Sunday, November 3, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Identifying Development needs
Learning is a continuous process. It always remains incomplete because there is always something new to learn in life. The same logic is applicable to my digital skills. The technology, digital tools and the methods of operating are changing at a fast pace. So the tools and skills to which I am familiar today might need to develop further in future.
Skills:
In my opinion I am comfortable at the following skills:
1. Find ,locate and access information
2. Reading and interpreting the resources
3. Analyze and evaluate the resources
4. Manage information and resources
5. Share and Communication through digital means
The skills that I need to further develop are:
1. Creating new resources
2. Constructing new knowledge
Tools:
There are a number of digital tools which are essential to make learning more effective and long lasting. They are also very useful in developing, designing and delivering a certain program. I have learnt to use a number of tools like Word , Power Point, Social networking , e-mail . But I would like to mention the tools about which I gained a basic knowledge. The tool are as follow:
Adobe Connect: My knowledge is confined to its use as an online tool for teaching but I don’t know how to operate it.
Wiki Spaces: I made an account on wiki- spaces but didn’t work much on that.
Google site: I have created a Google site but still I need to learn editing the site.
Audacity: I have a basic knowledge of recording the audio but editing the voice is still left to learn.
Digital Tools
The 21st century learners are digital natives. They are always exposed to new digital tools. They spend more time to interact with new digital devices like mobiles and tablets. The old methods of teaching cannot engage them in the learning process.
I have learnt about a number of digital tools which allow me edit text , images ,audio , videos, store information, explore resources , display the work of students online. I would like to mention the most interesting tools are blog and slide share. Blog provides my learners and me an online platform to express and evaluate the learning outcomes. It allows me to monitor the progress of my learners and each student can comment as a critique on other’s postings. Slide share is another tool which helps me present the information online in an effective way. It allows me to upload my presentations and I can also search for presentation required for certain topics.
The links to the above said digital tools are:
Digital Literacy
Learning is a continuous process. It begins from the lap of mother and ends at the last breath. The migrants learn to adapt with the new culture and context. It is the most important virtue to survive in the new environment. The international students also learn a lot in a foreign country because every country has its own set of educational framework according to its context.
Previous Skills: Digital knowledge and literacy is very vast term. Digital techniques are changing at fast pace and the techniques that we learn today will become obsolete in future. We must keep our knowledge updated. If I recall my previous digital efficiencies, I was well aware of use of text documents, clips, slides, you tube videos. Editing the text, images and videos were common for me. I used to apply the modern digital methods of teaching in my class. I used power point slides, videos, projector etc. as teaching aids.
What has been added to my digital knowledge in the present course? The G.D.T.E. aims at providing learner centered knowledge. It enriches the teachers with new digital tools which they can use in their practice. It also guides the facilitators to design the course to meet the need of the learners. It provided me an opportunity to learn the new digital tools like Adobe Connect, Blog, Moodle, Wiki spaces, Slide share, Prezzy etc. I have also learnt to explore and research online resources.
Applications of the Skills: The new skills are quite useful and effective to improve the learning environment. Adobe connect can be used to connect my learners like face to face classrooms. Blog and moodle can be used to manage and supervise the progress of the learning outcomes. Slide share, Prezzy and Wiki spaces can be used to present the content in a variety of ways. To conclude, acquiring new digital techniques are essential to engage the learners who are digital natives.
Elements of Digital Citizenship
Ribble, M. (2013)
concludes the nine elements in REPs which are used to teach the digital
citizenship.
1.
Respect yourself/ respect others
a. Etiquette
b. Access
c. Law
2.
Educate yourself/connect with other
a. Communication
b. Literacy
c. Commerce
3.
Protect yourself/protect others
a. Rights
and responsibility
b. Security
c. Health
and welfare
The above said elements are essential in
every walk of modern life in which digital technology plays an important role.
Same is applicable to my work environment where the digital tools play an important
role in most of the tasks and I would like to mention:
A. Digital
Access: - Its objective is that all the people have equal access to digital
tools. It is the facilitators at Polytechnic who ensure that their students can
equally access to the means of information technology. They guide and encourage
them to take maximum benefit of IT in their study.
B. Digital Commerce: - It is the selling and
buying of goods online. It is important for my workplace where a large number
of products are purchased online. The facilitators are well aware about the
ethics of e-commerce and the students learn these ethics for example they are
encouraged to avoid pirated software and illegal downloading. They are informed
to make their payment through secure gateways.
C. Digital
Communication: - It is heart of every organization. The different means of
communication like email, video conferencing, instant messaging and chat are
essential element of modern communication in the institutions. The students who
pursue different level courses at OP learn the appropriate use of these means
and communicate with the facilitators, office staff and with other students.
D. Digital
Literacy: - It is the ability to use the IT for individual and social
development. OP never lags behind in educating the learners the emerging new
technologies which benefit them in their study, employment and help them to
explore the right use of IT. They learn create text docs, video, sound and
images. They explore how to use video conferencing, adobe connect, moodle and
other social media to enrich their knowledge.
E. Digital
Rights and Responsibilities: - Digital citizens know the right to privacy,
right to security, right to free speech etc. On the other hand they are aware
of their duties about not to interfere with other privacy and security. The OP students
learn how to keep their privacy by using different security measures, software,
and protected passwords.
To sum up OP which is my work place keeps
its’ students a step ahead in terms of digital literacy and digital
citizenship.
References:
Ribble, M. (2013). Nine Elements.
Digital Citizenship: Using technology appropriately. Retrieved on August 6,
2013from http://digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html
Digital Literacy and Digital Citizenship
Literacy literally means the ability to read and write. But a new concept of Digital Literacy has emerged in the 21st century. The term has wider scope than traditional term literacy. It is defined as the ability to use information technology to perform various tasks like creating documents, images, videos, slides and searching useful information online and reproducing it in a different way. Eshet (2004) defines digital literacy as “Digital literacy involves more than the mere ability to use software or operate a digital device; it includes a large variety of complex cognitive, motor, sociological, and emotional skills, which users need in order to function effectively in digital environments. The tasks required in this context include, for example, "reading" instructions from graphical displays in user interfaces; utilizing digital reproduction to create new, meaningful materials from existing ones; constructing knowledge from a nonlinear, hyper textual navigation; evaluating the quality and validity of information; and have a mature and realistic understanding of the "rules" that prevail in the cyberspace.” The variety of terms now used to describe e-literacy or digital literacy are a reflection of the importance of understanding the competencies needed in the digital environment and the need for digital flexibility. This newly emerging concept of "digital literacy" may be utilized as a measure of the quality of learners’ work in digital environments, and provide scholars and developers with a more effective means of communication in designing better user-oriented environments. The present paper proposes a holistic, refined conceptual framework for digital literacy, which includes photo-visual literacy; reproduction literacy; branching literacy; information literacy; and socio-emotional literacy.
A citizen knows his right and duties and always follows the law of the nation but digital citizenship is wider term in which a person is a responsible global citizen who follows the ethics, rules and laws of information technology framed by his nation as well as laws framed all over the world by the global I.T. organizations. Ribble (2013) states Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what users should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare users for a society full of technology. Digital citizenship is the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use.
The modern learners are digital natives and well familiar with the modern means of technology. Their expectations are quite high from their facilitators. They know how to operate the digital tools and seek guidance from their facilitators to use them in a constructive way. As a facilitator although I am quite familiar with the digital tools yet I continue my learning through exploring information for the use of these tools so that I can help my learners to become responsible digital citizens.
References:
Eshet, Y. (2004). Digital Literacy: A Conceptual Framework for Survival Skills in the Digital era. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(1), 93-106. Norfolk, VA: AACE. Retrieved August 4, 2013 from http://www.editlib.org/p/4793
Ribble, M. (2013). Digital Citizenship: Using technology appropriately. Retrieved August 4, 2013from http://digitalcitizenship.net/
Support Services
Support services are
one of the most important strategies for any organization. They are essential
and helpful in achieving the objective of the institution. They promote the
welfare of the students and encourage them to actively participate in the
learning.
The focus of strategy
“Our support services will be holistic, individualised, accessible and timely”
is to provide the learners a convenient and encouraging environment so that they
can pursue their study and can adapt with the complexities of life and
employment market.
I agree with the
strategy as it is the most important element among all the objectives of an
institution because it ensures the success of the learner and the institution
and both these aspects are interrelated as learners’ success reflects the
standard of the institution. The guidelines set under this strategy are worthy
and very effective if they are carried on in the right direction. It includes
all those guidelines which are required to be followed by me in my teaching. I
would prefer to provide the same support to my learners. My first step in this
direction will be designing the course for which I will keep in mind the
learners who will pursue the course. How will the course benefit my learners? The
second step is to provide them the right guidelines individually as well
collectively. I will keep in mind the background of my learners and accordingly
prepare myself to support them in study and will ensure that the services they
require are accessible to them. Overseas students will be provided the support
on and off campus as they cannot adapt with the new culture, new methods of
teaching due easily. I would like to advise my manager and the top authorities
to sign MOU’s with different institutions or business organizations in which
the students can be provided work related experience which will help them to
compete in employment market. I will monitor their progress not only during the
programme but also keep in touch with them after their study so that they
should feel the connection with the institution.
Vision and Priorities
Vision refers to future aims and objectives of an organization. It gives a direction to management to make efforts and helps the workforce of the organization to put the resources into optimum use. Otago Polytechnic and Ministry of education share the same vision. The M.O.E. emphasizes on educating and providing the skills to the young learners. On the other Otago Polytechnic has a broader vision. Its objective is to create a skilled workforce at all levels. One of its priorities is to improving the skills of the working class so that they can grow and become self directed and use those skills for their betterment.The Polytechnic also provides open source to the learners. The organization also carries on the M.O.E. priorities and is trying to achieve those at minimal cost. So it has a leading role in blended learning which is wholly learner centered; available to a wide range of learners; ensures that available resources can be put into optimum use. As a result the targets of prosperity and growth of the nation can be achieved.
Factors that influence my Teaching Practice
Teaching and learning are inseparable and are influenced by
a number of factors. It varies according to the context. The immediate
influence on my practice is of local environment which includes the classroom,
equipments, digital knowledge, the cultural background of the students and
connection with the students.
The institution’s strategies and policies always dominate in
my teaching practices. The support of the institution is crucial in providing
the education effectively. It encourages me to be innovative and reflective.
The support for professional development is necessary to produce superior
teaching and learning. Supovitz, Mayer, and Kahle (2000) found that highly
intensive (160h), inquiry-based professional development changed teachers'
attitudes towards reform, their preparation to use reform-based practices, and
their use of inquiry-based teaching practices. Further, they found that these changes
persisted several years after teachers concluded their experience.
Model depicting theoretical
relationship between professional development and student achievement.
The national environment is controlled by the govt. or the
M.O.E. Every govt. has it own priorities and strategies to meet the demand of
the workforce. The encouraging policies like support to teacher development,
students’ welfare and research in different fields encourage a facilitator for
further development. The use of modern technology is encouraged by the govt.
policies. It influences my teaching and learning process as the availability
and use of digital tools promote better learning. James Kulik (1994) states
that computer based instructions brings positive outcomes and growth in the
learners’ result.
The modern world is Global village in which life is
interdependent. The research that is conducted by the scholars enriches the
knowledge of the people. Different exchange programs are encouraged by the
educational institutions. A teacher like me can also seek some programs which
can enable me to grasp new ideas and methodologies to bring a growth into my
teaching practice. The only factor that I need to learn more is the impact of
modern and digital tools and online methods of learning.
Supovitz, J.A., Mayer, D.P., & Kahle, J.B. (2000).
Promoting inquiry-based instructional practice:The longitudinal impact of
professional development in the context of systemic reform. Educational Policy,
14(3), 331-356. Retrieved from https://www.ntnu.no/wiki/download/attachments/11273030/Supovitz+(2000)_The+Effects+of+Professional+Development+on+Science+Teaching+Practices.pdf
on 24 July 2013
Kulik, J.A. (1994).Meta-analytic studies of findings on
computer-based instruction. In E.L.Baker, and H.F. O’Neil, Jr. ( Eds.).
Technology assessment in education and training. Hillsdale,NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum.
Retrieved from https://bookert-dev.ito.lacoe.edu/funding_coordination/docs/impact_of_et.pdf
on 24 July 2013.
Tikanga
Tikanga refers to Maoris’ traditions and customs handed down
through the passage of time from generation to generation. Being a tertiary
educator my first priority will be to know more about Maori customs and
language. The second language pedagogy is essential to encourage and understand
the Maori learners. The best way to learn these skills is to participate in the
community activities.
The common Maori customs will be given importance in the class.
They do not sit on the table and the bags are not kept on the tables. The
learners will be encouraged to support each other. They will express themselves
through different classroom and cultural activities. For example including
Maori prayer in the beginning and end of the session and the students can
perform their traditional dance. They will be encouraged share the methods to
cook their recipes and will be given the opportunity to show the other
students. The community members can be called for discussion to promote
cultural practices. The use of resources like animated videos to learn about Te
Reo is important. Maori history, customs and traditions can be presented in the
form of plays in the class.
Maori Language
Te Reo refers to Maori language. It is one of the official languages in New Zealand. The respect and recognition of Maori language and use of some words of Maori in the classroom can create a safe environment for the Maori learners. Tikaka or Tikanga refers to Maori traditions and practices that are handed down from generation to generation.
The facilitators in the classroom try to use important Maori words to encourage the Maori learners. I have also experienced the same with my facilitators. Terry Marler usually uses some of the Maori greetings daily in the class. The teaching session by Ron Bull was a good source of basic knowledge of Maori culture and traditions. I found the session wonderful because the Maoris’ customs and traditions are very much similar to the Indian culture.
My knowledge of Te Reo and Tikaka is confined to basic understanding. Being a facilitator, I need to know a lot more about Maori language and customs. Cultural competency is of utmost important to manage the diversity in the classroom. Therefore understanding of Te Reo and Tikaka is very helpful in education in the New Zealand Context. It would really be an important aid for me to provide equality and safety to the Maori learners and enable them to participate actively in the learning process. The New Zealand curriculum guidelines also emphasize on the use of Maori language and encourage the teachers to preserve living, dynamic and rich language and also support the students to use the Maori language
References:
Ministry of Education.Te Aho Arataki Marau– Kura Auraki Te Reo Māori. Retrieved from
Te Reo and Tikaka
The given Ako Aotearoa framework
is not directly associated to me but I gained a lot about it from my teaching
sessions by our facilitator Ron Bull. I have come to know that Maori Customs,
traditions and History are quite similar to those of Indian. The areas of the
framework to which I am strongly connected are to understand the value of
history, beliefs and traditions, to give importance to individual beliefs, spirituality,
to maintain and promote relationship among the different organs of the society,
to protect and promote the sovereignty and integrity of the nation, to promote
sustainability and unity and making learning and teaching learner focused. The
only area for which I have to learn is about Te Reo to apply my connection with
Maoris’ history, traditions and culture effectively. The framework would enable
me to be culturally competent and make the learning everlasting as it will be
carried on in the real context of culture, traditions and would be based on
research and evaluation.
There are a number of
ways to learn about Te Reo and Tikaka. I would prefer to the following ways:
·
Discussion about Te Reo and Tikaka in
the class.
·
Discussion with my Maori colleagues
·
Learning from my Maori students
·
By visiting the community and
participate in the community activities
·
Online Resources for example Toku Reo
and Maramataka web pages provide detail knowledge about speaking Maori and
Tikanga practices.
References:
Ngaroma.
W., Maramataka. Retrieved from http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/download/ng/file/group-3993/resource-kit-for-tikanga-practices--part-2.pdf
The 3P's
The principles suggested by the Royal Commission on Social Policy provide a basic framework to structure the NZ curriculum. These principles are:
Partnership: The New Zealand Curriculum envisions, “Young people who will work to create an Aotearoa New Zealand in which Māori and Pākehā recognize each other as full Treaty partners, and in which all cultures are valued for the contributions they bring.” This principle encourages the school to collaborate with the local community. The school should try to share power, control and decision making to implement the principle of the Treaty. I would prefer to increase the partnership of my diverse learners by recognizing their culture and encourage them to share their valuable traditions with each other. They can be told to share folk stories or play some drama.
Protection:Ka Hikitia (Ministry of Education, 2007) emphasizes that “culture counts” and describes a commitment to “knowing, respecting and valuing where students are, where they come from and building on what they bring with them.”The principle of protection aims at protecting the Maori culture, customs and values. It emphasizes to give respect to Maori language in the schools. Other students should gain from Maori experiences. I would like to be culturally competent. I would not hesitate to learn about Maori culture and language even from my learners. It will help me relate with my students. I would like to take an opportunity to visit their families to understand about their customs.
Participation: Participation also emphasizes positive Māori involvement at all levels of education, as expressed in NEG 9, “Increased participation and success by Māori through the advancement of Māori educational initiatives, including education in Te Reo Māori, consistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.” When this principle is realized, the aspirations and views of Māori students and of their parents, whānau, and communities are apparent in school and classroom planning (ERO, 2011).It emphasizes that Maori students also equally participate at all levels of education. It can be encouraged by building constructive home-school relationship. The Maori Whanau should be consulted on new development.
To conclude, the 3 P’s cannot be implanted one by one. The Treaty can be honored by applying them all collectively.
References:
Education Review Office (2011). Directions for Learning: The New Zealand Curriculum Principles and Teaching as Inquiry, May 2011. Wellington: Education Review Office. Retrieved fromhttp://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/content/download/12679/149329/file/NZC%20Update%20Issue%2016.pdf
Ministry of Education (2007). Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success: The Māori Education Strategy 2008–2012. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Retrieved fromhttp://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/content/download/12679/149329/file/NZC%20Update%20Issue%2016.pdf
‘New Zealand Curriculum Updates’. Retrieved from http://www.nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/curriculum_updates
The Treaty of Waitangi
Meaning
and Signatories: A treaty refers to an agreement
between two parties on certain predefined principles. The Treaty of Waitangi is
called the foundation document of New Zealand. It was signed by the Maori
Chiefs and the representatives of the Crown on 6th February 1840.
How
did it come about: The arrival of large number of British
migrants and large scale and wrong land transaction between the settlers and
the Maoris created chaos. On the other hand the French were also interested in
annexing the country. So the crown felt that annexing New Zealand can protect
the Maoris and check the British subjects from indulging in wrong and unjust
practices with the native people.
Treaty
Today: The increasing awareness of the terms of treaty
has brought a turning effect in the history of New Zealand. The Maori with the
support of Pakeha call for the terms of the treaty to be honored. So the Waitangi Tribunal has been set up by
the Government in 1975 to investigate Maori grievances and settle their claims
dating back to 1840. Major settlement of claims was reached in 1992 and many
are still in the process.
Relevancy
to my work: The Treaty is relevant to my work. Being an
educator or facilitator I must understand the culture, heritage and social
values of my learners. The treaty has a major role in shaping the cultural,
social, political and economical conditions of New Zealand. There it can be
very helpful for me to increase my cultural competency. The deep knowledge of
the treaty will help me to relate with my diverse learners.
Need
Exploration: My knowledge about the treaty is
confined to its signatories, the causative factors and a few steps taken by the
government to protect the Maoris’ rights. I need to understand it deeply like
terms of the treaty, the implementation of the terms and how does it influence
the education policies of New Zealand.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Reflection in action and Reflection on action
Learning is a continuous process. It begins from cradle and ends with our last breath. Teaching and learning are the two sides of the same coin which are inseparable. But In some cases educators forget learning aspect. Why does this happen? The only reason is that either they are not aware the concept of reflection or they ignore this due to laziness.
What is reflection? It is associated with mirror for a layman. But it has different meaning in the context of education. It refers to scrutinize our teaching or learning by ourselves or allowing others to act as a critique to explore the weaknesses .It is not merely finding the limitations but to think, modify and change the method of your work. It is a continuous process.
Reflection can be done at two levels:
1. Reflection in action
2. Reflection on action
Reflection in action: - It is way of evaluating one’s work while it is in progress. It is an important tool in evaluating teaching and learning process while it is in progress. An educator understands from the situation and behavior of the students. He tries to find whether the development of learning is in the right direction. Otherwise a remedial action is taken by the teacher. For example during my teaching I had come to a situation in which students were getting bored due to less involvement, I used immediately reflected on that and alter my way of delivering the lesson. Mostly I used to give them a small activity after a small discussion.
Reflection on action: - It is a form of scrutinizing our teaching and learning outcomes after conducting teaching session. How can a teacher come to know about the success of learning outcomes? Get feedback from the students directly by assigning some task related to the session or he can take the help of other colleagues. For instance, after delivering my lesson if some of the students were not able to apply that knowledge or they didn't get$ good grades. I used to discuss and take suggestions from my colleagues and do self reflection.
To conclude, a teacher should try to use blended method of reflection in action and reflection on action keeping in mind the efforts and time required to make learning environment interesting and live.
Reflection on my Teaching Session
Why does time differ in different
countries
Classroom participation means involving the students in
learning process. It is the way to create a sound environment to make the
learning long lasting. More the participation more will the gain of confidence.
The confidence enables the students to develop a critical and constructive
thinking.
I used following techniques in my presentation to
participate the students:
1.
Introduction with interesting questioning.
2.
Use of Power Point Slides to encourage visual
learning
3.
Problem solving to get the feed back
4.
Asking questions during teaching
5.
Encouragement through rewards
The above said techniques were successful
for learning process. It was felt that students were quite interesting and
encouraged. The problem solving made them actively participate. I helped them
to solve the problems which was essential to develop a bond between the teacher
and the learners. They were asking questions to grasp the content.
I believe in learning throughout life. So
every teaching session make me feel to think differently.
Due to this fact, I try to bring variety in
my teaching learning process.
I would like to add the following
techniques:
1.
Use of a game.
2.
Allow the
learner to discuss in a group.
3.
Make them
present their views in the form of a group presentation
4.
Creating a balance between the active and
passive learners
Topic: Why does time differ in different countries?
The session went for 40 minutes and the students were of 9th
standard.
I asked them a few questions like
What is the time by your watch now?
Now they were told to search from internet
What is the time in U.S.A?
They found different time in both the countries.
Here I put another question: What is the reason of this difference?
Finding them unable to answer the question I explained the reason of
difference.
I used slides to make them understand the location of the
countries with reference to Greenwich Meridian and it helped them as it was a
source of visual learning. The rewards were oral or encouraging words.
I felt that content was bit difficult and needs more time
for practice. I gave them time to solve the problems on time which was less so
I have given another session for practicing some more problems.
Tools for Reflection
Gibbs Reflective Cycle
I have gone through the tools for reflection and found that each one of them provides a good frame work for
reflection. Among them the most suitable tool to reflect my teaching is ‘Gibbs
Reflective Cycle.’ It pays attentions to details of each step required for
reflection.
It begins with context in
which I can look into what, why, where and how did it happen? It allows me to
recall the thoughts and feeling before, at and after the session. Keeping in
mind the said things, I can easily evaluate the happening of session. How well
was the session conducted? Was it satisfactory? Did it achieve the set
objectives?
Analysis is an important step
in Gibbs cycle. It enables me to find out the barriers and limitations of
learning process. Finding out the barriers to learning process, re-framing is
suggested by Gibbs. In this I find the different alternatives or strategies to
avoid the negative outcomes and achieve the set goals. At last not the least I
can decide the future course of action to face such problem again. It enables
me to learn new techniques or method to achieve the positive outcomes.
Self Evaluation
Self evaluation means to be critique to own teaching practice.
In my opinion it is the most difficult task for a teacher to reflect on himself
because it is a natural tendency of man to justify their behavior. It is
appropriate to involve others in the evaluation process. Who are they?
They are my students to whom I can ask to give feedback on my teaching.
Feedback should be taken at different levels. I would prefer to get feedback at
three stages which are as follow
· One on completion of each module
· One in the midterm.
· One at the end of course.
Not only I will depend on students’ feedback but also talk to my
colleagues or peers and allow them to be critique on my teaching practice. Last
but not the least I will also adopt self evaluation techniques like asking
myself questions after every teaching sessions and recording my teaching
sessions and evaluate them later on. These different evaluation method
collectively enable me improve my teaching and encourage me learn new
strategies and methods to perform better in future.
Reflection on Teaching
It is true that
repetition of certain set of activities make a man experience and it improvise
the performance. But this fact is true about teaching as repeating the same
content and curriculum in the learning process might make the teacher
experienced but it does not improve the performance of the teacher. Performance
of a teacher is measured by his efficiency to engage his learners, how he
brings out the hidden talents, how he makes learning interesting and in brief
how he overcomes the passive learners.
I would like to share
my experience with my History teacher. He has been teaching since 1995 in the
school. His method of teaching was dull and boring. He used to enter the class
and says, “Open your books on
this page and asks one student to read the content.” This dull technique he had
been using since last 10 years. Half of students in class start dozing in his
class. After completing the lesson he used to make the students to mark the
answers. He emphasized on written test but students never got good score in any
of the test. But he never cared about it and always blamed the parents for not
taking care of their wards or the students for not studying at home. He never
tried to understand the problem of the students. Even he didn’t think about himself
and his methods of teaching. He remained stick to attitude and never reflected
himself and didn’t allow anyone to reflect on his teaching. As a consequence,
there was no learning in his class and the performance of the students remained
poor.
Do We Need Others
“It can be argued
that “real” reflective practice needs another person as mentor or professional
supervisor, who can ask appropriate questions to ensure that the reflection
goes somewhere, and does not get bogged down in self-justification, self-
indulgence or self-pity!” (Atherton, 2005, reflective practice, Para 3).
It is rightly said that ‘man is a
social animal’. The same is true for learning in life. Human beings learn in
the society because community is the source of reflection for each of us.
Learning cannot be imagined in isolation. The socio-constructivist viewpoint
claims that learning is a social process. Individuals actively construct
knowledge in a social environment by interacting with people around them,
especially those more knowledgeable others. (Bruner, 1996; Vygotsky, 1978)
Therefore I would like to say that
I agree with the above statement. The easy and appropriate way of reflection is
to take help from your peer, supervisor, mentor or even students. Self
reflection often misguides due to our nature or ego. J. Ruan (2005) finds in a study that
reflection is a social as well as an individual act. A supportive virtual
environment with opportunities for constant and consistent social interaction
facilitates reflection. In brief, the views of others are valuable and can
acknowledge a teacher his weaknesses or limitations.
I would like to recall a session of
Geography in which I taught about ‘Time’. My reflection on the session was that
my students followed the lesson well. It was an interesting activity for them
as they got the opportunity to solve problem during the session. The only
limitation that I noticed that I did arrange for them the required number of
problem to illustrate the topic.
I receive reflection on the same
from my students and supervisor. It was that even my supervisor faced the
difficulty to go along my topic. One of the students asked me to explain the
topic again. There suggestions were different from mine. They were of the view
that I should use some teaching aids to introduce the topic. The reason of
difference in time should be explained. The session should be divided into two
sessions as the content was complex.
To conclude, the true reflection
comes from different spheres.
Bruner, J. (1996). The
culture of education. Harvard University Press. Retrieved from: http://www.kmel-journal.org/ojs/index.php/online-publication/article/view/144/114
Ruan, J., & Beach, S.A. (2005). Using online peer dialogue journaling to promote reflection in
elementary pre-service teachers. Action in Education, 27(3), 64-75.
Retrieved from: http://www.kmel-journal.org/ojs/index.php/online-publication/article/view/144/114
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind
in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. Retrieved from: http://www.kmel-journal.org/ojs/index.php/online-publication/article/view/144/114
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Exploring Dual Professional Role
Exploring
Dual Professional Role
It is rightly said that change is
the law of nature. Change is inevitable and it is evident that the same is
happening with the education system and learning methodologies all over the
world. The rate at which the circumstances are changing differ from region to
region.
If we compare the learning
situation of 20th and 21st century both differ a lot. I
feel the reason for this immense gap is the resources available and efficiency
to use those resources optimally. If I look into myself , I found that I am on
transition stage as when I was born and
the period in which I completed my study , it was quite close to 20th
century methods but as soon I entered into my specialty area i.e. economics, I felt that there is a need to
shift to new methods of learning. Jing
(2012) states that different studies have proved that merely learning facts
does not benefit the students. There is a need to make the learning of
economics decision oriented. The teachers should constantly learn new
techniques, and carry on their research which should help them and their
students on job training. In brief, economics education should be
entrepreneurship oriented.
Working in specialty
area differs a lot from teaching in that area. While working, I need not to do much research as I was working at my own farm where most of activities were carried according to context and family decision or I can say that I was not the only decision maker and moreover the emphasis was on practical application of
learning. Teaching at tertiary level means I need to carry on research and
think over different methods and evaluate them so that they benefit my
learners. As classroom learning has now become an old fashion and blended
learning is the modern trend. Melnik (2010) states that we should design
distance learning courses that should use digital techniques which will change
the old assumptions of learning and make us emphasize on training in education.
To conclude, I would
like to say area of expertise help me to share my experiences with my learners
and enable them to understand the application of the knowledge they gain.
References:
Jing,M.A.(2012).
On
teaching Economics and Management from entrepreneurship education
perspective . Cross Cultural Communication,8(6),71-74.
Retrieved from: http://cscanada.net/index.php/ccc/article/view/j.ccc.1923670020120806.1871/3307
Melnik,V.(2010). Using
technological approach in developing distance learning course of Regional
Economics. Economics of Development.54(2),68-70.
Retrieved from: http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=search&query=au:%22V.%20Melnik%22&formQuery=au:%22V.%20Melnik%22&uiLanguage=en
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