Pratt (1998) Reading: Alternative frames for understanding

Views on Teaching

Pratt, D., & Associates. (1998). Alternative frames of understanding. In Five Perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education (pp. 33-53). Malabar, FL: Kreiger.

"That is, we can learn about a different perspective, as opposed to committing to a different perspective"

Interesting, something that I have always thought about. Like the "agree to disagree"

"Most people find ways to confirm what they already believe rather than change the more central beliefs about teaching"

Watch that happen a lot.  Have also caught myself doing that at times (and possibly do it more without realising).  Perspectives are an interesting concept.  There are always ways to improve but one has to be open to it.

Five perspectives on teaching

1. Transmission Perspective
2. Apprenticeship Perspective
3. Developmental Perspective
4. Nurturing Perspective
5. Social Reform Perspective

I know my teaching has been effective when:

1. My students are excited about coming to class
2. My students are learning new things
3. My students are making progress in their learning
4. My students are able to take what they have learned and apply it to new contexts
5. My students attend to their learning tasks
6. My students confidence in their abilities grows
7. There are limited behavioural issues to attend to (because the learning is the focus)
8. My students are happy to discuss their learning outside of class
9. My students "teach" others
10. ??????

Transmission Perspective: Delivering Content

The primary focus is on the efficient and accurate delivery of that body of knowledge to the learners. "Jug and Mug theory" teacher-centred

It is not ineffective when applied correctly

Apprenticeship Perspective: Modeling ways of Being

Teaching is the process of enculturating learners into a specific community.

Like normal apprenticeships! learner-centred. The teacher and content are fused as one, signifying the inseparability of the teacher and content, withing the context. 

Developmental Perspective: Cultivating ways of Thinking

Learning view derived from cognitive psychology. making connections with prior learning and altering the schema to adjust to new experiences through cognitive thought. Construct and reconstruct knowledge, skills and understandings. Thinking and problem solving.  Teacher role is to help learners think like experts.

Nurturing Perspective: Facilitating Personal Agency

Belief that learning is most affected by a learner's self-concept and self-efficiency. Empathising with students while providing support and encouragement as they attempt to learn.  The goal is to help people become more confident and self-sufficient. Belief that learners must not only be successful, but they must attribute their success to their effort and ability.

Social Reform

From a social reform point of view, learning is about the collective rather than the individual. It involves challenging the values and ideologies embedded into classroom practices and contexts. Students are encouraged to take a critical stance and take social action to not only improve their own lives but those of others.

Where do I fit?


According to the TPI I am strong in the developing and nurturing aspects and if you asked a few colleagues of mine they would tend to agree.  What this also identifies is my weakness in developing social reform.  I do tend to agree with this analysis.  It shows me areas that I need to work on.

261.764: Foundations of E-learning

I have to do something here...  just not quite sure what???  Coming back to this I feel...

Module One: The Big Picture

After completing this module, I should be able to

• Demonstrate an understanding of the term e-learning and what it encompasses
• Demonstrate an understanding of other related concepts such as distance education/learning, blended learning and open learning
• Demonstrate a growing awareness of the recurring and ongoing debates on technology use in educational contexts

With reference to the recommended readings, define and identify three characteristics of one mode of teaching with digital technologies (e.g. blended, online, distance, authentic, flexible) that make it distinctive compared with face-to-face teaching? Why is this important?

Define Blended Learning:

Through research, it is difficult to define blended learning into a simplistic definition. Picciano (2009) and Driscoll (2002), states that blended learning means different things to different people. Kumi-Yeboah (2014), describes blended learning as a type of online learning environment that includes multifaceted learning tools to support learning. This idea is agreed to by Bates (2015) who defines it as technology enhanced learning. Picciano (2009) states that blended learning occurs when the traditional idea of teaching and learning are integrated with digital technologies in ways where activities are planned in a pedagogically valuable manner. Powell et al. (2015) adds to this by including the potential to offer personalised instruction to a given group of learners. Furthermore, Driscoll (2002), adds to this by providing many definitions depending on the context in which blended learning occurs, includes the tools and applications used, as well as the pedagogical approaches used.

Because researchers are unable to agree blended learning is it is also be referred to as hybrid or flexible learning (Bates, 2015; Kumi-Yeboah, 2014; Picciano, 2009). However, despite little agreement on the definition, Kumi-Yeboah's  (2014) is the simplest as shes describes the main purpose of blended learning is to “pair the best features of face-to-face teaching with the best options of online learning to promote active and independent learning” (Kumi-Yeboah, 2014, p. 28).

Teaching for e-Learning - Goals for this Course

There is a lot that I do want to get out of this course (some of which I don't know until I learn them).

I want to understand the theories and concepts that surround the use of online environments in a blended learning environment. I want to extend my learning in my area of passion.  Effectively using digital technologies in the classroom is not an easy concept and there is a lack of understanding about the pedagogical changes that are required to teach in an eLearning environment effectively.  There are not only the academic theories to contend with but also the theories/understandings of others who just don't understand the possibilities.

Ultimately I want to have a solid foundation to make the learning experiences that I offer my students the very best that I can.  Having taught in school that has made little progress in eLearning I want to be able to do more than I have been doing.  I want to move to the 21st Century, I want to be able to engage my learners in the best way possible for them to make progress in their own learning using digital tools to do so.

I am hoping that through completing this course I have some creditability and insight which can not only asset me but also the students that I hope to teach next year and beyond.

Task 1.2 Views of Teaching

What are the similarities and differences between your views of teaching and your teaching practice?

How do you view teaching? What is your main role as a teacher?

As a classroom teacher in a rural college of year 7-13 students and teaching a wide variety of subjects to different levels my role of a teacher does change.  I personally believe that I am not the holder of all knowledge and I can not be the expert on everything.  Knowledge changes, especially where digital technologies and the www are concerned. My belief in teaching is around exposing students to experiences that they may not be exposed to in other areas of their life.  We are educating students for a world of the unknown, and as a teacher, I believe that we need to provide learning experiences that will help them develop into confident life-long learners.

Identify examples of typical teaching activities and the implied relationships between you (as the teacher), the content you were teaching, the values/ideals involved, and the learners?
Were your actions consistent with your stated views?

In Food Technology, my role is much more transmission during theory lessons because it makes life easier within the constraints of having students for a set length of time and needs to incorporate both theory and practical.  Although I do expect students to collaborate and participate in discussions and share their points of view.  It is a subject which I struggle to incorporate an effective blended learning environment.  Although I incorporate digital tools as often as I can. However in saying that, nurture and development are always part of who I am.  The students are encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge of food products in order to develop their own technological outcome with a partner and take ownership of the process.  When I reflect on my teaching in a practical situation, I do spend a lot of time questioning them with opened questions and getting the students to develop their knowledge and understanding further. This fits into the Cognitive learning view (Pratt, 1998). Although I can see that when we are completing a practical lesson there are times where my expert knowledge help the students have a product they can eat (just can't say if it is palatable).

In mathematics, (a subject I enjoy) I spend a lot of time developing the confidence of students who have not enjoyed math previously.  This is evidence of the Nurturing learning view as described by Pratt (1998). I make it my mission to spend the year trying to change the attitudes of the learners and develop their mathematical understanding. I would spend time finding resources,  both online and off, that would allow students to move from the concrete to the abstract, as many students had limited understanding of the number system or many of the mathematical concepts we covered.  Although in math, I found it my opinion that there was no point moving on to another topic until students understood what it was that they were learning. However, the last time I was teaching math, I went on a professional development course in Papamoa and I started seening more relevance for mathematical integration.

In Digital Technology (my most favourite subject), I have found that the students look at me as the expert and I believe it is my role to encourage students to take risks and learn about things they aren't so comfortable with or not yet been exposed too. Online technologies are not used well in other classes (I do wish this wasn't the case though) as I always see so much more can be done than the current practice.  Depending on what year level I teach I do think I do draw from different perspectives.  My main idea is to develop the students knowledge and understanding and provide an environment where they are encouraged to takes risks, learn by doing and understand how the given technology/application works (Google Docs, Web searching, coding, image creation - vector and raster, Website creation, iPads, etc).

What I struggle with is the confines of NCEA, (and there is a big difference between unit standards and achievement standards) it is rather prescriptive on the outcomes. I'm pretty sure there has been times where I have had to say to my seniors that "we just have to suck it up and carry on", especially when students are becoming disillusioned about the requirements. In saying this though, the students are provided opportunties to explore with programmes and add their own creative touch to their work.  There are some where I spend the whole year building their confidence.

In year 10, I find I make links to the wider world and other subjects, this is because they need to think carefully about where they are going the following year and beyond and their choices.  For juniors, I usually set up the students to complete tasks more at their own level to work through and I feel it is my job to assist those who require it.  There is a lot less transmission in these classes, as doing whole class study can be quite frustrating (although I do do it at times).

In Social Science last year I spent a lot of time developing the students' confidence in their ability to learn in a new context.  These students were initially used to the transmission aspect, and I found that because I worked more in the developing aspect that the students initially found the transition difficult.  One unit we did involved the students researching one aspect of sustainability that they decided they were interested in.  I found that I felt guilty if I hadn't spent time with students who were more independent learners (there were some very demanding students in that class who struggled with the concept of independent learning which I found was to the detriment to other learners especially to the low quiet achievers), and would ensure that I caught up with them the next lesson.  I do remember the discussions we had over the need to look after pond life, I kept posing questions and was adamant that we didn't need them.  The students spent a lot of time developing their own opinions and 'tried to change my mind' which is reflected in Pratt (1998), p 45. I can also relate to the comment that it is difficult for the teacher to develop assessment which demonstrates how the students knowledge and understanding has changed.  I do wish that assessment could be based on the key competencies rather than stating the curriculum level students are working at.

Even in writing this I can identify that my strengths appear to be in developing and nurturing what I was initially understanding is how/where apprentice appeared to fit in.  But if I understand it correctly, as a facilitator I do believe that I do not hold all the knowledge and that there can be experts in our classrooms that we can all learn from.  And at times, those experts are the least expected.  As we move towards a more collaborative view of the teaching and learning process, it is important to recognise the developing strengths of our students in both skills and knowledge.  If we want them to develop leadership skills, we need to provide opportunities to practice the skills involved in leading.

Pratt, D., & Associates. (1998). Alternative frames of understanding. In Five Perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education (pp. 33-53). Malabar, FL: Kreiger.

Task 1.1 Teaching Perspectives

This week the main reading was

Pratt, D., & Associates. (1998). Alternative frames of understanding. In Five Perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education (pp. 33-53). Malabar, FL: Kreiger.

Which made you think which of the five perspectives you hold with your students.


Completing the reading did make me reflect on which of the perspectives I use.  I wasn't so surprised to see that Developing and Nurturing were the strongest of the five aspects as I find that many of the students I teach require scaffolding towards independent learning and require a lot of positive nurturing.

When undertaking the TPI survey which gave me the results above there was the requirement to focus on a group of students whilst completing it.  I have realised that if I were to focus on another group of students with another subject that the results would be slightly different.  That would not take away from the fact the perspectives I hold will always quite possibly be stronger in Developing and Nurturing.

What I was surprised about was the low social aspect.  I think that even though I do believe in creating a social conscience with students that this can be harder to develop in a rural (partly isolated) school which has limited resources. An example of this is when with my year 7 Social Science class I would have liked to do more socially aware tasks/activities linked with sustainability, however within the constraints that I encountered this was difficult (particularly cost and lack of resources).

What was surprising to me was how much this reading reminded me of "The Third Teacher", its linked with the hidden curriculum yet for the learner it shows them what is important.

261.760: Instructional Design for e-Learning

What do I hope to accomplish in this course?

The Course Goals

• Demonstrate developing information literacy in locating, evaluating and using relevant information from the internet 
• Compare and contrast learning theories 
• Identify appropriate information and communication technologies for effective learning 
• Apply knowledge of learning theory and instructional design in developing material for E-Learning 

Procedure

As a reflection, this will be a written piece which includes:

1. reference to your own experience, context and views, including making sense of (or meaning from) those experiences, in context 
2. reference to your learning activity 
3. reference to existing theory/stimulus 
4. a central thesis (or main point) which gives the piece focus 

My Reflection

Although I'm not afraid of digital technologies, I do think that this course will push some of my comfort zones, blogging being a case in point. It's realistically an electronic diary, but having given up on them (book form) since I was a kid, this is going to take some getting used too.

Throughout me teaching degree we learned a lot about how to teach and what to teach, I am learning about the theories that are out there. MindLab started this journey for me. I never realised there was so much literature out there, however I seemed to have developed my own which I am beginning to see seems to sit alongside many out there. Yes I have done a lot of PD many of which has been linked with the use of digital technologies, but I was pretty naive about the theories behind them. This is the start of a learning journey, one of which will extend my thinking and knowledge and skills.

It is hoped that this course helps me develop better teaching and learning opportunities for the students in my charge. If I am wanting to do that effectively I need to learn the theory behind it and put that into practice.

ePortfolio Apps

the link from Massey recommend this link: ePortfolioapps this looks really good.  I need to read into it a bit more..  hence why I added the link here.

New Learning Journey - Massey University

Today is the first day of me actually starting my Massey journey.  I should have started last week, but with the desperate need to get our new house to some form of liveable standard I had to push everything to the limit.  This week is catch up.  Using the data on my phone, since I have no internet yet in my new house, I am on.  It seems a daunting task, what have I gotten myself into?  Lol.. its possible the need to catch up with is overcrowding my head.  I will get there, so much to learn and digest.

Quite link Stream though, it seems easier to navigate than the MindLab app.  This is something which I will need to continue to observe.

Ok, so my Massey course wants me to start a blog too...  Looks like I really need to stop procrastinating about it, and use it.