Building Neural Network: Websensibility As Target
Martin attempted to transfer the brain structure, especially the operating model from neural networks – to classroom interactions. The activities conducted during the various lessons phases and their consequences are summarized in the following table:
| Phases | Students' behavior | Teacher's behavior | Additional comments |
| Preparation at home | The students work intensively at home, because the quality of the classroom discussion (collective intelligence, emergence) depends closely on the students' ("the neurons") preparation. Students who are not prepared or who are often absent are not able to react to impulses or to "fire off" impulses themselves. | The teacher ("the frontal cortex") has to perfectly master the content because he or she must be able to intervene at any time, completing or giving incentives in order to enhance the quality of classroom discussion | Using LdL means that lesson time will not be used in order to communicate new content but instead for interaction either in little groups or with the entire class (collective knowledge constructing). The homework should prepare the students to interact on a high level during the lesson |
| Interactions during the lesson | The students sit in a circle. Each student listens with concentration to the other students and asks questions if something in the explanations is not clear | The teacher looks for absolute quietness and concentration during the explanations by students, so that each student may explain their thoughts without being interrupted and so that other students may ask questions of the student giving the lesson | Using LdL means that during the presentations and interactions the students have to be absolutely quiet so that everybody is able to listen to the students' utterances. During the students' interactions, the teacher has to back off |
| Introduction: information gathering two by two: example "Dom Juan by Molière" | Using "human resources": the students in charge of the course briefly present the new topic and let the other students discuss what is new about this topic (for example about Dom Juan by Molière) | The teacher looks to see if the students really exchange their knowledge | Using LdL means that the students' already existing knowledge about the new topic will be "inventoried" in little groups |
| First deepening: Gathering information in class | The leading students inspire their classmates to interact (they are sitting in circle) as long as all the questions are asked and answered. The students interact like neurons in neural networks and thoughts "emerge". | The teacher makes sure that each student has the opportunity to participate, and asks questions if something is not clear and needs to be clarified by the class (until the "emergence" has reach the desired quality) | The previous knowledge from each student is interchanged within the full-classroom discussion and aligned, since the new content will be fed in. |
| Introducing the new content in the classroom (example: "Molière's humor in Dom Juan") | The teaching students introduce the new content in small portions to their peers (for example, relevant scenes from Dom Juan) and they repeatedly ask questions in order to check if everything is clear | The teacher observes the communication and intervenes if something is not clear. The teacher continues to let the students clarify what they have said if meaning or content are not completely clear | By LdL the new content is shared in small portions and communicated step-by-step in the classroom. |
| The second deepening: Playing scenes | Led by the teaching students, the relevant scenes will be played and memorized (for example the seduction of the peasant-maid by Don Juan) | The teacher gives input of new ideas, and makes sure that there is adequate and successful scene-playing by the students | In LdL the teacher is a director and is not afraid of interrupting if presentations in front of the other students are not expressive enough (workshop ambiance). |
| The third deepening: written homework (text task, interpretation of a place, for instance, Don Juan's discussion with his father) | All pupils work hard at home | The teacher collects all homework and carefully corrects it | In teaching younger grades the LdL tasks are prepared during the lessons themselves. For older grades, the preparation shifts more and more towards homework so that a bigger proportion of the teaching time is available for interactions (collective reflection) . |
Read more about this topic: Learning By Teaching, Learning By Teaching By Martin (LdL), The LdL Approach
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