Brain and Inquiry: Praxis III Independent Study

Researcher: Brielle Stark, Bryn Mawr College '12

Research Questions:

• Are open-ended activities engaging to students?
• Do open-ended activities transfer knowledge to students?
• Is there a difference between teacher and student perceptions of open-ended activities?

Goals:

LaKesha Preston-Roberts

One Student and his Silence in the Classroom

 (Student)        “What I need a tutor for? I already know this stuff. Why can’t I just go sit in class?”

Amie Claire Raymond

Living Life

by Emma Cohan

    In the class Empowering Learners we discuss theories of teaching and mentoring to increase agency from many viewpoints. The competing and sometimes contradictory theories are complicated even further by dilemmas from our field placements. However, instead of leaving us with a sense of paralysis, I hope to show how being mindful of the complexity of the theory behind practice can lead to positive decision-making. In teaching and mentoring we make choices that are compatible with our overall learning philosophy, but often include practical adjustments that may compromise purity of theory in favor of a dynamic balance we judge better fitting to the context.

by Elizabeth Koelmel