13 Principles

Principle number 3 discusses how motivation and self-directed learning can make learning more authentic.Scaffolding seems like the underlying principle of motivating and self-directing student learning. Prior knowledge lays the foundation which can motivate the students when connections are made. Intriguing facts may make the students want to learn more about a particular subject matter which would self-direct them to their own learning. The teacher's job is to keep students motivated and interested in what they are learning. If students do not see the purpose or reason for what they are learning the less likely they will learn the material.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 taught me the difference between textbook based big ideas and standards based big ideas. It seems that the standards based big ideas require a higher depth of knowledge than text based. When assessing these big ideas teachers need to ask what do students know and care about when it come to the Big Ideas. This goes back to connecting ideas, building on prior knowledge, and using students' interests when planning. Standards based big ideas give teachers the chance to get out the text book and use other resources available to them. This will enable the teacher to personalize the students' learning. Teachers also need to teach students good learning strategies so they can succeed.

Two questions:
1.) Are the students really going to care about the Big Ideas? How as teachers can we make students understand why learning is important?
2.) Why is it college professors use the worst practice of teacher lecture, reading from and responding to texts, quizzes, and tests that ask students to recall what they know? If we should not do these things, then why do they model bad practices?