The Subject Matters
This chapter basically laid out the debate between traditional and progressive education in the different subject areas. For me, a traditional education is more of teaching students skill and drill, while progressive education allows the students to construct their own meaning behind skills that are taught. The author kind of laid this informative chapter out in a persuassive way to allow the reader to choose one over the other as the more appropriate way to educate students. However, I found myself asking the question…why can’t it be both? Why does it have to be one over the other? I grew up with the traditional approach to teaching and learning. It worked for me….however, I do feel that there are areas within my learning that I struggle with….for example, accepting the fact that there may be more than one way to approach a particular question, etc. Progressive education does allow more creativity, but also has the potential to hinder those who are real strugglers…those students need concrete teaching…tools that can assist them and allow them to be able to construct meaning. On p.124 Lipton and Oakes write, “Progressives also point to the U.S. system of ability grouping that keeps students from ever being taught higher-level math, noting that most high-scoring contries shun that practice.” I have thought about this in the past in reference to how I teach math. I struggle with deciding whether to place my students in differing ability groups and differentiating instruction to meet each of my students needs or putting them in mixed ability groups and allow them to assist one another with the construction of knowledge. I find that when I put them in mixed ability groups, one ends up doing all the work, while the others just sit back and watch or play, etc. (this is kindergarten, remember). Even when I give countless lessons on how every student needs to be included in the learning process, it still comes out that someone finished the activity not learning anymore or less than when they began it. It is frustrating…when does one pose the question…maybe they just are not developmentally ready for this type of instruction? I don’t know…I’m opening it up for discussion…
