MOST has been the a difficult model for me to embrace but is has nothing to do with the model or how it is applied. It brings back memories of students reading the Cliff Notes as opposed to reading the book. I also remember when my daughter was in HS, students watching the video (the modern version of cliff notes).
What I like about the model is that it uses the of building mental models to allow the learner to understand verbal information that may not have been possible without those visual cues. But one thing that I struggle with is the comment that "multimedia may actually accelerate the development of literacy". While I am not saying it won't, I am at best ambivalent about this being the case. What I can see is that we are slowly replacing our modes of how we are developing our ability to learn and process information. These different methods can compliment each other but there must be care taken that the one method does not replace other methods of learning.
Nicholas Carr had written a book about how the internet and technology is changing how we think and process information. He does not necessarily say it is a negative thing but he does show how historically anytime any new method of imparting information (maps, printing press, etc) happens, there is a change in how information is processed. Part of me feels that we lose something by not forcing a student to learn to read Shakespeare (as an example) but then when I think about what can be learned by first seeing a Shakespearean performance and then reading Shakespeare, I think the opposite. Another aspect of technology that I am in love with when it comes to reading, is that when I read on my Kindle, and I come across a word that I do not know, I can simply put the cursor on it and see what the definition is. So I guess what I am saying that there has to be a balance created so that we do not over rely on any one method of teaching and learning.
THE SHALLOWS: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains
By Nicholas Carr
5 comments:
You know Barb, I really agree with your comment about achieving balance. I think balance is the key component for the success of all students. Not one sole model or theory will do.
I totally agree with you, that one of the benefits seems to be providing students with visual clues, since they may not all understand verbal information when presented.
Also, I agree that there must be a balance. Teachers should provide options for students so they can choose the method in which they learn best.
I like your point about the auto lookup of word definitions on the Kindle. This can help some students learn the meaning of some of the words. I also like the idea of "spell checker" in word processing software, which flags the misspelled words and give you choices for replacement. It does not tell you the correct answer, but requires you to think about what word is needed.
I also like your idea of having balance in the different models, which will help match the different learning styles of the diverse student body that all schools have. The "one size shoe fits all" mentality, does not work.
Barb,
Great reflection! I also believe that the students should actually read Shakespeare rather than the cliff notes. Cliff notes and multi-media should be used as a supplement, in my opinion. Do you think that mutimedia has made society less self-sufficient? It seems like cashiers can't add or subtract change without a calculator. I see a future where people won't be able to read a map because they have a GPS.
I could be wrong in my understanding of the MOST model, but think that it allows for the balance that is so important. The idea would not be to eliminate reading Shakespeare, but add the component that you mention of watching a Shakespearean play in conjuncture with the text.
So many of my students (particularly lower performing students) lack experiences. Any time I am able to provide multimedia enhancement to help them make connections to text, I try to incorporate it. For example, my 2nd graders had a hard time wrapping their heads around the destruction caused by the recent earthquake & tsunami in Japan. I was able to share video clips of the rushing water/waves. We also viewed Google Earth photos comparing before and after pictures. The visuals helped provide a reference point and they were better able to understand the information that we read.
(Julie Jones)
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