Matt Pelkey

Recent Activity

• 

  Matt commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  Teach Broad, or Teach Deep? Coverage versus Depth

  I should start off by saying I teach preschool and I have not experienced first hand the coverage vs. depth dilemna. (If we want to explore how to make mud, we will spend however long we need and get as deep as we want to until the kids have learned everything that they would like to find out about mud)  However, in the majority of conversations I have had with high school teachers about their practice, they express the concern stated above, "How can we give time to this when we have so much material to cover?" 
  
  The majority of the teachers I talk to would love to explore a topic in depth involving the students in engaging activities that they are invested in.  However, they feel their hands are tied by the content dilemna.
  
  In a way, I feel the early years approach could serve as a model for educational reform.  In the early years, we aim to create an environment for children to explore and ask questions.  Our main focus is scaffolding their explorations so they learn to seek answers on their own.  There is an overwhelming excitement and celebration over new discoveries. 
  
  Shouldn't the primary focus of our school system be to foster learning by encouraging students in building their own knowledge?  Wouldn't this set up individuals for a more successful future with the ability to guide their own learning and seek answers to questions on their own?  I was a successful student throughout school, but the majority of the content that I was able to memorize at the time is lost to me now.   
  
  My impression is that there is an overwhelming majority of teachers that agree with this model/stance.  I understand there is a certain amount of content that students should learn through school, but I maintain the process is almost always more important than the content. 
  
  Albeit, it is much easier for me to say without the pressures of GPA, SAT, IB, and college entrance.  
  
  When will the revolution happen???