What are the issues surrounding democratic decision-making in the classroom? My context is a grade eleven French class planning a unit final task related to international cuisine. I have not finished the process, but so far I observe the following:
a. Students initially persist in asking ME what is expected even though I have given the decision-making over to them.
b. I have spent 70 minutes instead of 10 setting up the evaluation criteria.
c. They came up with great ideas I would not have considered.
d. The second day (today) a few students were asking me if they could have a copy of the evaluation guide sheet even though we were still working with a draft and final decisions about percentages had not yet been discussed.
e. Students seem comfortable with voting on options presented and letting the majority rule.
f. The process is noisier and a few students love to offer their creative ideas.
g. Impractical ideas presented by fellow students are detected and voted down.
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Tiffany said:
ReplyDeleteOwnership as empowerment vs. Ownership as a mirage.
Ownership is a powerful thing in the lives of students - especially teenagers. Students who are given the opportunity to help to shape their pathways to learning in the classroom often do so with an ignited, purposeful, and loyal pursuit of that learning.
Since the teenage years are a time of pendular adjustments between dependency and independency, the issue of democratic choice in the classroom presents an opportunity for students to safely practise risk-taking in responsibility.
However, democratic decision-making as it exists in a high school French class may not be expressed in reality in the same manner that it is conceived in intent. For the soft-spoken, the insecure, the loud who hide their true selves behind the mask of the masses - for these, the gift of ownership may be merely a mirage: a promise of choice that passes them by, quickly snatched by the others whose voices resound with louder leadership. As such, the classroom politic morphs from monarchy to republic, but perhaps exists as democracy only in intention.
Like his students, the teacher swings between two worlds - his pursuits and his realities - as they take on human form before his very eyes, in each one of his students.
Tiffany Furtado
(a student of Professor Foster's, who owes much of her inspiration to him)
I agree with what you said Tiffany. I think most highschool students are not used to being invited to create their own criteria used for their own evaluation. Some may be dumbfounded and unsure on how exactly to execute this activity. Others may be truly excited to be given a chance to contribute in their assessment. I am afraid that some students would also lack the drive to pursue higher standards and may desire lower level criteria to have an easier marking scheme. I believe that with the democratic approach to creating rubrics, you get a wider perspective of what students are thinking about and what they value as important for their learning. However, some may be very uncomfortable with this idea and resort to trying to "please the teacher", and would rather do whatever is told by the teacher just so that they can receive a high mark. I think that is why some students still looked to you Rob, when in all effect, you have given them the power to decide their marking scheme.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good topic and I will keep it in mind as I go into my teaching block, I will trying to observe the reactions of my students if we do ever try the democratic approach to rubrics.
Eunice Torres
With all the pros of classroom democracy, on the application side, should we not consider the inefficiencies that democratic decision making might thrust on the teaching/learning process? For eg, it takes 70 minutes to finalize the evaluation criteria instead of 10. And still there may be a possibility that it might not be as effective as if the teacher were to single handedly set it. More importantly, once a teacher relinquishes the power/authority, what will be the consequences if he tries to take it back in case the democratic process does not go well at the end? Will it not be necessary to do so? If the classroom procedures go chaotic, will the teacher be blamed, or will it be tolerated in the light of the good intentions?
ReplyDelete