How we learn guides how we teach

I came across a section of a book I use from time to time which had the same subtitle as the subject line of this post. It makes perfect sense and yet we ignore that reality on an all-too-frequent basis. Most kids will not learn for learning's sake. Rather, they must see some relevance in what you are asking them to do. For example, having them read the text for no other purpose than to define key terms will not likely lead to real learning or understanding on the part of the student (if they complete the reading at all). Case in point: 2P history students find a term, don't read a single word or sentence that preceded the term, then proceed to copy down the sentence that follows the key word. The words they copied had nothing to do with the word's definition. Certainly not restricted to 2P kids. The alternative is to include the reading as part of a larger, more interesting task. For example, students have to create a skit that highlights one aspect of how Canadians participated in the home front effort during WW1 or WW2. Each of the teams is assigned a reading and is given a graphic organizer. In addition, the teacher requires that the key terms be used in the skit's dialogue. Once the skit is finished, students must explain the terms and how they were represented in the skit. The skits could be followed by a whole-class debriefing or a jigsaw to help students create organizers for each of the topics. Student-centred learning isn't difficult to implement; however, teachers need to let go of the notion that just because they say it, doesn't mean the kids listen or understand. Teaching is not simply telling.