sure this kind of use doesn't happen and drill and practice can serve a useful function?
I think the reason drill and practice becomes drill and kill in some classes is the execution. Drill and practice comes after a concept has been taught that a teacher wants the student to have what is mentioned in Roblyer in chapter 3 to be automaticity. Information that is automatic will allow students to move to higher skill problems with ease. Many times, drill and practice is simply a timed worksheet or a basic computer program that is not interactive and is the same every day. Key to using any type of drill and practice will be to check on students and see if they are struggling in a specific area. The need to go back and refresh or - a concept may exist. Additional drill without checking where the students are is a frustration. Additional, continuous drill for a student who has conquered a concept is painful. The process should not be about the ease for the instructor, but how appropriate is the modality for the individual student.
The ideal option proposed in the book is to use computer programs for drill. The computer is an immediate feedback to whether the question has been answered completely as opposed to paper drill where the student may not know for days if their work was correct. I loved the statement "Practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent". It is imperative to make sure the concepts are learned and drilled correctly.
Molly, you make a great point about appropriatness of the drills. While differentiated drills may require more planning on behalf of the teacher, they save time in review and they improve student performance in the long run. By individually assigning students based upon their mastery of a subject,we as teachers don't act as "drill seargents;" instead we provide for the needs of each student.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Molly that one of the reasons that drill and practice has become labeled as “drill and kill” in some classes across the country is due to the execution of drill and practice. When drill and practice in the classroom becomes exactly just drilling and practice without an emphasis on the learning aspect of drilling and practice activities, then it just becomes “drilling and killing” to many students across the country. When it becomes “drilling and killing,” you can count the learning going on as being very little. So I believe that it’s the teacher’s responsibility to better execute drill and practice within the classroom if they do incorporate drill and practice activities within the classroom.
ReplyDeleteDid you intend to have that pun at the beginning of your Blog? “Drill and Kill” equated to “execution”! LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteI agree that automaticity will assist students in moving to higher skill problems with ease. They can use their brain to solve problems using higher order thinking skills and not for fact computation. I am like the students I need to change up how I teach or I bore myself! It is imperative that students are assessed to determine where their weaknesses are in order for drill and practice to have maximum benefit.
Computer assisted drill and practice takes out the possibility that a student might practice incorrectly and may permanent something that is not true.
You are right. Drill and practice is and should continue to be an integral part of education. It is how we use it that determines whether it succeeds or bores the students to tears. I think we need to look beyond the computer games though. I mentioned this already, but I really think that songs/ chanting/ and games are the most effective ways to a child's memory. If you combine a listening song, with sing a long song, and a dance, with images on the screen (like the fall star mentioned) you will hit on most student's learning styles. I know you can do this sort of thing with a computer game, but I think the "community" of the class doing this together is important to the learning experience.
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