Teach Less, Learn More

[BeContented]

janet_lee88:

I'm in the midst of deciding on group tuition or one-to-one Maths. Petrol/time and convenience/teaching method play a BIG part in our decision. If school teachers can do their job well, I wouldn't need to have this headache of outsourcing Maths. :x

To me, if the child is weak in basics/foundation, 1-1 or class with small ratio is better so that the child can receive sufficient attention and build up his understanding and confidence. However, would need to really check that the teacher/mentor can really teach concept and not just recognizing methods/formulas.

Personally, after my failed attempt with my DD, I saw how DH did it. I was impressed and sold to the idea that must teach concept.....but it's a skill that I could not master. There are simply too many teachers in the market, how good are they I dun know.....hence must really verify properly.

[janet88]

cwc:

janet_lee88:

I'm in the midst of deciding on group tuition or one-to-one Maths. Petrol/time and convenience/teaching method play a BIG part in our decision. If school teachers can do their job well, I wouldn't need to have this headache of outsourcing Maths. :x

To me, if the child is weak in basics/foundation, 1-1 or class with small ratio is better so that the child can receive sufficient attention and build up his understanding and confidence. However, would need to really check that the teacher/mentor can really teach concept and not just recognizing methods/formulas.

Personally, after my failed attempt with my DD, I saw how DH did it. I was impressed and sold to the idea that must teach concept.....but it's a skill that I could not master. There are simply too many teachers in the market, how good are they I dun know.....hence must really verify properly.

Concepts very very impt. I know nuts about math. Hubby doesn't know how to explain. So no choice but to outsource.

[Chenonceau]

teh_oh:

Hi Chenonceau,

I read your blog on your child's chinese language learning journey with interest. Interestingly, in one of your entry, you wrote:
FLAW FOUR
Grandma worked harder than Little Boy. If a student is to learn more, the Teacher must teach less.

Perhaps that is what MOE is trying to achieve? :lol:

Yeah lor... confusing right?

ksi:

Teh-oh, we have been discussing the idea is good and sound but the implementation is not sound, making a joke of this concept in the end, that's all.. If well implemented, this is definitely better than spoon- feeding style... But before we teach kids to fish, we must still teach the how-to fish even if we don't want to bring fishes to them. GWIM?

Yup... Teh Oh.. that is what I think too. The idea is good but the implementation is poor. On page 35 I tried to explain this contradiction. I reproduced part of the thingy below.

Chenonceau:

The True Spirit of Teach Less and Learn More

I think I am gonna confuse everyone by seeming to contradict myself. I actually embrace the notion of Teach Less and Learn More. It is a basket of pedagogical strategies that I embrace, and that every corporate trainer (worth his salt) knows: PROVIDED IT IS DONE RIGHT. Underlying the true spirit of Teach Less Learn More is an important principle.

PEOPLE LEARN BY DOING

In management training, you would rarely catch trainers teaching through TALK TALK TALK. For trainers to make a living and get repeat business, they need to develop and deliver highly interactive programs. Else, the adult learners will complain, and after tea break, many won't even come back to your class. Adult learners have day jobs, you see. They can and do choose to go back to fight workplace crises if they think you're boring and ineffective as a corporate trainer. Adults have no time and they wanna learn fast and effectively, without the need for revision.

To ensure learning effectiveness, I learnt to create a sequence of learning activities that get adult learners DOING something right through the 8-hour workshop. As they DO, they learn and when they learn through DOING, they retain (without having to revise). After, they have DONE, I give feedback. I teach (i.e., TALK TALK) less, but because they DO MORE, they learn more and effectively.

I know of Teach Less Learn More in the corporate training context, and I know how it works. The learner needs to DO, and learning takes place in the interaction first BETWEEN the Learner and the Material, and then the Teacher and the Taught.


I used these methods to teach my son Chinese (but I can't read a word of Chinese)... and his Chinese actually improved after I sacked Grandma but I am handicapped because I cannot give feedback on his written Chinese. Hence, I've just given him a Tutor for Chinese.


I've always used these methods to teach him Science and English. We do not own a single English assessment book but he scores in that subject effortlessly. Same with Science. From P1 to P5, I have not bought a single Science nor English assessment book. 6 weeks before exams, we attempt 1 or 2 Top School Exams just to get a feel of timing and type of questions... and that's all. What we have done is just have fun with Science and English.


For Science, we did experiments from the time he was in Pampers... There is a lot of discussion and debate about why something happened. We develop hypotheses, look for how one variable affects another... Even though we describe what we do in layman terms, he is still practising the logical thinking skills required by the PSLE Science syllabus (EVEN though I didn't realise I was actually doing something according to syllabus).


For English, we read a lot. When he was little, I read to him. When he got older, he began to read what I read. We discuss what we read, and since I have a blog, he reads what I write. I also read what he writes, and comment. He wrote a reflection on Friday on democracy. It allowed me to point out a flaw in his logic flow (something we call circular reasoning). See http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~shagin/logfal-pbc-circular.htm for a definition of circular thinking. This is Teach Less Learn More in action. He has thought through (i.e., DONE) something, and I pointed out a flaw in his thinking skills. Once something is learnt that way, you not only remember it, you truly know what it is, how to recognise it and how NOT to do it again. It's like a teacher teaching you how to cut carrot flowers by specifically showing you that you finger is in the wrong place. It's a skill, and can only be taught effortlessly through intimate interaction between the Learner and the Material, and then between the Teacher and the Taught.


For that, we need smaller class sizes and fewer worksheets (especially easy ones).


The thing is, when I did such things with my kids, I hadn't meant to help them with schoolwork. It was just something fun to do, and I thought it would be would be enriching. How are parents like you and I supposed to know that enrichment has now become basic requirement?


Teach Less Learn More does work, but Teachers must know how to do it. I know how and I am not seeing Teachers do it. Indeed, to some extent, primary school teachers do not even master the domain they teach, let alone Teach Less Learn More techniques. His Form Teacher teaches English. Her last email to me contained 2 errors, one of which was quite serious. She wrote \"I hope he fairs better in the next test.\" She should have used \"fares\". One wonders how Teachers themselves would score if they had to do the PSLE exam of the subject they are teaching. The standards seem to have been raised to beyond the capability of some subject teachers.


Luckily I had been Teaching Less and Learning More with my kids ever since they were small, otherwise I think I will now be crying over Science and English too.

[corneyAmber]

To be candid...teach less learn more actually REQUIRES MORE PLANNING PREPARATION WORK FROM THE TEACHERS. Most teachers may not be able to embrace this change so rapidly.

There is a paradigm shift for the teachers.

[Chenonceau]

ksi:

To be candid...teach less learn more actually REQUIRES MORE PLANNING PREPARATION WORK FROM THE TEACHERS. Most teachers may not be able to embrace this change so rapidly.

There is a paradigm shift for the teachers.

Yes. I agree with that.

[corneyAmber]

Chenonceau:

ksi:

To be candid...teach less learn more actually REQUIRES MORE PLANNING PREPARATION WORK FROM THE TEACHERS. Most teachers may not be able to embrace this change so rapidly.

There is a paradigm shift for the teachers.

Yes. I agree with that.

So you are the hardworking mum cum teacher here.... :salute:

[Chenonceau]

ksi:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"ksi\"]To be candid...teach less learn more actually REQUIRES MORE PLANNING PREPARATION WORK FROM THE TEACHERS. Most teachers may not be able to embrace this change so rapidly.

There is a paradigm shift for the teachers.

Yes. I agree with that.

So you are the hardworking mum cum teacher here.... :salute:[/quote]Actually, with one child to plan for, it is still ok. It's workshops for 20 adult learners that I have to spend days planning for and collating reference resources. So... not that bad lah... especially this year when I am taking time off.

[janet88]

Hi

I do not believe in this Teach Less, learn more. Bcos I see myself having to study hard to coach my son. Anyway like it or not, it is here to stay…unless there is change of education minister.

[Chenonceau]

janet_lee88:

Hi

I do not believe in this Teach Less, learn more. Bcos I see myself having to study hard to coach my son. Anyway like it or not, it is here to stay...unless there is change of education minister.

We'll pull through it somehow eh? :hugs:

[corneyAmber]

janet_lee88:

Hi

I do not believe in this Teach Less, learn more. Bcos I see myself having to study hard to coach my son. Anyway like it or not, it is here to stay...unless there is change of education minister.

Janet, this slogan only makes the process more painful for everyone but ultimately the change in the syllabus to increase the difficulty of each levels is already cast in stone. In fact, it seems to be getting tougher with the years as they think kids are getting more exposed in the later generation. So the change of the syllabus is not controlled by the slogan but this slogan gives the educators some leeway of skirting around the paradigm shift that they are caught in it themselves. My friend who has a kid in the secondary school and one in primary now feels that the syllabus is indeed getting tougher. She compares her elder's syllabus to her younger syllabus, it HAS increased in difficulty for the same level. In fact another friend with different level kids also said so...