This youtube video - humourous view of NAPLAN like testing - came my way via email from teaching professionals and seems to sum up the feeling of Naplan at the school level. Personally, without too much knowledge on this subject, I am interested to learn more about it, not only from the teachers' point of view (as they are the one's implementing it and their judgments being judged), but from the data side of things to know if the data is, in fact as is recorded, for rich purposes ...
Kylie B
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
T3, Week 1, 1-4: Pedagogy in Practice: Building my repertoire of skills
As outlined in the coursework for Learning and Pedagogy in Secondary EDED20487, there is also a range of strategies for use in the classroom that could come under the heading of pedagogy (or behaviour management) that impact on how effective instructional design will be in practice. My task here is to identify and reflect continuously on these.
Through observation and reflection it is important to build on that repertoire of skills too and these will complement my work in the design of effective pedagogy. These will include looking at such areas as:
- how to gain student attention
- how to organise and manage groups
- how to sequence and order activities an manage time
- how to monitor what is happening in the classroom and be pro-active in the management of problems and conflicts
- how to manage transition between activities
- how to use questioning techniques to promote learning and manage learner engagement
- how to use praise and feedback to promote learning.
This will be a work in progress which will begin here with some strategies for:
Gaining attention:
- Proximity
- Pause in talk
- Cueing
- Curriculum redirection
- Calling the student’s name
Giving instructions
- Waiting and scanning
- Oral directional phrase
- Verbal redirection: directive questioning
- Verbal redirection: Directive statement
- State logical consequence
- Follow through: enforce consequence
Managing transitions
- Waiting and scanning
- Non-verbal redirection
- Bracketing or "changing channels"
- Bracketing or "changing channels"
Organizing groups
- Non-verbal redirection
- Oral directional phrase
- Give choices (incorporating consequences)
Manage behaviours pro-actively
- Attitudes and perceptions discussion
- Attitudes and perceptions discussion
- Tactical Ignoring
- Selective attending –e.g. comment positively on the person next to the child who
requires behaviour modification
requires behaviour modification
- Waiting and scanning
- Distraction or diversion
- Calling the student’s name
- Individual close talk
- Give choices (incorporating consequences)
- State logical consequence
- Follow through: enforce consequence
- Move student in room
- Move student to reflection or time-out area
- Remove student from the classroom
- Have a third party remove student from the classroom
- Remove rest of class from the room or area (e.g. if student is violent, throwing things etc)
Giving praise and feedback
- Body language encouraging
- Descriptive encouraging
- Individual close talk
Use questioning techniques
- Questioning to redirect
Other effective strategies
- set clear classroom rules and expectations and reinforce them
- be organised
- plan, plan, plan, but be flexible also.
- be friendly
- set clear classroom rules and expectations and reinforce them
- be organised
- plan, plan, plan, but be flexible also.
- be friendly
This will be an ongoing post. Please feel free to add suggestions at any time.
T3, Week 1: The role of reflection in teaching - a response to Prestridge & Watson
What do I believe the role of reflection to be teaching? It is interesting that upon progressing through this post graduate teaching course I was at first overwhelmed with the expectations of reflecting on my work and "did not feel experienced enough to reflect". Suddenly I was reflecting through forums, creating a new blog, reflecting on activities, reflecting on lesson writing and performance. AAHHGG! However, once I began engaging in reflection as a professional practice and certainly during my time in school practicums, I realised just how important I found reflection to be in my personal growth, my learning journey and ultimately to how I perceived my self and my learners. Interestingly, I realised how I reflect unconsciously all of the time about other things in my life and this was a way of constantly monitoring and allowing for readjustment and improvement and experimentation and growth.
Once I had become comfortable with reflecting and understood how it was enhancing my development as a learner, I was able to enjoy the process and benefit from it. When reflecting, I not only undertake a critical and honest look at myself, my learners, my practice and my beliefs, but I also engage in making cognitive changes and improvements. For me, reflection initiates questions and I find myself actively seeking new information, extensions to information I may already have, justifications and alternatives and profession discussions with my Mentor Teachers and other teachers also. I appreciate and practice honesty in my reflections on how I am progressing and am perhaps one of my harshest critiques (something I also need to work on as being part of honesty), I understand the importance of equally addressing my strengths and weaknesses and to be conscious of working to improve areas of weakness, fill gaps and build my skills base. This is what I understand to be the way in which I will continue to learn and make sense of my direction and profession.
In my experience and opinion to date, my practice of reflection is important not only to my development and the growth and learning of my learners, but it is helping me to understand the complexities of the profession in which I am studying to enter. It is assisting me to "make sense" of the teaching profession and it works to "validate" my work and allows me to work towards seeing myself as such a professional. It allows me to gain confidence in my work each time I reflect and adapt lessons to meet the needs of my learners.
Prestridge, S., & Watson, G., (2004) Developing classroom teachers' understanding of multiliteracies: the role of reflection as outlined in EDED20487 Learning and Pedagogy in Secondary. CQUniversity. Retrieved 11 July 2010 from http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/10072/2084/1/25767_1.pdf
Once I had become comfortable with reflecting and understood how it was enhancing my development as a learner, I was able to enjoy the process and benefit from it. When reflecting, I not only undertake a critical and honest look at myself, my learners, my practice and my beliefs, but I also engage in making cognitive changes and improvements. For me, reflection initiates questions and I find myself actively seeking new information, extensions to information I may already have, justifications and alternatives and profession discussions with my Mentor Teachers and other teachers also. I appreciate and practice honesty in my reflections on how I am progressing and am perhaps one of my harshest critiques (something I also need to work on as being part of honesty), I understand the importance of equally addressing my strengths and weaknesses and to be conscious of working to improve areas of weakness, fill gaps and build my skills base. This is what I understand to be the way in which I will continue to learn and make sense of my direction and profession.
In my experience and opinion to date, my practice of reflection is important not only to my development and the growth and learning of my learners, but it is helping me to understand the complexities of the profession in which I am studying to enter. It is assisting me to "make sense" of the teaching profession and it works to "validate" my work and allows me to work towards seeing myself as such a professional. It allows me to gain confidence in my work each time I reflect and adapt lessons to meet the needs of my learners.
Prestridge, S., & Watson, G., (2004) Developing classroom teachers' understanding of multiliteracies: the role of reflection as outlined in EDED20487 Learning and Pedagogy in Secondary. CQUniversity. Retrieved 11 July 2010 from http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/10072/2084/1/25767_1.pdf
T3, Week 1: Reflective practitioner
Self reflection
What have I learnt
Upon reflection, I have over-viewed my learning of the fore-mentioned as follows:
Pedagogy I understand to be teaching for learning through the application of pedagogical frameworks that put the learner as the focus of the teaching/learning experience, a process where the learning is based on authentic learning principles to enhance and engage the learner, the process of the teacher joining the learner on the learning journey and a concept where teaching and learning acknowledges that learners learn in different ways and may experience different conditions which affect their learning, and as such examines and incorporates strategies which are inclusive and enhancing to all types of learners.
Learning - the process of making meaning out of experience, experiences + programmed knowledge + questioning insight.
Meta-learning - being aware and taking control of one's own learning
Teaching - guiding and facilitating learning, scaffolding learning activities and mediation of learning experiences.
Pedagogy - teaching for learning
Pedagogical Content Knowledge - "The teacher understands the concepts, the tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they teach and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students"
Fisher, R. (2010). Learning, Teaching and Pedagogy. Retrieved July 11, 2010, from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED20456 Pedagogical Content Knowledge.
My experience in school so far has allowed me to acquire knowledge on and demonstrate skills in curriculum knowledge in my specialist teaching areas of LOTE and SOSE (Senior Syllabus also), planning, preparation and record keeping, implementation of learning experiences I have designed and observed, creation and growth of interpersonal skills with learners and teaching colleagues, personal attitude adjustment and development and commitment to teaching, classroom management development, up-skilling to observe, reflect, assist/collaborate and teach.
Certainly my prior understanding of what teaching was has been challenged and updated. Embedded Professional Learning in schools has enabled me to witness, practice and reflect on pedagogical frameworks and understand the importance of developing my pedagogical understanding, develop a large bank of strategies, be very adaptable and flexible, be creative, be focused on and dedicated to my learners and their learning, continually reflect and adapt my own practice, observe and reflect on the practice of other professionals, continue to grow and build, and truly appreciate my learning journey alongside those that I am facilitating and monitoring the learning of.
What have I learnt
- about pedagogy so far?
- from pedagogical content knowledge?
- from my experience in schools?
Upon reflection, I have over-viewed my learning of the fore-mentioned as follows:
Pedagogy I understand to be teaching for learning through the application of pedagogical frameworks that put the learner as the focus of the teaching/learning experience, a process where the learning is based on authentic learning principles to enhance and engage the learner, the process of the teacher joining the learner on the learning journey and a concept where teaching and learning acknowledges that learners learn in different ways and may experience different conditions which affect their learning, and as such examines and incorporates strategies which are inclusive and enhancing to all types of learners.
Learning - the process of making meaning out of experience, experiences + programmed knowledge + questioning insight.
Meta-learning - being aware and taking control of one's own learning
Teaching - guiding and facilitating learning, scaffolding learning activities and mediation of learning experiences.
Pedagogy - teaching for learning
Pedagogical Content Knowledge - "The teacher understands the concepts, the tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they teach and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students"
Fisher, R. (2010). Learning, Teaching and Pedagogy. Retrieved July 11, 2010, from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED20456 Pedagogical Content Knowledge.
My experience in school so far has allowed me to acquire knowledge on and demonstrate skills in curriculum knowledge in my specialist teaching areas of LOTE and SOSE (Senior Syllabus also), planning, preparation and record keeping, implementation of learning experiences I have designed and observed, creation and growth of interpersonal skills with learners and teaching colleagues, personal attitude adjustment and development and commitment to teaching, classroom management development, up-skilling to observe, reflect, assist/collaborate and teach.
Certainly my prior understanding of what teaching was has been challenged and updated. Embedded Professional Learning in schools has enabled me to witness, practice and reflect on pedagogical frameworks and understand the importance of developing my pedagogical understanding, develop a large bank of strategies, be very adaptable and flexible, be creative, be focused on and dedicated to my learners and their learning, continually reflect and adapt my own practice, observe and reflect on the practice of other professionals, continue to grow and build, and truly appreciate my learning journey alongside those that I am facilitating and monitoring the learning of.
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Final Challenge - Assessment 3
Teaching is such an inspirational experience and I cannot believe that I have been lucky enough to finally experience it. It has certainly been a very hard, but rewarding journey so far. Not long to go now before I can take a breath and regroup for next Term.
I am heading in to my next and final assignment for the term now. It may not be until that assessment piece is completed and submitted that I will make it back to my blog here.
So, during that time, good luck to everyone and I hope all is going to plan!
If interested, you can find my webquest here and my website linked to the webquest here.
Keep an eye out for Hiroyuki-kun and Karen who are assisting the students in the webquest.
Warm wishes
Kylie B
I am heading in to my next and final assignment for the term now. It may not be until that assessment piece is completed and submitted that I will make it back to my blog here.
So, during that time, good luck to everyone and I hope all is going to plan!
If interested, you can find my webquest here and my website linked to the webquest here.
Keep an eye out for Hiroyuki-kun and Karen who are assisting the students in the webquest.
Warm wishes
Kylie B
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Its a small world afterall!
To coin a phrase ... "Its a small world afterall", but I still wouldn't like to paint it! The whole time I was engaging with the Google Earth activity, I was reflecting back on my life and I couldn't get past a childhood song that kept going on in my head - "Its a small world afterall". It really has become a small world after all! How prolific the words to that 1964 Nursery Rhyme have come to ring true after almost half a century!
I could not get the song out of my head, so I went to youtube to see what would come up. I soon located many versions of the song and settled on the following with tongue in cheek.
Having accomplished rediscovering the nursery rhyme, I now wanted to recall the details of it and where it had come from. Wikipedia was were I headed intuitively because I always to to wikipedia to get grounding knowledge on anything. I was not disappointed and it only took me a minute or two.
As Wikipedia describes, "Its a small world afterall" is perhaps one of the most translated songs in the world. So, I could not help but to look for the following in Japanese, which of course I found on youtube also...
I grew up using dictionaries and encyclopedias and cannot do without either. I thought I was very old school until I realised that I had just transferred my habits over to the electronic world. It just so happens that these days, it is through the computer that I find all of the information I need. I have my dictionaries close by (both English, Japanese and Japanese script), but 99 times out of 100, I will use the immediacy of the internet for my answers. What is this telling me?
GOOGLE EARTH & GOOGLE MAPS
I have been so inspired by Joe Wood's blog on Google Earth. Having observed and assisted in a Learning Experience recently where my MT (Mentor Teacher) introduced the students to Google Maps, I am very excited about the applications of Google Earth and Google Maps tools in my pedagogy. Having seen their successuf application and how my MT adapted their use to a Year 9 SOSE learning experience, I will utlise them as a learning tool for cultural aspects of learning, also for storytelling, application of learned knowledge though recording of learned information in appropriate locations, geography, politics, just about any topic imaginable could include these tools. And what I could incorporate into my Japanese LOTE Planning!
WIKIPEDIA
As I have touched on above, I personally use Wikipedia for finding grounding information on about any topic I am engaged in. Having had discussions with my MT, and listening to the advice that she has given her classes, I have come to the professional conclusion also that Wikipedia is a fantastic tool for finding out about a topic and getting ideas. As it holds common licence, the concepts it can help learners with does not need referencing, but rather can give then a kick start in the right direction. I will be encouraging my learners to utilise Wikipedia, however, as an academic reference, I will be advising my students not to cite it.
This is the exact place that I went to when I first found out what I would be engaged in teaching this term at my Learning Site. And this is another example of the wonderful information availalble immediately at my fingertips: Japanese adjectives, a very complex part of Japanese grammar that I am teaching my Year 9 Japanese students at the moment. Incredible and I will not be wasting such wonderful resources!
Kylie B
I could not get the song out of my head, so I went to youtube to see what would come up. I soon located many versions of the song and settled on the following with tongue in cheek.
Having accomplished rediscovering the nursery rhyme, I now wanted to recall the details of it and where it had come from. Wikipedia was were I headed intuitively because I always to to wikipedia to get grounding knowledge on anything. I was not disappointed and it only took me a minute or two.
As Wikipedia describes, "Its a small world afterall" is perhaps one of the most translated songs in the world. So, I could not help but to look for the following in Japanese, which of course I found on youtube also...
I grew up using dictionaries and encyclopedias and cannot do without either. I thought I was very old school until I realised that I had just transferred my habits over to the electronic world. It just so happens that these days, it is through the computer that I find all of the information I need. I have my dictionaries close by (both English, Japanese and Japanese script), but 99 times out of 100, I will use the immediacy of the internet for my answers. What is this telling me?
GOOGLE EARTH & GOOGLE MAPS
I have been so inspired by Joe Wood's blog on Google Earth. Having observed and assisted in a Learning Experience recently where my MT (Mentor Teacher) introduced the students to Google Maps, I am very excited about the applications of Google Earth and Google Maps tools in my pedagogy. Having seen their successuf application and how my MT adapted their use to a Year 9 SOSE learning experience, I will utlise them as a learning tool for cultural aspects of learning, also for storytelling, application of learned knowledge though recording of learned information in appropriate locations, geography, politics, just about any topic imaginable could include these tools. And what I could incorporate into my Japanese LOTE Planning!
WIKIPEDIA
As I have touched on above, I personally use Wikipedia for finding grounding information on about any topic I am engaged in. Having had discussions with my MT, and listening to the advice that she has given her classes, I have come to the professional conclusion also that Wikipedia is a fantastic tool for finding out about a topic and getting ideas. As it holds common licence, the concepts it can help learners with does not need referencing, but rather can give then a kick start in the right direction. I will be encouraging my learners to utilise Wikipedia, however, as an academic reference, I will be advising my students not to cite it.
This is the exact place that I went to when I first found out what I would be engaged in teaching this term at my Learning Site. And this is another example of the wonderful information availalble immediately at my fingertips: Japanese adjectives, a very complex part of Japanese grammar that I am teaching my Year 9 Japanese students at the moment. Incredible and I will not be wasting such wonderful resources!
Kylie B
Saturday, May 1, 2010
...tubing
As I enter this next study week of my learning journey, I am excited to see that I will be learning more about youtube. I remember saying to one of my colleagues at our first Residential school down in Rockhampton back in Febgruary of this year "I never go on youtube, I don't have time and I don't know why I would need to". WELL - haven't I done a bit turn about!!! One of the first places I go now to source ideas and information in youtube.
The reason I look to youtube for information and tools when planning lessons is for pedagogical reasons of creating authentic learning tasks for my learners whilst simultaneously trying to give many and varied learning strategies in any given lesson to accomodate the different learning styles of my learners. Youtube and similiar applications are a good time length (not too long) and they can be used to stimulate learners, give visual and creative cues and can be used in combination with other pedagogical strategies such as linked with questioning and group work.
The following is a series of youtube videos I found that compliments the current Unit of Work I am engaged in with Year 9 SOSE students which is titled "You have a Voice". Each video in this series relates beautifully to the topic of Democracy being discussed and even covers the history of it too. I intend to use these videos to convey information to the students, whilst keeping them engaged in the learning process. I will compliment these videos with questioning techniques, group work, and use them to lead in to the lessons. The series is called "in search of Democracy".
Introduction
in search of democracy Part 1
in search of democracy Part 2
in search of democracy Part 3
in search of democracy Part 4
in search of democracy Part 5
in search of democracy Part 6
in search of democracy Part 7
in search of democracy Part 8
in search of democracy Part 9
in search of democracy Part 10 - Conclusion
I have also included some videos here that are relevant to my Year 9 Japanese class. I love the simplicity, the visuals that the students have access to and importantly, the ability to hear the words pronounced by a native speaker of the target language which is, of course, very important for intonation and discourse. lessons. This just shows how much information, and valid educational information at that, that is available at your finger tips.
And finally, it was only this afternoon, before I began this work, that I discoverd teachertube. I found this simple but succint video I wanted to share with you all titled "Why let our students blog?" . It says it better than I could, and it doesn't even have any spoken words in it, illustrating just how powerful ICTs can be in pedagogically designed learning experiences!...
The reason I look to youtube for information and tools when planning lessons is for pedagogical reasons of creating authentic learning tasks for my learners whilst simultaneously trying to give many and varied learning strategies in any given lesson to accomodate the different learning styles of my learners. Youtube and similiar applications are a good time length (not too long) and they can be used to stimulate learners, give visual and creative cues and can be used in combination with other pedagogical strategies such as linked with questioning and group work.
The following is a series of youtube videos I found that compliments the current Unit of Work I am engaged in with Year 9 SOSE students which is titled "You have a Voice". Each video in this series relates beautifully to the topic of Democracy being discussed and even covers the history of it too. I intend to use these videos to convey information to the students, whilst keeping them engaged in the learning process. I will compliment these videos with questioning techniques, group work, and use them to lead in to the lessons. The series is called "in search of Democracy".
Introduction
in search of democracy Part 1
in search of democracy Part 2
in search of democracy Part 3
in search of democracy Part 4
in search of democracy Part 5
in search of democracy Part 6
in search of democracy Part 7
in search of democracy Part 8
in search of democracy Part 9
in search of democracy Part 10 - Conclusion
I have also included some videos here that are relevant to my Year 9 Japanese class. I love the simplicity, the visuals that the students have access to and importantly, the ability to hear the words pronounced by a native speaker of the target language which is, of course, very important for intonation and discourse. lessons. This just shows how much information, and valid educational information at that, that is available at your finger tips.
And finally, it was only this afternoon, before I began this work, that I discoverd teachertube. I found this simple but succint video I wanted to share with you all titled "Why let our students blog?" . It says it better than I could, and it doesn't even have any spoken words in it, illustrating just how powerful ICTs can be in pedagogically designed learning experiences!...
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