Novices and Experts – The Case of the College Classroom

10/26/2006

Novices and Experts – The Case of the College Classroom

Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don't.
Pete Seeger

I am always surprised when someone has not heard of Piaget. During the admission process, students entering the field of Early Childhood Education typically state that they are interested in working with children, citing volunteer experiences that attest to this interest. Yet, each September, I am struck by the fact that not everyone has given as much thought as I have to accommodation and assimilation.

My experience points to the importance of establishing linkages between students and educators that link the course director’s expertise with the curiosity of his or her students. In “Developmentally Appropriate Practice with College Students”, Teresa McDevitt and Jeanne Ormrod offer several suggestions to support student engagement.

Identify preexisting beliefs that students bring to class. These will be the lenses through which students will interpret all material. Challenge these beliefs when they are inconsistent with information gleaned through research.
Act as a guide for students’ learning. Ask questions that extend students’ understanding of the material. Resources such as video-taped segments and case studies (many of which are available through the Childcare Exchange) as well as presentation formats such as in-class debates help to deepen students’ understanding of topics.

In education, there is a difference between knowing a fact and understanding a topic. Gifted Early Childhood Educators strive for the latter.

McDevitt, T., & Ormrod, J. (2006). Developmentally appropriate practice with college students. Developments – Newsletter for the Society for Research in Child Development. (p. 4).

Contributed by: Laurie McNelles – Mothercraft Institute for Early Development

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