REFLECTION OF PERFORMANCE ON TEACHING EXPERIENCE BLOCK 1
Well, it was only three weeks but what a busy three weeks it was. The best thing about it was that I got to teach history which I love. They were small classes, and not particularly into it, but I did my best at sharing my passion for the topics and hope the student's feel more enthusiasm now they have a sense of the relevance of the Vietnam War, development issues and Elizabethan times.
My teaching appraisals were very positive and affirming, and I found the feedback extremely uiseful.
I am posting my post TE 1 assignment which gives my thoughts about various aspects of my experience.
Task 1: Identify 4-5 key aspects of my performance that were good in relation to the learning outcomes (P.4 Teaching Experience 1 Red Book).
LO. 1 Identify and develop a personal philosophy of teaching.
My interactions with colleagues and students are shaped by enthusiasm and respect. The key focus of my professional activity is enhancing the learning capacity and experience of all students and contributing to a sense of community and whanaungatanga within the classroom and the school and wider community. I want students to feel acknowledged, encouraged and able, and to see school as safe, interesting and worthwhile.
LO. 2 Establish professional standards.
I conducted myself professionally in that I was early to school, slow to leave, well-prepared, took my duties and responsibilities seriously, participated where possible in the life of the school, and dressed and spoke appropriately. I approached the other teachers in a spirit of collegial co-operation. I critically reflected on my teaching sessions and discussed them frankly with my associate teachers to refine and deepen my teaching skills and strategies.
I sought to be inclusive and flexible in my classroom teaching which was informed by an awareness of how contextual factors influence teaching and learning. I researched the school records (stanine scores, test results) and spoke to associate teachers so I understood the levels of ability and diversity within the classroom for both lesson planning and face-to-face interaction.
I took care with my pronounciation of te reo Maori and asked students when I was uncertain (such as doing the roll and encountering unfamiliar names). I took every opportunity to expose the class to a range of cultural, gender, and socio-economic/class perspectives.
LO. 3 Plan, prepare and implement written lesson plans.
I researched and planned each teaching session using the principle of instructional scaffolding and a variety of learning theories, resources and assessment to structure the lesson with the objective of ensuring the students were clear about what they were learning, why, that they were making progress and experiencing themselves as successful in their learning.
LO. 4 Apply a range of strategies to manage student behaviours.
I conducted myself confidently and was warm, interested, and positive. I quickly established routines and made it clear to the students my expectations regarding their behaviour. I modelled the behaviour I wanted – respectful, attentive, co-operative and was consistent in following through on what I said. I learnt the school discipline policy and was prepared to use it if necessary (it wasn’t, because I defused situations non-confrontationally before they got out of hand). I sought to get to know each of the students as quickly as possible, first by learning their names and using a class photo ID sheet to help me do this. I looked for opportunities to speak to each of them individually and learn a little about them personally so a relationship could grow between us. I sought to create a structured and calm learning environment in which students felt valued, safe and experienced successful learning. I used positive reinforcement to encourage appropriate behaviours and where student behaviour was inappropriate, I responded in the least intrusive manner I could see would allow me to deal with the disruption effectively without drawing attention to it or allowing it to disrupt the momentum of the lesson.
LO. 5 Familiarity with subject curricula.
I have a good knowledge of my subject areas which I am passionate about and keep up to date through reading widely and voraciously across a range of media. I worked hard at researching my lessons and pitching the content material so that it was at the appropriate level for the class.
LO. 7 Select, develop and use a variety of learning and teaching resources.
In planning my lessons, I gave a lot of thought to finding and developing a range of activities and resources so that the different learning styles in the class were accommodated and student engagement promoted. Since beginning the course, I have been busy building up my resources, and used my TE to extend my resource treasure-trove by exploring the department’s resource rooms and on-line materials. I also spoke to my associate teachers about the resources they used and shared with them particular activities or resources I had found that I thought they would be interested in.
TASK 2: Aspects of my Teaching Practice I Need to Address.
LO. 3 Plan, prepare and implement written lesson plans.
I tended to over-prepare for each lesson and had too much material and too many activities so that I was struggling to create realistic timeframes for each component of the lesson. I had problems estimating the time an activity would take and managing the activity so that it didn’t sprawl beyond the time allotted. Another challenge I faced is how to manage the students that weren’t present at the previous lesson (or lessons). The time it took to bring them up to speed was a significant chunk of time I hadn’t accounted for when scheduling the lesson.
LO. 4 Apply a range of strategies to manage student behaviours.
18 years of projecting my voice across a large lecture theatre to university students and being used to lecturing for an hour or two means I have a loud voice and tend to explain and discuss at length. I took up too much of the lesson talking and explaining. I also tended to find myself at times talking and giving instructions to the class when I was walking around the classroom while they were working on an activity.
Task 3: Identify 4 specific goals linked to the learning outcomes that I intend to address during TE 2.
Goal 1: (LO. 7 Select, develop and use a variety of learning and teaching resources).
I wish to learn more about
what is involved in developing learning environments that promote (a) student engagement in the learning process and (b) self-directed learning.
Using digital and on-line environments.
These both will require on-going research and discussion with other teachers.
Goal 2: (LO. 4 Apply a range of strategies to manage student behaviours).
I wish to address/change my speaking behaviours, in particular
make sure I speak quietly when speaking to individual students as I go around the class when they are working.
Once I have set the class to a task, be quiet and allow them to get on with it.
If someone asks for help, or I am speaking to a student 1 on 1, then I will go to them and speak quietly with them.
If I feel what is being asked is a “teaching point”, I will go to the front of the room and give my attention-getting signal (clap hands and say “pens down, eyes up front” then wait silently and expectantly for them to do so) then speak briefly to the whole class about the point in question.
I want to work out an effective strategy for stopping students from spontaneously calling out answers when I ask a question. I also want to further explore what my position is about this – whether it is better to ask specific students to answer so that the same ones aren’t answering all the time, or does this put the ones one singles out ‘on the spot’ and unintentionally make them feel threatened and withdraw? More research needed!!
Goal 3: (LO. 6 Demonstrate an awareness of assessment and evaluation processes).
I wish to develop
my capacity to effectively apply diagnostic, formative and summative assessments in planning and teaching.
My grasp of the NCEA structures and processes.
These both will require on-going research and discussion with other teachers.
Goal 4: (LO. 3 Plan, prepare and implement written lesson plans).
I wish to
Develop my ability to promote rich discussion and higher-level thinking using open-ended questions, prompts, non-verbal cues.
Give students more time to respond to questions, using pairs or group discussion, and encouraging them to use a range of responses to answer (e.g. drawing a concept map on the whiteboard).
Refine my judgement as to how much can realistically be covered in a lesson, allowing for interruptions and the unexpected, while being able to maintain progress through the curriculum. Practice makes perfect.
Saturday, 4 August 2007
Thursday, 26 April 2007
Whanaungatanga: ITS Assignment 2
ASSIGNMENT TWO: TIKANGA MAORI
Part 1: WHANAUNGATANGA.
Whanaungatanga is a key principle of Maori social organization and cohesion characterized by a deep sense of connectedness between related groups of people and an ethic of mutual responsibility. As such, whanaungatanga is about inter-relationship, ’belonging’ and reciprocity and is the “basic cement that holds things Māori together” (Ritchie 1992, 67).
To make sense of whanaungatanga, we first have to understand that we are dealing with a collective model of identity. Traditionally, whanaungatanga is meaningful in the context of whakapapa (the core component of Maori identity), and the cultural practices that sustain and strengthen kinship ties.
The core framework of Maori identity and culture is a hierarchical structure of Iwi (tribe), hapu (extended family) and whanau (immediate family) held together by kinship rights and obligations. As a consequence, in Maori society, it is difficult to draw a clear distinction between the individual and the group, between self-interest and altruism. Thus whanaungatanga serves as a enduring principle of social well-being and sustainability.
"Whanaungatanga establishes the protocols for collective responsibility as the base of the kinship network which defines where, and to whom, these responsibilities lie. For Maori, a person obtains their nature and their wealth from their communal environment, their kin group, their whakapapa. Without kin past and present, we are nothing" (Tiwaewae, 2000).
Whanaungatanga belongs to the cluster of values that constitute the ‘beating heart’ of Maori culture, and indeed, of being human. (Henare, 1998; Pere, 1982; McNatty, 1992). This value cluster is nested in the larger context of Maori metaphysics which is holistic in its emphasis on the way in which all life is inter-related, inter-dependent and intrinsically sacred. (Orbell, 1985; Walker, 1990; Henry, 1998)
Thus human and social identity is made meaningful in the context of a sacred cosmic web of connection. Genealogy links individuals through their ancestors to the gods Rangi, Papa, and their tamariki atua, and ultimately to Io, the Source. This lineage infuses the world with sacred elements and values. In the words of Ella Henry, a Maori academic, these are:
· Mauri – the life essence all things and people are infused with.
· Tapu – the sacredness in all things.
· Hau - the breath of life, upon which our political 'economy of affection' is predicated.
· Mana - the embodiment of all these things, which can be either enhanced or diminished by our behaviour.
“From these core elements and concepts spring the behaviours that we traditionally deemed to be good and right, tika and pono, upon which our tikanga are founded:
· Whanaungatanga - the ethic of belonging
· Wairuatanga - the ethic of spiritual connection and spirituality
· Kotahitanga - the ethic of solidarity
· Kaitiakitanga - the ethic of guardianship.
Underpinning the tikanga is the recognition that we live in Te Ao Marama, the world of light, and are thus bound to continually seek 'enlightenment'. We do this in Te Ao Hurihuri, the turning world, a world which is dynamic and ever-changing, even though it is bound together by ancient traditions. “(Henry, 1998)
This dynamism is reflected in the evolving nature of Aotearoa/New Zealand as a bi-cultural nation state, and the emergence of whanaungatanga within research methodology and social policy discourses, particularly in the areas of health and education. (Bishop, 1996; McNatty, 2001) Its meaning is moving beyond its traditional Maori cultural context to being applied to processes among groups which are not kinship-based in order to foster a sense of connection and belonging, and a concern for each others well-being, i.e. ’whanau-like’. (Wihongi, 2002).
To conclude, while whanaungatanga is central to the Maori world-view, it is also valuable as a contemporary bi-cultural construct as it activates our awareness of ourselves as social beings and directs our attention to the interdependent nature of social reality. In doing so, it makes the concept of collective moral responsibility more meaningful to those generations brought up in a culture dominated by the constructs of individualism and consumerism.
Through articulating a model of social relations in which self-interest and the interests of the group are inextricably linked, whanaungatanga makes reciprocal altruism meaningful; those who are co-operative and generous can expect co-operation and generosity in return. Thus it has an important role to play in building a culture of inclusion and a politics of respect in the Aotearoa/New Zealand of the 21st century.
REFERENCES:
Bishop, R. (1996). Collaborative research stories: Whakawhanaungatanga. Palmerston North: The Dunmore Press.
Henare, M. (1998). Nga Tikanga me nga ritenga o Te Ao Maori: standards and foundations of Maori society. In the Royal Commission on Social Policy (Ed.), The April Report, Future Directions associated papers, III, part 1. Daphne Brasell Associates. Wellington.
Henry, E. (1998). Different Accountabilities For Different Needs, retrieved
23 April 2007 from www.firstfound.org/vol.%202/henry.htm
McNatty, W, L. (2001). Whanaungatanga. Unpublished essay, Psychology Department, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Orbell, M. (1985). The Natural World of the Maori, Auckland: William Collins Publishers.
Pere, R. (1982). quoted in Patterson, J. (1992). Exploring Maori Values, Palmerston Nth: Dunmore Press.
Ritchie, J. E. (1992). Becoming bicultural. Wellington: Huia Publishers and Daphne Brasell Associates Press.
Tiwaewae, H. (2000) quoted by Williams, A. (2001). Whanaungatanga, Social Policy Seminar Paper, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University Of Waikato, New Zealand.
Walker, R. (1990) Ka whawhai tonu matou: Struggle without end. Auckland: Penguin Books.
Wihongi, H. (2002). ’The Process of Whakawhanaungatanga in Kaupapa Maori
Research’, Australian and New Zealand Third Sector Research, Sixth Biennial Conference: Doing Well, 27 -29 November 2002, UNITEC, Auckland retrieved 6 April, 2007 from www.anztsr.org.au/02conf/anztsrpapers/Wihongi,%20Helen.pdf
PART 2: APPLYING THE CONCEPT OF WHANAUNGATANGA
TO MY SUBJECT AREA (SOCIAL STUDIES)
Whanaungatanga provides an indigenous ethic for informing teaching practice and content in order to enhance Maori students’ educational experiences and achievements.
The core elements of whaunangatanga – i.e. fostering relationships and a culture of inclusiveness, caring, co-operation, collective responsibility and reciprocity - have all been identified as central to teacher effectiveness with regard to the aim of improving Maori educational outcomes. (Bishop et al (2003,97) .
I would argue that while Te Kotangihanga (Part One) does not use the concept of whanaungatanga, many of the criteria identified in the Effective Teaching Profile are consistent with the elements that make up the ethic of whanaungatanga.
Personally, and as a social studies teacher, I am committed to enabling students to develop the social and co-operative skills and knowledges necessary to be able to participate in a changing society as informed, confident and responsible citizens. My responsibility as an educator includes ensuring that all students are able to access the opportunities available to them. Given that New Zealand educational structures largely reflect pakeha cultural traditions, it is crucial that teachers take responsibility for creating caring, inclusive and respectful learning environments that make Maori students feel at home, valued, and encouraged.
This involves taking the time to develop meaningful relationships with my students and their families and between students, using and promoting co-operative learning processes, having the attitude that all of us in the classroom have something to contribute and that the teacher is also a learner (reciprocity).
Whanaungatanga also can be applied effectively across a range of lessons designed to explore the core concepts of the five strands of the Social Studies curriculum, and through all three social studies processes of Inquiry, Values Exploration and Social Decision Making.
I would routinely use these concepts in lessons dealing with cultural identity, bi-culturalism and multiculturalism, nationhood, ‘belonging’ and ‘connectedness’, social processes, structure and organization, race relations, the Treaty and treaty issues, the environment and resource management, and how government works.
REFERENCES
Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Tiakiwai, S., and Richardson, C., (2003) Te Kötahitanga: The Experiences of Year 9 and 10 Mäori Students in Mainstream Classrooms, Mäori Education Research Institute (MERI), School of Education, University of Waikato, Hamilton.
Ministry of Education (1997)., Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum, Wellington: Learning Media.
Part 1: WHANAUNGATANGA.
Whanaungatanga is a key principle of Maori social organization and cohesion characterized by a deep sense of connectedness between related groups of people and an ethic of mutual responsibility. As such, whanaungatanga is about inter-relationship, ’belonging’ and reciprocity and is the “basic cement that holds things Māori together” (Ritchie 1992, 67).
To make sense of whanaungatanga, we first have to understand that we are dealing with a collective model of identity. Traditionally, whanaungatanga is meaningful in the context of whakapapa (the core component of Maori identity), and the cultural practices that sustain and strengthen kinship ties.
The core framework of Maori identity and culture is a hierarchical structure of Iwi (tribe), hapu (extended family) and whanau (immediate family) held together by kinship rights and obligations. As a consequence, in Maori society, it is difficult to draw a clear distinction between the individual and the group, between self-interest and altruism. Thus whanaungatanga serves as a enduring principle of social well-being and sustainability.
"Whanaungatanga establishes the protocols for collective responsibility as the base of the kinship network which defines where, and to whom, these responsibilities lie. For Maori, a person obtains their nature and their wealth from their communal environment, their kin group, their whakapapa. Without kin past and present, we are nothing" (Tiwaewae, 2000).
Whanaungatanga belongs to the cluster of values that constitute the ‘beating heart’ of Maori culture, and indeed, of being human. (Henare, 1998; Pere, 1982; McNatty, 1992). This value cluster is nested in the larger context of Maori metaphysics which is holistic in its emphasis on the way in which all life is inter-related, inter-dependent and intrinsically sacred. (Orbell, 1985; Walker, 1990; Henry, 1998)
Thus human and social identity is made meaningful in the context of a sacred cosmic web of connection. Genealogy links individuals through their ancestors to the gods Rangi, Papa, and their tamariki atua, and ultimately to Io, the Source. This lineage infuses the world with sacred elements and values. In the words of Ella Henry, a Maori academic, these are:
· Mauri – the life essence all things and people are infused with.
· Tapu – the sacredness in all things.
· Hau - the breath of life, upon which our political 'economy of affection' is predicated.
· Mana - the embodiment of all these things, which can be either enhanced or diminished by our behaviour.
“From these core elements and concepts spring the behaviours that we traditionally deemed to be good and right, tika and pono, upon which our tikanga are founded:
· Whanaungatanga - the ethic of belonging
· Wairuatanga - the ethic of spiritual connection and spirituality
· Kotahitanga - the ethic of solidarity
· Kaitiakitanga - the ethic of guardianship.
Underpinning the tikanga is the recognition that we live in Te Ao Marama, the world of light, and are thus bound to continually seek 'enlightenment'. We do this in Te Ao Hurihuri, the turning world, a world which is dynamic and ever-changing, even though it is bound together by ancient traditions. “(Henry, 1998)
This dynamism is reflected in the evolving nature of Aotearoa/New Zealand as a bi-cultural nation state, and the emergence of whanaungatanga within research methodology and social policy discourses, particularly in the areas of health and education. (Bishop, 1996; McNatty, 2001) Its meaning is moving beyond its traditional Maori cultural context to being applied to processes among groups which are not kinship-based in order to foster a sense of connection and belonging, and a concern for each others well-being, i.e. ’whanau-like’. (Wihongi, 2002).
To conclude, while whanaungatanga is central to the Maori world-view, it is also valuable as a contemporary bi-cultural construct as it activates our awareness of ourselves as social beings and directs our attention to the interdependent nature of social reality. In doing so, it makes the concept of collective moral responsibility more meaningful to those generations brought up in a culture dominated by the constructs of individualism and consumerism.
Through articulating a model of social relations in which self-interest and the interests of the group are inextricably linked, whanaungatanga makes reciprocal altruism meaningful; those who are co-operative and generous can expect co-operation and generosity in return. Thus it has an important role to play in building a culture of inclusion and a politics of respect in the Aotearoa/New Zealand of the 21st century.
REFERENCES:
Bishop, R. (1996). Collaborative research stories: Whakawhanaungatanga. Palmerston North: The Dunmore Press.
Henare, M. (1998). Nga Tikanga me nga ritenga o Te Ao Maori: standards and foundations of Maori society. In the Royal Commission on Social Policy (Ed.), The April Report, Future Directions associated papers, III, part 1. Daphne Brasell Associates. Wellington.
Henry, E. (1998). Different Accountabilities For Different Needs, retrieved
23 April 2007 from www.firstfound.org/vol.%202/henry.htm
McNatty, W, L. (2001). Whanaungatanga. Unpublished essay, Psychology Department, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Orbell, M. (1985). The Natural World of the Maori, Auckland: William Collins Publishers.
Pere, R. (1982). quoted in Patterson, J. (1992). Exploring Maori Values, Palmerston Nth: Dunmore Press.
Ritchie, J. E. (1992). Becoming bicultural. Wellington: Huia Publishers and Daphne Brasell Associates Press.
Tiwaewae, H. (2000) quoted by Williams, A. (2001). Whanaungatanga, Social Policy Seminar Paper, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, University Of Waikato, New Zealand.
Walker, R. (1990) Ka whawhai tonu matou: Struggle without end. Auckland: Penguin Books.
Wihongi, H. (2002). ’The Process of Whakawhanaungatanga in Kaupapa Maori
Research’, Australian and New Zealand Third Sector Research, Sixth Biennial Conference: Doing Well, 27 -29 November 2002, UNITEC, Auckland retrieved 6 April, 2007 from www.anztsr.org.au/02conf/anztsrpapers/Wihongi,%20Helen.pdf
PART 2: APPLYING THE CONCEPT OF WHANAUNGATANGA
TO MY SUBJECT AREA (SOCIAL STUDIES)
Whanaungatanga provides an indigenous ethic for informing teaching practice and content in order to enhance Maori students’ educational experiences and achievements.
The core elements of whaunangatanga – i.e. fostering relationships and a culture of inclusiveness, caring, co-operation, collective responsibility and reciprocity - have all been identified as central to teacher effectiveness with regard to the aim of improving Maori educational outcomes. (Bishop et al (2003,97) .
I would argue that while Te Kotangihanga (Part One) does not use the concept of whanaungatanga, many of the criteria identified in the Effective Teaching Profile are consistent with the elements that make up the ethic of whanaungatanga.
Personally, and as a social studies teacher, I am committed to enabling students to develop the social and co-operative skills and knowledges necessary to be able to participate in a changing society as informed, confident and responsible citizens. My responsibility as an educator includes ensuring that all students are able to access the opportunities available to them. Given that New Zealand educational structures largely reflect pakeha cultural traditions, it is crucial that teachers take responsibility for creating caring, inclusive and respectful learning environments that make Maori students feel at home, valued, and encouraged.
This involves taking the time to develop meaningful relationships with my students and their families and between students, using and promoting co-operative learning processes, having the attitude that all of us in the classroom have something to contribute and that the teacher is also a learner (reciprocity).
Whanaungatanga also can be applied effectively across a range of lessons designed to explore the core concepts of the five strands of the Social Studies curriculum, and through all three social studies processes of Inquiry, Values Exploration and Social Decision Making.
I would routinely use these concepts in lessons dealing with cultural identity, bi-culturalism and multiculturalism, nationhood, ‘belonging’ and ‘connectedness’, social processes, structure and organization, race relations, the Treaty and treaty issues, the environment and resource management, and how government works.
REFERENCES
Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Tiakiwai, S., and Richardson, C., (2003) Te Kötahitanga: The Experiences of Year 9 and 10 Mäori Students in Mainstream Classrooms, Mäori Education Research Institute (MERI), School of Education, University of Waikato, Hamilton.
Ministry of Education (1997)., Social Studies in the New Zealand Curriculum, Wellington: Learning Media.
Saturday, 31 March 2007
Block Course 1 Microlesson Review
PLANNING
After several false starts, I finally decided to limit my microlesson to something very specific which could be taught in 10 minutes. The three lesson ideas I began with were social studies topics and turned out to be far too complex for the time frame that was given. So I decided to teach the group how to count to ten in Japanese using the method of "active learning" which seeks to engage several senses in the learning experience, and also use the technique of word association to aid memorizing.
Thus the students would take from the lesson (learning outcomes) both the knowledge of how to count to 10 in Japanese and the understanding of how 'active learning' and 'word association' techniques can assist them in studying and memorizing material.
DELIVERY
The session went well and was a lot of fun. The group were a little bemused by my motivator as I didn't begin by telling them what we were going to be learning but instead tried to capture their interest and pique their curiosity by holding up a funny hat and asking them what it was. After several suggestions which all related to headwear, I pointed out that yes it was a hat, but it also was a learning aid.
I then went through the actions and sounds for counting from 1 - 10 in Japanese which made them even more curious.
It was at that point that I told them I had just shown them a method for learning very quickly how to count to ten in Japanese.
My peer reviewer subsequently pointed out that she thought that I hadn't been sufficiently clear at the beginning in communicating the lesson topic to the group, but after learning about motivators in our subject studies class the day before, I had quite deliberately chosen to keep them in the dark at the beginning with the intention of keeping their interest rather than risking some switching off when I told them what the topic was either because they weren't interested or knew already how to count to 10 in Japanese.
Either despite or due to the motivator's effectiveness, the group quickly were engaged in the lesson and the learning outcomes were achieved when the group were able to recite the words and actions after only a few minutes.
I initially took them through the sounds and actions, then asked them to practice it with a partner, for a minute. Then we did it again as a group. Each time they went through it, I assisted with reminders and they moved quickly from initially remembering the easiest ones to doing most and then, the last couple which people seemed to stall a little on.
Then I gave them the handout which showed the number, the word in English and Japanese, and the word written as it sounds and the accompanying action. They were then able to see how the Japanese word was written, having already learnt how it sounded and the sequence in which to say them.
The sounds and actions for the numbers 1-10 were
ICHI [1] 'Itchy' (Scratch your)
NI [2] 'knee' (knee)
SAN [3] 'sun' (point to sun or sky)
SHI [4] 'she' (point to girl)
GO [5] 'go' (march on the spot)
ROCKO [6] 'rocko' (rock and roll motions i.e. click fingers and swivel hips)
SHICHI [7] shi-chi (hold nose and do big fake double sneeze)
HACHI [8] hat-chi (put on funny hat)
KYU [9] coo (do bird-dance)
JU [10] ju (make corkscrew motions with the fingers down each side of the face for the side ringlets of Hasidic Jews
I explained the associations and these seemed readily meaningful to the group.
For the assessment, we went through the whole sequence together and it was clear that they had indeed been able to quickly memorize the numbers 1 - 10 in Japanese using this method.
I then spoke to them about using the method as a learning aid and encouraged them to remember to use it for study.
While I had been ridiculously nervous at the beginning, I quickly got into the energetic spirit of play that is crucial to making this lesson work. I felt that it had been a successful lesson in that the room had a lovely buzz, people were smiling and each had demonstrated that they had internalized and learnt the lesson.
My peer reviewer comments were thus:
" IN THE BEGINNING, THE DOUBLE LEARNING OUTCOMES LOOKED TOO DISTANT IN MEANING TO BE POSSIBLE, SO THERE WAS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT WE WERE TO LEARN IN THE LESSON.
THE EMPHASIS SEEMED TO BE MORE ON THE 'ACTIVE LEARNING' PRINCIPLE AND IT DIDN'T AT FIRST LOOK AS THOUGH IT HAD RELEVANCE TO LEARNING JAPANESE.
[SUGGEST] PERHAPS USING 1-10 IN JAPANESE AS AN OUTCOME. AND THEN USING THE ACTIVE LEARNING PRINCIPLE AS A METHOD OF TEACHING/LEARNING.
THE STUDENTS WERE ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH THE LEARNING, AND REMEMBERED HOW TO COUNT TO 10. SO WE ACHIEVED THE OUTCOME BUT IT DID SEEM A LITTLE CONFUSING AT FIRST.
STATING WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO LEARN AT THE BEGINNING CAN HELP BRING THE STUDENTS ON BOARD QUICKER TO THE LEARNING.
EVALUATION OF LEARNING: YES THEY LEARNT TO COUNT TO 10 IN JAPANESE.
FURTHER SUMMARY COMMENTS: CLEAR USE OF PERSONALITY. VERY WARM, BUBBLY FEEL TO THE CLASS. GOOD USE OF RESOURCES (THE HAT). HAND-OUT USED APPROPRIATELY TO SUPPORT LEARNING.
KA PAI E HOA. KIA KAHA!! " (Peer Reviewer)
Thanks to everyone for their participation and to my peer reviewer for her comments which I have taken on board. I am still undecided about the heuristic value of a 'confusing' motivator. This has been a valuable learning experience for me and has highlighted an area I wish fo focus on further in my research into teaching practice.
Note: The microlesson plan is attached below:
Micro LESSON PLAN
Year Level 9 Unit Topic : Japanese Language Lesson Topic: Numbers 1-10
ACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVE: (an overall aim) STUDENTS ABLE TO COUNT TO 10 IN JAPANESE
Specific outcomes for fellow students to achieve by end of lesson.
Points emphasised to help students understands the task and achieve the learning outcomes.
Learning activities the students will be required to do.
Most appropriate method for measuring how well the students have achieved the Learning Outcomes.
Teaching/Learning resources used e.g. equipment, texts.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this lesson students will be able to:
· Count to 10
· Apply active learning.
TEACHING POINTS
Motivator
Funny Hat = Learning Aid
Actions/word association= Learning aid.
Pre-test: who can count to 10 in Japanese?
ACTVITIES
Action/Word association for 1-10.
Copy teacher’s actions and sounds.
Work in pairs to memorize.
ASSESSMENT
Group counts to ten in Japanese in unison using associated actions.
Funny hat.
RESOURCES
Whiteboard and markers.
Handout (numbers, words and English and Japanese and phonetics/ sounds of words.
Other: Cross curricula links / Links to Essential skills ….
Creative learning skill – ‘action learning and word association for enhancing memory.
After several false starts, I finally decided to limit my microlesson to something very specific which could be taught in 10 minutes. The three lesson ideas I began with were social studies topics and turned out to be far too complex for the time frame that was given. So I decided to teach the group how to count to ten in Japanese using the method of "active learning" which seeks to engage several senses in the learning experience, and also use the technique of word association to aid memorizing.
Thus the students would take from the lesson (learning outcomes) both the knowledge of how to count to 10 in Japanese and the understanding of how 'active learning' and 'word association' techniques can assist them in studying and memorizing material.
DELIVERY
The session went well and was a lot of fun. The group were a little bemused by my motivator as I didn't begin by telling them what we were going to be learning but instead tried to capture their interest and pique their curiosity by holding up a funny hat and asking them what it was. After several suggestions which all related to headwear, I pointed out that yes it was a hat, but it also was a learning aid.
I then went through the actions and sounds for counting from 1 - 10 in Japanese which made them even more curious.
It was at that point that I told them I had just shown them a method for learning very quickly how to count to ten in Japanese.
My peer reviewer subsequently pointed out that she thought that I hadn't been sufficiently clear at the beginning in communicating the lesson topic to the group, but after learning about motivators in our subject studies class the day before, I had quite deliberately chosen to keep them in the dark at the beginning with the intention of keeping their interest rather than risking some switching off when I told them what the topic was either because they weren't interested or knew already how to count to 10 in Japanese.
Either despite or due to the motivator's effectiveness, the group quickly were engaged in the lesson and the learning outcomes were achieved when the group were able to recite the words and actions after only a few minutes.
I initially took them through the sounds and actions, then asked them to practice it with a partner, for a minute. Then we did it again as a group. Each time they went through it, I assisted with reminders and they moved quickly from initially remembering the easiest ones to doing most and then, the last couple which people seemed to stall a little on.
Then I gave them the handout which showed the number, the word in English and Japanese, and the word written as it sounds and the accompanying action. They were then able to see how the Japanese word was written, having already learnt how it sounded and the sequence in which to say them.
The sounds and actions for the numbers 1-10 were
ICHI [1] 'Itchy' (Scratch your)
NI [2] 'knee' (knee)
SAN [3] 'sun' (point to sun or sky)
SHI [4] 'she' (point to girl)
GO [5] 'go' (march on the spot)
ROCKO [6] 'rocko' (rock and roll motions i.e. click fingers and swivel hips)
SHICHI [7] shi-chi (hold nose and do big fake double sneeze)
HACHI [8] hat-chi (put on funny hat)
KYU [9] coo (do bird-dance)
JU [10] ju (make corkscrew motions with the fingers down each side of the face for the side ringlets of Hasidic Jews
I explained the associations and these seemed readily meaningful to the group.
For the assessment, we went through the whole sequence together and it was clear that they had indeed been able to quickly memorize the numbers 1 - 10 in Japanese using this method.
I then spoke to them about using the method as a learning aid and encouraged them to remember to use it for study.
While I had been ridiculously nervous at the beginning, I quickly got into the energetic spirit of play that is crucial to making this lesson work. I felt that it had been a successful lesson in that the room had a lovely buzz, people were smiling and each had demonstrated that they had internalized and learnt the lesson.
My peer reviewer comments were thus:
" IN THE BEGINNING, THE DOUBLE LEARNING OUTCOMES LOOKED TOO DISTANT IN MEANING TO BE POSSIBLE, SO THERE WAS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT WE WERE TO LEARN IN THE LESSON.
THE EMPHASIS SEEMED TO BE MORE ON THE 'ACTIVE LEARNING' PRINCIPLE AND IT DIDN'T AT FIRST LOOK AS THOUGH IT HAD RELEVANCE TO LEARNING JAPANESE.
[SUGGEST] PERHAPS USING 1-10 IN JAPANESE AS AN OUTCOME. AND THEN USING THE ACTIVE LEARNING PRINCIPLE AS A METHOD OF TEACHING/LEARNING.
THE STUDENTS WERE ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH THE LEARNING, AND REMEMBERED HOW TO COUNT TO 10. SO WE ACHIEVED THE OUTCOME BUT IT DID SEEM A LITTLE CONFUSING AT FIRST.
STATING WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO LEARN AT THE BEGINNING CAN HELP BRING THE STUDENTS ON BOARD QUICKER TO THE LEARNING.
EVALUATION OF LEARNING: YES THEY LEARNT TO COUNT TO 10 IN JAPANESE.
FURTHER SUMMARY COMMENTS: CLEAR USE OF PERSONALITY. VERY WARM, BUBBLY FEEL TO THE CLASS. GOOD USE OF RESOURCES (THE HAT). HAND-OUT USED APPROPRIATELY TO SUPPORT LEARNING.
KA PAI E HOA. KIA KAHA!! " (Peer Reviewer)
Thanks to everyone for their participation and to my peer reviewer for her comments which I have taken on board. I am still undecided about the heuristic value of a 'confusing' motivator. This has been a valuable learning experience for me and has highlighted an area I wish fo focus on further in my research into teaching practice.
Note: The microlesson plan is attached below:
Micro LESSON PLAN
Year Level 9 Unit Topic : Japanese Language Lesson Topic: Numbers 1-10
ACHIEVEMENT OBJECTIVE: (an overall aim) STUDENTS ABLE TO COUNT TO 10 IN JAPANESE
Specific outcomes for fellow students to achieve by end of lesson.
Points emphasised to help students understands the task and achieve the learning outcomes.
Learning activities the students will be required to do.
Most appropriate method for measuring how well the students have achieved the Learning Outcomes.
Teaching/Learning resources used e.g. equipment, texts.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this lesson students will be able to:
· Count to 10
· Apply active learning.
TEACHING POINTS
Motivator
Funny Hat = Learning Aid
Actions/word association= Learning aid.
Pre-test: who can count to 10 in Japanese?
ACTVITIES
Action/Word association for 1-10.
Copy teacher’s actions and sounds.
Work in pairs to memorize.
ASSESSMENT
Group counts to ten in Japanese in unison using associated actions.
Funny hat.
RESOURCES
Whiteboard and markers.
Handout (numbers, words and English and Japanese and phonetics/ sounds of words.
Other: Cross curricula links / Links to Essential skills ….
Creative learning skill – ‘action learning and word association for enhancing memory.
Sunday, 4 March 2007
Another day, another chalkface
My second school (B) orientation experience was interesting in a number of respects - first - the contrast with the school (A) the previous day - the school, management, staff and classroom cultures were noticeably quite different as were relative size of the schools, their decile ratings and dominant ethnic groups.
What WAS similar was many of the teachers were using the same or similar teaching styles and classroom management techniques. Even if their personalities were quite different, I noticed that those teachers who kept a firm rein on proceedings the whole 50 mins, and were a little 'distant', maintained an orderly learning environment for all the students as opposed to those three classrooms whose teachers were trying to be 'nice', and yet the tone in the class deteriorated and many students became quite distracted so that the teacher spent much of the last 30 mins remonstrating with the students over their behaviour rather than teaching and facilitating their learning.
What WAS similar was many of the teachers were using the same or similar teaching styles and classroom management techniques. Even if their personalities were quite different, I noticed that those teachers who kept a firm rein on proceedings the whole 50 mins, and were a little 'distant', maintained an orderly learning environment for all the students as opposed to those three classrooms whose teachers were trying to be 'nice', and yet the tone in the class deteriorated and many students became quite distracted so that the teacher spent much of the last 30 mins remonstrating with the students over their behaviour rather than teaching and facilitating their learning.
Thursday, 1 March 2007
Praxis makes perfect ...
The school I went to today for my first in-school observation was a small independent school of around 500 students, decile 5. The school was recently built and an attractive physical environment for learning. Place of entrance businesslike and didn't make an especial show of student work. The school culture places a strong emphasis on traditional Catholic and Maori values and has a special place in local history.
Difficult to assess how much the students buy into the school traditions but I feel the overall mood of the place to be calm and stable - not necessarily a consequence of the small size of the student body because the local girls college is of similar size but has a much more intense feel to it.
School discipline system is a Step model: Step 1 warnings, Step 2 class or if more serious, school detentions (using a yellow card system), Step 3 - phone/letter home, Dean informed, Step 4 student referred to Dean for further follow up.
The closest I saw to formal discipline in the 5 classes I observed today involved a teacher asking a student to come to talk to her (they both sat at her desk while the class got on with the set work.) These seems to be an issue over her behaviour which she wanted to resolve with him. She had reminded him at the beginning of class that he was on a warning. But other than that, the four teachers I observed (one teacher - 2 periods) managed the class with a deft comment here and there to greater or lesser effect. First period a Yr 11 Maths class: there were only 14 students and they sat at desks clustered in fours. Each student was working on a different unit standard. During the class, two students new to the school were brought to join the class so the teacher had also to find out what they had done and settle them in.
Few of the students seemed to want to do anything except chat and there was a constant hum of chatter. The teacher constantly circulated, working one onem helping, explaining and checking work, and speakijng across the room trying to get the others to stay on task. While she was patient and persistent, as learning environments go, it was quite distracting. There were too many demands for any one person to manage.
In the next class, a Year 12 Health class, there were seven students and they had a worksheet with some exercises and notes and lots of interesting graphics they were working through. The teacher (also a school counsellor) took them through the process of looking at pictures which can appear as different images depending how one happens to view them. Some could see both images immediately, some had to have it spelt out before they could see them. The teacher spoke to them about how our attitudes, point of view, perception shape how we 'see' the world but that others can see it differently. They 'got' it.
Then the guest speaker who was expected didn't show so I was invited to speak to them. I spoke for 10 minutes telling them about the way life ges in cycles through my own experience - first as a pub manager in London in the late 70s, next university and 20 years lecturing, and now, another life transition and beginning again in Wanganui with a new husband and training for a new career. The point I wrapped it with was that we can plan our lives, and then life has plans for us which intersect unexpectedly and so what ever has gone before, or is ahead, we should make the most of what is available to us today.
Next came the highpoint of my day - the most awesome social studies teacher whose teaching and classroom management techniques exemplified all the principles of best practice we have been exposed to this past month. They came in and got out their work books, got a magazine or book to read and read quietly for 5 minutes while T did the roll. They obviously had a good understanding of T's expectations of them and actually read silently. He started the class by asking some questions and answed one of them with the comment "thats a good answer but its not correct." The manner in which he spoke to the students was low key yet encouraging. He didn't try to be funny or chat them up or down. He kept the energy and momentum moving at asbrisk pace while taking the class through four different activities, made the transitions from one to another deftly with a few words that kept the momentum flowing. Totally organised and prepared. His talk to the class was calm and relaxed and minimal - every word counted. One particular teaching technique of his I liked was when he reviewed the previous lesson and asked a question, telling the class he wanted them to put up their hand when they knew the answer. When about half the students in class had their hands up, he asked them to go to someone who didn't have their hand up and discuss it quietly with them for 2 minutes. He told them clearly at the beginning of each new task or activity how long they would have to do it. For one activity they sat in preset groups and T took them through a short, general knowledge Kiwikid Quiz from an on-line resource. http://www.edugames.co.nz/Groups won points with each correct answer. The prize is a "Good as Gold" award and will be won by the group with the highest points in a few weeks time. A group loses points as a consequence of any misbehaviour by a member of that group. The class was focused and on-task for the entire 50 minutes.
I have his permission to return for on-going observation of that class through a number of its classes and also, to sit in on his classes on a regular basis. I have also asked him to be my mentor during my training process as he exemplified the kind of expertise I aspire to master.
I LEARNT A LOT AT SCHOOL TODAY. tOO MUCH TO EXAMINE IN DETAIL HERE because I'm tired and tomorrow I have another school to 'do' . Tomorrow, I am going to request to observe their Special Needs unit since I didn't get a chance to observe one at thew school I was in today.
Difficult to assess how much the students buy into the school traditions but I feel the overall mood of the place to be calm and stable - not necessarily a consequence of the small size of the student body because the local girls college is of similar size but has a much more intense feel to it.
School discipline system is a Step model: Step 1 warnings, Step 2 class or if more serious, school detentions (using a yellow card system), Step 3 - phone/letter home, Dean informed, Step 4 student referred to Dean for further follow up.
The closest I saw to formal discipline in the 5 classes I observed today involved a teacher asking a student to come to talk to her (they both sat at her desk while the class got on with the set work.) These seems to be an issue over her behaviour which she wanted to resolve with him. She had reminded him at the beginning of class that he was on a warning. But other than that, the four teachers I observed (one teacher - 2 periods) managed the class with a deft comment here and there to greater or lesser effect. First period a Yr 11 Maths class: there were only 14 students and they sat at desks clustered in fours. Each student was working on a different unit standard. During the class, two students new to the school were brought to join the class so the teacher had also to find out what they had done and settle them in.
Few of the students seemed to want to do anything except chat and there was a constant hum of chatter. The teacher constantly circulated, working one onem helping, explaining and checking work, and speakijng across the room trying to get the others to stay on task. While she was patient and persistent, as learning environments go, it was quite distracting. There were too many demands for any one person to manage.
In the next class, a Year 12 Health class, there were seven students and they had a worksheet with some exercises and notes and lots of interesting graphics they were working through. The teacher (also a school counsellor) took them through the process of looking at pictures which can appear as different images depending how one happens to view them. Some could see both images immediately, some had to have it spelt out before they could see them. The teacher spoke to them about how our attitudes, point of view, perception shape how we 'see' the world but that others can see it differently. They 'got' it.
Then the guest speaker who was expected didn't show so I was invited to speak to them. I spoke for 10 minutes telling them about the way life ges in cycles through my own experience - first as a pub manager in London in the late 70s, next university and 20 years lecturing, and now, another life transition and beginning again in Wanganui with a new husband and training for a new career. The point I wrapped it with was that we can plan our lives, and then life has plans for us which intersect unexpectedly and so what ever has gone before, or is ahead, we should make the most of what is available to us today.
Next came the highpoint of my day - the most awesome social studies teacher whose teaching and classroom management techniques exemplified all the principles of best practice we have been exposed to this past month. They came in and got out their work books, got a magazine or book to read and read quietly for 5 minutes while T did the roll. They obviously had a good understanding of T's expectations of them and actually read silently. He started the class by asking some questions and answed one of them with the comment "thats a good answer but its not correct." The manner in which he spoke to the students was low key yet encouraging. He didn't try to be funny or chat them up or down. He kept the energy and momentum moving at asbrisk pace while taking the class through four different activities, made the transitions from one to another deftly with a few words that kept the momentum flowing. Totally organised and prepared. His talk to the class was calm and relaxed and minimal - every word counted. One particular teaching technique of his I liked was when he reviewed the previous lesson and asked a question, telling the class he wanted them to put up their hand when they knew the answer. When about half the students in class had their hands up, he asked them to go to someone who didn't have their hand up and discuss it quietly with them for 2 minutes. He told them clearly at the beginning of each new task or activity how long they would have to do it. For one activity they sat in preset groups and T took them through a short, general knowledge Kiwikid Quiz from an on-line resource. http://www.edugames.co.nz/Groups won points with each correct answer. The prize is a "Good as Gold" award and will be won by the group with the highest points in a few weeks time. A group loses points as a consequence of any misbehaviour by a member of that group. The class was focused and on-task for the entire 50 minutes.
I have his permission to return for on-going observation of that class through a number of its classes and also, to sit in on his classes on a regular basis. I have also asked him to be my mentor during my training process as he exemplified the kind of expertise I aspire to master.
I LEARNT A LOT AT SCHOOL TODAY. tOO MUCH TO EXAMINE IN DETAIL HERE because I'm tired and tomorrow I have another school to 'do' . Tomorrow, I am going to request to observe their Special Needs unit since I didn't get a chance to observe one at thew school I was in today.
Friday, 23 February 2007
Another week...
How the time has flown and the work piles up. Today I went back into the classroom for my first relieving teaching of 2007. I had forgotten how much I enjoy being with young people and what a wonderful array of personalities and energies. It was great to ground myself in the realities of school life after four weeks of negotiating virtual and theoretical spaces. Feeling refreshed and refocused. Waiting with curiosity to see what school I am going to be sent to for my first teaching experience.
Sunday, 18 February 2007
Homer was onto it
Enlighten me now O Muses,
tenants of Olympian homes
For you are goddesses,
inside on everything, know everything
But we mortals hear only the news
and know nothing at all.
The Illiad
tenants of Olympian homes
For you are goddesses,
inside on everything, know everything
But we mortals hear only the news
and know nothing at all.
The Illiad
Iraq is in our minds...what are our children really learning about every day?
Terrorism is the ultimate crime. Not only does it destroy buildings and lives. The divisive social climate of mistrust and fear it creates, intentionally, destroys trust and causes people to turn upon each other in anger and frustration.
The poisonous atmosphere of revenge, recrimination, and hysteria fed by fear and frustration created by the terrorist attacks in the USA in two days had reached NZ. 48 hours after the attacks took place, the NZ Race Relations Conciliator had to make a public appeal for tolerance and calm after Moslem citizens were subjected to assaults and death threats. Five years later, we seem to have entered an era of seige mentality and high security, where we seem to be justified in fearing everything that outside our door. The limits to our freedom, physical, psychological and social, are subtle and yet immense.
In such a climate, talk of peace seems futile, even naive. The Hobbesian model of humans as selfish and predatory seems to be confirmed and any appeals to our innate sociality seem utopian and misguided.
Therefore I believe that, as educators, it is crucial that allour actions are directed towards cultivating a culture of peace and understanding in our relationships, classrooms, homes and communities.
The poisonous atmosphere of revenge, recrimination, and hysteria fed by fear and frustration created by the terrorist attacks in the USA in two days had reached NZ. 48 hours after the attacks took place, the NZ Race Relations Conciliator had to make a public appeal for tolerance and calm after Moslem citizens were subjected to assaults and death threats. Five years later, we seem to have entered an era of seige mentality and high security, where we seem to be justified in fearing everything that outside our door. The limits to our freedom, physical, psychological and social, are subtle and yet immense.
In such a climate, talk of peace seems futile, even naive. The Hobbesian model of humans as selfish and predatory seems to be confirmed and any appeals to our innate sociality seem utopian and misguided.
Therefore I believe that, as educators, it is crucial that allour actions are directed towards cultivating a culture of peace and understanding in our relationships, classrooms, homes and communities.
Saturday, 17 February 2007
http://www.radionz.co.nz/podcasts/ninetonoon.rss
15 Feb : Listen to Derek Fox's provocative take on Professor Russell Bishop's analysis of school leavers which showed that 53% of Maori boys left school in 2005 without any educational qualification. Derek Fox's opinion is that the failure is not on the part of Maori kids but lays it clearly at the feet of the education system which has been funded with milllions of dollars over the years to teach kids properly. He states that teachers are fail to engage their Maori students and thought the Minister should resign since they were clearly failing to properly use the millions of dollars in Vote Education.
Listen and post a response:
15 Feb : Listen to Derek Fox's provocative take on Professor Russell Bishop's analysis of school leavers which showed that 53% of Maori boys left school in 2005 without any educational qualification. Derek Fox's opinion is that the failure is not on the part of Maori kids but lays it clearly at the feet of the education system which has been funded with milllions of dollars over the years to teach kids properly. He states that teachers are fail to engage their Maori students and thought the Minister should resign since they were clearly failing to properly use the millions of dollars in Vote Education.
Listen and post a response:
Educational Issues of the Day
What do you think about the debate over SCHOOL FEES : if you'd like some more information to help you think through the issue listen to http://www.radionz.co.nz/podcasts/ninetonoon.rss
A journey of a thousand smiles....
Not all of us were smiling that day. My first fishing trip was another's death sentence. Barracouda - when I saw how beautiful you were, I never went fishing again. 
(We will forgive him his gendered myopia in the interests of not making a sic mess of the quote).
He also said "to be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up".
I got those quotes from last Sunday's Star-Times. They intrigued me (as all Wilde's gay witticisms do) and I wanted time to reflect on the points he was making.
Oscar Wilde once said that
"man is least himself when he talks in his own person.
Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."
(We will forgive him his gendered myopia in the interests of not making a sic mess of the quote).
He also said "to be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up".
I got those quotes from last Sunday's Star-Times. They intrigued me (as all Wilde's gay witticisms do) and I wanted time to reflect on the points he was making.
But they have lain on my desk neglected while I spent the next few days with doctors, acupuncturists and ACC. And now I am a week behind as well as in considerable pain and unable to sit. I am writing this on my knees.
Will the mask of blogger anonymity allow me to tell the truth about my riding the waves and troughs of academic life and practical teaching realities when I know my assessors are reading this. hmmm...
The theory is fine - as a sociologist of some 20 years tertiary experience, I am comfortable with absorbing lots of written information quickly. There are many points of crossover with contemporary educational or pedagogic theory. What is stretching me is coming to terms with the architecture of the online course and how to manage the maze and its seemingly endless demands. As I spend hour after hour coming to grips with it all, a little voice in the back of my head is yelling - "I thought you'd enroled part-time - this is meant to be PART time, not all of your time". Yeah whatever.
Learning something new is such a valuable lesson. To remember what it feels like NOT KNOWING. Until 'the penny drops', and 'the light comes on', it's impenetrable and demoralizing. "How can I be this thick? Everyone else seems to get it but me?" But after some days of exposure - a series of mini 'eureka!'s replace the churning frustration. The panic transforms into enthusiasm and an inability to tear oneself away - (its 2 am and I should be asleep. But wait - there's more.... hesitant to start I now find it hard to stop).
We are in an era of life long learning whether we like it or not. Here I am, 52, with a three degrees under my belt and training yet again. For a couple of years there, I though I had retired, but after travelling and trekking in India and Thailand, and having all day to walk the length of Waihi beach, I realized I missed the shared learning environment. Some relief teaching at the secondary schools in Wanganui after I moved here with my fiance in 2005 showed me a world where I could make a difference. I love the energy of the young. One of the reasons I left university was because of the emphasis put on our research outputs. Students became a liability as spending time with them was time you should be writing up your research, the most important performance criteria. Yet it was the teaching and the contact with the students that I had loved about being an academic.
As teachers we need to be constantly learning, not only because there is always so much new research to engage with, but also for that precious understanding of the fragile subjectivity of the learner that enables the committed teacher to nurture the nascent spirited imagination of an emergent young adult.
Will the mask of blogger anonymity allow me to tell the truth about my riding the waves and troughs of academic life and practical teaching realities when I know my assessors are reading this. hmmm...
The theory is fine - as a sociologist of some 20 years tertiary experience, I am comfortable with absorbing lots of written information quickly. There are many points of crossover with contemporary educational or pedagogic theory. What is stretching me is coming to terms with the architecture of the online course and how to manage the maze and its seemingly endless demands. As I spend hour after hour coming to grips with it all, a little voice in the back of my head is yelling - "I thought you'd enroled part-time - this is meant to be PART time, not all of your time". Yeah whatever.
Learning something new is such a valuable lesson. To remember what it feels like NOT KNOWING. Until 'the penny drops', and 'the light comes on', it's impenetrable and demoralizing. "How can I be this thick? Everyone else seems to get it but me?" But after some days of exposure - a series of mini 'eureka!'s replace the churning frustration. The panic transforms into enthusiasm and an inability to tear oneself away - (its 2 am and I should be asleep. But wait - there's more.... hesitant to start I now find it hard to stop).
We are in an era of life long learning whether we like it or not. Here I am, 52, with a three degrees under my belt and training yet again. For a couple of years there, I though I had retired, but after travelling and trekking in India and Thailand, and having all day to walk the length of Waihi beach, I realized I missed the shared learning environment. Some relief teaching at the secondary schools in Wanganui after I moved here with my fiance in 2005 showed me a world where I could make a difference. I love the energy of the young. One of the reasons I left university was because of the emphasis put on our research outputs. Students became a liability as spending time with them was time you should be writing up your research, the most important performance criteria. Yet it was the teaching and the contact with the students that I had loved about being an academic.
As teachers we need to be constantly learning, not only because there is always so much new research to engage with, but also for that precious understanding of the fragile subjectivity of the learner that enables the committed teacher to nurture the nascent spirited imagination of an emergent young adult.
I HAVE A DREAM .....
TO FILL THEM WITH A LOVE OF LEARNING
- A FEEL FOR THEIR POSSIBILITIES
- RAMPANT CURIOSITY
- TOOLS TO FIND, DISCRIMINATE, AND CRITICALLY EVALUATE INFORMATION
- FINDING THE CONFIDENCE TO DISCOVER THEIR VOICES, THEIR IDENTITIES- AS INDIVIDUALS, AND AS CITIZENS.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
