Does the adoption of e-learning imply modification of your teaching
(i.e. evolution), extreme change in your teaching (revolution) or more
of what you already do (status quo)?
When I first started my teaching career my teaching style and integration of technology was very different to how I run my classroom now. E-learning has been the driving force behind the evolution of my teaching pedagogy in many positive ways. When I first started teaching I was in a school that had a computer lab and one desk top computer in each class, however as technologies developed and my school didn't I decided it was time for a change and moved to my current school. Here I was thrown into the deep end in regards to technology but I quickly adapted to my new environment and as a result my teaching evolved to incorporate the tools in my new well resourced classroom. Technology enabled me to make the learning in my class more meaningful and relevant to my students, Howland, Jonassen & Marra (2012) stated that meaningful learning occurs when activities engage students.
Technology has changed rapidly in the past 10 years and many 5 year old students starting school are much more skilled at operating devices and more aware of what can be achieved by working online. This has meant that the children entering school have a larger technological skill set and therefore are ready and more capable of using technology as a tool for their learning. (Howland, Jonassen & Marra, 2012). This has meant that in order for my teaching to remain relevant and engaging for my students I need to ensure that how I incorporate technology in my class in authentic and engaging for my students. I-pads are an amazing tool that I prefer working with in my classroom as they allow children to work in groups of up to three and they can move beyond the walls of my classroom to complete a learning task. There was a time when allowing a 5 year old to carry an i-Pad outside a classroom would've been unheard of and thought of as crazy but I have seen that by treating my students as repsonsible learners they more often than not meet my expectations. It would be irresponsible of me not to create these real life learning experiences for my class as that is what makes the learning real and authentic. I see that it is part of my role as teacher to introduce my students to new technologies so that they can start to build a bank of resources that they can draw upon when they start to realise that they can choose the technology that best suits their learning needs. (Koehler, Mishra & Cain, 2013).
The rapid changes in technology are pressuring me to adapt my teaching, and incorporate more into my teaching practise.
Showing posts with label module 1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label module 1. Show all posts
Views of Teaching - Pratt (1998) - Artefact 2
My views on teaching have changed since I first entered the profession and I believe they are still evolving. Most importantly I believe that children should be happy at school, as happy children learn. Learning can only take place when children feel secure in their environment and know that if they make a mistake (with their learning or behaviour) they can use it to move forward and make different decisions in the future. Using Pratts (1998) framework these beliefs fall into the nurturing perspective. Learning it most affected by a learners self-concept and self-efficacy. I see my role is to create a classroom environment that promotes children's own interests and one that develops the relationships between students and with the teacher based on mutual trust and respect.
For a writing activity in class on recounts I wanted to ensure that all of the children had an authentic experience to write about. Using Lego they were given the challenge to build the longest bridge they could. Knowing the different personalities within the class I gave them the option to construct their bridges individually or in small groups no bigger than 3. By providing this option the handful of children in the class that were not confident with the challenge were able to utilise the skills of their peers and construct the bridge together. Also the children that were extremely confident had the opportunity to embark on the challenge independently. Due to the flexibility of my classroom timetable I was able to let the class work for longer on this task and as a result the quality of writing produced was much higher than if I had asked them to recount something from the weekend (a challenging activity for 5year olds!).
Looking back on this activity it was a safe activity that allowed all of the children to have success.
Reflecting on this task using Pratts frameworks my design of this language experience falls into the developmental perspective and the nurturing perspective.
Perspectives on teaching - Artefact 1
Reading the article Alternative frames of understanding (Pratt, 1998) provided me with a great chance to slow down my brain and think carefully about why I teach like I do.
The perspectives in order of dominance were -
1. Nurturing
2. Apprentice
3. Social Reform & Developmental
4. Transmission
Pratt (1998) suggests that there are five very different perspectives of teaching and learning, and that these are carried forward until they are challenged. This made me consider how teachers can be challenged enough about their teaching perspectives to make changes. Pratt (1998) noted that often when teachers read professional textbooks on teaching they often just find ways to integrate the new ideas into their way of teaching or find ways to confirm what they already believe rather than chance the central beliefs they hold about teaching and learning. If this is the case how do we challenge teaching perspectives in a way that encourages to make changes to the core beliefs and values that underpin their teaching?
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