The goals of the Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) seem to be all-encompassing in regard to the need to educate people to become both individualistic free-thinkers and collaborative social (group) thinkers amidst a very diverse, technological society/world. Further, it promotes (if not demands) the use of technology in achieving this goals, which would only make sense in this day and age. I really like how CFT offers a simplified path in meeting the challenge of higher-order (abstract) thinking, both from a teacher and student perspective. As a teacher I know that it can be very challenging to get the students engaged in higher-order thinking activities. As a result, you occassionally get the typical "Why do we have to learn this? I'm not going to be a scientist/historian/writer . . ." The reason for this is because we're (I'm) not bridging the gaps for the students, enabling them to connect what they're learning with why they're learning it and how it affects their lives. The challenge in utilizing CFT is truly understanding its goals and how to achieve its goals. Once it is understood, it just takes time, like any other pedagogical approach, to develop methods appropriate for a given curriculum and putting it into practice.
My exposure to the EaseHistory website, both before and after reading Brian's paper, made it a lot easier for me to follow and understand exactly what CFT is and what it seeks to achieve. It also illustrated how crucial technology (such as this website) can be in achieving what CFT sets out to accomplish. The EaseHistory site is an amazing resource for any U.S. history teacher (or any history teacher for that matter). The analytical process just comes natural with the use of this site in the classroom; it lays everything out for the teacher to engage students in critical/analytical discussions. Further, the images and motion pictures are phenomenal . . . they really catch the theme, or "character", of the particular day and age. The website takes an artistic approach to history, which epitomizes CFT as I understand it. This approach allows for interpretation at many different levels, especially as a group (class) and individually, just like art does. Further, it challenges you to think beyond the picture itself and to delve into the "unseen" realities that set the scene. The site also offers "Learning Guides" which make it so easy for teachers to present the material in an engaging educational format, and create a stepping stone for teachers to develop their own lessons using the site as a resource. After exploring it for a while, I had to pull five different social studies teachers aside and show them the site. Some of the wind was taken from my sails when two of them informed me that they were already familiar with it.
The concern I have with the CFT approach is not the theory itself, but how we can all tailor it affectively for various subjects. EaseHistory is exemplary, but how can achieve this same level of higher-ordered engagement in the science (chemistry) classroom? Does CFT require the incorporation of a historical perspective? If so, great! I would love to know how I could do it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Let me give an example from ecology. (I just listened to a Science Friday podcast.) The National Park Service is trying to figure out how they should react to a changing habitats (in a specific National Park) due to climate change. In order to be flexible decision makers, learners need to see multiple cases of affected real world habitats, examine the events from multiple perspectives (biology, ecology, political, etc.), and place the case in context (these cases have to be treated on a case by case basis). For example, how is the case similar and different from the others. One should also develop an understanding of habitats. Habitats are complex so one must understand how temperature, water, animals, trees, insects, etc are interdependent. Approaching the problem in this way can support creative, flexible thinking.
Post a Comment