#module d

[queensgettingfit]

Workout Schedules and Modules for 2017

Module D (quickie):

[gdestellalee-blog]

Module D Motivation and engagement

Pondering about Jane's scenario popped a lot of questions and thoughts into my mind. First question is why would a elite student struggle to engage her class which happen to be a small country classroom. I started to link to the problems to the social factors in which Jane's own background being a second child of a well-off family in a nice suburb. I'm concerned whether Jane likes it or not, her pedagogy, to some extent, will be styled based on her own background. This, I believe is a main issue in Jane's teaching career in a "disadvantaged" school in terms of motivating students and engaging them in a classroom, it is vital to understand the social factors of the students especially during the early stages of the teaching career. This brings to one of the nine provocations "To what extent is teaching an intellectual pursuit?" The Paradigm is that Jane is a elite student with high GPA and great reports, however Jane is experiencing a great distress working as teacher even with her academic success. Jane is struggling to engage her class, since her academic work during training course was outstanding it is likely that her struggles are because of Jane's lack of teaching experience indicating that successful teaching has a lot to do with experience than the course work.

It is interesting that Butler-Kisber (2007) states "engagement depends, not only on propitious settings, approaches and products but also on a hunger for self-protection, self-worth and self-improvement". It makes me wonder whether it is relevant to Jane's scenario. Liking back to Jane having all the right requirement to engage student in the classroom, but perhaps the "disadvantaged" student in her classroom are needing not setting, approaches and product but needing a satisfaction of their self-protection ,self-worth and self-improvement. Observing the parents being openly hostile to the school indicates the poor family environment, lack of family education.

It makes me wonder if Jane grew up in the same environment as the kids from her classroom, would have helped her in terms of finding the right and fitting engagement strategy for this particular class. Perhaps her pedagogy although prepared with much effort, was ineffective because of these social factors; academic motivation and success which likely to come from parents and family members, and peer groups and social networks.

Having this difference can influence what works for the city kids doesnt work for country kids, my next area of focus is one of the Nine provocations "How will I control my students?" I believe this varies depending on where you are teaching and whom, what types of kids, am I going to be teaching? However, as Clandinin (2007) argues, relating to the life stories of each child and developing a engaging strategies from there, I believe is most effective in a general context. This is effective because like puzzle, it fits each child's different requirements for engagement. Finally, providing the sense of competency to a child is essential in classroom engagement. Carver (1997) defines competence as "learning skills, acquiring knowledge, and attaining the ability to apply what is learned". I believe competency motivates students whether it is at school or at home. Subsequently, the students are engaged at what is being taught, however not necessarily to the teacher. Teachers, having this knowledge, must develop their own pedagogy and style of teaching which not only fits students but themsleves.  

References

Butler-Kisber. (2007).Student engagement in 21st century. LEARNing Landscapes. Vol 1;No.1. pp16

Carver, R. L. (1997).Theoretical underpinnings of service learning. Theory into Practice, 36(3),143-149.

Clandinin, D. J. (2007). Handbook of narrative inquiry: Mapping a methodology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

[lucymvaughan-blog]

Education Foundations Blog #2 Module D, Teaching all Learners

Education Foundations

Module D, Teaching all Learners

Teaching all learners, how does motivation and engagement work within the classroom? Motivation comes from the internal, the psychological aspect of an individual. Engagement is the energy that connects and is shown through participation within the classroom. This can be through class group work or simply engagement with the subject, practically and theoretically. The teacher’s role within the classroom is to engage students with all aspects of the subject. To whom am I accountable, is a provocation a teacher needs to be wary of and consider in having a motivated classroom.

Getting to know your students on a personal level is a way of understanding students and their ‘lifeworlds’, this focus allows the teacher to understand their students, this is an important aspect of learning and teaching. In relation to the Jane scenario, she has found it difficult to engage her class and heard some critical information from parents, ‘she just doesn’t give them any work that’s interesting for them’. There seems to be mounting evidence that students of the twenty-first century learn different to those of the past, such as their parents. Students seem to have a different relationship to information and learning compared with previous generations. In this instance Jane has to really try and understand her students from cultural differences, backgrounds, engaging with the general community and understand its history, and recognize the different expectation parents have for their children. Knowing the children is an important and powerful tool to create motivation within the classroom. ‘There is considerable evidence in the research literature of the association between engagement and positive academic outcomes’ (Fredericks et al., 2003, p. 23). Once the teacher has a foundation to build upon motivation and engagement will evidently follow.

Jane has to look at the circumstances around her, she is dealing with town children and those from farming properties, the ‘disadvantaged’ community has a long history and it is important to understand it. Jane may even need to look at her teaching style, is all her late night organisation really shaped and adapted for the type of students within her classroom? Jane seems to have a lot of content based work rather than a pedagogical approach to her classroom. A personal account a family member of mine has come across during her teaching practice is working at a disadvantaged school with a large population of juvenile justice kids and many of whom are Aboriginal. The Visual Arts teacher within this school hasn’t changed the curriculum for over twenty years and has the attitude of, why change it now. The students within the school loath attending the class and generally Visual Arts is a popular subject, but kids of this nature are not interesting in writing essays on 14thCentury art. ‘Many students students stop the practice of learning because they feel learning is no longer relevant in their lives...They have learned ... that book learning offered... has no relevance in the world outside...’ (hooks, 2003 p .42). The class work has not been adapted to cater to the student’s needs, backgrounds and interests. ‘It is important to bear in mind that motivation is intimately linked with individual and/or situational interest within learning, curricula and family contexts (McInerney & Van Etten 2001). Jane may need to consider readjusting some of the content she has put in place for her students and shape the work more to their interests and needs. 

Should we teach students or subjects? This is another factor in the scenario of Jane, some key aspects that may be contributing to foster motivation within her classroom. Is Jane teaching the subject or the students? I t would seem that she has more of a focus on content, this teaching job is her first and the community she teaches in is a disadvantaged one. In general rural communities have a high turnover and most of the teachers within these schools are new graduates who are either out of their first or second year of university. Not having experienced staff is an obstruction for the students who are continuously experimented on to see what works and what doesn’t.

The key to motivation is good pedagogy and curriculum, the teacher/student relationship, the sense of belonging and importance within the classroom. Having a positive classroom environment allows students to have a purpose and motivation. ‘People are motivated to meet needs associated with safety, love and belonging’ (Maslow 1999). 

Resources 

M. Davis, International Schools Journal Vol XXIX No. 2 April 2010, Personality and its effect on relationships and teaching and learning styles

D. Zyngier, Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice Vol. 13, No. 4, August 2007, pp.327 - 347. Listening to techers-listening to students: substantive conversations about resistance, empowerment and engagement.

Churchill et. al, Teaching: Making a Difference, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd: Milton QLD, 2011

[lucymvaughan-blog]

STS Module C, D Pedagogy & Curriculum Blog #2

Pedagogy and how will I know what approach to take when it comes to having my own classes?

Looking at pedagogy and the many theorists such as Emilia, Ciari, Dewey, and Simon made me think about what my own pedagogical approach would be within the classroom. The Constructivism philosophy of looking back at our own experiences which therefore creates our own take and understanding of the world around us, I found this to be quite interesting. Even young teenage students within our classrooms, have history and life experiences, information than spanning back and relating allows for learning to happen, it makes complete sense to me. 

When it comes to my own pedagogical approach and philosophy of teaching there are four main points I answered:

- Why do you teach?

I always wanted to teach to give students a better education in the Visual Arts field, this in comparison to the education I received. My cousin who works in a NSW Rural Public School highlighted to me a situation she observes in her school of a long established Art teacher who is too stubborn to change the curriculum for the kids. The teacher believes why change it; it’s been the same for 20 years. The school includes a large population of Aboriginal students and Juvenile Justice Kids, who frankly don't really care about 14th Century art. Inevitably none of the students like Visual Arts and dread attending the class, which is the opposite of how students normally feel about the subject. This example highlights why I want to teach especially in rural and disadvantaged areas of NSW, I want students to truly appreciate Visual Arts and for me as the teacher to provide opportunities to learn and take interest, catering to the students needs and interests. 

- How do student’s best learn?

I feel students best learn in an engaging environment, with positive and interactive learning.

- What are your goals for your students? How will you know when you and they have succeeded?

To meet the requirements of the curriculum, the school, the parents, the students own expectations and the expectations of myself. They should be engaged and enjoy the classes and subject. I want an interactive class, learning from each other. I want the students to feel comfortable in approaching me as a teacher and raising any issues with me if they face problems with the class work. I guess knowing I've succeeded in this is when the students are engaged, complete the work, meet the curriculum requirements and enjoy Visual Arts. 

- What qualities are important for a teacher?

The qualities important to me is to be an approachable teacher, to have patience and a genuine interest in the students and their work, to be an engaging teacher, to shape the work for the students and their needs, to be interactive within the classroom and with the students and make the classroom and Visual Arts experience to be a memorable and generally loved subject.