Traditional Learning Environments That Emphasize Fragmented Knowledge and Basic Skills

Some classrooms have traditional and, at times, inadequate classroom techniques that are not successful. Teachers may continue to use these techniques because:

• Many teachers learn autiobiographically (Lortie, 1975) and in difficult situations may abandon their new teaching techniques and in favor of the techniques that were used to teach them.

• Lack of professional support, a sense of professional community, and staff development opportunities makes it more difficult for teachers to learn and implement new techniques.

Classrooms that have focused on basic skills often present information in a fragmented and disconnected way. New cognitive research has shown that these approaches do not provide environments that will help children learn complex thinking skills:

• Fragmented skill development is less successful than skill development within a context of solving more complex problems.

• Fragmented knowledge is more difficult to connect to broader understandings of subject matter.

• To help students become engaged learners and increase student understanding, teachers should provide in-depth curricula.

• Teachers should emphasize understanding rather than coverage of factual information.

• In-depth projects that spend time looking at ideas or concepts will be more engaging.

• Authentic instruction is one approach to providing in-depth curriculum.

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