Week 9 Readings

New Times Demand New Ways of Learning

The goal for all of us, but especially our students, is to learn how to think critically and strategically. What is this, exactly? The author argues that students must be able to ask the hard questions and then find ways to answer the question.
One way to gauge if this kind of learning is occurring is give assessments that have meaning for the learner. Another way is to make students responsible for their own learning by creating engaged learning settings. Yet another option is to use group collaboration so that students can work with each others' strengths.
The most important factor, however, is that there is "generative learning and instruction." Students and teachers must co-construct learning so that they create a shared understanding of the hard questions and answers they are pursuing.