I can see myself explaining the changes in the class. "Rather than standing in front of you and explaining all of this stuff, we are going to explore it all together." I can hear my rationale. "In the end, it isn't really about learning photosynthesis, but learning to learn. Learning to adapt." I can hear my heart beating. "Holy cow, can i actually do this?"
As for them, they seemed willing. They get it, but at the same time they show neither excitement at the idea of taking their education into their hands or annoyance at the teacher explaining the new rules of the game (which are somewhat vague).
I dove into the world of student-driven education today in my Honors Biology class. As we head into what is one of the most complicated units (photosynthesis and cellular respiration), I have put learning into the hands of my very able students. They will learn the core of the material through their text and a slew of resources I have shared with them. They have videos and screencast lectures. They have labs and worksheets and focus questions. They have piles of material to choose from. (Oddly enough, my classroom laptops were missing, but I'll get to the bottom of that.)
The concept is sound and my preparation is sufficient to get this ball rolling. Tomorrow, when my students arrive to class, I won't be up front. They won't all be doing the same thing, but rather they will begin a more authentic educational experience in my class.
It both excites and scares the crap out of me. :)
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