Group T: Ongoing Professional Development

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Bloggers T: Blog post – 17 October

Teaching is not a profession that is for everyone. It not only takes knowledge and skill, but also patience and other qualities that not every individual possess. Being a teacher requires a passion that you are born with - a flame inside of you to be willing to learn AND to teach what you know.

From an objective perspective, the teaching profession entails teaching a student theory about a specific field of study - for example Accounting or Life Sciences, depending on the specialization of the teacher.

Individuals in the profession will agree with the statement that being a teacher is about more than just teaching knowledge. In some cases you are a role model, a parental-figure, a confidant, etc. Each learner is someone special, someone different and you should treat them accordingly. Thus, being a teacher is considered one of the most emotionally draining, but also enriching professions of all.

Teaching “in the old days” took place in any format. Under a tree, in a classroom or any location possible. A wiser person stood in front and taught the learners/pupils a lesson. Today teaching occurs a bit differently.

Due to the ever-expanding field of education in the 21st Century, we use technology to teach. Although in certain areas they still use “old school” methods, globally it has become an unwritten law to use modern ways to teach. Teachers make use of video’s, Microsoft Office (Powerpoint, Word and Excel), Computers and projectors, and many more. This is due to the fact that a lot of additional information can be acquired by the use of computers (i.e. the internet) to expand the content of the curriculum as well as makes it easier to present the subject content more successfully. 

New technology does create some challenges in education. Teachers and the school curricula will have to acquire and process the abundant information available in today's society. Technological recognition is needed for learners’ professional development as the new generations are more proficient in new technology than some of the teachers.

Schools have to redesign their methods of teaching by utilising new technology. The use of technology in the classroom will become extremely important as it will be required for shaping professional and ongoing development for future aspirations.

By either learning from each other or by means of development programs, there is a need for ongoing professional development. This is especially true in the case of education as no two classes are ever the same. The curriculum is constantly changing and now technology is also changing the way we approach teaching and learning. 

Ongoing professional development keeps teachers up-to-date on new research on how children learn, emerging technological tools for the classroom, new curriculum resources, changes in culture and more. The best professional development is therefore ongoing, experiential, collaborative, and connected to and derived from working with students and understanding their culture.

What does the future of learning look like? [Bloggers J: Mitra (2010) and Senser (2012)]

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Bloggers J: Blog Post

What does the future of learning look like?

Around the world, there is a common problem where education models are not adapted to the new demands of the world; therefore, learners are ill prepared for their futures. Coupled with this, teachers do not want to go to troubled areas where they are needed most. This situation is creating inefficiencies in the human capital continuum leaving us with the question, “what does the future of learning look like?” and “how do we align new educational models with the support to help it succeed?” Sugate Mitra offers us an explanation through his experiments with Self Organised Learning Environments, or SOLE for short. Mitra says, “If children have interest, then education happens”.

Modern schooling captures the notion of learners making sense of modern technology and holds multiple benefits for learning. The work of Sugata Mitra regarding new experiments in self-teaching demonstrates this idea of learners learning in groups or individually in a Self-Organised Learning Environment. Without any interference from the outside world, this environment developed results in groups of children learning to navigate the Internet and achieving educational objectives on their own.

Applicative educational pedagogies necessitates critical thinking skills from both the teacher and learner alike. The integrative design is not about replication, but selection and integration to form the foundation of a new model of learning. It revolves around addressing all aspects at once, rather than in isolation. Achieving this will accelerate learning and movement towards the learner’s goals. The education system thus teaches children how to learn to face challenges in society.

Future learning models and pedagogies should aim to suit the needs of each learner, and be learner centred, cost-effective, and technologically viable. Ryan Senser (2012) stipulates an integrated design of learning that will allow students to move forward in any direction they wish to go. By selecting the pieces we already have and integrating them, we can create a new model of education where children can be encouraged and equipped to become lifelong learners and graduate on to college or the working world. These learners will be ready for the challenges and opportunities that await them.

The future is something we have to work towards every day – we have to pick up the tools and work on the future that we want. For education, the utopia is a model where accelerated learning takes place in the direction that is in the best interest of the child.

Digital Pedagogy [Bloggers H: Stommel (2014), UCF (2017), and Hypothes.is]

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Bloggers H: Blog Post - 29 March 2017

Critical pedagogy is an approach to teaching and learning that fosters agency and empowerment in learners. Therefore, critical digital pedagogy is the addition of technology into this approach. Additionally, technology opens a new educational space across the world to come together and discuss the content. However, “Far too much work in educational technology starts with tools, when what we need to start with is humans.” (Stommel, 2014).

When focussing on Critical Digital Pedagogy we must ask: “How can we build platforms that support learning across age, race, culture, gender, ability, geography?”. Consequently, critical digital pedagogy needs to start by allowing equality in learning across these groups that ultimately empower them. (Stommel, 2014)

An example of integrating technology in the classroom is blended learning (UCF, 2017). This entails reducing the teacher centred approach while incorporating technology. The learners can complete digital tasks anytime and anywhere thereby reducing the contact time the teacher required to relay content. However, critical pedagogy still needs to be incorporated to promote equality among the learners. This can be achieved by making full use of the reduced class time to focus on enhancing the learner’s literary and conceptual skills. Thus, the teacher can focus on the developing the learner's skills and abilities to increase their ZPD . Additionally, an example of ‘blended teaching’ is through an efficient concept called ‘e-exams’. ‘E-exams’ remove the process of the learner physically writing the exam, and the teacher marking it, as the system marks the exam seconds after the learner has finished typing and submitted it (UFC, 2017). 

To enhance the learner’s literacy and conceptual skill you can make use of Hypothes.is. The fact that Hypothes.is can be used to hold learners accountable for having done the reading of an article or context being discussed in class, could help learners with their annotation and reading skills which leads to granular feedback and improving literacy skills. Hypothes.is allows you to reach out to other learner’s notes. This will build a platform supporting learning across all races, culture, gender and abilities, which links with the use of digital pedagogy. Consequently, minimising inequality and empowering learners across all pedagogical capabilities. 

Before the use of technology is incorporated, one must first assess the learner’s literacy and critical thinking abilities. Therefore, critical digital pedagogy is a discipline that merely incorporates technology into the classroom but does not allow it to run the classroom.

Effective Pedagogy [Bloggers E: Foley (2014) & Wills (2015)]

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Bloggers E: Blog Post - 8 March 2017

Effective pedagogy refers to the idea that the learner as a whole (personal, social and behavioral standings) are taken into consideration when teaching takes place. Thus, the teacher uses strategic teaching methods so that the learner does not feel threatened, but creates a healthy and positive environment in the classroom.

Although teachers mostly focus on progressive academic outcomes, they also serve as a support system to learners outside the academic environment, which ensures the emotional well-being of the learner. Teachers should be available and accessible on an open communication basis so that student concerns and worries can be heard. They should also show empathy and understanding for learners’ current circumstances and provide them with the tools with which to facilitate a positive outcome. When a learner feels that he/she is in a safe emotional environment, it stimulates the learners will and desire to succeed academically.

Teaching, and therefore learning, can be enhanced by developing teaching methods which are stimulating and absorbing. By understanding how a student learns, effective teaching practices can be developed and implemented in the classroom.

Key elements of teaching practices, which are known to increase the academic performance of learners, include: consistency, communication, and structure within the classroom. It is also vitally important for learners to be actively engaged and involved in the classroom environment, as this allows ample opportunity for the students to respond and fully engage with the topics.

An educator should be well aware of the educational and household influences learners seem to operate best in, and then to find an equilibrium between the two for optimal learning. Relating what the learner knows and what the educator wishes to achieve in the classroom is an excellent manner for cohesion of life skills and learning the curriculum content to take place. Learners tend to learn new concepts and habits by practically including themselves in classroom activities. This eventually
allows them to visualise certain images and ideas, which support their learning. In Willis (2015), this idea was constructively displayed.

With regard to the blog posted by Abby Wills, one can assume that as a teacher, one should be more trusting with the potential of the students; to allow the students to take more responsibility with regard to the classroom’s environment. She mentions/suggests how one should allow creativity and imagination of the students to also be an aspect of the calmness and mindfulness created within the learning environment. In order for mindful teaching to take place, one also needs to be fearlessly honest with what is working within the classroom and what is not.

Digital and Media Literacy [Bloggers D: Ericsson (2012) & Media Smarts (2017)]

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Bloggers D: Blog Post - 29 February 2017

The development in the industrial sector has led to huge technological advances, which in turn has led to changes in the ways we go about our daily lives. An example of where said changes have taken place can be seen in our approaches to teaching and learning. We are engaging in a shift from the chalkboard to the computer screen in the classroom. The following discussion will briefly explore how digital and media literacy can benefit both the teacher and the learner.

Traditionally, digital literacy refers to personal, technological, and intellectual skills necessary to participate in the digital world safely, wisely, and ethically (Media Smarts, 2017). Media literacy refers to the consumption of mass media in a critically engaging manner. The infiltration of digital practices in media means we cannot posit that digital literacy and media literacy are separate concepts. They are interrelated and mutually supporting in their constant flux of change and adaptation. Although most learners are digitally inclined, they still, however, lack the digital literacy skills to apply critical thinking to digital texts and approach the internet in a responsible and ethical manner. (Media Smarts, 2017). Therefore it is now the role of the educator to guide the learners and provide them with the necessary skills to do so. Thus, the educator aids the learners in the development of their digital literacy in order for digital pedagogy to function successfully.

Ericsson (2012) argues that textbooks and chalkboards no longer interest students, seeing as they are so reliant on digital stimulation. Through the implementation of digital pedagogy, learners will be able to comprehend, contextualise, and critically evaluate digital information in order to make informed decisions (Media Smarts, 2017).

“Knewton” and “Coursera” are examples of programs that can be used in the classroom to aid and develop the learning process. One of the major benefits of “Knewton” – which is an online aid – is its ability to predict failure in advance and, then to prevent it from happening again. The more people use it, the better and smarter the system gets which allows for more effective learning. It allows access to a lot of information and not just a textbook. “Coursera” offers high a quality product at a very low marginal cost for a student. Interactive videos allow the students to exchange ideas and questions. It also has various meaningful assessments and not just multiple choice exercises. The interactive basis allows the learners to form a community and ask questions that will be answered, and also creates a social experience.

One can thus argue that digital pedagogy benefits the learner, seeing as digital and media literacy is developed, and the learner is provided with a functional skills set in terms of searching for online information.

Group B: Cox (2015), Levin (2011), and Henderson, Selwyn & Aston (2015)

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Bloggers B: Blog Post - 15 February 2017

Cox exclaims that lesson planning is one of the most crucial elements in a teacher’s career. According to the article, the creation of this detailed guide should consist of exhaustive steps which outline the objectives and aims of the teacher as well as what the student is to accomplish by the end of the lesson. Essentially, lesson planning helps educators achieve their role which is to help learners apply concepts and their ultimate responsibility as “In loco parentis’’. Cox further explains that there are multitude resources available online which can assist teachers in lesson planning and the process of curriculum development (Cox, 2015). 

Cox concludes that without a lesson plan it would be nearly impossible to execute a lesson. Thus the lesson plan will help the educator manage her/his classroom and keep the learners focused. A precise guideline, to lead them to what information the student will be learning and how the educator will go about teaching the required content.

The interview, which was conducted by Levin, shed light on the difficulties many students face in the mainstream school system of rote-learning. One solution was evident where the learners started their own movement to educate themselves in group format  inside their own school environment. This process spontaneously sparked a thirst for knowledge in each learner and may benefit us in our current context to enlighten teachers in different modes of education, in terms of group- and independent work. This approach would allow the learners to explore subject content to their satisfaction and it also gives learners their own responsibility and allow them to be agents of their own knowledge (Levin, 2011). 

Henderson,Selwyn and Ashton (2015: 1-12) argues that the use of digital technologies create an ideal platform to engage into student’s lived reality. This however has the consequence of disrupting students’ study experience and needs to be supported by “more user-friendly” systems.          

In the Higher Education environment, digital technologies were found to be more useful in the management of the logistics of the learning experience than in enhancing the learning material itself. Digital technologies make the learning experience accessible, flexible and mobile. Complimentary leisure’s provide great support to enrolling first year students, as well as transfer academics.  Yet, rather than seeing it as the preferential means of studying available, digital technologies should be regarded as one of many securities offered by our Universities (Henderson, Selwyn & Aston, 2015).