Yesterday we had our first unit test of the year. It was open note, so there wasn't very much memorization, and I didn't feel like I needed to study facts and dates. While I really enjoy having that kind of test, I also know that I was not all that happy about having to take the notes that made that test possible.
I know that almost every teacher lectures sometimes. But for me, personally, I can't really understand the material we're learning by sitting in the same place for an hour, writing down the important information and listening to a lecture. I prefer to do interactive activities - group work, maybe, or a discussion. Debates really help me understand the different views and perspectives of the people we're studying, because I can get involved in what we're learning
Can you learn well from note-taking? Do you think having open-note tests is worth it? I know some people are auditory learners, some are visual, and some are kinesthetic. I feel like in order for a teaching method to be successful, you have to address all of those preferences. But maybe that's just me.
I know notes can be helpful at times, but I'd like to see some more interactive classes in the future. How do you feel about it?
I absolutely agree with you when you say that you learn better by doing interactive activities. I also really dislike sitting in one place listening to the teacher talk for 1 1/2 hour straight. When I'm in a situation like this, i tend to zone out because I get really bored after awhile. This is a problem for me because if i zone out for even 1 minute, then i could possibly miss something important that would be helpful for a future test. Interactive activities keep me engaged and focused and help me learn more. For example, I enjoy our graded discussions because it gives us a chance to listen to our peers and hear their POV and go from there.
ReplyDeleteI feel like lectures are necessary for dates and stuff, while discussions are better for ideas and concepts.
ReplyDelete