by Susan NYC "The students have to change from behaving as passive recipients of the knowledge offered by the teacher to becoming active learners who can take responsibility for and manage their own learning" Working Inside the Black Box, Black et al. (2004)
This picture evokes images of teaching at the front of the class, either talking, or putting something on the bored. Often, teachers may as well just ask students to ignore the information because they are bored, may not find it relevent, and thus do not take responsibility for the learning. Maybe, teachers just have not given students the opportunity to take responsibility.
As teachers I believe that we must switch our practice from being the deliverers of information to the facilitators of knowledge. Students will be able to engage in a much higher level of learning only if we as teachers make it possible and encourage students to become more responsible.
Far too often students become passive learners, and are disengaged with classroom activities, but can we blame them? Do we allow students to have enough responsibility? Enough power? Are teachers afraid to engage in this shift?
