Blog #1 Maybe We Don't Need to Become Experts First
I have always been interested in the difference between knowing something and actually being able to do something.
Think about how often we describe ourselves this way.
I'm not a math person.
I'm not a science person.
I'm not athletic.
I'm not a good reader.
I have definitely heard students say things like this, and I think many adults have probably said something similar about themselves (including me and maybe you?). Buehl's discussion of disciplinary literacy made me think about why this happens. Reading is not exactly the same in every subject. A student needs to learn how to approach a text through the practices of a particular discipline. A historian, for example, might ask different questions of a text than a scientist would. and they emphasized on asking students to develop “habits of thinking” like an expert and instead propose “habits of practice.”
If we tell a student to “think like a scientist,” we might accidentally make the student wonder whether they are even the kind of person who can be a scientist. But if we invite that student to practice what scientists do: observe > question > investigate > communicate > interpret evidence > and revise their thinking, we give them somewhere to start.
And..
THEY DON'T HAVE TO ALREADY SCIENTIST,
but
THEY CAN PRACTICE BECOMING ONE!
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KEETH SMART
The documentary tells the story of Keeth Smart, a fencer from Brooklyn who eventually competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His story is obviously about much more than fencing. There is loss, illness, family, persistence, competition, and achievement.
But what caught my attention was not simply the fact that he became an Olympic athlete. He watched, practiced, make mistakes, do it again, give up, seeing others life, realization, practiced again, again, again.
This is where Wickens et al.'s idea of habits of practice became much more concrete for me. Fencing is a perfect example of how thinking cannot always be separated from the body. A fencer is reading movement, space, timing, and another person's actions while simultaneously responding physically. The knowledge is not just in the head.
I really liked your idea that students do not need to become experts before they begin learning. Your point about “habits of practice” was especially meaningful because it gives students a more realistic way to grow. Instead of asking students to immediately think like scientists, historians, or mathematicians, teachers can help them practice the actions those experts use. I also liked your connection to Keeth Smart because his success came from repeated practice, mistakes, persistence, and reflection. His journey shows that expertise develops over time. I think this approach can help students feel more confident and willing to keep trying.
ReplyDeleteI liked your point on how students don't have to already be a "math or science person" to be good at it. The idea of practicing what experts already do so you can understand how they became "experts" in their field, instead of just being told to "think like an expert". I also liked how you connected this idea to Smart, as it further shows that becoming an "expert" in something takes time and practice, rather than just having that natural talent.
ReplyDeleteFani, I really love your thoughts here on practicing and doing before you're an "expert" in that thing. I think this is such an important mindset for our younger readers too who are learning to read. So many are afraid to make mistakes, or who say they can't read so they don't try. It's important to model this and encourage students to put their developing skills to the test!
ReplyDeleteWow! I love your blog post and all the visuals! I agree with the constant talk of "I"m not" this and "I'm not" that, I definitely always say I am not a math person. Your mention of us as teachers saying "think like scientist" makes me wonder, how many times have teachers possibly pushed someone away from a topic/subject because they did not think they were capable?
ReplyDeleteGreat article! I enjoyed the different points of view you brought to light that students may think. The attention grabber of "I'm not" was thought provoking. When I try to make them into experts of the content, I never thought about whether they even think they can. The visuals were great, it added to reading. I like expectation of being a scientist, it's important to let them know that they don't have to be experts just yet.
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