Before reading these articles, I was becoming very interested in educational research. After reading these, I just want to leave it alone. I feel as if I have no confidence to pursue a career in that field! I know that is dramatic and I wont rule it out completely, but I think Ill be leaving CBR to someone else.
Maybe Im just reading too much into it. Storytelling, right? Storytelling is a very effective way to teach...in my humble and very confused opinion. It engages the audience. Its so much more interesting than listening to a lecture of facts. I remember information better when someone relates it to a real experience. This is why people love television and movies so much...it is telling a story! Ask anyone what happened on their favorite TV show last week...Im sure they can tell you every detail. Ask them what they read in the newspaper last week; their recollection probably wont be as enthusiastic. Of course, none of this is research based, its just what I think.
So Im not sure what the articles are questioning. It seems as if they are trying to put some sort of theory and order and explanation behind storytelling. And they want to research it and find out why and if and when it works. Why? Storytelling as a form of education and information has been around forever. Can we just accept that as is?
So I have just checked in on another blog to see if I was missing something this week...and Im not. It is all about storytelling; which I do think is a great approach to teaching. The times I enjoy teaching most are when I am telling a story about all those years ago in the '80s when we were walking around jamming on our walkmen! The kids love it and are so intrigued by the fact that we had to carry tapes around and had this giant device for music. Then the librarian (whom I share a space with) chimes in and tells the kids about when she was young and there was no TV. They eat it up! They are so amazed to hear that there was no TV, only radios.
So good luck to all the folks out there that want to study up on CBR and research it...who knows...maybe one day I will be one of those people!!
I'm with you 100%! I really think the problem with CBR is that the articles are just plain dull and preachy, work too hard at using educational double speak, and don't deliver their message in an easy to understand format. I feel like I'm hearing a description of an elephant from 8 different blind guys each with a different body part in hand.
ReplyDelete(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant) If the authors would just say what they mean in simple terms and with examples it would be so much easier to grasp. And I think in this instance, it's really too bad that they didn't do that because CBR really does seem to be a cool way to teach. I know the kids would eat it up.
Make sure and check out this post: http://thelifeandtimesofcandy.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/case-based-reasoning-me-likey/#comment-16
ReplyDeleteMaybe you'll glean what you need to help you understand better!