Learning to teach Big History | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Teachers face challenges in acquiring the knowledge necessary to teach Big History, and a new approach is being taken to merge content knowledge and teaching strategies.

Key Insights

• 🏫 Teachers face challenges in teaching big history, including acquiring the necessary knowledge. Front loading resources such as classic versions of big history and lectures can help address this challenge. (Topic: Teaching Challenges)
• 🎓 Teachers' knowledge and experience will be used to develop effective lessons and activities. Anticipating student responses is crucial for effective teacher preparation. (Topic: Teacher Preparation)
• 👥 The approach to teacher preparation in big history differs from the traditional method of separating content knowledge and lesson plans. Integration of both aspects is important for effective teaching. (Topic: Teacher Preparation)
• 🤝 Collaboration between teachers and curriculum developers is key to developing the best lessons and activities for teaching big history. (Topic: Collaboration)
• 💡 Teachers who are enthusiastic about learning themselves make the best fit for teaching big history. (Topic: Teacher Qualities)
• 📚 Front loaded resources, such as classic versions of big history and lectures on the subject, can support teachers in acquiring the necessary content knowledge for teaching. (Topic: Teaching Resources)
• 🔍 Anticipating and understanding student responses is essential for effective teacher preparation. (Topic: Student Engagement)
• 📝 Teacher preparation in big history should focus on both content knowledge and the knowledge required for teaching that content. Integration of both aspects leads to better teaching. (Topic: Teacher Preparation)

Transcript

big history presents some interesting and complicated challenges to teachers one of the huge challenges we're going to face is how is it that teachers will acquire the knowledge needed to teach so one of the things that we've decided to do is to uh front load some of this we've provided teachers that we're working with with some uh now classic vers... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the challenges faced by teachers in teaching Big History?

Teaching Big History presents challenges for teachers, as they need to acquire the knowledge and teaching strategies necessary to effectively teach the subject.

Q: How are teachers being supported in learning and teaching Big History?

Teachers are provided with resources such as David Christian's maps of time and a DVD series on Big History, enabling them to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Q: Why is it important to merge content knowledge and teaching strategies in teacher preparation?

The merger of content knowledge and teaching strategies allows teachers to develop a deep understanding of the subject and effectively plan lessons and activities that cater to the likely responses of students.

Q: What is the ideal quality of a Big History teacher?

The ideal Big History teacher is someone who is excited about learning and open to new knowledge and experiences, as most teachers already possess these qualities.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Teachers in Big History face challenges in acquiring the necessary knowledge to teach the subject effectively.

• To address this, teachers are provided with resources such as maps of time and DVD series on Big History.

• The approach taken is to merge content knowledge and teaching strategies, anticipating student responses and incorporating teacher experiences.