Dive Brief:
- In an essay for Edutopia, English language arts teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron writes that teachers should think of their curriculum as a story, with assignments as parts of the narrative that lead toward a climax and eventual resolution.
- Wolpert-Gawron says students should be the protagonists who overcome some type of conflict — whether it’s personal learning challenges or a class-wide problem to solve for a project — and along the way teachers should bring in a level of suspense by meting out new information on a topic or offering glimpses of its application in the real world.
- Diversity of activities and lessons can be like the figurative language of a novel, adding texture to the class, while at the climax students get the opportunity to present what they’ve learned and get feedback, the falling action includes responding to the feedback, and the resolution is one final act of wrapping up the project.
Dive Insight:
Framing students as the protagonists means they must take charge in the classroom. This fits into a trend in teaching where educators become more like facilitators than the traditional “sage on the stage.” When teachers step back and students are forced to step up, they become more engaged in their learning and take more ownership over their actions and the outcomes.
The transition to this type of teaching and learning can be difficult for both students and teachers, however. It takes more work for students and teachers can find it difficult to relinquish a level of control over the pace of the class. But, ultimately, many schools are finding the switch can improve academic outcomes and reduce disciplinary infractions.