Project course and technology

I’ve chosen a course that at this stage in the semester will be enhanced with engagement through an  eportfolio platform. Early Childhood Education N363 provides opportunities for students to extend academic reading and writing skills. The course covers academic genres, textual structures and writing functions with an emphasis on syntactical and lexical functions, summarizing and paraphrasing. It explores the effective planning and organization of reading, synthesizing and summarizing of research articles leading to the writing a critical review using appropriate academic functions. The second goal focuses on vocabulary using the detailed reading approach, which supports an understanding of the writer’s purpose, genre stages, writing flow and voices in academic writing. Additional goals introduce and explore tutorial speaking and presentation skills. This course aligns with Education course N367 and N353.

Course outcomes include 

1.      Demonstrate the collaborative planning and facilitation of a class tutorial using an academic text as a springboard for discussion

2.       Demonstrate the ability to plan and manage own learning effectively.

3.       Demonstrate a firm understanding of the role of effective communication in both Arabic/English in the ECE settings as related to special needs of the students and identify SMART, IEP goals that meet the child’s specific needs

This project focuses on the introduction and use of PBWORKS as a course platform tool for student portfolio work on their critical review writing. This task comes at a new stage in the course and is a great opportunity to use a customized portfolio.

 It will use the PBWORKS platform as a workspace for students, a discussion forum about the critical review and a repository for their academic research articles. This will allow interactive feedback or correspondence and progressive tracking as they independently write their reviews. I think that portfolios can be an effective way for students to work collaboratively, demonstrate independent tasks and record their writing and ideas as evidence of learning. It is also a chance for me to use and explore the use of programs such as VOKI to deliver content, share or update information.

Learning networks

My personal learning networks keep changing depending on where I work, what I am doing and really how much time I have to juggle my life. A lot of networking happens for me as face to face talk and sharing. I find this invaluable because I like interaction. I was part of  linkedin at one stage, blogs during my courses and a forum at the university where I last taught. Of course tapping into a wider international network has to have benefits but as I said I like to spend my time on a variety of things. I guess I've been 'immersed'  in the world of teaching for a long time and sometimes want a break without consulting all the time! But that doesn't mean I don't look for opportunities to further my practice and understanding. Networks are essential for teachers but they can be accessed in many ways,all with terrific benefits.    

Educational technology: thoughts and experiences

Without a doubt contemporary education needs technology and we live in a connected world of learning networks. It is also important because it is the lens through which we view teaching and learning in a constructivist learning environment. This technology-supported learning environment certainly creates a context where learning is a personal, as well as a social activity but the dependence on technology in the learning process  has significant consequences on how learning takes place personally and socially. This is obvious for me in my current courses at HCT which are all delivered through BB9 and OneNote. My experience as a teacher over the past thirty years has allowed me to experience fundamental changes in the way we perceive teaching and learning. We can all celebrate the days of talk and chalks are gone but the drive towards educational technology is really out of our hands. I do wonder about the shift I have seen towards relying on it too much..... There is also the debate and questioning about the quality of deep learning and metacognition that is taking place for learners within this computer-mediated collaborative learning context. Is there enough opportunity for those higher order thinking skills and the reflection that is needed? Are we helping to create environments where our learners are too dependent on technology, group consensus and less on themselves?

 John Page makes reference to ten very logical and obvious reasons why it is important in the contemporary educational context. I would not advocate learning as an outside-guided model but consider learning as self-guided to be a central target to aim for with our students. But the challenge, I believe, is to understand and evaluate the worth of different perspectives and methods to guide the design of effective instruction for learners. The constructivist principles of education seems to assume a lot, where learners are expected to function as self-motivated, self-directed, interactive, collaborative participants in their learning experiences. We know this is not always possible and there are so many variables at play in any learning situation. Therefore I would suggest that teachers today face two challenges. One challenge comes from the changing perceptions of what learning is all about and the second challenge comes from the perceived new learning opportunities that technology now presents.

INQUIRY REPORT

 Summary of the most important points
Misunderstandings about effective teaching as a set of general methods and skills, has created the idea that teachers can teach any subject. But to design effective learning environments, teachers need to acknowledge and reflect on the unique conceptual obstacles in their discipline that their students will face in order to inform their own pedagogy and personal teaching practice.
Knowing just how students learn is as important as knowing what they learn and having a teaching pedagogy of how to teach it.

Research has shown how teachers think about history, mathematics and science and what they know affects how they teach it. This chapter presents exemplary examples of effective teaching in the fields of maths, science and history. These examples highlight the significant and combined roles of teacher’s content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and understanding of thinking and learning in their subject area. These ‘domains of knowledge for teaching’ (Shulman p.169) allow teachers to know where to start and build on students’ prior knowledge with in a field so as to assess student progress and explore new knowledge.

Having spoken to several faculty teachers here at HCT the initial question posed developed into in-depth conversations about teaching and learning…. This was great.  The initial question that I posted became just a springboard for what I think is my final open question below. I’ve gone back to the idea of pedagogical content knowledge because this kept cropping up in all the discussions.

So I have shifted my focus slightly and I’m refining the focus to a narrower field. This allows my investigation to concentrate on teachers and their own personal perceptions and journeys to get to where they are. J

I’ve added a new introduction to this that explains and clarifies where I’m taking my question. Next I will reinterview the teachers.

Focus Question

What do teachers need to know to design and create effective learning environments?

Opportunities for teachers to learn about their teaching practice are a significant aspect of lifelong learning and professional development. Understanding how teachers reflect on and examine their own teaching practice and what chances they have to develop as professionals is the focus of this study.

Practicing teachers learn about teaching in diverse ways. In the context of higher education, there are multiple opportunities to develop as a professional but how effective are these and do they inform an individual’s personal teaching practice as well as keep teachers updated on content in their field?

Shulman (1987) suggests effective teachers need pedagogical content knowledge not just subject matter knowledge and general teaching methods because one just represents expertise in a field while the other represents helping others to understand and learn. (Teachers pedagogical content knowledge = a cognitive roadmap to guide students and understand conceptual barriers)

When knowledge interacts with teaching strategies, teachers can separate the important content and skills from the peripheral. Curriculums and course content are then mediated by teacher’s subject understanding and content knowledge. This combined with pedagogical knowledge and teachers’ understanding of thinking and learning in their subject supports them to design instructional strategies and pitch content at appropriate levels for learners.

 So how do teachers combine and extend pedagogical knowledge and content to attain pedagogical content knowledge?

 Five experienced teachers from different faculties at HCT were interviewed and a discussion developed using these questions as a springboard to lead into the final enquiry about how teachers attain pedagogical content knowledge.

1.       What training or study did you undertake before teaching your current field?

2.       How do you reflect on your own personal teaching practice?

3.       What kind of PD do you think is effective for the development of your PTP in both content and pedagogy?

4.       Do you think teachers have the opportunity to combine and extend pedagogical knowledge and content to attain pedagogical content knowledge?

All the participating teachers were trained in content and attained university degrees in their field. Only two participants had a background in teaching pedagogies because their majors were in education. These teachers had undertaken action research and they both said it had supported them in the struggle between ‘knowing and doing’ in the learning environment. The other teachers had focused on content in their training and didn’t have a background in teaching and learning theories or practice. They saw the teaching of content knowledge as their prime focus and the preparation of students for assessments. They also agreed there were generic teaching tools that are used by teachers despite their content area.

Personal teaching practice, for many of the teachers, focused around technology and skills. They generally didn’t see the importance of extending pedagogy unless it was seen as relevant to the teaching of their content. So any PD they valued and used focused on skill development and the use of technology in the classroom. They all acknowledged that their technological teaching tools needed constant updating and development so they appreciated PD in this area but also conceded that time management issues were a constraint and significant factor in the extension of their teaching programs. They also said there were limitations because of teaching spaces, assessment schedules and student readiness for independent learning.

PTP appeared to be viewed in relation to professional experience and the development of tacit knowledge as a teacher. They all recognised the need to keep a realistic balance between the demands of teaching their courses and the framing of their PTP. It was usually in response to the delicate balance of many factors and there was not a lot of energy or time to put into reflective practices or trialling new teaching methodologies.

Finally, they recognised the idea of pedagogical content knowledge but said they hadn’t thought about it in detail or in relation to their own teaching. They had a ‘toolbox’ of teaching methodologies that they drew upon and extended when they could. This resource was a combination of their own learning experiences, knowledge of the field and most importantly extensive teaching experiences. So they felt they did assess their students learning and their own teaching but through their own frame of reference and student feedback. They all acknowledged the importance of faculty input, tacit knowledge and the professional exchanges that took place with other teachers as the most significant factors in the development of their own pedagogical content knowledge.

 

Memorable experience

I think life is one long memorable experience. Thinking of discreet happenings lots come to mind but learning to horse ride was very memorable for me. It was a challenge of my willpower and fortitude to communicate with my strong willed mare, and make her respond to my commands so we could get to the point that we worked as a team. My  riding instructor was so patient and consistent. She never gave up, we worked together, discussing techniques and considering alternative possibilities. All the time she consistently modelled the correct way which got the results.This made a big difference, watching, learning and trying for myself until eventually Manita, my mare and I could attempt the dressage circuit. It was an achievement and it was the practice and desire to do it that sustained the long effort.    

Thoughts on Practical Theory

Dorovolomo (2004) writes about teachers having a “sense of ownership” of their work.  Certainly this what has helped me to develop and change my practical theory over the years.  The formulation of this theory to get to the current paradigm I teach out of has definitely been a combination of my own values, beliefs and goals. But in looking back and reflecting on this evolving theory I have to say the context of my teaching has been a significant driving factor. These ‘varying contextual climates’ have given me the opportunity to work within education communities that held their own strong philosophies and values, to teach alongside colleagues who had a wealth of experience and I experienced  their own practical theories in action and of course to learn from the learners themselves, the students.
I started teaching in school education in 1975 when there was a huge ‘de-schooling movement’ in Australia. It was an exciting time when new ideas about teaching and learning were emerging. Parents were passionate about their children’s education, we were passionate about making changes, the education system was sympathetic. We had great philosophical discussions in the staff room, trialled new programs, tried creative teaching methods and didn’t have the cramped curriculum found in schools today. This was a great foundation on which to build my practical theory.

             Since then I’ve observed learning theories and methodologies come and go. I’ve seen the introduction of outcomes based education and a system driven by assessments where teachers complain about teaching for testing within a top heavy curriculum. But through all of this, I have taken my experiences on board and developed my own personal identity as a teacher. When I completed my Masters of Ed in 2007, I felt so enthusiastic again that the passion had revived that I felt back in 1970’s. I’ve been teaching for 35 years and I absolutely agree with the notion of teacher’s practical theory.   Mine is currently informed by positive psychology through recognising the importance of motivation and joy in learning. Csikszentmihalyi ‘s research on ‘the state of flow’ is an important factor in my own theory because I have seen how the engagement of emotions is a driving factor in understanding which leads to a state of deep learning. Mental states matter is my mantra. I have particularly observed this in adult learners from all cultural backgrounds. It is a common state we all share.

Introduction

Hi,
My name is Julie and I'm teaching at Sharjah Women's and Men's Colleges. This semester I'm in the Liberal Arts Faculty teaching creative writing to the bachelor students as well as academic english in the Education Faculty.
I'm from Australia and I was teaching at the University of Sydney before coming to HCT. I've had a long teaching career in school education and higher education in Oz.
I'm looking forward to getting settled into the course once I'm in a routine and I've solved the computer probs I'm having.
Cheers.