When and Where I Found It: Over the past few weeks I keep hearing the word didactic in my classes. When I was working on a crossword puzzle today I thought of the word again - just because I wasn't sure of the meaning of this word.
Meaning: According to Webster Online Dictionary, the definition most appropriate to this usage of the word didactic is "designed or intended to teach and intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment <didactic poetry>".
Level of Familiarity: I have heard this word pretty frequently, especially recently. Although I had some idea that it had to do with instruction, I did not know the actual definition until now.
Do I Want to Know This Word Well? Why? I do want to know this word well. I believe as a teacher we should be constantly looking for didactic literature and other media to incorporate into our classroom. Knowing the word didactic and being aware of its implications will allow me to be more aware of the tools I am using in the classroom.
Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well? Who and Why? Teachers should know this word well. Utilizing didactic tools in the classroom will allow students to benefit from the materials we use. This ensures that teachers are not just using media and technology for the sake of using it, but rather to benefit student learning.
This is a great word to clarify A.J. Although I am not completely sure where you read it or heard it in your education courses, but it is important to note that when describing a teacher's actions or a text's presentation this term is used to indicate that the author is overly directive or simplifies meaning just to get the point across. This term is often used to mean "instructive; preachy; educational; tending to lecture others excessively."
ReplyDeleteI want to make sure you understand the distinction because many in the field would suggest you actually try to AVOID these types of texts rather than "constantly look for didactic literature and other media" for the classroom. Many would argue that our students do not benefit from using didactic materials.