Some people say drill and practice is really "drill and kill." What can teachers do to make sure this kind of use doesn't happen and drill and practice can serve a useful function?
Just like most everything that we do in our lives the way I see it is we have to do everything with balance or moderation. Same concept applies here with drill and practice. We need to determine when is the appropriate time to have a student use drill and practice techniques as well as how long they should use it. We have to pay attention to the student’s learning style. Some students may not need to use drill and practice because they clearly understand the lesson, however others that are maybe not grasping the idea can get some benefit out of using drill and practice. Granted, it’s only for a set time like 15 minutes in order for them not to get "killed" so to speak.
Another way to make drill and practice beneficial is to make it fun for the students. They can have small competitions where the last top two compete in the end for the number one spot. This will eliminate the time that can pass to get bored. So again everything in moderation should be beneficial.
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Good point on the fact that things should be done in moderation. It makes me think of my children, if the task that they are doing is not stimulating them they tend to give up on it. Children can become bored easily with school task if they do not see the purpose of the material.
ReplyDeleteGood point Paula, its true some students may not need to use drill and practice because they clearly understand the lesson, and if we are paying attention to our students learning styles then we can be aware of those who do need it
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