Example Reflection – Storytelling

I have been a private tutor and professor of Mathematics , Algebra and Geometry for several years  in several schools and private institutions and often I’m in charge of helping in recuperations tests  for children or teenagers who have low grades to approve the course. However many schools tend  to graduate students with really low grades or with a minimum competency in this subjects leaving  as a result students with really low bases in Math areas and blanks in their knowledge in which  “Acceptable” is usually the rule. Mediocry results tend to be the rule in the long run with highly  unmotivated students, who can find the usefulness of what they learn and only participate and learn  in a passive way (only listening to a teacher), attitude that doesn’t motivate curiosioty. In a one to  ten scale being ten the highest grade, there a lot of sevens (the minimum passing grade) each year  with a poor knowledge retention, consequence that usually translates in students forgetting  everything they learned before the next year, low concentration in class and general and mediocry  general results in required tests.

In order to develop and establish better learning mechanisms we used Story Telling in order to  design  methodologies more people oriented and empathical towards the student and not centered  in the teacher. In a class of four students of fourth grade taking recuperation tests we put  cardboards in the walls and described the story of this kids in detail. Two teachers of the kids, a  parent of each of the four kids and myself participated in the  activity as well as volunteer of the  student class ( who was not taking recuperation tests) We painted the students as in a ID Card  and  taught their story, what they did, what they thought about, what they desired and valued. The  picture helped us visualize more clearly the person we were talking about and write their story.

After writing each children story we noticed a common thread in each of the stories. Kids valued a  lot their time and the amount of control they had on it and the ability to choose and take their own  decisions without interference of an adult. Most of the kids participated in extracurricular activities  depending in their hobbies and tended to be really organized with their time. In particularly when  given an incentive, adult control was not neccesary and their perfomance really good specially if  they understood why they were doing what they did. In particular two of the kids played guitar and  had learned by themselves. These kids were really talented in instruments in their class as they had  control of their time and learning experience.

This analyses gave us the idea  to design not a general working schedule but a time – adaptive  schedule for the recuperation tests. We asked the kids how much time he wanted to spent in  recuperation sessions. Recuperation sessions are always in vacation periods so they hate this time  of the year and want to finish it as quickly as possible. There were a list of topics they had to see  again in order to achieve the subject goals.  In general this recuperation period lasts a month and   half. We asked a children how much he wanted recuperation session to last. In a case one of the  kids told two weeks. “ Okay to finish recuperation sessions and be ready for the final exam you must  do this. Follow this schedule” ( read this pages work this amount of time, do this exercises). If you  have a problem come to me and ask me the questions you need.  If the kid was not compromised  with work  (was fooling around, not did homework) he lost time and in that same way in the long  run had to stay for the month and a half. The kids in this way were compromised with their own  work. They followed the schedule in order to finish their tasks quickly and were in control of their  own time ( had a powerful incentive). The teacher was only a guide and had a passive job ( orient

the kid when they had problems). Moreover as each kid worked at his own rythim their learning  curve was steeper and in case of having problems ( the schedule to hard for him or the kid used time  poorly) the schedule was rearranged for him. In this manner all kids finished the subjects  understanding the topics and with excelent grades.

Eventhough this mechanism was effective a more balanced perspective in storytelling would have  been better. The presence of teachers and parents and not so many children generated conflict in  the insights as morality and personal beliefs tended to blur or hide the insights. Giving power to  children to control themselves was not well received by some parents who thought this  methodology as putting teacher’s job only to the student. A more organized methodology would  have been better as design thinking tools are not well known in some institutions specially in schools  and traditionally learning mechanisms tend to be highly rigid to change. The presence of some more  children of different kinds could have been useful also as insights tended to be biased to the beliefs  and ideas of one of the top students of the class.


Example Reflection – Storytelling I have been a private tutor and professor of Mathematics , Algebra and Geometry for several years in several schools and private institutions and often I ’m in charge of helping in recuperations tests for children or teenagers who have low grades to approve the course . However many schools tend to graduate students with really low grades or with a minimum competency in this subjects leaving as a result students with really low bases in Math areas and blanks in their knowledge in which “ Acceptable ” is usually the rule . Mediocry results tend to be the rule in the long run with highly unmotivated students , who can find the usefulness of what they learn and only participate and learn in a passive way ( only listening to a teacher ) , attitude that does n’t motivate curiosioty . In a one to ten scale being ten the highest grade , there a lot of sevens ( the minimum passing grade ) each year with a poor knowledge retention , consequence that usually translates in students forgetting everything they learned before the next year , low concentration in class and general and mediocry general results in required tests . In order to develop and establish better learning mechanisms we used Story Telling in order to design methodologies more people oriented and empathical towards the student and not centered in the teacher . In a class of four students of fourth grade taking recuperation tests we put cardboards in the walls and described the story of this kids in detail . Two teachers of the kids , a parent of each of the four kids and myself participated in the activity as well as volunteer of the student class ( who was not taking recuperation tests ) We painted the students as in a ID Card and taught their story , what they did , what they thought about , what they desired and valued . The picture helped us visualize more clearly the person we were talking about and write their story . After writing each children story we noticed a common thread in each of the stories . Kids valued a lot their time and the amount of control they had on it and the ability to choose and take their own decisions without interference of an adult . Most of the kids participated in extracurricular activities depending in their hobbies and tended to be really organized with their time . In particularly when given an incentive , adult control was not neccesary and their perfomance really good specially if they understood why they were doing what they did . In particular two of the kids played guitar and had learned by themselves . These kids were really talented in instruments in their class as they had control of their time and learning experience . This analyses gave us the idea to design not a general working schedule but a time – adaptive schedule for the recuperation tests . We asked the kids how much time he wanted to spent in recuperation sessions . Recuperation sessions are always in vacation periods so they hate this time of the year and want to finish it as quickly as possible . There were a list of topics they had to see again in order to achieve the subject goals . In general this recuperation period lasts a month and half . We asked a children how much he wanted recuperation session to last . In a case one of the kids told two weeks . “ Okay to finish recuperation sessions and be ready for the final exam you must do this . Follow this schedule ” ( read this pages work this amount of time , do this exercises ) . If you have a problem come to me and ask me the questions you need . If the kid was not compromised with work ( was fooling around , not did homework ) he lost time and in that same way in the long run had to stay for the month and a half . The kids in this way were compromised with their own work . They followed the schedule in order to finish their tasks quickly and were in control of their own time ( had a powerful incentive ) . The teacher was only a guide and had a passive job ( orient the kid when they had problems ) . Moreover as each kid worked at his own rythim their learning curve was steeper and in case of having problems ( the schedule to hard for him or the kid used time poorly ) the schedule was rearranged for him . In this manner all kids finished the subjects understanding the topics and with excelent grades . Eventhough this mechanism was effective a more balanced perspective in storytelling would have been better . The presence of teachers and parents and not so many children generated conflict in the insights as morality and personal beliefs tended to blur or hide the insights . Giving power to children to control themselves was not well received by some parents who thought this methodology as putting teacher ’s job only to the student . A more organized methodology would have been better as design thinking tools are not well known in some institutions specially in schools and traditionally learning mechanisms tend to be highly rigid to change . The presence of some more children of different kinds could have been useful also as insights tended to be biased to the beliefs and ideas of one of the top students of the class .