My ideas of teaching and learning...

Theme: "My ideas about teaching and learning."

I have had many opportunities to experience traditional means of teaching and learning and more modern methods of teaching and learning. I believe that both traditional and modern methods have their place and both can be effective if used in the right circumstance. In 2005, I taught English at Gung Shan High School in Kaoushisung, Taiwan. That experience opened my eyes to how traditional methods were used. Most of the time the professors lectured in front of the class. Students were expected to take detailed notes and understand the subject immediately. Their is little interaction between the teacher and the students. In a culture emphasizing education and strict discipline, where memorization and text book learning was taught, I felt that more could be done. I do not agree that every teacher should teach the same nor do I agree that every teacher should have the same style of teaching. And from my point of view of memorization isn't learning. I wanted the students to participate in the own learning.

Most of the schools, where I taught, had little if no technology and I often found myself wishing for a projector, a computer, or a TV. These simple devices could have benefited my class tremendously in the learning process. However, because of the situation I was facing I had to rely on other methods of presenting the material. Mostly, I relied on my own theories of how education should be taught and learned....focusing mainly on the experience. I often had student interact with each other ( which at first was difficult and many argued..'can we really do that?'). We put on plays, had lip syncs contests, played survivor, and we cooked. The cooking lesson was the most effective in my opinion. Students were intrigued with my western food and preparation. Many students opened up and asked questions, interacted with me, and shared their own opinions about food preparation. The students were so involved in the experience that they forgot they were actually learning English. In return, they taught me how they lived, survived, and how they ate and prepared their meals.
If the students would have asked me that day who in the class learned most, virtually all of them would say, "The teacher." It is apparent to those who have taught that teaching is a better way to learn than being taught. Education is about experiences, diversity, opinions, interaction, relationships, and teaching each other. The true test of a good education is if one can teach what was taught. You don't know how little you know about a subject until you teach it.