A Quote for All the Teachers in the World

"The biggest enemy of learning is a talking teacher."

~ John Holt

I learnt about the quote above when I attended "SMART TEACHING & LEARNING SEMINAR" at Bestari Hall in University Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur yesterday (1st December 2008). The presenter, Mdm. M., who introduced this quote is a PhD scholar with UM with her interest in developing 21st century Learning Spaces using Socil-Cultural Instructional Design for secondary schools. Oh boy, aren't the words a mouthful (?) but the outcome is bountiful!

What I like about her presentation is the way she presented in a limited time given by the organizer and how her Powerpoint slides made my eyes glued to the screen. She is always straight to her points, being simple and sweet. Furthermore, her words, her utterances made the audience think! How I wished she has more than 15 minutes to present what she had to say. Her research is something awesome which I haven't seen from day one I attended school until today.

Back to the quote above, in my opinion, the similar idea is also shared by the key note speaker of the seminar for the day. He has posted a few questions to all the educators present, especially lecturers the following questions:

• Are we still lecturing?
• Are students still copying notes?
• Are students scrambling for articles and books? and
• Are students still photocopying?

If the answer to all the above questions is a 'YES', then, the students are not learning at all. They are spoonfed, or I should use my favourite phrase, since these students are of higher learning institutions, senduk-fed . They need to be fed using a ladle which is able to carry more quantity at a time. The keynote speaker has also introduced another term, which is 'Active Learning'. Students or non-students should all practise active learning and it can be done if only the teachers of today doing less talking. Teachers are recommended to set tasks to students by putting them into groups or the way Mdm. M. puts it as "Mini Learning Organization" (Oh, even the words she uses have oomph!).

With that quote in mind, I guess I'll add a new point to my resolution for year 2009... which is to do less talking and provide the opportunity to my students to experience 'Active Learning'. I hope I can start the ball rolling in order to have teachers to cut down on the time they use to talk by posting this blog. One joke which I got from the internet to share with you before I end this chapter...

Teacher : What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?

Pupil : A teacher.

Special thanks to Mdm. NMK for giving me the opportunity to attend this seminar.