The lesson about Developmental Learning Theory (DLT) was at least one of the most interesting lessons I have learned in the school of Education. After going back to my room I started thinking about the different ways to apply DLT to my lessons in the future. It makes sense to create a way of learning that is as concrete as possible. Kids do not learn from extreme abstraction; it only confuses them and they are not developed enough to sort out the complicated thoughts and put those thoughts into cohesive ideas. However, it is easier to use abstraction with older students. This will help me immensely when I attempt to teach my students at the high school level because my content area is one that requires a bit of abstraction in order to teach it.
Since my endorsements are in Reading and English, I have a bit of a challenge making things concrete. Reading would be a bit easier because I can use "skits" and other visualization techniques to make the students understand what they are reading. I think if they can put a picture with the words and the story then they will be able to read better. Also, if I can incorporate the words into the pictures or skits then they will comprehend better. Also, being able to write out the sentences so they learn sentence structures will make things more concrete for them. In regards to English, I might have a little more difficult time. With this subject they have to understand concepts and these are naturally more abstract. I liked the idea of showing the kids a "modern" representation of the piece of literature so they can relate to the story. Then I can refer back to that when we get into the convoluted reading. I think connecting it to their personal and real lives will help me with these more abstract concepts.
Connecting to the students will help them to understand what I am teaching and what I want them to get out of the readings. I had a hard time conceptualizing a few of the novels I read in high school because I could not relate what was happening to my own life. I had no personal experience that was similar to the characters so I could not empathize with them and I do not think I got everything I should have gotten out of the story. When there is something to fall back on, there is a greater understanding and I hope I can incorporate the DLT into my classroom to better my students and their analytical skills.
I agree, it is so important to understand what level and what type of learning you should be providing your students with based on their maturity level and what classroom it is, whether it is; English 2 or elementary music. Teaching a child using abstract concepts will do nothing but confuse that student. Teaching a secondary student using only pictures and vidoes does not allow the student to always think in a different way. I feel that as a student matures that there is nothing wrong with still using those realistic approaches in teaching them but you need to incorporate all of the areas as it is important to be able to think using on abstract material. As for me I will be teaching in the area of Special Education and ELL therefore I feel that it is especially important for me to be able to define DLT and to understand the different areas and when it is appropriate to use which. I feel that DLT is so important for teachers to be able to understand because you need to be capable of recognizing what works best for each student so that they can learn to their best capability.
ReplyDeleteDevelopmental Learning Theory sounds like a great resource and guide regarding where to start a lesson. Younger people should, as we've discussed, spend more time developing their understanding of the concrete, while older humans can, more quickly, catch on to abstract concepts. However, my own experience with my kids has cautioned me _against_ stopping at a "developmentally appropriate" place. Yes, I use age appropriate words and concepts, when I interact with my children, but I also go a little step further. After I have helped them grasp the concept at the level of abstraction I expect of them, I continue to make it more abstract. Sometimes, I find myself surprised by the level of comprehension they are capable of; sometimes, I'm not. I can see when I've lost their interest, and I know they've taken what they needed and are done for now. It's kind of like teaching them vocabulary, though, because they will have some sense of familiarity with concepts as well as words when they encounter them again. When this concept makes its way back into their lives, they've seen it before!
ReplyDeleteAlso! Children respond so well to a bit of respect for their ability to grow and learn and think (and anything else they may be doing!). Pushing them, gently, a little further than they'll go lets them know you think they are able. My kids love to grow and show me how they're growing when I parent this way!
Reading and Special Education are two subjects that will definately be challenging when it comes to demonstrating DLT. However, I do not believe it is completely impossible. I feel that the more challenging a situation is, the more an individual learns from it. That is, assuming that the individual can grasp the situation at hand and walk away with something useful.
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