention to the fact,though, that not all teachers are willing to become "autonomous" making, in this way, the learners' "automization" far more difficult...
    I love reading your posts. They really express me!

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  2. Hi Georgia:
    Thanks for reading me,
    I was I doubt too about the name for my post, but as there’s a song called LTF I decided to leave that name. I love to know that somebody likes what I write; moreover if the feeling is the same, about the topic is even better! Thanks again!

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  3. Hi Poncho,

    It is indeed learning to fly... a very difficult task but not impossible. In my post on learners autonomy, I mentioned about providing our students with all the necessary materials and resources to learn so that they can become autonomous.. Its kind of simple, we just need to trust them and give them their space and time and I am sure that they will take charge of their won learning. But than it is easier said than done. In my country, the system, most of the time, do not allow teachers to be autonomous therefore students can't be too. Still i feel that even we can't we still have too for the sake of the students. I do hope teachers too will not give up and stick to what is right. Thanks for putting things into perspective. I love the way you see things. Do continue to inspire more!

    Aloysia

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  5. I agree, it is easier said than done, however that is why we’re here; to innovate, to be better teachers. And do not worry the systems are more less the same all over the world, autonomus learners, become critical thinkers, critical thinkers become a pain in the … city, the government do not like these conducts, here is one of the reasons of the lack of this in public schools, thanks for your encouraging words, it is good to know that somebody like what I write.

    greetings from Mexico

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