In “Message to My Freshman Students,” Keith Parsons, a professor teaching freshman for the first time in a long time, addresses issues he has with the typical freshman student. Freshman tend to be different from other college level students being that they are just out of high school. Incoming freshman often fail to realize that college is nothing like high school was. In high school, it is the teacher’s duty to make sure students are learning and to get them prepared for tests. Professors however, don’t have the obligation of making sure a student learns. It is a college student’s responsibility to do so. Parsons addresses how professors have the ability to choose what they teach and how they teach it. Many professors prefer lecture as their method of teaching. Keith Parsons is encouraged to stop using the method of lecturing and instead offer more help to students by guiding them through the course. Parsons however insists students need to learn to listen. In the present day, lecturing isn’t the best method to use for the majority of teens and young adults because they tend to have very short attention spans. For some however, lecture is a very effective method, especially for those who are auditory learners. It is exciting to several students and they become so intrigued and interested it is hard for them to focus on anything else. For others, lecture is boring and they have no interest. Students who see lecture as a boring method may zone out because they cannot concentrate. The material simply goes in one ear and out of the other. All people have a different opinion about it because everyone has a different learning style. My belief is that Parsons could care less about how the student learns. This is demonstrated by his strong and harsh assumption that students simply do not listen. I take issue with this because it isn’t that students do not listen, it’s just that all students learn differently. I do not deny that in college it is the student’s responsibility to study and make sure they understand the material. However, it wouldn’t hurt if professors offered more help. Parsons is urged to “stop being ‘the sage on the stage,’ [and shift into] ‘the guide on the side.”’ Professors don’t need to hold your hand through the course, but offering additional assistance would benefit students. It would also be useful to some students if professors used varying methods to teach. They could do something different each week to benefit all student’s learning styles. If professors were to do this, they could still include their lecture that they like, but also include powerpoints, videos or pictures, and any other method they see fit. This approach would be a better way to grab all student’s attention rather than just a handful. It might also motivate students to attempt to learn the material and not just remember it for an exam. Parsons may not wish to change his teaching style. He most likely won’t want to change it. This is revealed through his beliefs that students need to learn to listen and that high school should have developed student’s listening skills. If Parsons doesn’t wish to stop lecturing, then so be it, but he should be more considerate toward first year students. They are making a big transition, college is something that is completely new to them and some simply can’t concentrate on a professor lecturing. All students learn in a different way and Parsons should keep that in mind when teaching students at any grade level. He should especially keep that in mind when he is teaching freshman students he believes to be inattentive.
8 Comments
8/31/2015 12:42:02 am
I agree with you in that everyone has a different way of learning. I myself do not do well in lecture based classes. I prefer partial lecture and then more hands on learning to reinforce the lecture.
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8/31/2015 01:45:18 pm
I typically do not do well in them either. However if I do have a lecture, I try to do my best and take good enough notes so that I can try to learn the material in a different way on my own.
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I appreciate the fact that even though you disagree with him on how he refuses to understand that not all students learn the same way that you still managed to give him a fair chance in your summary. And to be honest lecturing is my least favorite way to learn anything.
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8/31/2015 01:48:03 pm
Thank you. I tried to give him a fair chance, and if he wants to keep lecturing, then he can, but in my opinion he needs to keep some of those things I mentioned in mind!
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Raychel, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog post. I also agree with you on most levels. One point that I mostly concur with is that students should have responsibility, but the professors should help out a little more. If the students are paying ridiculous amount of money to go learn from a person who won't teach, then what is the point? I completely agree with you!
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9/1/2015 10:34:05 am
I like what you said about paying crazy amounts of money for a teacher who wont teach. This is pointless! I know many college instructors are willing to help if you go to them, but I feel like a professor like Parsons wouldn't.
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9/1/2015 05:21:21 am
I wrote about learning styles in my blog post too. I think it is important that professors take that into consideration when planning on how they will teach the material. I understand also that lecturing is just a part of college that everyone is going top have to adapt to. But I do not believe that it is fair to the students who aren't auditory learners. I just hope that professors realize it, and hopefully incorporate other learning styles into their lessons.
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9/1/2015 10:36:55 am
I agree with you completely. I even think there are ways professors could do some lecture, but incorporate different things into the lesson that could help people who aren't auditory learners.
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