Embers

Student Lifestyle Issues

2007-10-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

Assignment 2
Reflect on how one relates to students in light of the professional requirements of the position of teaching. How doe one manage student lifestyle issues, do some initial counseling of students and involve parents in discussion?

The renowned Australian social researcher Hugh Mackay speaks with both optimism and concern of ‘the rising generation of young Australians, who are showing us how to make sense of life in an uncertain world.’
http://www.fola.org.au/news/papers/hughmackay.htm

This rising generation is being educated by teachers who themselves often struggle to keep abreast of the rapid changes in 21st century society. Teachers can only achieve excellence in their professional endeavors if they strive for authentic and understanding relationships with their students.

Experienced teachers often lament the challenges they face and yearn for the ‘good old days’:
‘All the experienced teacher focus groups agreed that the environment in which teachers operate was considerably different from that of a decade ago and most reported that it was now more difficult and more stressful than it had been. Both primary and secondary groups cited as contributing factors a decline in respect for teacher authority, changing family structures, changing cultural mixes, and legal accountability. One group summarised the general view that 'school populations are getting worse'.

One secondary group referred to a rise in physical violence and use of weapons. Another secondary group spoke of the increased demands on teachers to take on counseling roles and an abrogation by parents of the disciplinary role.’

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/reviews/macqt/teachpre.htm#2.2

Yet committed and insightful educators, whilst acknowledging the challenges and issues facing them in day to day school life, look beyond what is ‘getting worse’ and find valuable qualities in their 21st century students:
‘Having never known anything but an accelerating rate of change and an unpredictable future, they have developed three strategies for coping:

Keep your options open as a way of incorporating a realistic uncertainty into your world-view;

The quest for a spiritual framework is leading them to explore post-material values;

They have become our most tribal generation, having realised that the most precious resource they have for coping with life in an uncertain world is each other.’

http://www.fola.org.au/news/papers/hughmackay.htm

To summarise, the key qualities suggested by Mackay are: open-mindedness, a sense of spirituality and social connectedness. Surely these qualities can be understood and accessed by teachers for positive learning outcomes.

In order to do so, a good teacher must be prepared to accept the student for the person he or she is. An awareness of the student’s home life situation can be enormously helpful in assessing the level of stress with which he or she is coping:

‘While it's true that about 80 per cent of dependent children live with both their natural parents, that figure can blind us to the changing nature of family life. In most families, for instance, both parents work, and that has had a dramatic effect on family dynamics.

And what about the 1 million children who live with only one of their natural parents? They will inevitably have different, and perhaps even more pressing, emotional needs than children living with both their parents, especially if an unwelcome step-parent has entered the scene…

Consider the implications of the mass migration of 500,000 kids who regularly move between the homes of their custodial and non-custodial parents. That's tough for kids who were never consulted about custody and access arrangements that might seem to them to have been hewn out of the rock of their parents' bitterness.’
http://www.theage.com.au/news/hugh-mackay/just-what-is-this-thing-called-family/2005/08/11/1123353439407.html

Many students are literally ‘holding the fort’ of their home life- faced with the task of coping with part-time work, parenting and household chores. In addition, the emotional burden of supporting a parent who may be long-term unemployed, depressed, struggling with addiction, sick or disabled can be overwhelming for students and the cause of challenging or confronting behaviour. It is imperative that a teacher has some awareness of the factors which shape a student’s home situation:

“The differentials of class, family culture, ethnicity and gender interlock to form a complex matrix that underpins learning and outcome in a number of ways, calling for sensitive and well-informed responses.”

(Scottish Council of Education, 1999)

http://www.det.act.gov.au/publicat/pdf/TeachersKeyToStudentSuccess.pdf

Extra-curricular demands due to sport or artistic pursuits are placing students under extreme levels of pressure, often exacerbated by the ambitions of parents:
‘Some Sydney high schools recommend students do up to four hours of homework a night, with more on weekends, a work-load that clinical psychologist and education researcher Andrew Fuller said did not encourage effective study habits. Year 12 is a demanding time for students who must juggle HSC assessment and exam preparation, homework, extracurricular activities and high expectations from teachers and parents.
Counsellors and researchers say it is not unusual for year 12 students to seek professional advice on stress management and that the incidence of self-harm, the deliberate cutting or hurting in an attempt to find a release for psychological pain, seems to be increasing in Australia, particularly among young girls.’
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/school-exam-stress-extreme/2006/04/15/1144521541622.html

The need for social connectedness- whilst a potentially positive quality- also brings a set of demands which impinge on students’ lives: the need to be constantly available, the demands of effective networking and the stress of maintaining high profile. Solitude and time for reflection are marginalised. The drive to belong to a group or to fulfill an image can override the search for identity and a secure sense of self.

These complex, and often compounding sources of pressure can trigger extreme behaviors such as oppositional defiance, substance abuse, addictions, lethargy, eating disorders and depression. Many are simply lost in a materialistic society increasingly shaped by the forces of economic rationalism:

‘Too many values have evaporated in the face of relentless materialism; instant gratification is a dangerous trap.’ (Mackay)
http://www.generations.postkiwi.com/2005/australias-lucky-generation

Clearly, any discussions between teachers and students/ teachers and parents should be underpinned by an awareness of the possible strains involved in those peoples lives. This precludes a pre-determined or judgemental approach, which can only be counter-productive.
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood."
Stephen R. Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People)

Initial counseling procedures which reveal significant underlying problems should ideally be referred to school psychologist. However, often problems can be solved very simply through flexibility and a willingness on the teacher’s part to cater for diversity.
In seeking to understand the needs of students and parents, teachers foster a climate of inclusion and participation. They are looking at the bigger picture, beyond their own agendas.

This climate of inclusion will ideally permeate not just the classroom practices in a socially interactive methodology, but embrace the entire school community. Parents and students will feel invited to seek an alignment in their habitus rather than pursue a pathway of divisiveness.
Ultimately, this healthy school ecology can be a source of hope and inner orientation for students, parents and staff alike.

Bullying and Harassment among staff

2007-08-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

General overview:

"It's a talent flight. The best and brightest are driven out. The slugs, the slow-minded, dimwitted sycophants are the bully's allies."
(Gary Namie, co-founder of the Workplace Bullying and trauma Institute in Bellingham, Wash., quoted in: Companies must deal with workplace bullies or lose brightest employees; expert, Camille Bains, CBC News: Business, May 8, 2006.)

Bullying and harassment among staff in schools is a widespread problem. It arises in an insidious manner and is extremely difficult to identify and rectify. This is an issue which is currently being researched by the University of New England. Investigations by the NSW teacher's Federation also documented alarming findings:

The University of New England in north-west New South Wales has launched a survey to identify the level of bullying being experienced by teachers.
The project leader, Dr Dan Riley, says the survey is following a pilot study that revealed more than 97 per cent of teachers have experienced bullying behaviour.

"It's not talked about, you know, 'you're an adult, just get on with it and if you don't like it walk out the door'," he said.
"But in actual fact given the current circumstances of the economy with full employment and the difficulty of finding school leaders it's very important.
"Not just for the value of the individual but also for the value of the system to sit down and see whether this is a problem and if so what degree is it and how do we resolve it."
The new survey will examine up to 1,000 teachers throughout Australia.
Dr Riley says the main culprits are expected to be parents, executive officers and principals.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/18/1981627.htm

1000 confidential surveys on workplace bullying were sent to teachers by the NSW Teacher's Federation.
250 responses were received.
The overwhelming majority of teachers who returned the survey reported that they had been bullied at work.
Half reported that they were being bullied on at least a monthly basis.
One third reported that they were being bullied on a weekly basis.
Many teachers who have reported or challenged bad language and behaviour say they have received little support.

"This seems to be an endemic problem and we have to find a solution to it," said NSW Teacher's Federation president Maree O'Halloran.
( Teachers set bad example by bullying each other, The Daily Telegraph, 14/12/2006.)

http://www.badapplebullies.com/research.htm

This is an enormously extensive resource detailing the methods and motives of bullying amongst teachers, with particular focus on the problem in Queensland:
http://www.badapplebullies.com/

Have you completed the UNE survey into teacher bullying? http://www.schoolbullies.org.au/

Definition:

What is workplace harassment?
Workplace harassment is offensive, belittling or threatening behaviour directed at an individual worker or group of workers. Harassment is often focused on the sex, cultural or racial background or disability of the individual or group.
Harassment is behaviour that is unwelcome, unsolicited, usually unreciprocated and usually (but not always) repeated. It makes the workplace or association with work unpleasant, humiliating or intimidating for the individual or group targeted by this behaviour. It can make it difficult for effective work to be done.

Workplace harassment should not be confused with advice or counselling on the work performance or work-related behaviour of an individual or group which might include critical comments indicating performance deficiencies. Feedback or counselling on work performance or work-related behaviour differs from harassment, in that feedback or counselling is intended to assist employees to improve work performance or the standard of their behaviour. Feedback or counselling should always be carried out in a constructive way that is not humiliating or threatening.
http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications01/harassment.htm

Harassment and bullying in the workplace can take many forms. It can be overt or
subtle, direct or indirect (for example where a hostile feeling/environment is created
without any direct attacks being made on a person).

Some forms of verbal harassment include:
• sexual or suggestive remarks
• making fun of someone
• imitating someone’s accent
• spreading rumours
• obscene telephone calls/unsolicited letters, faxes or email messages
• repeated unwelcome invitations
• offensive jokes
• repeated questions about personal life
• threats or insults
• name calling
• the use of language that is not suitable in the workplace

Non-verbal harassment includes:
• putting sexually suggestive, offensive or degrading/insulting material on walls,
computer screen savers, email, etc
• suggestive looks or leers
• wolf whistling
• unwelcome practical jokes displaying or circulating racist cartoons or literature
• mimicking someone with a disability
• being followed home from work
• ignoring someone or being particularly cold or distant with them
• continually ignoring or dismissing someone’s contribution in a meeting/discussion
• not sharing information

Physical harassment includes:
• offensive hand or body gestures
• unnecessarily leaning over someone
• unnecessary and unwelcome physical contact (pinching, patting, brushing up against
a person, touching, kissing, hugging)
• indecent or sexual assault or attempted assault
• pushing, shoving or jostling
• putting a hand or an object (like a payslip or a note) into someone’s pocket
• damage to property, such as teachers’ cars

Harassment and bullying may occur between colleagues, across age and gender,
between groups or individuals.
In relationships where formal authority and power can be exercised, it can be particularly distressing and intimidating, especially if threats are made in relation to performance review or to job security.

http://www.clayfield.qld.edu.au/downloads/Harrassment%20And%20Bullying%20Policy.pdf.

Regulations regarding Bullying and Harassment:

Responding to Suggestions, Complaints and Allegations Procedures (PDF 297kB)

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/general_man/complaints/resp_sugg/PD20020051.shtml

Other Acts relevant to Human Resource Management:

Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975The Act enables the review of decisions made under certain legislation (particularly the Superannuation legislation, the FOI Act, the Compensation Act and some secrecy provisions) by the AAT.
Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977The Act enables the review of decisions made under an Act by the Federal Court - it also provides for a person who is affected by a decision to seek the reasons for that decision.
Crimes Act 1914The Act provides criminal penalties for a range of actions (such as fraud, theft, bribery, browsing a Commonwealth Computer, release of Commonwealth information) that may be committed against the Commonwealth whilst in employment or after employment.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992The Act aims to eliminate, as far as possible, discrimination against persons on the ground of disability in certain areas, including employment.
Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987The Act promotes equal employment opportunity for a range of identified groups.
Equal Opportunity For Women In The Workplace Act 1999 (Consolidation version)The Act aims to achieve the elimination of discrimination against, and the provision of equal opportunity for, women in relation to employment matters.
Freedom of Information Act 1982The Act provides the public with a right of access to many Commonwealth Records.
Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991The Act aims to secure the health, safety and welfare at work of employees of the Commonwealth
Privacy Act 1988The Act protects the personnel privacy of an individual in relation to any Commonwealth record maintained in relation to that individual.
Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Act 1999 (Consolidation version)The Act deals with the consequential and transitional matters arising from the repeal of the PS Act 1922 and the Merit Protection Act and the enactment of the replacement legislation - PS Act 1999.- refer to Historical information for additional resources
Sex Discrimination Act 1984The Act aims to eliminate, so far as is possible, discrimination against persons on the ground of sex, marital status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy.

Workplace Relations Act 1996The Workplace Relations Act provides a process for agreement-making and specific protection against unfair dismissal, unlawful termination and discrimination.

http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications/legislation.htm

Key Responsibilities of the Teacher:

The NSW Department of Education and Training is committed to ensuring its policies and procedures are non-discriminatory and contribute to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) outcomes. The Department's EEO program operates under Part 9A of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. EEO is about: making sure that workplaces are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.This means having workplace policies, practices and behaviours that are fair and do not disadvantage people because they are attributed to particular diverse groups.

It is the responsibility of the teacher to act within these procedures and to refrain from staff bullying and harassment as defined above.

Main ways these responsibilities are not being met:

"All cruelty springs from weakness."(Seneca, 4BC-AD65)

The key issues appear to centre around the abuse of power and hierarchical structures. School staff involved in bullying commonly display ‘kiss up, kick down’ behaviour. The causes of such behaviour can be varied, but are commonly attributed to feelings of weakness, insecurity or frustration:
http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/serial.htm

Within schools, bullying is commonly not restricted to the individual, rather spread amongst groups, or ‘mobs’:

"If you receive a letter from a Bad Apple Bully that says something like, "I would much prefer that this matter did not become a disciplinary one...I therefore request that you attend a meeting with me and (another member of the Bad Apple Bully-Mob that I have groomed into supporting me)", it means that the Bad Apple Bullies have already decided to put you on Managing Unsatisfactory Performance ( it used to be called Diminished Workplace Performance).
The MUP process is going to be abused to destroy you mentally, physically, professionally and financially. The Bad Apple Bully-Mob are planning to drive you into an impoverished retirement."
See: http://www.badapplebullies.com/meetingthemob.htm

Such mob-like structures can be extremely difficult to break down. They enable both anonymous and ‘witnessed’ examples of alleged misconduct to be ‘documented’.
"Most organisations have a serial bully. It never ceases to amaze me how one person's divisive, disordered, dysfunctional behaviour can permeate the entire organisation like a cancer."

Tim Field
http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/serial.htm

Case study:
‘That's why the Education Department sacked the teacher - a decision backed by the Industrial Relations Commission - and the Victorian Institute of Teaching cancelled his registration.’
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22258095-25717,00.html

Same case study as analysed by “Bad Apple Bullies”:
http://www.badapplebullies.com/news.htm

Recent Case Studies in Queensland, extensively documented:
http://www.badapplebullies.com/investigations.htm

Related Videos:

Video dramatising a variety of harassment scenarios:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ8AM0M0uLo

Harassment of teacher due to homosexuality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-8Clf28vlw

Professional Responsibilities of the Teacher

2007-08-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

Reflections on Professionalism

The German word for profession is ‘Beruf’. This has its etymological root in the word ‘calling’. Similarly, in English, the word ‘vocation’ comes from the Latin ‘vocare’, meaning ‘to call’. The word vocation is commonly used to describe an occupation to which an individual feels deeply connected, where that person has particular gifts to give.

Owing to its altruistic connotations, usage of the word ‘vocation’ has been widely replaced by the word ‘profession’, or ‘occupation’. A profession was historically regarded as a qualification worthy of significant status. The classic professions were those relating to religion, law and medicine. Technological developments and diversity in specialisation fields have seen a broad range of occupations being assigned professional status, among these teaching.

In NSW, the standards of professionalism for teachers are regulated by the New South Wales Institute for Teachers:

‘The Institute was established to support quality teaching in all NSW schools. Its charter is to advance the status and standing of the teaching profession. The Institute works to support the career-long development of teachers and to assure both the profession and the community of the quality of teacher education programs.’

http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/

Although its charter and aims are without doubt necessary and worthy, the relevant documentation for teachers, almost entirely in rubric, outcomes based format is, in my opinion, designed to appeal to people who like to both think inside and tick boxes.

I return here to the concept of a ‘calling’. This I regard as the inner impulse to teach, drawn from the urge for creativity and a flame of passion- not easy to measure, but surely at the core of all great teaching. I have a range of esteemed and experienced teacher colleagues in NSW, working at many levels and in a variety of school systems. Without exception, they express that they manage to keep their love of teaching alive despite the boxed-in approach espoused by the Department of Education. They look elsewhere for inspiration.

I recently read “Teacher Man”, by Frank McCourt. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author drew upon 30 years experience in the classroom to produce his latest narrative.
The prologue can be found here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5151767

McCourt expresses his struggle with the ‘sterile functionaries’ of the New York school system:
'I was uncomfortable with the bureaucrats, the higher-ups, who had escaped classrooms only to turn and bother the occupants of those classrooms, teachers and students. I never wanted to fill out their forms, follow their guidelines, administer their examinations, tolerate their snooping, adjust myself to their programs and courses of study.'
http://www.powells.com/biblio/0743243773

This indeed is the challenge for 21st century teachers- to work as informed and inspired professionals, whilst remaining true to their inner sense of purpose, or calling, within the barrage of bureaucratic demands.

Increasingly, the use of narrative is winning regard as a mode of finding, through the process of critical reflection, meaning in teaching experiences. http://tlac.tamu.edu/articles/narrative_learning_teachers_as_storytellers

I believe that McCourt’s narrative is of particular value in that it is completely lacking in any sugar-coated ‘teacher as super-hero’ approach.

‘McCourt conveys a sense of unease, of discomfort, in his own skin as a teacher throughout his whole career that is not often found in stories about teachers. Learning to teach, as portrayed here by McCourt, is not clean, or neat, or even necessarily successful in the end.’
http://edrev.asu.edu/reviews/rev572.htm

Time and time again, McCourt lacked any conviction in his ‘calling’ as a teacher. He recalls a sense of drudgery, of despair and doubt. In typical self-deprecating style, he stresses the need for sheer perseverance: "Doggedness," he says, is "not as glamorous as ambition or talent or intellect or charm, but still the one thing that got me through the days and nights."
McCourt’s saving grace is his gift of story-telling, and it is through his narrative skills that he ultimately wins the hearts and minds of his students:
McCourt savored these triumphant moments in the classroom, which were like small victories in a larger war against apathetic students, rigid administrators, and other forms of resistance. Teacher Man never implies that this war can be won, but for those unsung and intrepid blackboard warriors, it's worth fighting.
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/43334

Every teacher has memories of times that have been meaningful, of times that have provided insight into ourselves or others. Using the narrative form, we have the chance to reflect on our professionalism, using our experiences as the supporting evidence to substantiate new understandings regarding our vocation.

A Philosophy of Classroom Management

2007-05-11T05:31:00.000-07:00

Assignment 3: What’s your emerging model of classroom management?

Prepare a written description of your beliefs about classroom management. Include reference to the nature of human beings and how they develop, students’ capacity for self-direction, how children and young people react to different situations and treatments, the degree of control or coercion that should be used by a teacher , the degree of choice students are permitted and the role of the teacher. Provide a description of the principles on which you have based your model.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi

The pivotal role of the teacher underlies my model of classroom management. The classroom is a dynamic social system-‘an environment in which individual membership impacts upon the whole, and in which the nature of the whole influences the individual.’(1)
The teacher takes the role of the responsible adult who lives by example and therefore has the potential to impact existentially on the lives of the students.

Students look for inspiration from adult mentors who personify their ideals, who demonstrate passion, compassion and conviction. Students have an acute awareness of the inner motivations underlying a teacher’s classroom management strategies. If a teacher is perceived to use his/her power fairly, for and with the students, in order to maximize learning with an attitude of respect, the students will respond positively. Authenticity is crucial.

A good teacher understands the principles of meaningful learning, based on a sound understanding of human development. They have a sharp sense for accessing the students’ ‘Zone of Proximal Development’, even in situations of extreme diversity.

Young children love to be active and truly engaged with the real world. They are instinctive imitators and my work in the field of Steiner education draws strongly on the principle of imitation and example to imbue children with healthy social attitudes.
In nurturing a spirit of sharing and community, the culture of a Steiner school fosters relationships which promote a healthy classroom and school ecology. Independence is cultivated, step by step. Intellectual explanations and agreements are kept to a minimum in the early years. Instead, stories and rich imagery are used to provide inspirational living examples of meaningful life journeys. Story -telling is a time-honored tradition the world over for its powerful potential to speak both to the head and the heart.

As a child grows older, he/she is increasingly able to understand and articulate his/her rights and responsibilities. The student’s capacity for self-direction needs to be fostered through an intrinsic love of learning. This is the art of inspired teaching, beautifully expressed here by Antoine de Saint-Exupery:

“If you wish to build a ship with others,

Do not begin by gathering timber with them;

Rather, awaken in them

Longing for the sea.”

By fostering interest, imagination and curiosity, I try to cultivate a sense of strong student motivation. I value the qualities of silence and focused attention and will use these both to begin and conclude my lessons. I believe strongly that relationships are deepened through good communication and listening skills. Listening requires an attitude of acknowledgement,it is a genuine sign of respect:

“The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.”
Henry David Thoreau

I expect students to both work well and strive to make learning a thoroughly enjoyable process, acknowledging their need for fun (Glasser).Within a fundamentally ordered learning environment, I gladly make space for the class clown, the eccentric, the devil’s advocate, the rebel, the drama queen… the world would be both a dull and dangerous place if it were full of conformists.

I try to pre-empt disruptive behaviour, use proximity and rarely sit down whilst teaching.
My lessons are organized but not over-planned in order to allow for spontaneity and students’ expressions of interests.
I ensure fluid transition between activities because I have learnt that “gaps” in lessons often give rise to disruptive behaviour.
My teacher training involved extensive speech training. A teacher’s speech should be clear and expressive. A good teacher also knows when to stop.

I allow for choice in learning activities so that students have the opportunity to pursue special interests. My learning tasks cater to multiple intelligences (Gardner) and thereby foster inclusiveness. The principle of ‘head-heart-hand’ wholistic learning has been fundamental to Steiner education since its inception:

“Waldorf Education embodies in a truly organic sense all of the intelligences that Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner speaks about. … Steiner’s vision is a whole one, not just an amalgamation of the intelligences. Many schools are currently attempting to construct curricula based on Gardner’s model simply through an additive process. Steiner’s approach, however, was to begin with a deep inner vision of the child and the child’s needs and to build curricula around that vision”
http://www.waldorfschool.london.on.ca/index.cfm?PID=13978&PIDList=13978&SynPID=16254&SynPIDList=13324,16254

As a Steiner teacher, I follow a student’s development for many years, have a good picture of his/her family life and can usually discern whether difficult behaviour is a passing phase or an expression of an underlying problem. Those students who have serious social or psychological problems are guided to seek the help of professionals (Pain model).

Within these teaching strategies, I strive to convey a sense of belonging, both within the classroom and in a far broader sense:

“A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
Albert Einstein

I believe that this fundamental experience of deep belonging, which finds expression in every aspect of the Waldorf curriculum, gives students security, self-esteem as well as feelings of acceptance and empowerment, as advocated by Glasser. Both Glasser’s Choice Theory and Dreikur’s Democratic Learning ideals emphasise the unequivocal importance of a sense of belonging.

The classroom ecology I have described fosters cooperative, self-motivated learning. Yet different students have different starting points on their paths to responsible, respectful behaviour. When disruptions occur, I remind students of the mutually agreed upon standards of behaviour. If a student is unable to choose to work constructively, I give him/her ‘time out’ and arrange to have a talk. In this talk, I help the student find replacement behaviours and arrange a future meeting for feedback. The tone of this interview is friendly yet assertive. In almost all cases, the strength of our relationship will lead us towards a resolution; however this process does require time, patience and a sense of humour! In extreme cases, I will resort to consequent punishment or reward withdrawal as a temporary solution only. I encourage self-evaluation and keep written documents in which challenging students can assess their progress.

I believe it is of invaluable importance that the students are aware of my expectations of constructive behaviour and high achievement. I communicate that ‘near enough is not good enough’. I encourage a striving for quality and offer both support learning and extension opportunities. I aim to foster learners who are critical thinkers and whole-heartedly engaged with the task at hand. I have experienced the value of ‘raising the bar’ and supporting every student to succeed. I encourage group activities and students helping each other. As a ‘digital immigrant’, I am discovering the woes and joys of ICT learning and highly value the wealth of resources which open access (connectivism) makes possible.

The tests I give are fair and well-prepared for. My feedback consists predominantly of comments. I favour rubric-based assessment activities and discourage competition, whilst nurturing a climate of striving for a ‘personal best’. I try to promote creativity, intellectual risk-taking, ‘thinking outside the box’ and communicate that it’s fine to make mistakes.

I believe that students need to understand inclusiveness in a global sense and embrace the cause of social justice, as advocated by Paolo Freire. The consequences for classroom ecology are the development of a sense of compassion for others and of gratitude for the opportunities we would otherwise take for granted. Both compassion and gratitude are essential facets of emotional and moral intelligence.

“Howard Gardner, author of Frames of Mind, notes that while the word "intelligence" has a positive connotation in our culture, there is no reason to believe that intelligence will be put to good purpose. Logical-mathematical, linguistic, or interpersonal intelligence can be used for good or for ill-motivated or downright destructive ends.
It is on these grounds that Joseph Chilton Pearce asserts that love proves to be our principle survival intelligence. The intelligence of the heart enhances all other aspects of intelligence for the good of the whole, as the heart always and inevitably strives for a holistic intelligence.”
http://thewellspring.com/TWO/32intellectual_love.html

If children are to hold positive and hopeful feelings about the future, they must experience a sense of competence and purpose in balancing the complexities of
21st century life. My observation is that more and more young people are rejecting the economic-rationalist attitude to ‘human resources’ so prevalent in our society. They are yeaning for a sense of renewal, for a genuine sense of spirituality:

“By the larger and ever-growing numbers we see today, it is clearly not a matter of individual cases, but that a new generation of souls we have never met before is coming to earth – children who have great maturity, are dissatisfied with the adult world as it is today, and are coming to earth with a powerful spiritual impulse. We cannot close our eyes to this event any longer.”
http://www.cygnus-books.co.uk/features/star-children-georg-kuhlewind.htm

My personal striving for quality education has found a sense of belonging within the Steiner education stream. This is an art of teaching that embraces a reverence for the mystery of life, a respect for the human individual and the potential for the transformation of society.

“Never regard your study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later work belongs.”
Albert Einstein

(1) p106 (4) Brady and Scully, (p.122) 2005, Engagement: Inclusive Classroom Management Sydney: Pearson Education Australia
(2) Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. 1968. Pygmalion in the Classroom. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Teacher-Student Relationships

2007-05-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

Assignment 2.2:
Do you agree with the overview indicating the relative control level of teachers in the classroom? Does it provide a means to manage the diversity in your classroom? Is it implying that you should use different methods of management with different students?

The overview spans the spectrum from teacher control to student autonomy. The discipline models which assign control predominantly to the teacher are those based on Skinner’s principles of Behaviour Modification and Canter’s Assertive Discipline model. The ‘middle ground’, whereby students and teachers share responsibility draws on Dreikurs’ theories on Democratic Discipline, Glasser’s Choice Theory and the Positive Behaviour Leadership model espoused by Bill Rogers. Carl Rogers’ Pain model - being a voluntary intervention process for high-risk students- is categorized under student autonomy as is Teacher Effectiveness Training, a humanistic approach developed by Thomas Gordon. Ed Ford’s Responsible Thinking Process provides a stark contrast to behaviorist approaches and arose from Ford’s passionate opposition to the principles of control through reward and punishment.

This overview undoubtedly provides a model for dealing with diversity in the classroom and a teacher who has an understanding of these theoretical bases is one who is well equipped to cater for differences and face the challenges of educating in the 21st Century.

“The way forward is eclecticism –building your own plan that draws on the strengths of many different views, tailored to the needs of your own students and your own teaching and management style, and consistent with the requirements of your class and school context….We believe that strength in education resides in the intelligent use of this powerful variety of approaches- matching them to different goals and adapting them to students’ styles and characteristics. (1)

The real challenge for the teacher, however, is finding where he or she stands within this spectrum. The danger of an eclectic approach is a lack of consistency. A consistent approach has backbone and authenticity, underpinned by ethical considerations relating to the concepts of responsibility and freedom. A consistent approach does not sacrifice higher goals for the purpose of short-term gains. The upholding of the dignity of the individual should never be compromised and this would prohibit, for example any form of humiliating punishment.

Reward systems, as espoused by behaviourists, have been proven to reduce intrinsic motivation and create dependency: “Rewards are devastatingly effective in smothering enthusiasm for activities children might otherwise enjoy.” (2)

It follows that a teacher who aims to inspire a life-long love of learning would only support a very judicious and temporary use of behaviourist methods. Similar issues arise with the use of Canter’s Assertive Discipline model which lacks any deeper transformative ideal.

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” Paolo Friere

The critical words here are the practice of freedom. Like a musical instrument, human beings need guidance, patience and practice in order to responsibly manage autonomy. This is the lofty goal and a good teacher will take the time to walk the path with a student. This implies a relationship underpinned by mutual respect. The word freedom is used here as defined by Nietzsche:
“Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves.” I would broaden this definition to include responsibility to others and to the world.

The image of a path is appropriate in the sense of different starting points moving towards a common goal. There are many forks in the road where appropriate choices must be made. Herein lie the values of those methods promoted by Glasser, Dreikurs, and Bill Rogers, Ford and Gordon. In promoting strategies for positive self-management and accountability ,these methods assist in the daily ‘practice of freedom’. Even highly challenging students are invited to walk this path using Carl Roger’s Pain model. Every child can succeed. Although there may be difficulties and setbacks on these varied paths, the ultimate goal of effective classroom management is expressed here by Rudolf Steiner:

“Our highest endeavor must be to develop human beings who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning and direction to their lives.”

(1)Jones and Jones, 2001 Comprehensive Classroom Management Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

(2) Kohn ,1993,Punished by Rewards, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

(3) Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1888.

(4) Brady and Scully, (p.122) 2005, Engagement: Inclusive Classroom Management Sydney: Pearson Education Australia

Diversity in Learning styles

2007-05-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

Assignment 2:

Gardner and others have emphasized the different learning styles of students. How would you use the theory of one psychologist to effectively engage a preferred learning style?

Using the theories of William Glasser, I will outline a strategy for engaging a student who has high musical and intrapersonal intelligence in my German lessons. This young man, aged 15, is extremely introverted, a loner and struggles enormously with any conversational activities. His written work, whist very reticent, reveals a depth of thought and feeling. Although he often appears to be disengaged, his inner life is rich and his ability to work independently is demonstrated in his talent for playing classical piano. He practices piano for several hours a day and travels long distances to private lessons at the Conservatorium of Music, which he partly finances himself.

Clearly, this young man- I will refer to him as Joseph- has a gift. It is also clear that the methods which work so well in engaging other students (role play, team games based on oral skills, conversations, dramatisations etc.) - are almost unbearable for him in his present stage of development.

Glasser’s choice theory posits five basic needs. Firstly, the need for survival, safety and security. Although Joseph would safe in my lessons, his feelings of emotional security are clearly threatened because he feels existentially inhibited about joining in as his classmates can. His need for love, belonging and acceptance is complex. Although he is a loner, he does not appear to be lonely and his fellow students respect both his quiet nature and his need to follow his passion. In his own way, he belongs. In his private time, he achieves a sense of great power and achievement through his musicianship. He experiences freedom and independence in carving out his learning path himself. His need for fun is fulfilled through the joy of playing.

My strategy for Joseph would be to offer him independent project work in the second half hour of our lessons for a term. In this time he would be given the opportunity to work on a project relating to German culture. He selected a German composer- Ludwig van Beethoven- and chose to perform his “Moonlight Sonata”. The project also required a written overview of Beethoven’s biography.
In missing the second half hour, Joseph would miss the oral activities but would still take part in the instructional, cultural and grammatical aspects of the lesson. The project used the obvious connection of German classical music whilst still placing demands on Joseph’s written linguistic development.

Gardner’s contributions to educational theory and practice have resulted in an approach which values the diversity of gifts and abilities:

“The most imbedded misunderstanding about the nature of intelligence is that language is required for thought. This simply is not true. This misconception has marginalized the vastly important contribution the arts can make to education. We think in several other "symbol systems" besides language, including the use of line and color in drawing and painting, in musical notes when we sing, or play an instrument, or in physical motion when we dance…

As Martha Graham said, "If I could say it, I wouldn't have to dance it."

Some of us cannot express ourselves easily in language, but we can in other ways- ways which are provided through the arts. And if this expression is pursued with the goal of quality, and with high standards, it becomes the highest possible expression of human thought.”
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/arts/cabc/oddleifson3.htm

With regards to Joseph’s development as an individual, I feel it is important to acknowledge his particular artistic needs at this point of his life. I have a strong belief in the healing power of art and trust that his other abilities will develop to an appropriate degree, nurtured by his musicality and rich emotional life:

“Gardner believes that the intelligences he has identified are independent, in that they develop at different times and to different degrees in different individuals. They are, however, closely related, and many teachers and parents are finding that when an individual becomes more proficient in one area, the whole constellation of intelligence may be enhanced.”

http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/mi/dickinson_mi.html

I believe that this project could be not only a potent confirmation of Joseph’s individuality but also a source of social integration. The experience of Joseph’s performance could be an opportunity for his classmates to view the world in a new way:

“If human beings are to survive, we need all the symbolic forms at our command because they permit us not only to preserve and pass along our accumulated wisdom but also to give voice to the invention of new visions. We need all these ways of viewing the world because no one way can say it all.
The arts are acts of intelligence no less than other subjects.”

http://www.newhorizons.org/future/Creating_the_Future/crfut_fowler.html

Critical Reflection on Improving Student Motivation

2007-03-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

Critically reflect on the theories of at least two psychologists and apply their theories to techniques for improving student motivation.

A student who is motivated believes that the content to be learned will, in some way, be either of extrinsic or intrinsic benefit to him/her. The student sees the learning tasks to have some relevance to his/her path in life. This motivational factor relates directly to the fulfillment of needs, as discussed by both Maslow and Glasser.
Maslow’s needs view of motivation describes in ascending order the basis on which meaningful learning can occur. Maslow argued that if one or a combination of these needs were not being met, a student would adjust his/her behavior to meet the defecit.
This is a phenomenon that I observe on a daily basis in the classroom. As a teacher of creative performing arts, I am often challenged by teenagers who claim my subject area to be ‘useless’. If, however, I explore a theme which I know to be in some way connected to their lives or interests, the willingness to participate constructively is heightened. It is the task of the teacher to foster engagement by reaching out to the student so that he/ she can see relevance and thereby satisfy higher order needs.

Similarly, Glasser proposed the following needs: survival, and the four fundamental psychological needs : connectedness/love, power/significance, freedom/responsibility and fun. In my opinion, Glasser’s view reaches to a deeper level than Maslow’s by stressing the fundamental basis of relationships for student motivation.

Although the word is rarely mentioned in public debate on education, the underlying principle is love. In the article : “Teaching as a form of Love”, (1) Metcalfe and Game explore the value of relationships in teaching. They make reference to the works of the philosopher Martin Buber. His “I-Thou” relationship basis allows both teachers and students to see the ‘undefended essence’ of each person. Such a meeting , according to Buber, is where Life happens. Rudolf Steiner education recognises this essential foundation for all meaningful education:

“Receive the child in reverence, Educate the child in love, Let the child go forth in freedom”.
As depicted in the film “Stand and Deliver”, a student can be motivated to near miraculous achievement on the basis of a loving, supportive, respectful and challenging relationship with his/ her teacher.

The second factor of significant influence on student motivation is the self-concept of the student,as well as the beliefs held by the student about the value of his/her learning capacities(self-efficacy). These beliefs impact strongly on the willingness of a student to make a sustained effort or even to ‘have a go’. Weiner(1992) explored the attribution view which examines the factors to which a student attributes his/her success or failure. Those factors which a student believes to be out of his/her control (such as an unreasonably tough exam) undermine student motivation.

A teacher must set meaningful and attainable goals for the students which build on a sense of progress and success. In my teaching experience, I have found that students will willingly work beyond the time limits of the lesson if they are being helped to unravel a ‘knot’ and leave with a sense of confidence and achievement.

The important implications for teachers revolve around the understanding of what students believe about the reasons for their achievements or ‘failures’. I recently had a long discussion with a teenager who was convinced that she was ‘too dumb’ and a ‘loser’ due to the fact that her closest friends are exceptional high achievers. Her belief that she can never match them undermines her self esteem radically..

The third factor influencing student motivation is teacher expectation. A student will rise or fall in both behavior and achievement levels according to the ‘label’ he/she has been given by a teacher. This concept has been increasingly recognised since the publication of “Pygmalion in the Classroom” by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson (1968) (2). The effects of teacher expectation can be significant at an individual level, a class group level or a school level.
Rosenthal and Jacobson concluded that self-fulfilling prophecies were commonly at work.
“The teachers had subtly and unconsciously encouraged the performance they expected to see. Not only did they spend more time with these students, they were also more enthusiastic about teaching them and unintentionally showed more warmth to them than to the other students.” (3)

Beginning teachers, as well as those of many years experience must be vigilant in honestly examining their expectations of and attitudes towards students, the influence of which cannot be underestimated. This words from Rudolf Dreikurs sum up the essential aspects of productive teacher-student relationships:

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition, he learns it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live, to love and be loved.
http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Dreikurs,_Rudolf

(1): Metcalfe,A and Game,A Teachers who Change Lives 2006 Melbourne University Press, Melbourne

(2) Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. 1968. Pygmalion in the Classroom. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

(3) David Newman and Rebecca Smith. (Created September 14, 1999). Copyright Pine Forge Press. http://www.pineforge.com/newman.

Essential Elements of a Good Discipline Model

2007-03-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

What are the essential elements of an adequate discipline model?

An adequate discipline model is one which optimises the circumstances in which teaching and learning occur. This is a highly individual matter and no particular model will fit every situation.
In addition, the discipline model chosen by the teacher will ideally be compatible with his/ her own convictions and with the educational philosophy espoused by the school.

The element which is of vital significance is the creation of positive student-teacher relationships. This is the lasting and invaluable contribution of William Glasser and the foundation upon which all other methods, agreements and techniques rise and fall.
A teacher must be able to draw upon a wide range of discipline techniques ranging from the use of behaviour modification to positive behaviour leadership, depending on what the particular situation calls for. The goal should always be, however long the path, leading the individual to a position of authentic self-responsibility.

It is of vital importance that the teacher has a sound understanding of the psychological theories upon which the various discipline techniques are based and is engaging with the students in a pre-emptive way to avoid problems arising. In the article: “Teachers Make a Difference”, (1) John Hattie highlights the practice of expert teachers in terms of being ‘effective scanners of classroom behaviour’ and being able to ‘anticipate and prevent disturbances from occurring’. Hattie also concurs with Glasser’s view on relationships: ‘respect them as learners and people, and demonstrate care and commitment for them’.

This implies an inner approach of connectedness, of working together. On this basis, guidelines for responsible behaviour can be established openly with the students. The aim of such guidelines is to nurture a sense of belonging, as highlighted by Dreikurs, and to establish a clear framework in which meaningful learning can take place.

Such discipline models must be complemented by competent and enthusiastic teaching. This in itself creates students who are engaged and inspired, responding to a voice of inner authority: In the book ‘Teachers who Change Lives’, (2) Leslie Devereaux describes such an optimal learning situation:

“He was the kind of man who could hold the class’s attention. He took himself seriously in the sense that he took the act of living seriously and I think his authority came from that -I don’t remember him foisting anything on us, but his love of things kept spilling out, his passions…”

These essential elements of a good discipline model culminate in the experience expressed in the words of William Glasser: “Education is the process in which we discover that learning adds quality to our lives.”

(1)Hattie,John: Teachers Make a Difference: What is the Research Evidence? University of Auckland 2003

(2)
Metcalfe,A and Game,A Teachers who Change Lives 2006 Melbourne University Press, Melbourne

Code of conduct for Parents and Caregivers

2007-03-19T03:25:00.000-07:00

“There are two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children.
One of these is roots, the other, wings.” Hodding Carter

Parents and caregivers!

Live by example. Teenagers hate hypocrisy. Walk the talk!

Share your lives with your teenagers in a way that is authentic and loving. Share your search for meaning, your struggles and failures as well as your hopes, achievements and questions.

Express your beliefs; describe your faith but never force them onto your teenage child.

Communicate the challenges involved in making responsible choices in life. Involve your teenager in such processes- seeing all sides of an issue and coming to decisions.

Allow your teenager, step by step, to consciously recognize the balance between freedom and responsibility. Support them in increasing their levels of self-responsibility with age.

Take time. Really make the space to spend time together. Share a meal together daily in the absence of television or radio. Listen without judgment.

Be patient. Allow for phases, fads, extremes and contradictions. Nurture your sense of humour.

Show understanding and be generous in times of stress, such as exams or a romance break-up. It will be appreciated.

Be real. If you are annoyed or angry, say so. Don’t pretend you are something that you are not. Communicate honestly your needs e.g. those relating to cleanliness.

Talk to other parents to help put your situation in perspective. Seek professional advice if you need support.

Negotiate boundaries based on common sense. Some issues are black and white, e.g. “Never get into a car with a drunk driver. Call us or call a taxi.” Most issues have grey areas and need open discussion. Negotiate logical consequences should these boundaries be transgressed.

Encourage an active social network as well as out-of -school activities such as soccer, dance, music lessons. Show genuine interest and a willingness to support both financially and with your time.

Be compassionate. Do something for others with your teenager e.g. the Oxfam walk.

Respect your teenager’s need for privacy.

Forgive. Teenagers make mistakes. Don’t hold grudges.

Rejoice! Acknowledge achievements, and positive behavior.

Relationship:The fourth R

2007-03-13T00:26:00.000-07:00

Relationship: the fourth R in Education

http://web.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=8&hid=20&sid=bb037d22-570a-440a-87df-f607f0484fe8%40sessionmgr3

Here's a party entry for youhttp://web.ebscohost.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=8&hid=20&sid=bb037d22-570a-440a-87df-f607f0484fe8%40sessionmgr3

2007-03-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

Hope you like this article on the new educational 'R'!

2007-03-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

William Glasser

“It is almost impossible for anyone, even the most ineffective among us, to continue to choose misery after becoming aware that it is a choice.”

These Seven Caring Habits are:

1) Supporting;2) Encouraging;3) Listening;4) Accepting;5) Trusting;6) Respecting; and7) Negotiating differences

while also listing his Seven Deadly Habits:

1) Criticizing;2) Blaming;3) Complaining;4) Nagging;5) Threatening;6) Punishing; and7) Bribing or rewarding to control

(William Glasser Institute, 2005).

http://www.wgii.ie/articlebl.htm http://www.nipissingu.ca/education/mariacw/EDUC4128/Resources/WILLIAM_GLASSER.ppt
draft

Classroom Management

2007-03-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

Glasser's Theories in Practice:

http://www.brains.org/classroom_management.htm

A Sense of Place

2006-10-22T04:25:00.000-07:00

A Sense of Belonging
An ideal learning space gives students a sense of home, of belonging.Like a nest, it offers security and orientation,it is also a place from which one can stretch one's wings...

A 'sense of place' - an identity - is something all communities need, and indeed it can be argued that a principle cause of alienation, crime and dysfunction is the loss of this sense of identity.

http://www.sustainability.murdoch.edu.au/casestudies/Pilbara/socio-cultural/Sense_of_Place.htm

Our relationship with the land is one of belonging to, caring for, being cared for and growing up with: our land is our mother. The sense of place that is embedded within the souls of all aboriginal people is the obligation to ensure the very life and survival of our Mother Earth, the bearer of all creation.
http://www.urbanecology.org.au/ecocity2/senseofplace.html

Constructivist Learning

2006-10-22T04:15:00.000-07:00

A constructivist approach
I envisage active, engaged learners, an enthusiastic teacher and a myriad of opportunities for the children to learn with and from each other,using quality resources.
"Constructivism does not claim to have made earth-shaking inventions in the area of education; it merely claims to provide a solid conceptual basis for some of the things that, until now, inspired teachers had to do without theoretical foundation. "von Glasersfeld see: Summary: http://www.cdli.ca/~elmurphy/emurphy/cle6.html

I have chosen the image of a beehive to represent a place of interconnectedness. My ideal learning space would be home to a beehive of activity in a series of linked spaces. There would be a room with nothing at all in it besides musical instruments and a sound system. There would be a room like a conventional classroom with desks, chairs and computers. There would be smaller rooms leading off these, for group or individual work. Ideally, the space would include a kitchen and a garden, and doors wide open to community involvement. Bright colours,organic Gaudi-inspired architecture,big windows open to the world...

Education is not "teaching a fact for its own sake, but for teaching children to go on beyond what is given." It should never become "just a transmission of what we know, without a sense of what is possible." Jerome Bruner

Connectivism

2006-10-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

Networked Learning , a Sense of Community

Creative learning brings about new and interesting ways of connecting quality content.
George Siemens can be heard here talking about Connectivism and its implications for education:
http://www.elearnspace.org/media/Connectivism_IOC/player.html

There is no one definition of a learning community; however, a common definition is:“Any one of a variety of curricular structures that link together several existing courses---or actually restructure the material entirely---so that students have opportunities for deeper understanding and integration of the material they are learning, and more interaction with one another and their teachers as fellow participants in the learning enterprise.”
http://aaweb.lsu.edu/slc/whatIs.htm
See also:http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/home/index.cfm

Reflective Practice

2006-10-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

Critical reflection is the process of analysing, reconsidering and questioning experiences within a broad context of issues. I have chosen this image from Dali because of its centering quality. True critical reflection comes about when a content has been internalised and given a new, meaningful context.

This is a source of useful strategies for good reflective practice:
http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/alo/critical4.htm

2006-10-22T04:02:00.000-07:00

Deep Learning:
More than just the accumulation of information.
The students must have been in contact with meaningful content from all facets of life.This gives the necessary framework for deep learning to occur.
Deep, as opposed to superficial learning:

Focus is on “what is signified”
Focus is on the “signs” (or on the learning as a signifier of something else)
-
Relates previous knowledge to new knowledge
Focus on unrelated parts of the task
-
Relates knowledge from different courses
Information for assessment is simply memorised
-
Relates theoretical ideas to everyday experience
Facts and concepts are associated unreflectively
-
Relates and distinguishes evidence and argument
Principles are not distinguished from examples
-
Organises and structures content into coherent whole Task is treated as an external imposition Emphasis is internal, from within the student
Emphasis is external, from demands of assessment

http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/deepsurf.htm
-

Learner Diversity

2006-10-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

Diversity and Differences:
Individuality requires flexibility in teaching. a teacher needs to attune his perception so that the individual needs of every learner are met. Multiple intelligences need to be catered to.So too talents and learning challenges and cultural perpectives.

See : Teaching with diversity checklist:
http://www.csd.uwa.edu.au/tl/99TDChecklist.htm

Power and Freedom

2006-10-22T03:55:00.000-07:00

Power and Freedom

Today's learners are strong individuals who need to be empowered to find their own paths. They need to be anchored in a secure sense of self in order to determine their optimal ways of learning. In an atmosphere of mutual respect and support, individual power and freedom enrich the learning potential of students.

See Glasser's theories on personal choice and responsibility:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Glasser

Creativity

2006-10-22T03:50:00.000-07:00

Creativity -
a living approach to education which can enliven every facet of learning. This is a fundamental principle of Steiner education.
"I think that it is not exaggerated to say that no other educational system in the world gives such a central role to the arts as the Waldorf School Movement. Even mathematics is presented in an artistic fashion and related via dance, movement or drawing to the child as a whole."Konrad Oberhuber, Professor of Fine Arts, Harvard University
http://www.waldorfschool.com/results_of_a_waldorf_education.htm

"Conditions for creativity are to be puzzled; to concentrate; to accept conflict and tension; to be born everyday; to feel a sense of self." -- Erich Fromm

Transformation of the Individual

2006-10-22T03:44:00.000-07:00

Transformation of the Individual
An ideal learning process would develop the potential of each learner and lay the foundations for curious, enthusiastic life-long learning. A creative educational process should become a well-spring of inspiration for later life, full of rich memories, a sense of mystery and a seach for meaning.
In the words of Howard Gardner:
I want my children to understand the world, but not just because the world is fascinating and the human mind is curious. I want them to understand it so that they will be positioned to make it a better place. Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do...

Transformation of Society

2006-10-22T03:33:00.000-07:00

Transformation of Society

Students should beinspired to strive to make the world a better place and share the gifts of their talents in a way that promotes social justice and sustainability. These ideals cannot be imposed upon anyone but would ideally arise from each person in an expression of freedom and responsibility

All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth: Aristotle

2006-06-27T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Development of Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence in Children:
Implications for Education and Artistry
By Jay.A.Seitz
www.york.cuny.edu/~seitz/HolisticEd.pdf

In this article, Seitz draws attention to the potential of artistic movement, particularly dance, for nurturing intelligence in children. Jay points to the now widely acknowledged problem that traditional intelligence tests, in focusing almost exclusively on linguistic and mathematical skills, have neglected the acknowledgement of many abilities which have been regarded as not relevant for the development of higher-order cognitive skills.

Seitz traces the central role of movement in the development of speech and thinking from infancy. Recent studies have confirmed that the parts of the brain which control voluntary movement are connected by neural pathways to those parts of the brain which manipulate ideas, suggesting that we think kinesthetically.

Seitz supports Gardner’s acknowledgement of a bodily-kinesthetic intelligence as a distinct ability with two components:

1: masterful coordination of one’s bodily movements
2: the ability to manipulate objects in a skilled manner.

The three central cognitive skills in body-gestural expression are highlighted in their relevance for the artistic development of movement. These are:

1: motor logic - the clear ‘ idea ’, or syntax of movement
2: kinesthetic memory – the reconstructing of movement and the positioning in space
3: kinesthetic awareness- the appreciation of posture, balance, symmetry, resistance, tension and weight.
All three elements are important components of dance.
Important too are the abilities to imitate and to understand the expression of ideas and feelings in movement. These latter two skills are located in the special realm of ‘artistic intelligences.’

Seitz points to the ‘problem-solving’ nature of refining artistic movement, whereby the learner matches, to an ever increasing degree, his own movements with an ideal e.g. an arabesque.

Artistic movement is said to develop the learner on the physical, sensory, emotional and intellectual levels. The aesthetic, social and cultural understandings arising from artistic movement have been largely undervalued by educators in western societies, so too the relation to spatial and musical intelligences. Seitz advocates curriculum changes to address a broader profile of intellectual abilities and an earlier nurturing of artistic movement.

My teaching experience has focused largely on a form of artistic movement known as eurythmy (the movement of music and speech) and the teaching of cultural (folk) dance. I have taught all levels from pre-school to year 12.
My work with very young children focuses strongly on movement qualities taken from nature, animals and stories such as fairy tales. The movement is imaginative, free-form and not highly organised. Through the primary years the children bring more conscious awareness into their individual expression, concentration, coordination and increasingly complex spatial and group forms.
The high school years see a refinement of these skills whereby the student is increasingly challenged to become the creator and choreograph of group performances.

I have witnessed the calming, ordering and enlivening effect creative movement has on children’s behavior. My work aims to support and enhance the curriculum in fully integrated way. I have seen ‘cross-pollination’ effects too: one French teacher was certain the children performed far better if her lesson came immediately after a lesson in eurythmy. In accordance with Seitz’s observations, I have become convinced of the value of eurythmy and folk dance in nurturing inter and intra personal intelligence, spatial awareness, linguistic and musical appreciation, social and cultural understanding.

Children are natural movers and it seems a crime that they are made to learn so much whilst sitting still! Adolescents are often chaotic or lethargic in their movement and benefit enormously from balancing these extremes in a soul-enriching form- not just through sport. Like Seitz, I strongly advocate curriculum reform. I am working as part of a creative arts committee to bring about change in my local public school.

Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words…… ~Friedrich Nietzsche

The Steiner education system has embraced the need for artistic movement whole-heartedly since its inception. The performing arts are seen as crucial for the appreciation of the dignity, worth and beauty of the human being. The effects of artistic movement for broader learning are highly utilized.

Focused, flexible, coordinated and agile movements awaken these qualities in thinking (as supported by Seitz: we think kinesthetically). Movement which reflects both the outer world and the inner experience nourishes emotional development, broadening the depths of feeling in students.(Seitz refers to better interaction with other people and objects in the world). In artistic movement, we see the Waldorf education principle of thinking, feeling and doing exemplified on both an individual and social level.

In addition, Steiner emphasized the spiritual qualities of artistic movement: “Through Eurythmy, man comes nearer the divine than he otherwise could”. As Friedrich Nietzsche boldly expressed: “I would believe only in a God that knows how to dance.” Seitz neglects to refer to this aspect of dance -surprisingly- considering the role dance has played through the ages in religious rites. “Dancers are the athletes of God.” according to Albert Einstein. Here a clear connection can be made to the nurturing of Gardner’s existential or spiritual intelligence. This may seem a difficult avenue to explore in school curriculum, yet I have found that artistic movement to truly great works of poetry and music accesses the existential realm effortlessly…

We ought to dance with rapture that we might be alive... and part of the living, incarnate cosmos. ~D.H. Lawrence

2006-06-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Embers...When I read your wise combining of theoretical articles with your own insights and observations I feel the great warmth of your inner fire. I too read that wonderful comment of Piagets...how we need to educate creators rather than conformists and on to the dark side of the screen. You have such a beautiful way of expressing thoughts and combining ideas. For many people you must be like Josefins piano teacher. For me you are. Thank you for you thoughtful work. It helps me go forward. I will definitely check out your excellent site recomendation. You friend, Mel

Excel

2006-06-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a great excel table with 258 reviews of leson plans, webquests,powerpoints, including hyperlinks! Excellent.

http://training.scottcounty.net/In-service%20January%2020_2003/Teachers%20Review%20and%20Rate%20the%20Site%2001-20-03%20Master%20File.xls

Distributed Learning Environments

2006-06-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

“Logged Out” was the title page of today’s News Review in the Sydney Morning Herald (24 June 2006). In this article, educationalists argued for the advantages of computer-based teaching methods and pointed to the “digital divide”-those students disadvantaged by not having access to the internet. According to Barbara Stone, principal at MLC Burwood: ”If we don’t exploit this technology, which is so much part of our life, we do students a great injustice”.
There are, however, reports claiming that the use of technology in the classroom has failed to enhance learning outcomes (Evans as quoted by Carol Steketee, see: http://www.ecu.edu.au/conferences/herdsa/main/papers/ref/pdf/Steketee.pdf)

Essays such as Gideon Haigh’s “Information Idol- How Google is making us Stupid” highlight the global nature of the problems educationalists are facing:

“Education is an institution dominated by the pressures of mediocrity. Schools are places where treating the average needs with the average amounts of resources has long been the rule - a fact that, unfortunately has become extremely comfortable and therefore deeply entrenched.” Google delivers every student the same not-very-good and not-very-bad resources necessary to craft a perfectly mediocre response. It lends itself not so much to learning as to the appearance of learning - which to politicians is, frankly, of paramount concern.
http://intermaweb.net/index.php/2006/03/05/information-idol-how-google-is-making-us-stupid.

See also "Google Schmoogle":
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/mediarpt/stories/s1571598.htm

The crucial step is to employ technological tools appropriately in order to facilitate optimal learning processes. The constructivist approach is being extended, the idea of collaborative group activity is now at the forefront. The Distributed Learning Environment(DLE) is a context whereby technology can be used to enrich and ultimately transform the process of learning.

The DLE brings about a significant shift away from teacher-based learning. The learner is seen to be an individual in context i.e. with access to resources, technology and social interaction.
The role of the teacher takes on more the nature of a facilitator, who provides guidance and affirmation. The teacher needs to create the basis for constructive teamwork to emerge. In the classroom this means that communication skills need to be nurtured (such as listening, acknowledging and reflecting). The teacher should be able to assess the contribution potential of the student on the basis of an understanding of the implications of multiple intelligences. Skills such as independent thinking and discernment need to be cultivated. These elements provide the crucial pre-conditions.

Ideally, technology can enhance collaborative learning with tools that are intelligently implemented (such as mind-mapping and blogging). A virtual on-line learning community can access immense resources and an abundance of ideas, so that the whole becomes much more than the sum of its parts.

If implemented wisely, judiciously and collaboratively, the use of technology in education could overcome the current problems of superficial mediocrity and move towards the empowerment of the active creative learner.

Action Research

2006-06-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

...in other words:

a group of children decides to build a billy-cart: this is the initial idea.

They ask their dads for some advice and google some facts...lots of information available: fact finding.

They work out what they will need to buy, how much it will cost, who will buy it, who can get tools from home, when they will meet: planning.

They cut the wood and hammer together the basic structure: first action step.

"Wouldn't the structure be more stable if we used screws?" :evaluation.

They pull the nails out and replace them with screws:amended plan.

Work begins on the wheels: second step......

The creative process, alternating between action and critical reflection is ultimately just as important as the end product.

(and the good news is that there are still real children who race recklessly down real hills on real self-made billy-carts,maybe even breaking some real bones and experiencing the thrill of it all...)

http://www.infed.org/research/b-actres.htm

The Enneagram

2006-06-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

This is an ancient Sufi way of understanding ourselves-our talents and motivations as well as our deficits.It draws relationships between the two. The idea is that our talents can do us a disservice by 'trapping' us into fixed ways of seeing the world and thereby narrowing our horizons. True development can only occur by recognising what we are and what we are not,our light and our shadow.By understanding our enneagram type we can grow more aware of why we think, feel and act as we do.

"The-Not-So-Good-Earth"

2006-06-13T01:14:00.000-07:00

For a while there we had 25-inch Chinese peasant families

famishing in comfort on the 25-inch screen

and even Uncle Billy whose eyesight's going fast

by hunching up real close to the convex glass

could just about make them out- the riot scene

in the capital city for example

he saw that better than anything, using the contrast knob

to bring them up dark-all those screaming faces

and bodies going under the horses' hooves- he did a terrific job

on that bit....

Bruce Dawe

...In response to Bandura's ideas about media-related aggresion...

see blog: Dawns on me ,or:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/bingschool/rsrchart/bandura.htm

It seems ludicrous that while military forces are trained to kill using computer simulation, the computer games industry still denies any adverse effects images of killing may be having on young people's minds.

I am convinced that there are untold numbers of people who are fundamentally disturbed at the core of their psyches by exposure to violent imagery. This state of inner turmoil can be masked in a myriad of ways .

Increasingly, parents and educators are asking whether the hoards of so-called ADHD children include many individuals who are simply not coping with their feelings of inner nervousness and anxiety. I personally believe films such as "Harry Potter" (all of them) , "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Lord of the Rings" contain very frightening images which would be 'indigestable' on a soul level for many children. Meanwhile, exposure and merchandising run rampant. The earlier the better.....

Jerome Bruner

2006-06-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

Jerome Bruner 1915-

“Jerome Bruner is not merely one of the foremost educational thinkers of the era; he is also an inspired learner and teacher. His infectious curiosity inspires all who are not completely jaded….” Howard Gardner.

Jerome Bruner is widely acknowledged for his influence on educational practice and his advocacy of discovery learning. His books 'The Process of Education' and 'Towards a Theory of Instruction' have become recognized as classic of educational psychology. Bruner advocated the teaching of the structure of subjects with real life processes as the point of introduction. This corresponds with his theories of intellectual development. He proposed three key stages:

1) The enactive where a person learns about the world through actions on objects;
(from birth to about age 3)
2)The iconic stage where learning occurs through using models and pictures;
(from about age 3 to about age 8)
3) The symbolic stage which describes the capacity to think in abstract terms;
(from about age 8)

Bruner’s idea of moving from the concrete to the pictorial to the abstract is compatible with the Steiner education approach where practical hands-on experience is raised to a feeling relationship through mental picturing and finally progresses to abstract thinking. For instance, geography lessons in the Steiner school (usually in class 3) give initial focus to the local area-that which can be physically explored by the child. Children learn to map (picture) their local area. They start recognizing how the parts are inter-related and understanding their place in the picture. In the later years the perspective is widened, step by step, to encompass the whole earth and its place in the solar system. This approach is consistent with Bruner:

“If earlier learning is to render later learning easier, it must do so by providing a general picture in terms of which the relations between things encountered earlier and later are made as clear as possible”
Bruner’s ‘spiral curriculum’ where ideas are revisited, expanded upon and gradually formalized is also much in keeping with Waldorf school practice. So too his approach to learning motivation. Rather than striving for outer signs of achievement, Bruner argued that the interest inspired by the learning material is the ideal stimulus to active learning.

Bruner discouraged educators from shying away from themes of importance at an early age because they are considered “too hard”. He argued that this results in time-wasting and the underestimation of children’s abilities: “any subject can be taught effectively in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development”. In Steiner education we embrace this concept. For example, teaching Aesop’s fables in class 2 is a perfect opportunity for fundamental conversations on morals and ethics.

Education is not "teaching a fact for its own sake, but for teaching children to go on beyond what is given." It should never become "just a transmission of what we know, without a sense of what is possible."

In relation to the use of ICT, I would suggest that, in accordance with Bruner, this sort of learning-involving a strong focus on the abstract- should begin after the age of 8. Prior to this age, discovery based learning should find its footing firmly in the real world context.

Multiple Intelligences

2006-06-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner 1943-

Gardner is a psychologist based at Harvard University .He is world renowned for creating his theory of Multiple Intelligences. http://www.howardgardner.com/ Howard Gardner's work around multiple intelligences has had a profound impact on thinking and practice in education.

In his book Frames of Mind, Gardner challenged the idea that intelligence is a single entity, that it results from a single factor, and that it can be measured simply via IQ. Instead, he proposed a many-faceted approach to intelligence based on the following dimensions:

Linguistic intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn languages, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals. This intelligence includes the ability to effectively use language to express oneself rhetorically or poetically; and language as a means to remember information. Writers, poets, lawyers and speakers are among those that Howard Gardner sees as having high linguistic intelligence.

Logical-mathematical intelligence consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically. In Howard Gardner's words, in entails the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically. This intelligence is most often associated with scientific and mathematical thinking.

Musical intelligence involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms. According to Howard Gardner musical intelligence runs in an almost structural parallel to linguistic intelligence.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence entails the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Howard Gardner sees mental and physical activity as related.

Spatial intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas.

Interpersonal intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively with others. Educators, salespeople, religious and political leaders and counselors all need a well-developed interpersonal intelligence.

Intrapersonal intelligence entails the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations. In Howard Gardner's view it involves having an effective working model of ourselves, and to be able to use such information to regulate our lives.
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm

Natural Intelligence was later included by Gardner, being the capacity to understand and value the natural world, its interconnected structures and man's place within it.

Existential Intelligence, sometimes referred to as spiritual intelligence, was another later addition, referring to the ability to find and realise adequate meaning in life.

“Gardner argues convincingly that Western society as a whole, and our schools in particular, reinforce linguistic and logical-mathematical forms of intelligence while neglecting other ways of knowing. Teachers love children who are good with words and logic. However, children who show ability in dance, art, music, social relations, intuition, drama, nature, and other areas of self-expression tend not to receive as much recognition. In my own research, I have found that many children with talents in these neglected intelligences are likely to be labeled "learning disabled" or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) if they do not perform adequately on assigned worksheets and pop quizzes.”
http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/articles/utopian_schools.htm

Gardner’s work substantiated theories integral to Waldorf education since its inception more than 80 years ago. The ‘whole child’ approach has been vigilant in valuing and nurturing the learner in a complete and intergrated way, compatible with Gardner’s multi-dimensional

approach.

An example of an intergrated approach to the concepts of division and fractions would be the following: Class 4 children could bake a cake together.This cake could then be shared among the class members in even portions.The numerical aspcts of this division proces could be ilustrated in both pictures and numbers. The children could be encouraged to see how parts make up a whole in nature, such as the apple having 5 divisions. The children could explore the musical divisions and understand concepts such as crotchet, minim etc. through clapping, stamping and running to the beats. Literature studies could focus on the theme of sharing. The children could be encouraged to create a piece of art where the whole is divided into even parts, perhaps with a theme such as the seasons.....In all of these activities , elements of teamwork would be encouraged, fostering development on the interpersonal level.

Working with multiple intelligences, in my opinion, means recognizing and extending obvious talents whilst challenging the learner on all levels. There is a danger in categorizing children too early and playing to their strengths. This I became aware of in relation to webquests where it could be an easy path always to give e.g. the artist the role of illustration, the eloquent child the task of verbal presentation etc.

In my work with performing arts, I have experienced enormously positive and unexpected results by giving ‘therapeutic’ roles to children. It can be a very beneficial process for the obvious performing talents in the class to at times practice restraint and allow the otherwise shy and meek children to take centre stage. These children in turn sometimes experience a ‘great leap forward’ in their development and are fundamentally positively affirmed in their feelings of self-esteem.

“Waldorf Education embodies in a truly organic sense all of the intelligences that Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner speaks about. Steiner had the breadth of vision seventy-five years ago to see something that educators are now waking up to…and Steiner’s vision is a whole one, not just an amalgamation of the intelligences. Many schools are currently attempting to construct curricula based on Gardner’s model simply through an additive process. Steiner’s approach, however, was to begin with a deep inner vision of the child and the child’s needs and to build curricula around that vision”
Thomas Armstrong, author,” Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom.”

Childhood

2006-06-06T02:54:00.000-07:00

Jean Piaget,(1896-1980) ,the Swiss philosopher and psychologist, spent much of his professional life listening to children, watching children and researching their development. He observed that children do not think like grownups, that they have thought processes with their own kind of order and their own special logic. Einstein called it a discovery "so simple that only a genius could have thought of it."

Childhood is universally acknowledged to be a unique and fundamental life time experience.
Understanding and appreciating the nature of a child's being is crucial for the development of meaningful content and method in educational practice. This involves far more than reciting psychologists' cognitive theories. Rather,we must learn as educators to enter into the child's developing conciousness in an almost meditative manner, deeply respectful and focused in the present moment.
When observing children at kindergarten age, we see them constantly in movement, at play, deeply involved in sensory, experiential hands-on learning, full of imagination, creativity, full of life itself. Yet how do we see educators meeting the needs of children? Increasingly, education is seen as a race, and the earlier you start, the sooner and the better you finish. What is the prize at the end of this "race"? There is a severe lack of evidence that this push for early academics produces any lasting advantage for children, or more contented, authentic adults who are able to "in and of themselves, impart meaning to their lives" (Steiner).
According to Piaget, development is caused by the accumulation of errors in understanding , an accumulation which eventually causes a state of disequilibrium , so that thought structures require reorganising. The race for the early intellectualisation of children is a tragic example of "error accumulation" and it is high time that the thoughts guiding these misplaced ambitions in education were "reorganised".

"We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it."
~George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss, 1860.

2006-06-05T03:07:00.000-07:00

Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Implications for ICT in Education

The Swiss psychologist Piaget is best known for reorganizing cognitive development into a series of stages- the levels of development corresponding roughly to infancy, pre-school, childhood, and adolescence.The four stages, are the Sensorimotor stage, which occurs from birth to age two, (children experience through their senses), the Preoperational stage, which occurs from ages two to seven (motor skills are acquired), the Concrete operational stage, which occurs from ages seven to eleven (children think logically about concrete events), and the Formal Operational stage, which occurs after age eleven (abstract reasoning is developed here).

In Summary:
Stages of Development:
Sensory Motor Period(0 - 24 months) [More on this stage]
The Preoperational Period(2-7 years) [More on this stage]
Period of Concrete Operations (7-11 years) [More on this stage]
Period of Formal Operations(11-15 years) [More on this stage]
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/piaget.shtml

The concepts of schemes, assimilation, accommodation and equilibration are important in understanding Piaget.
Schemes describe the patterns of behaviour or thinking that people use in relating to the world.
Assimilation is where an object or experience is incorporated into a new scheme.
Accommodation is the reordering of schemes taking into account new experiences.
Development from one stage to the next is caused by the accumulation of errors in the child's understanding of the environment, which brings about a state of cognitive disequilibrium,and the reorganisation of existing thought structures.

Although Piaget's thoghts have been overhauled and expanded upon, he was undoubtedly a brilliant and inspired thinker who made a huge impact on educational practice. Time magazine ranked him among one of the most important individuals of the twentieth century.Through his keen observation of human development, he sought to gain a new basis for inspired learning.

In Conversations with Jean Piaget, he says: "Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me and no one else, education means making creators. . . . You have to make inventors, innovators—not conformists," (Bringuier, 1980, p.132) (Wikipedia)

...is ICT education really aiming to create innovators, not conformists???
Are we fulfilling our duty of care in giving children a solid basis for ethical and moral decisions?...
....some critical reflections from:
www.allianceforchildhood.org.

Today’s children will inherit social and ecological crises that involve tough moral choices and awesome technological power, Tech Tonic warns. To confront problems like the proliferation of devastating weapons and global warming, children will need all the “wisdom, compassion, courage, and creative energy” they can muster, it adds. Blind faith in technology will not suffice.
“A new approach to technology literacy, calibrated for the 21st century, requires us to help children develop the habits of mind, heart, and action that can, over time, mature into the adult capacities for moral reflection, ethical restraint, and compassionate service”

We as educators have the task of facilitating the child's understanding of the world, to help the child find sense and meaning. Is the desperate scramble to introduce ICT to children based on sound educational philosophy? Surely an innovative, use of technology can only come about when children are brought up in conducive environments for true creativity. Are we currently on the right path? Some critical reflections:

Tech Tonic proposes seven reforms in education and family life. These will free children from a passive attachment to screen-based entertainment and teach them about their “technological heritage” in a new way, rooted in the study and practice of technology “as social ethics in action” and in a renewed respect for nature.

The seven reforms:
1: Make human relationships and a commitment to strong communities a top priority at home and school.
2: Color childhood green to refocus education on children’s relationships with the rest of the living world.
3:Foster creativity every day, with time for the arts and play.
4:Put community-based research and action at the heart of the science and technology curriculum.
5:Declare one day a week an electronic entertainment-free zone.
6:End marketing aimed at children.
7:Shift spending from unproven high-tech products in the classroom to children’s unmet basic needs.

“To expect our teachers, our schools, and our nation to strive to educate all of our children, leaving none behind, is a worthy goal,” Tech Tonic says. “To insist that they must at the same time spend huge amounts of money and time trying to integrate unproven classroom technologies into their teaching, across the curriculum with preschoolers on up, is an unwise and costly diversion from that goal. It comes at the expense of our neediest children and schools, for whom the goal is most distant.”

The Implications for Education, According to Talbot
(The Future does not Compute):
Children in today's world need to be familiar with computers, don't they?
What should we teach high-school students about computers?
Isn't the Internet irreplaceable as a source of information?
Why not use the Internet to bring world-class science into the schoolhouse?
Can't we use the Internet to help students become world citizens?
Do CD-ROMs and nature videos instill a love of nature in children?
Why not use the Internet to help children learn foreign languages?
Must we get school children onto the Net in order to prepare them for 21st century jobs?

Also see Mander: "In the Abscence of the Sacred"
http://carbon.cudenver.edu/stc-link/weblink/water/materials/mander.html
We don't really know how to assess new or existing technologies. It is apparent that we need a new, more holistic language for examining technology, one that would ignore the advertised claims, best-case visions, and glamorous imagery that inundate us and systematically judge technology from alternative perspectives: social, political, economic, spiritual, ecological, biological, military. Who gains? Who loses? Do the new technologies serve planetary destruction or stability? What are their health effects? Psychological effects? How do they affect our interaction with and appreciation of nature? How do they interlock with existing technologies? What do they make possible that could not exist before? What is being lost? Where is it all going? Do we want that?

...if we are to use technology to influence learning effectively, to lead to a creativity based on human and environmental ethics, these questions need assessing.

2006-05-31T05:16:00.000-07:00

Albert Einstein and Rudolf Steiner:
Kindness, Beauty, Truth and the path to selflessness...
"A human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. ... The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. ... We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive."

"Only the individual can think, and thereby create new values for society, nay, even set up new moral standards to which the life of the community conforms. ... The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty and Truth. "(Einstein, 1954) Albert Einstein Biography

Ideals which light the way in Steiner education:
Whereas the kindergarten teacher represents to the children that “the world is good” and the primary school teacher that “the world is beautiful” - the guiding principle facing the secondary teacher is to lead the pupil through the specific nature of the curriculum to the understanding that “the world is true”.

"Geist, durchleuchte mich

Liebe, durchgluehe mich

Kraft, durchdringe mich

Dass in mir erstehe

Ein Helfer der Menschheit

Selbstlos und treu"

(May wisdom shine through me, may love glow within me, may strength permeate me,that in me may arise a helper of mankind, selfless and true" Rudolf Steiner

Life-long learning...

2006-05-31T04:50:00.000-07:00

To this day, Piaget's works are held in high regard, yet it is widely acknowledged that his theories are more relevant when complemented with those of Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky believed that individual development could not be understood without reference to the social and cultural context in which development occurs. He did not see development as progressing in fixed stages, but more in a life-long accumulative manner.

Vygotsky introduced the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development . This can be understood as the gap between what one is wanting to teach and the state of development presenting itself in the learner in that area. A good teacher will be able to adequately meet this gap by extending the learner in a realistic yet enticing way.

Vygotsky saw play as a fundamental formative form of learning:"A child's greatest achievements are possible in play, achievements that tomorrow will become her basic level of real action." In this aspect, his ideas are highly compatible with those expressed by Steiner. The Waldorf plea to "keep the hood on childhood" is a heartfelt recognition of the value of children's play.

The importance of social interaction was strongly emphasised by Vygotsky."Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level and, later on, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological)." Social interaction includes teacher interaction. An enthusiastic , dedicated mentor who affirms, guides, build bridges, as well as allowing for mistakes and experimentation is vital for inspired learning.Vygotsky's theories have had an enormous influence in the shift from isolated to socially connected learning environments.

Language was seen by Vygotsky as crucial in its function for structuring a child's thought processes and social behaviour."Words play a central part not only in the development of thought but in the historical growth of consciousness as a whole. A word is a microcosm of human consciousness."This aspect of his theories strikes a strong chord with Steiner teachers who work consistently and artistically in developing both language and speech.

Understanding constructivist theories is in some ways, for those working with Steiner education, like finding a framework to describe what one is instinctively doing anyway. Or, as von Glaserfeld said:

"Constructivism does not claim to have made earth-shaking inventions in the area of education; it merely claims to provide a solid conceptual basis for some of the things that, until now, inspired teachers had to do without theoretical foundation. "
von Glasersfeld
see: Summary: http://www.cdli.ca/~elmurphy/emurphy/cle6.html

Microcosms

2006-05-31T01:47:00.000-07:00

Vygotsky: Microcosms

A word devoid of thought is a dead thing, and a thought unembodied in words remains a shadow.
Words play a central part not only in the development of thought but in the historical growth of consciousness as a whole. A word is a microcosm of human consciousness.

.