Seven Myths about How Students Learn

A recent Washington Post article identified a number enduring educational myths and misperceptions that continue to adversely influence American education.

Myth 1: Basic Facts Come Before Deep Learning

This one is a little tricky because cognitive science has proved that a) new learning does build on what already is in the brain and b) deeper cognitive thought occurs around stored knowledge. However, in schools this myth often translates into "boring stuff that must be memorized" precedes fun, active learning. The truth here is that all learning--even student development of essential knowledge--can and should be presented and learned through active engagement, not static, boring lessons.

Myth 2: Rigorous Education Means a Teacher Talking

In 1997 a University of Texas study showed the following:
     -We remember 10% of what we read
     -We remember 20% of what we hear
     -We remember 30% of what we see
     -We remember 50% of what we see and hear
     -We remember 70% of what we say
     -We remember 90% of what we do and say

While teacher lecture remains a popular form of teaching, it clearly does not lead lead to enhanced student learning or performance. (A future blog will focus on the recent Harvard Magazine article about physics professor Eric Mazur who advocates for peer instruction over teacher lecture.)

Myth 3: Covering It Means Teaching It

This seems to so obviously wrong, yet in this standards-based era of increased content, many teachers have been forced to superficially cover a topic in class in order to fulfill the curriculum. There's an obvious connection to Myth 2 in that just because a teacher covers a topic, it does not mean the students have understood let alone mastered it.

Myth 4: Teaching to Student Interest Means Dumbing It Down

It's important for teachers to understand cognitive development and to teach in an age-appropriate manner. However, if a teacher sets high expectations for students, they typically rise to the challenge. Way back in 1968 there was a study referred to as "Pygmalion in the Classroom" (just Google those words) which supports the idea that students will rise to challenges (as well as plunge in a classroom of low expectations).

Myth 5: Acceleration Means Rigor

This connects with Myth 3 as well as the idea that breadth of content is preferable to depth. All teachers are familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy of thinking skills: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Recently I cam across a revision of Bloom's Taxonomy that explained that greater difficulty operates within each of those thinking skills while greater complexity inlvoves having students think more deeply. Too often today, classroom assessment focus too much on lower level thinking. More homework that only requires lower-level thinking does not help a student learn more.

Myth 6: A Quiet Classroom Means Good Learning

To me this myth grew from expectation of proper student behavior in the classroom. However, the goal of a classroom needs to be student engagement through project-based learning; appropriate student input, voice, and decision-making; appropriate differentiation, i.e., variety in terms of the content, process, and product of what's being learned; and a healthy combination of individual and group collaborative work. A loud classroom does not necessarily equate to poor student behavior or a teacher who has poor classroom management skills.

Myth 7: Traditional Schooling Prepares Student for Life

In many ways the previous 6 myths describe a more traditional way of teaching, and the con of each myth describes the attributes of a more progressive, child-centered way of teaching--the way in which Orchard has approached education since its founding in 1922.

I continue to marvel at the courage of the founding mother of Orchard when these myths were even more deep-seated in the opinion of good teaching.