5456 MYTH
The myth of average
4
Response 1
· Collapse Subdiscussion Alexandra Roberts
YesterdayAug 8 at 9:37pm
The Myth of Average
In order to meet students where they are, some with talents in one area but not in others, we have to be willing to incorporate flexible learning environments. According to Rose, (2013), when we cater to the average, we destroy student’s talents by making the talent a liability as well as allowing the child’s weakness to hide his/her talent. Designing for average marginalizes students who have needs that do not fit neatly into that particular learning experience as well was marginalizing students who require enrichment (Sey, 2020). We often view things through the lens of the average student, and there is no average student (Spencer, 2017)
There are a number of strategies I would like to incorporate into my classroom in order to do a better job of teaching “to the edges”. First, the classroom atmosphere must be safe and inclusive for students. Another strategy is to do away with numbers when giving assignments. For example, instead of requiring students to write three pages or four paragraphs, focus on quality work products. Also, allowing the students to select which learning strategies work best for their own learning is something in which I am interested (Spencer, 2017).
Although I agree with the basic principles behind “The Myth of Average”, I do think that there are several barriers to its success. First, I wonder how so much freedom and choice would affect students with ADD and/or ASD. Additionally, as structure is a very important part of classroom management, it concerns me when I think about discipline problems in such a flexible environment. Finally, I think it would be difficult to achieve “buy in” from a lot of teachers. It involves so much freedom for the students, and I believe a lot of teachers would interpret that as complete chaos.
In terms of the average student in my classroom, he attends school regularly and has a completion rate on homework of about 75%. He likes math better than reading because reading is difficult for him. He tries hard and desires to do well, so he usually pulls out a C or B on his report card in reading. His math grades are As and Bs. On last year’s MAAP assessments, he scored Proficient in math and Basic in reading. Based on “The Myth of Average”, I guess he is not average after all-as average does not truly exist. He has great strengths in math, but his math talents are usually hidden behind his deficits in reading. If he could use technology to read all his math assignments to him, what kind of mathematician would he become?
Rose, T. (2013). “The Myth of Average” [Published on Youtube June 19, 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4=BmyHcfU4 (Links to an external site.)
Sey, A. (2020). The Myth of Average: A Response to Todd Rose’s TED Talk. Seye Education. seyeducation.com/abena’s-blog-spot/2020/10/30/the-myth-of -the-average-a-response-to-Todd-Rose’s-TED-talk/
Spencer, J. (2017). Why Science Says the Average Student Doesn’t Exist (and what this means for student ownership). spencerauthor.com/why-science-says-the-average-student-doesn’t-exist/
Response 2
3:28pmAug 9 at 3:28pm
One way in which I could "teach to the edges" is to use lessons that engage visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and tactile learners. As the Universal Design for Learning (CAST 2022) suggests, students within certain grades all come in with differing abilities. They all might be in different places and even might be grade-levels ahead or behind. It's important to cater to all of the learning styles to help both students with disabilities and students without disabilities to stay engaged. One barrier I foresee with this is time. Since I only have 50 minutes with each class, it might be very time-consuming to create lessons that include all of the learning styles. Not only might it be hard to plan, but it could be almost impossible to incorporate within the 50 minute time-frame.
Another way I could "teach to the edges" would be to include other, qualified teachers in the process. The whole class could benefit from occasionally having the special educator give a few tips or even teach a lesson. The barrier to this would be finding the time to fit them in, and finding a special educator that actually has the time to do it.
According to The Myth of Average, there should be no average students anymore (TedX 2022)! Each and every student should strive find that "something special" that makes them unique. Just as fighter pilots cannot fit into their averaged-sized cockpits any longer, students should not fit into the average-sized category given to them by teachers. Each student offers their own extraordinary abilities, and it's our job to help them figure out what that is, and to pull it out of them to help make them become successful adults. It's quite amazing to hear the story of a high school drop-out turned Harvard Professor. How inspiring his story could be to all of those students who struggled in school because they were put into the "average" or "below average" category by their teachers!
CAST. (2022, September 8). UDL at a Glance [Video]. UDL at a Glance. https://mississippicollege.instructure.com/courses/8148/pages/module-7-lecture-materials-universal-design-for-learning?module_item_id=192806
Mississippi College. (2022, September 8). The Myth of Average [Video]. TedX. https://mississippicollege.instructure.com/courses/8148/discussion_topics/28995