Module 1 Activity 8 Piaget_Influence

Piaget Influence
This activity has reminded me of the need for teachers to be refreshed about the reasons why students learn the way that they do and made me think about what can be done to make them learn even more. It reminded me as a teacher that though students might appear to be similar in the stages of development, they learn differently at different pace, and this must be catered for in the classroom. No longer can a teacher go into a classroom and post tasks on the chalkboard expecting all students to handle all of them the same way.  No longer should the one test/exam at the end of a term decide a child's future. A good reminder for me is that all children go through these stages of cognitive development and we should not expect them to skip a stage. This means that we have to make the students naturally develop and provide the necessary experiences for this development to take place. We cannot and should not force children to develop before they are ready for that stage.

Module 1 Activity 7 - Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is an approach that caters to the needs of many students and it helps in the development of their collaborative skills as they work together to complete tasks.  Students will have responsibility for their learning and the teacher will only act as a guide or facilitator in this case.  When I conducted the activity, my role was to ensure that the students stuck to task.  As a matter of fact, the students were so focused that my presence was not needed.  The students had fun learning and they will always want to repeat such activities. There is no doubt that once the students are aware that a similar activity is going to take place, I will have the full complement of students on that day.

Module 4 Activity 2 What we assess

What we Assess

This activity has enabled me to get a more comprehensive picture of what it means to assess.  I know of instances where teachers assess students in the hope of tricking them so that they can claim that the students did not study.  Assessment is designed to help students to learn and to help them in the process. Assessment as a process is critical to helping the students determine how well they are coping with the tasks so that they may be assisted if the need arises.  It creates the opportunity for fixing a problem before the end result is achieved.  Product assessment, however, deals with the end result of the process and how well it was done.

Module 1 Activity 5 Developmental Psychology

This activity has renewed my resolve to get to know my students as thoroughly as possible so that I can adequately plan for them. The more that we know about students physical, social, emotional, moral and cognitive development, the better equipped we will be in understanding the students that we teach and cater for their needs. I am reminded of the fact that all students are different even though their developmental stages are somewhat similar. I can recall the writings of Vygotski  which referred to the zone of proximal development and the need for teachers to set work that is slightly above the students' abilities to create a challenge but not too difficult to make the students lose confidence. I can definitely say that I will incorporate the information gleaned from the readings in my teaching.

Module 1 Activity 4 - Behaviourism-new_strategy

This activity proved to be an eye-opener to me. When I started teaching the adult group of ladies, I became aware that they needed more individualized attention if they were going to succeed. I am aware of the benefits of small group strategies but I felt that my hands were tied as far as space was concerned and I opted to limit my use of them.  This reading got me thinking about what I could do with my class to bring about the desired changes in behaviour and I resorted to group work. Lucky for me, the class had gotten smaller at the start of this term due to the migration and other commitments of some students. I assessed the space again and I realized that the small group method could work.  I planned it and tried it and it worked beautifully.  The students did not want to leave on those days. It was great and there were a number of lessons learnt in the process, namely:

-  Students like the idea of being responsible for their own learning
-  Students like to interact with others in the classroom
-  It is important to give students the opportunity to show their potential
-  A teacher is able to assess individual students in a small group situation like the jig saw approach
-  Proper planning is key for the effective execution of the jig saw method
-  It is important to build on the students' experiences in order for learning to be meaningful

Reading 2

Reading about the teacher's plight with her new students made me very conscious of the need to know my students and cater to their needs.  Many times we judge our students without knowing the details and without knowing it we paint all students in a class with the same brush.  Children come from diverse backgrounds.  They are socially, economically and culturally different and the teacher has to devise strategies and tactics to best cater for the mix. Another lesson learnt is that teachers cannot bury their heads in the sand and expect problems/situations to go away.  It is best to face the situation and find the best possible way to fix it. They must also remember that there are no quick fixes.

Collaboration is also a key element to enhance learning in the classroom. If a teacher is faced with a situation and she is not sure how to handle it, she may speak with other teachers who may be facing similar situations.

Learning 1

Having read quite a few comments from my colleagues on that special moment in their lives as teachers, I realize that many individuals had similar beginnings....not really interested in teaching at first but opted to do it because of positive influences of others.  There are those who had to find their way amidst the stumbling and falling to get a grip on something that was totally new to them.  Others knew what they wanted and went after it and are still working on perfecting their skill in teaching.  Whatever the circumstances are, we are all teachers striving to make our students become critical thinkers, active learners and constructivists in their approach to learning. The following is a summary of the powerful lessons learnt from my colleagues:

Consider the needs of your students and cater to those needs
Teachers can also learn from the students they teach 
Keep abreast of educational happenings by reading journals etc

-          Participate in professional development sessions

-          The need for introspection and reflection as teachers 

-          Utilize various strategies and knowledge of others to be able to teach 

-          The need to be open minded, to listen in order to learn new ideas 

-          Sharing best practices and experiences

-          Reflective practice

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      It would appear that they have captured the essence of this noble profession called teaching and are aware that teaching should be student centred rather than the teacher centred. It means that classrooms have begun to change and the way students learn should also begin to change. With teachers embracing the new paradigm shift, the future of our students will be secure.