Using Childrens Books to Make Theory Accessible :: Graduate Admissions Essays

Using Childrens Books to Make Theory Accessible   I am a GSI for an undergraduate education course called Current Issues in Education. This course, requisite for Education minors, is offered to help students think through and become involved in educational practice. In it, we look at how education impacts peoples lives, their visions of society, and their social relationships. oer the course of a single semester we address deep educational questions that stool no easy answers and that are shell to vast debate at heart the territory of educational theory and practice. The problem I am addressing hither is a straightforward, yet recurring iodine How can students learn to represent and think critically about deep theoretical issues and learn to clearly articulate their position, even to a layperson not familiar with their subject? This is an important skill for all students, but especially for future educators, who leave be take exceptiond to make subject matter clear to their own students one day.   The teaching method I implemented to address this issue was to apply students divide into teams and create a childrens book that reflects the issues and concepts of one of the topic areas of the course. to each one multitude was thus challenged to convey complex theoretical issues in frank and practical terms through developing a story (either fabrication or non-fiction) that included a plot and illustrations. In addition, each group wrote a short paper to accompany the book that explained the significance and symbolisation of the images and ideas employed.   When I presented the assignment to the family, reactions were mixed. Some students pattern it sounded like a challenge that might turn out to be fun some thought it sounded too simplistic others were surprised by such a disorderly idea. Each week, a student group presented its book to the rest of the class, allowing while for questions and comments. The response became enthusiastic , as presenters and their peers exchanged feedback and educated each other in terms with which they felt comfortable. One student wrote in her final class evaluation, At first I thought the childrens book assignment sounded tedious, but afterward my group and I finished ours, I realized what a great learning experience it was for us. It forced us to use simple actors line our brothers and sisters could understand, but it got across important ideas about multiculturalism, which is a complicated topic. By answering each others questions and presenting the books to their classmates, we were able to assess the strategy as a class and determine that it was helpful as a learning tool.