Friday, July 1, 2011
Changes in Education
Education changed rapidly by the 1920's "many changes had already taken place in language arts classes. Student reading was adopted on a wholesale basis to replace recitation and reading aloud. Techniques for teaching children to read without sub-vocalizing (moving their lips or tongues) brought new discussions to teacher education classes in the 1920's" (Dornan, Rosen, and Wilson 13). Every movie that I have seen in a classroom with a 1920's setting has all of the students repeating after the teacher. I did not know that it was not till the 1920's that sub-vocalizing was beginning to be replaced. Some kids find it more effective to read aloud while others find it more effective to read to themselves. It was not until the 1920's that flashcards started being used. I think that flashcards are very helpful for elementary education. With flashcards we can demonstrate to students how something looks at what the answer (math) or pronunciation (language arts)is. Flashcards play a role in secondary and post secondary education as well. Flashcards are very useful for studying purposes. You can write the question in the front and have the answer on the reverse side to see if you truly know what the answer to the question is. With the introduction to flashcards attention was suddenly given to speed work, "increasing the number of words that readers took in during an eye fixation and attempts were made to ensure that each student's eye movement shifted from left to right" (13). I think that the 1920's contributed to the problems we are facing today in education. It seems to me that it was in the 1920's that students started learning merely to take tests instead of being imposed to critical thinking. I can also see students developing problems like Jeremy. They were all of a sudden forced to improve their speed without necessarily having to know what the words meant, as long as they could pronounce them. This just robbed the kids being able to contextualize their readings.
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That is interesting about reciting after a teacher in the 1920s. I have always hated when people read aloud to me. I am a very visual learner and I need to see the words to understand. Listening just isn't enough for me.
ReplyDelete“Flashcard" reminds me of a phenomenon that students are habituated to be graded according to the “correct” answer on the other side of the card. I cannot say for sure that this habit develops into a thinking model that many of us stop asking for more answers/solutions/information once we are given an answer. As teachers, did we help students develop such thinking model?
ReplyDeleteI personally found flashcards to be a useful tool. I use them as a study tool to prepare for examinations.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is very interesting. It seems to me that once life started speeding up with the use of cars, so did everything else. We don't necessarily want our kids to be able to read, just to be able to put off that they can. Flashcards are very useful for some students, but they really don't help others. For me, they are not a helpful thing. I need to write something down a couple of times to actually get it! Thanks for the history lesson about teaching and schools, that is very interesting information!!
ReplyDeleteI like the use of flashcards because I think they are an essential tool, especially in math. My earliest memory of using them is in third grade when I was learning multiplication. It really helped me and flashcards help students to gain the repetition needed to learn such topics.
ReplyDeleteI too like flashcards. I'm surprised that I was introduced to them earlier then my 11th year of school. I find that they can be used in every subject.
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