It is known that the Learning Process does not only take place in the classroom, but anywhere in any time. Within this process, there are concepts which are related to the success in this, two of these are: understanding and knowledge. The text “Understanding by Design” written by Grant Wiggins and Jay Mc Tighe makes us, as future teachers, be aware of the meaning of the concept understanding, which is one of the most revealing which, certainly, does not leave the Teaching Process aside, and how it differs from knowledge in all terms.
The main important difference between understanding and knowledge is that a person knows, or aquires knowledge as if their brains were a “black box” that needs to be filled in with informarion. This information stays there once it apperared, without being modifyied by thinking skills.
On the contrary, understanding is the answer for many questions about this information as soon as it is possessed, which is called in the book, “to grasper the meaning of a thing”. For example: “I can fix a car” means: “I know HOW TO fix a car” because I know what happened to it, the causes, the use the car is given, how it works, what could be done instead, the consequences, etc. As J. Dewey (1993) says: “to understand is all what makes meaning to the learner”. This means that it is possible to explain the information, and that it is not possible to analyse something that is supposed to know. Understanding is to have the know how of something and its objectives are: to think further the original piece of information, think, find out the hidden meaning and figure out pros and cons.
Since understanding is about making connections and relating events, there is another concept that the authors make reference to, which is transfer. This is about how those connections are made, thus, the student is leaded to give examples, ideas, etc. If understanding and therefore transfer occur, the person is able to analyse an issue or a thought throughly. Since the main objective for teachers is to make students learn, they should make them memorize concepts but also teach them how to work with them.
Finally, the text highlights on the importance that teachers should know how to teach, and develop strategies in order to help them to know how to think on their own, how to make the knowledge they have an issue or maybe a problem that they have to solve being helped by the concepts they should know by heart and the cognitive skills as well.
The main important difference between understanding and knowledge is that a person knows, or aquires knowledge as if their brains were a “black box” that needs to be filled in with informarion. This information stays there once it apperared, without being modifyied by thinking skills.
On the contrary, understanding is the answer for many questions about this information as soon as it is possessed, which is called in the book, “to grasper the meaning of a thing”. For example: “I can fix a car” means: “I know HOW TO fix a car” because I know what happened to it, the causes, the use the car is given, how it works, what could be done instead, the consequences, etc. As J. Dewey (1993) says: “to understand is all what makes meaning to the learner”. This means that it is possible to explain the information, and that it is not possible to analyse something that is supposed to know. Understanding is to have the know how of something and its objectives are: to think further the original piece of information, think, find out the hidden meaning and figure out pros and cons.
Since understanding is about making connections and relating events, there is another concept that the authors make reference to, which is transfer. This is about how those connections are made, thus, the student is leaded to give examples, ideas, etc. If understanding and therefore transfer occur, the person is able to analyse an issue or a thought throughly. Since the main objective for teachers is to make students learn, they should make them memorize concepts but also teach them how to work with them.
Finally, the text highlights on the importance that teachers should know how to teach, and develop strategies in order to help them to know how to think on their own, how to make the knowledge they have an issue or maybe a problem that they have to solve being helped by the concepts they should know by heart and the cognitive skills as well.
It is true, there is a big difference between understanding and knowledge. Knowledge is the content and understanding is how we can apply that content in order to use it in different contexts. A very important difference that most be known by teachers and also students
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ResponderEliminarHaving clear the difference between knowledge and understanding is important when teachers evaluate students. Learning is not just taht students retain as much information as they can, but also applying them in real context. I agree that learning can be placed in everywhere apart from a classroom. Excellent !!! *-*
ResponderEliminarI strongly believe that teachers should constantly try to fill that "black box" students have at the beginning of any new learning process. However, most of teachers do not make the effort of making things easy to understand and then make sure students understood. That is why we as future teachers should find the best ways to teach in order make the learning process more interesting for both: students and teachers.
ResponderEliminarCristy, I agree with your last paragraph. I think that it is necessary that teachers know how to teach not only because it help themselves but to students also. it is important they can develop new strategies for teaching, thus, appealing to the differents way of students' learning. having the students seated on chair for long time help not the learning but to get them bored.
ResponderEliminarI agree with you when you mention transfer as the connection that students make in the process of learning. Students have to use the info to apply it in the process of understanding. They have to learn but at the same time explain what did they learn to make those connections deeply.
ResponderEliminarI think that the concept of transferability has to do more with when a student understands what he was taught and he is capable now of bringing back that skill and use it in a totally different situation and context.
ResponderEliminarWhen we can surely find understanding, we may say that a person knows, or aquires knowledge, and it is possible to explain the information, it means that the person is the one that is able to explain, to put in practice what she/he's learned.
ResponderEliminarCristina, ¡me encantan tus explicaciones y ejemplos en cada entrada! Esta vez, has demostrado bien la diferencia entre el conocimiento y el entendimiento. Como dices tú, es una cosa saber que es necesario cambiar el aceite en un auto, pero otra cosa es HACERLO y demostrar su entendimiento a través de la aplicación del conocimiento.
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