How does TeachThink Prepare Learners for College?
TeachThink also prepares college-bound students for university style coursework in several obvious and more subtle ways:
- While all of the characteristics of a TeachThink unit are important, probably the most notable thing we do is allow students to select from a list of available “courses.” Students can talk with parents, and their TeachThink professional to select the units of instruction that will fit their interests as well as their academic needs.
- Students are able to view unit titles, materials, and syllabuses to ensure high learner interest and engagement. TeachThink also works with students and parents to incorporate elements of the students “native context”–i.e., “stuff” from their personal life that, when useful, helps them use schema that is immediately natural.
- Units of instruction are thematic, built around traditional, culturally-significant, humanity-based “big ideas”, and so will often reflect the kinds of courses students might take during the “General Education Requirements” portion of their college undergraduate degree.
- The writing process–the foundation of all composition–is either used in part, or implicitly taught in all of the units. Expository composition (essays) are the core of a significant portion of university-level assessment, and so are used in writing-to-learn and writing-to-demonstrate-learning activities consistently in TeachThink units of instruction. (Units are also flexible, and can and should be modified to fit the exact learning goals of the students. In this way, any unit can be modified to teach the full writing process, or simply use portions of it as is necessary.)
- Students will also have a portfolio of student work that can be used for admission requirements in certain colleges (colleges that might need to see samples of certain kinds of assignments, etc.)
- Actual university-sourced materials, activities, and texts are used–in many cases taken directly from the university’s materials
- Extensive use of web 2.0 learning tools, many of which are being embraced by university professors and courses
