Reflection 1 Week 2

David Grimshaw, Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching.

Reflection on understanding of good pedagogical principles

It has been some time since I was in a learning environment, however, I do remember some things.  To start with pedagogy, I would like to make a note of my beliefs on how the teacher should present themselves, the outward demeanor of the teacher.  I believe that a teacher or lecturer should be thought of as a figure of authority by the student.  Certainly that authority should come from the respect where the person would be considered an expert in their field, but also a general authority figure.  This relates to the term Reputation Management.  I believe that a teacher should have a kind and caring demeanor mixed with this authoritativeness.  This is opposed to some experiences I had where teachers complained about other teachers lack of professionalism; and where teachers became too friendly with students.  Regarding becoming too friendly with students, my belief is that if a student has a propensity to laziness and is overly friendly with the teacher the student will not put as much effort into the work submitted thinking that the teacher will not mind.  The following is a treatise are my reflections on the eight points of good pedagogical principles provided in the course material for week two.

1. Deep knowledge through higher order thinking.  When I was at university, a first year subject taught science and communication (Bachelor of Science in Australian Environmental Studies).  This taught not to believe everything you hear and read in science.  We were taught how to process information.  Over the whole degree, especially in statistic related subjects, we were taught how to think.  This is what I believe the deep knowledge and higher order thinking would be.  Students should be taught how to deal with information.  How to work independently and process the information around you.  What information is good and what information is not so strongly enforceable.  
2. Facilitating collaborative learning in which conversations are important.  Having a few heads on a topic would be an excellent idea to research or solve a problem.  Even in the first week of university I have experienced where someone in our group was totally off-subject, as far as the requirement for an in-class exercise was concerned, and we helped to re-align him to what was needed.  In a case where the good learners are mixed with the lower achievers, the good example of clear thinking by the good learners can only be of benefit.  Collaborative learning in which conversations are had is potentially a strong pedagogical tool.  In university, however, this rarely worked when people were in groups.  Some people were constantly absent from the work meetings and they expected us, who attended them, to do the work and carry the load.  This may also occur in the secondary school setting where meetings are had out of school hours.  What is the solution to those who won’t contribute?  My answer, much to everyone's horror in one case, was to talk to the lecturers and have that person excluded from the group.  They then had to do the assessment themselves.
3. Supporting students in knowing how they learn best.  Much has been given in the early course work (of the Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching) about how good pedagogy supports the individual student and how they, the particular student, learn; about creativity that is found in the student; and including all students in the class.  I wish to introduce the word “Inclusion” from the text Hyde, Mervyn, Lorelei Carpenter, Robert Conway. Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement 2e, 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press Australia Higher Education, 11/2013.  Inclusion means “the right to active participation and achieving equity through engagement in all aspects of daily life” (Hyde 5) and also details dealing with students with a disability.  If a teacher could include all students in their class, taking consideration of all these aspects (mentioned in this section 3) this would be outstanding work by a teacher in an ideal world.  I personally do not know how, yet, to reach these learners and if I will do so at the cost of the rest of their classmates.  We, the future teachers, are willing, but is this possible!
4. Planning learning that is problem-based, and situated in real life contexts.  The problem-based tool (following the link provided in the resources) seems useful for coming to a solution, I have not used it before and cannot comment on its value in a classroom setting.  Situating problems in a real life setting has been useful to me.  I remember doing statistics in an advanced ecology class that really made me feel the study of statistics was worthwhile.  My chosen choice of study was biology and ecology and getting out of the ‘humdrum’ of a boring statistics class and getting into world of animals and doing some real-life ecology work was pleasing to me.  Basing problems to real world problems, perhaps sourced from current events, would also make the students feel they are doing a real job.
5. Is relevant to students, and connects to their background knowledge.  Relevant to students also overlaps the last criterion of real life contexts, however, where it is something connected to their family or circle of living, I can understand how their interest would be greatly improved.  Some of the early readings for Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching has covered teachers finding areas where students have interests and align work to that end; one example case was where a student wrote an english piece on a gameboy comes to mind; this would provide students with something they can really involve themselves in.  The days where I, as a high school student, had to write a piece about an english poem I did not understand, were certainly the ‘good old bad days’.
6. Supports learning that is owned, controlled and managed by students themselves.  From my discussions with parents, It seems they want their children to become more independent and make their own decisions.  This is one of the major reasons we at the Keppel Bay Sailing Club find parents put their kids into sailing: they are in the boat by themselves and have to make their own decisions about race strategy and how to manage their boat.  Learning that is owned, controlled, and managed by students teaches them the skills to think on their own, to learn how achieve thinking and learning beyond the school, and gives them independence.
7. Is socially supportive, engaging, and values cultural knowledges.  I am unsure what socially supportive means: the general public or just the students peers?  In this modern society where there are so many people who have immigrated, or their parents have, it is important to recognise and perhaps learn about other cultures.  I have found in university that people of other cultures seem to congregate together separately as a group with something in common.  It would be better if they could be assured of acceptance by their white Australian peers.  As a perspective geography teacher it will be my job to break-down these barriers with human-geography classes.
8. Is supportive of the development of active citizenship, and strong group identity.  Active citizenship is a new term to me.  A web-search reveals it is a bonafide term and the Wikipedia site, giving an article on the term, describes it as a ‘buzzword’ due to its vague definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_citizenship, sourced 6 March 2014).  Wikipedia then continues that in the United Kingdom students undergo a course in citizenship education.  Wikipedia, in the same article, notes that Denmark runs a teachers course in active citizenship: a college in Canada also runs a citizenship course (Mohawk College).  Wikipedia defines active citizenship as follows:

Active citizenship refers to a philosophy espoused by organizations and educational institutions which advocates that members of companies or nation-states have certain roles and responsibilities to society and the environment, although those members may not have specific governing roles.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_citizenship, sourced 6 March 2014)

The ‘Free Online Dictionary’ (by Fairfax) lists ‘Active Citizenship’ as follows:

Noun

1.

*active citizen - a citizen who takes an active role in the community (as in crime prevention and neighborhood watch) citizen - a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community

(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Active+citizenship, sourced 6 March 2014)

Active Citizenship would certainly be an ideal in the community.  A helpful environment in which we all participate in the nation and community would be good.  I am guilty of not being on the electoral role many years ago and was therefore not fulfilling my duties as a citizen at voting time.  I explore further about active citizenship with my treatise in the next paragraph.

Strong group identity, the second term in this part 8, if linked to nationhood like citizenship, seems to emply that we should adopt in culture forming.  What is group identity anyway?  In studying anthropology at university, one of the things you learn is that culture changes over time.  It seems when a culture change is needed in Australia, it starts with the young ones being indoctrinated in it by the school.   Even at my private school education, where the school reckoned they were the best school in Brisbane, there was a myth about the culture of the school’s academic status.  When my father went to school, in the 1940s, the class had to read each morning a ‘Good Manners’ chart about their behaviour and respect for the teacher.  The following was taken from the Queensland Government Library Services, Education History, web page (education.qld.gov.au/library/edhistory/topics/manners.html,  sourced 6 March 2014)

The 'Good Manners' chart was first issued to Queensland schools in 1898 by the Department of Public Instruction as part of the systematic teaching of conduct and manners. The chart was based on rules formulated by the Children's National Guild of Courtesy which had been founded in UK elementary schools in 1889. (see following a picture of the good manners chart.)

It is my opinion that a positive natured group identity is lacking in the populace in modern times and perhaps it is something we, as teachers, should work on, however, is there a point where we are brainwashing to make the students think a particular way!?  Where does teaching Active Citizenship and strong group identity end? With Mao’s Little Red Book!?  The following may be of some interest:

“In a remote part of China, the day starts at the Democracy Elementary and Middle School with a pre-dawn jog, revolutionary songs and an activity long forgotten at other schools: reciting from Mao Zedong's "Little Red Book".

To many in China today, this collection of quotations from the late Communist leader is a curio from a bygone era. At the Democracy School, it is an important part of the curriculum.”  (http://widerimage.reuters.com/story/lessons-from-mao/, sourced 6 March 2014)

Picture from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotations_from_Chairman_Mao_Tse-tung, sourced 6 March 2014)

Blooms Taxonomy

Bloom, an educational psychologist, headed a committee in the year 1956 and developed the Blooms taxonomy of Learning Domains.  The committee identified three domains of educational activities or learning (Bloom, 1956):

1. Cognitive: mental skills (knowledge)
2. Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (attitude or self)
3. Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (skills)

The course material goes further in providing aspects of each domain which would make a complicated task to review here.  (A concept map was planned for this section but I have run out of time.)

The SAMR model provides another concept to learning.  It has four categories that progress one after the other in orders of learning.  The categories are progressed as follows (the comments are based on learners studying a play):

1. Substitution: Substute texts, watch videos, generally substitute written text.
2. Argumentation: Visit groups and see how others view the subject, download experts opinions, or MP3.
3. Modification:  Using Woodle to find frequently used words, watch video to see how subject is put together, ways of modification.
4. Redefinition: Doing things they could not do before technology, uploading videos on-line of yourself, canvass on-line audience for feedback.

Above 1 and 2 are sub-categorised as enhancement level, and 3 and 4 are sub-categorised as transformative level.  

The SAMR was invented in the late 1980s and is designed for the use of technology in the workplace and (in our case) for learning.  The differences between the Bloom’s domains and SAMR is that Bloom is a concept for learning and not referenced for any particular technology and SAMR is a learning theory with technology resources in mind (it does not only have to be a computer).  Bloom’s model appears to be more detailed than the SAMR and is aimed at the learning and categorising of the psychological profile of the learner; whilst the SAMR does not describe like a psychological profile and covers more what the learner is doing.  It is interesting to note, if you are as old as me, that computers were comparatively primitive devices in the late 1980s when the SAMR model was invented.  I remember working in an office in 1991 and they had the new (the first) Microsoft Windows program, newly released -- it was cutting edge and all the computers were new.  I changed offices a year later and went back to a DOS IBM machine.  In the late 1980s, the internet had not been developed or if it had there were not the modern tools on it that we have today.  It seems the video presentation in the resources for this subject has modified the SAMR theory to bring it in modern times.   

deBono’s hats and use of mobile phones in class

This weeks wiki task of providing comments on the use of mobile phones in class was a difficult one for me.  The last time I was near a classroom was over ten years ago at university and not everyone had a mobile phone in those days; those that did only had simple ones with a black-and-white liquid-crystal screen.  I have observed my three nieces when visiting them at home and they do not even talk to me any more, they are so distracted by the smart-phones.  I have observed one of my classroom colleagues the past two contact weeks and he constantly plays with his smart-phone while the lecturer talks; there is a stage where it is his choice whether he listens to the lecture or plays with social-media when at university level.  How much does this choice go to the high school student; if they are in senior years may be it is their choice what they do in class as well.  The wiki seems to me to be a very good tool to get your students fully engaged in a topic; they are forced to write responses from every aspect rather than just giving a lazy response in the classroom.  The six-hats idea also stimulates discussion and helps for students to come to a conclusion.   I have used it before in the university setting and it was initially used by the class as a problem solving tool.  For this exercise of ours, I would like to see how the spread of responses on the wiki page can be sorted in the classroom setting.  On a computing level, I found the wiki a very clumsy and unstable on-line tool to use and would not want to be contributing a large amount of detail to it.

Working legally, safely and ethically online : the issues

Having done an undergraduate degree, I am aware of the need to reference and acknowledge your source.  This was done even in my day for web-based sources.  Internet bullying has also been covered in popular current events programs on television and is something that the general public knows about.  I was interested to learn from the course material that online reputation  incidents were increasing; when someone in the general public commits a crime, and it is televised, their facebook photo is often used, I noticed: one has to be careful what you put on facebook.  Reputation management: I have also some personal experience of everything you send on computer being permanent, when having trouble with a colleague at work one-time an email I sent a year before was produced to defame me.  One has to be careful what you put online: jokes, negativity, photos, language (not just foul language but word formulation).  Other considerations for the classroom setting would be the language used on youtube.  Identity theft is also a consideration.  It is certainly important students realise that their online reputation starts now.  

Wrap-up

I realise this subject is ICT and there are no computer gadgets, limited pictures, and generally speaking no “hooks” for the reader to grab their interest.  I am still learning what is out there in the computer world and how to use these different computer tools.  I hope to provide a more interesting and entertaining Blog as the semester progresses.  Although it looks plain, an extraordinary amount of time went into this blog and I cannot continue to allocate this amount of time each week.  Somehow this Blog has to be streamlined and not such a time-waster.  I am interested to hear the markers suggestions about this after assessment.  

David Grimshaw.