Tribes
“Tribes is a new way of learning and being together” (Gibbs, 1:55, 2011)
Tribes addresses the fact that teaching methods must change because children of the 21st century learn differently than children have in the past. The world is changing and technology is becoming more and more prevalent in many homes. Increased access to technology means that children are coming into schools with much more knowledge and an entirely different way of finding information and learning.
To me this new way of learning is a great way to introduce more constructivism into the classroom. Incorporating constructivism into the classroom makes it easier for students who struggle with traditionalist methods of lecturing and repetition. One aspect of constructivism that I believe is improving student learning in a big way is group work. Giving the students opportunities to work in groups has several positive results such as: appreciation for each other’s opinions, mutual respect for one another, attentive listening and inclusion.
In my opinion tribes should not stop with simply being applied to students, teachers should use this as well. When using tribes creating a positive team-building environment is important. Some schools could benefit from this because of a lack of communication and collaboration. Having teachers feel that they are in a safe environment and able to share their thoughts and ideas could improve school moral and student learning.
School should feel like a learning community, which means that teachers and students need to plan together to create the best learning environment for every member of the school.
Tribes is a great program to apply to all schools around the world, a safe learning environment is the best way to improve student achievement.
References:
Gibbs, J. (2011). Jeanne Gibbs: Education for the 21st century & tribes learning [Video file]. Retrieved September 2, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/user/TribesTLC
Picture: http://www.edukal.com/classroom-management/
Gibbs, J. (2011). Jeanne Gibbs: Education for the 21st century & tribes learning [Video file]. Retrieved September 2, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/user/TribesTLC
Picture: http://www.edukal.com/classroom-management/