Theory and Practice

I thought that the Levstik and Barton article that we read was very interesting and was very relevant to my experience in the MAC program so far. For much of the summer, I found myself struggling to wrap my head around the theoretical work that we were doing because I didn’t see how it would apply to the classroom. I kept telling myself that things would be better in the fall when we finally got into the schools and were able to see how the theory informed practice. Though I haven’t done a great deal of lesson planning yet, I can already see how the theory is becoming relevant.

This article was even more interesting because it dealt specifically with the way that students learn history. It is important to tailor lesson plans to the way that students understand the material that is being presented. We must also be aware of the socio-cultural situations in which we teach. Because history is often considered to be subjective, it can be controversial at times. Each student who enters our classrooms will bring with him or her a unique live experience and history of their own that will shape the way that they view the subject matter. Finding a way to connect with each of these students is essential to ensuring that students are able to formulate the knowledge that they need to be successful.

The Wiggins and McTighe article about backwards design was also very useful. It makes sense to begin with a fixed goal in mind and then plan to work toward that goal with daily lessons. Not only does it make for more effective instruction, but it facilitates planning and pacing. Because we as teachers have already created an assessment, we are able to tailor our instruction so that it enables students to be successful on that assessment. Setting clear goals that provoke higher-order thinking is an extremely important component of effective lesson planning.