Education Home Page Description of a MITA Class Barriers to a MITA Class

Troubleshooting

Troubleshoot barriers that impede MITA renewal in the following four areas:

1. Academic Standards
Problem Identified:

  • Mediocrity evident
  • Uni-dimensional tests only
  • Rigid routines
  • Water-tight answers only


Suggested Solution:
  • Create rubrics with criteria for excellence
  • Align learning and assessment tasks in eight domains
  • Use multiple ways of expressing knowledge
  • Introduce ongoing challenges to vary responses
  • Encourage some ambiguity in responses

2. Social Interactions
Problem Identified:

  • Isolation of students
  • Too much teacher talk
  • Favoritism
  • Exclusion
  • Disrespect


Suggested Solution:

  • Brainstorm ways to build community in class
  • Introduce pair-sharing in meaningful investigations
  • Count males and females called upon and balance these
  • Create a bulletin board display of cultural differences
  • Invite students to discuss how respect is evident in class

3. Roles
Problem Identified
  • A few dominate
  • Bored students
  • Teacher mandates
  • Learners listen only
  • Teacher controlled choices


Suggested Solution

  • Pass a talking stick around to insure more voices
  • Motivate active participation with responses expected
  • Teacher becomes learner during open discussions
  • Invite learners to teach peers at times
  • Provide meaningful student choices for each class

4. Environment
Problem Identified
  • Some feel threatened
  • Rigid rows
  • Passivity
  • Teacher dominance


Suggested Solution:
  • Create a safe environment; laugh at yourself
  • Vary spaces in class with student input for designs
  • Stir curiosity and wonder for interesting topics
  • Invite students to add their knowledge and experience