IV. Fisher and Frey (1 & 8)

So Chapter One of Fisher and Frey was basically about shifting the responsibility of learning from teachers to the students. I totally agree with this concept, as learning should be a more independent skill for students to have. If they have the knowledge and means to learn and study, then they have obtained important life skills. However, this does not happen overnight, and I love how the authors outlined several strategies for teachers to introduce the means of learning from sources other than the teachers. Many of these strategies we have discussed in other classes, but I like how they were organized as a way to shift responsibility. I also like how the authors included teacher reflection. While these strategies are generally accepted as fool-proof methods of encouraging more independent learning, sometimes the execution is off, or the group of students are not suited to how it is presented by the teacher. He or she must then really consider how to modify the strategy or its inclusion in the curriculum to effectively serve the students.

In chapter eight, when they got to writing about mathematics I had a flashback to to some of the first mathematics classes (MAT 210, 309, and 310 wasn't it?) we were required to take before applying for our Gold Cards. I distinctly remember having to write about doing math and explaining, in sentences, the steps we took to complete a particular problem or explain a solution. But I totally agree with this process, because writing really does organize one's thoughts -- about any subject. Also, if you can't write about it, how can you expect to speak and teach it in an effective manner?