Darwin's Theory of Teaching

The study of evolution looks at how organisms adapt around the climates they are exposed to. A mammal in a snowy environment will grow a thicker pelt. A fish that lives in a darker part of the ocean will development extra-sensitive hearing to make up for its lack of sight. A teacher in an increasingly technologically-centered classroom will become more skilled in using technology to help his or her students.

The alternative for all of them is the same: death.

Evolving is a natural part of life. Darwin may not have known it at the time, but his theory applies surprisingly well for teachers. If we don't keep trying to grow and adapt to the new demands of the modern-day classroom, we will surely fail. 

One of the central tenants of teaching is the dedication to being a lifelong learner, something that is easier said than done. We all want to be successful teachers, but becoming a master doesn't mean finding a teaching style thats works and becoming stagnant. The world around us is changing at an ever-increasing pace. While it can be easy to get stuck in a routine, what worked one year may not the next. We've got to adapt to our surroundings as they morph into something completely unrecognizable.

Based on the length of the chapter "How Teachers Learn and Develop" from the book Preparing Teachings For a Changing World: What Teachers Should Learn and Be Able to Do, the adaptability of teachers is not a rare discussion in the world of education. What really struck me was the need to balance between efficiency and innovation in the classroom. With the limited amount of time available to teach specific skills to students, it can be easy to want to fall into the most streamline way of teaching a topic. I understand this sentiment completely. Once you've got a system going that elicits as little pain as possible, the logical step would be to stick with it. This fits into my line of thinking: "If it works, use it."

But efficiency alone cannot a strong teacher make. Innovation is vital to being successful; that is the evolution that allows the teacher to survive his or her environment. There was one line that stuck out to me above all the rest: "the capacity to consider change without feeling threatened is an important 

ability" (361). This might as well have had a bunch of stars around it with a giant sticky note saying "Amber, listen to this you stubborn fool." I'm a person who sees what has worked in the past and sticks to it. I become too afraid of failure to try new things or change my ways. It's something I'm constantly working on. I know the questions I need to ask ("Is there an easier way to do this? A better way? A more engaging method to use?"). I just need to ask them. So for future Amber reading this: STOP ACTING LIKE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING! And, just because you stop using a method doesn't mean it's bad; it just means you've found something better. My favorite phrase from this reading was "disciplined improvisation" (363), mainly because it speaks to what I know and what I need to know. In teaching, you still have to know what you're doing; you can't walk into the classroom blind and expect to do well. But, you can still be flexible. Each child you teach is not the same. Therefore, what you teach and the methods you use to teach them shouldn't be exactly the same. If left unchecked and unquestioned, routine can be dangerous.

In terms of technology integration, iPads have become an increasingly vital part of the classroom. They're cheaper compared to other forms of technology, but extremely versatile and adaptable to any classroom. "Exploring the Use of the iPad for Literacy Learning" was a article I really appreciated. Even though the examples from an elementary classroom, I could see many lesson/activities I could use with middle and even high school students, which made me very happy! The importance here, I think, is that the technology we chose to add to the classroom needs to add an element not available in non-digital form. As the text said, the technology we chose to use needs to be integrated in the lesson, not just supplement it. This is something we've talked about so much in TLDE: don't use technology for the sake of using it. It has to serve a purpose by making the lesson better than it would be without it. This study frequently links the apps used in the class to implicit digital literacy lessons as well. While I won't go into detail about them, it's clear that it's this digital literacy that helps make an app, a website, or a video tool irreplaceable in a lesson. While I recognize the importance of teaching students these literacies, I'm afraid about accomplishing it. There is already such a limited amount of time to teach students the required content curriculum. Now, I have to ensure that my students are proficient in two different literacies in the same short amount of time. That's a stressful demand! However, I do feel lucky that I'm being exposed to these issues early in my career, so that I am able to find solutions before I get too stuck in my ways.

I'm a lover of lists, so the list of apps used in the "Exploring the Use of iPads" study were extremely appreciated. I loved the use of Doodle Buddy for practicing visualization. The activity Ms. Dill completed with her fourth graders could easily be adapted for high school. I envision having students writing an evocative piece of creative writing. You could then have students pair up, read each other's pieces, and use Doodle Buddy to sketch what they saw when reading their partners work. The pairs could then discuss what was strong about their writing and suggest details that could help make their writing even more descriptive! I also feel like Popplet could be a useful tool for students to make their own graphic organize or brainstorming map without the constraints of a printed (i.e. permanent and immovable) organizer. The ideas are there; I just need to implement them in my lesson plans.

I want to wrap up this post on a little bit of a tangent. Education is not the only area in which we are seeing a rapid transition into the digital realm. Journalism and media have become hotbeds for experimentation when it comes to relaying information. The New York Times has been especially public about their attempts to create multimedia presentations on their webpage. Some ("A Tale of Shark and Minnow") have been more successful than others ("Snowfall"), but both give excellent opportunities for reflection on technology for a purpose. In my opinion, "Snowfall" was the baseline. It was the first attempt at integration. It wasn't terrible, but it was choppy. Some of the additions, like the emotional testimony from survivors and the ski-path graphics were fantastic. Others, like the picture slideshow for each of the 14 group members, were overwhelming and distracting. "A Tale of Shark and Minnow," then was the result of evolution. There were fewer add-ons, but the ones that were present were meaningful, adding to the overall mood of the piece. The story would not have worked as well as it did without them, whereas in "Snowfall," nothing would have been sacrificed if some of the elements were to be cut.  The writers learned from one story to the other; they evolved to meet the needs of the readers. I feel like this is a very good parallel to what all the readings we had for this upcoming class were over. We've got to grow with the times.

Who knew I would ever need to think about Darwin's theory of evolution again? And to use it to think about teaching, nonetheless! I don't want to be the teacher that dies. I want to adapt, to grow into the classroom environment I'm placed in. I want to thrive. As long as I remain reflective and cognizant about everything I do as a teacher, I think I should be okay.