Freedom to Make Mistakes
Freedom to Make Mistakes

Freedom to Make Mistakes

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. Mahatma Gandhi

How do we as teachers respond to incorrect answers? I like the % method, but there are others….

Well, that is 70% correct Martin. Can we work on the missing 60%? No? Anyone care to add to Martins answer?

Ok. Martin suggested ‘abc.’ What does group B think?

If I give you another 10s to think about, would you change your answer?

Really, why do you think that Martin?…. Really, I hadn’t thought of that.

His answer could of course, just be wrong. So….

How about I get back to you after a few other suggestions and see if you still think the same thing?

What feedback do you give to wrong answers?

4 Comments

  1. One method I use to encourage discussion is to give them say 30 seconds/1 min to think of own answer. Then I ask them to discuss it with person next to them for similar time. Next I ask the pair to discuss with another pair on table behind/front etc. They must come up with a consensus answer & any one of the group can be asked for feedback. All engaged & collaborating & usually wrong answers have been ironed out by the pupils’ own discussions. (I can’t take credit however… it’s a useful Kagan structure which I have found easy to adopt!)

  2. Hey,

    i believe that on a creative course and when asking questions of interpretation and opinion there is no such as a wrong answer.

    in fact there is.

    its when the student is just regurgatating what they think i want to hear.

    just becuase they don’t say what im expecting doesnt mean its wrong, as long as they have a reason for what they say.

    an exercise I do is,

    i explain that when dealing with a creative brief there is no wrong response, as long as it meants the brief.
    i might not like their interpretation, but as long as they can explain their creative choices than that is what is important.

    I get them to draw 4AM and Happiness. they have 5 minutes.

    after the 5 minutes, i draw in bold letters 4 A M, and then i draw a very basic smiley face.

    I get them all to stand up.

    i tell any of them that drew the same as i did to sit down.
    anybody still standing i tell them that they failed the activity.

    they are disappointed.

    i then ask how could they fail when i just told them their wasnt a right or wrong answer.

    finally most of them get it.

    http://www.edwdebono.com/debono/po.htm

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