​​​​Jason Wakeman​

Critical Pedagogy, Constructivism, and Student Centered Learning

​

In my teaching I rely heavily on inquiry based and student centered learning. We learn best when what we are learning is meaningful to us. This is why it is so important to base what happens in the classroom on student interests and understandings. This does not mean giving students free-range on assignments. On the contrary, it involves carefully designing experiences that reach curriculum goals while still allowing students to explore their own ideas and goals. By using the right tools--like seminar discussions, authentic tasks, and exploratory projects like DBAs and research projects--I strive to craft experiences in which students drive the learning and can easily relate the material to their own lives and goals.

 

I also believe, a la Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design, that a teacher is a designer. No designer can work well without clear purposes and plans. Teaching is no exception. In my practice I strive to carefully design experiences which allow students to reach the understandings and skills necessary to achieve the standards to which I teach. The purpose of every element of each unit has to be carefully interrogated before it is implemented, and its outcomes need to be measured by assessments that demonstrate genuine achievement.

 

Finally, my practice is also influenced by thinkers like John Dewey and Paulo Freire. In my classroom I engage in socially conscious teaching for democratic citizenship. The most important goal of education is to improve the lives of those who are educated. Preparing students to be successful in future professions is an important part of that goal but not the entirety of it. Students also need to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to for genuine autonomy. If students aren’t able to critically consider the reasons behind their beliefs and actions, as well as the beliefs and actions of others, then they can’t make informed decisions as individuals or as members of a democracy. Therefore, I believe that it is part of my professional responsibility to help my students develop those critical thinking skills.