Tasks

Darvesh Karim

Assistant Instructor

Professional Development Center, North

University Road, Konodass, Gilgit.

Ph. No: (+92) 05811-454132-4 Ext: 3017

Fax No: (+92) 05811-454135

Cell No: (+92) 03465419307

Email (Official): darveshkarim@pdcn.edu.pk

Email (Private): dk_hunzai@yahoo.com, darvesh.karim@gmail.com

Online Blogs: www.dkhunza.blogspot.com; www.scribd.com/dk_hunzai

Task I - Explore the first three sections of Pedagogy in Action and choose an idea that appeals to you. Respond to this question: HOW COULD YOU USE THE IDEA TO IMPROVE YOUR TEACHING?

COMMUNICATION

Generally I gone through all three sections of ‘Pedagogy in Action’ area in PLOT website and I found all these sections very useful for the professional development of a teacher. But the most appealing idea of ‘communication’ which attracted me much, because of its vital role in learning, and an essential key to life success as effective communication is fundamental to making sense of, and for successful participation in global societies. Communication has very explicitly presented on the site by advocating its different dimensions for students learning like integrating communication, engaging learners, written conversations, model the language, empowering students, integrating new technologies, questioning skills, multiple ways and home-school communication etc. Among all of them the most appealing dimension which I perceived can be an ultimate strategy for my own learning as well as to improve my teaching is, Integrating New Technologies.  I understand that through this strategy of modern communication, I can improve my teaching and eventually the motivation of students towards learning will improve.

Integrating New Technologies

I prefer to start remarking on this dimension with an appealing quote taken from the site that, “All learning today should include technology … as one of the key areas of learning. Technology is not just a tool for learning … It should be one of the main things that learning is about. It should be a message as well as a medium. This is equally true of learners and teachers, given the rapidity with which technology changes (Australian Council of Deans of Education, 2001, p 100). Traditionally the primary tools and technologies used for students were textbooks, pens, pencils, and exercise books, while the teachers were about to chalk, talk and walk.  In contrary to this approach now our world is flooded with multimedia and global communications. Students increasingly need to be able to use and intermingle all together various kinds of literacy - audio, visual, multimedia - information networks and other technologies as these technologies are taking the place of those traditionally mandated tools of students. These new tools are making revolutionary changes by high quality learning and are used in the service of purposeful outcomes. I have perceived many classroom based strategies for the enhancement of my teaching through meaningfully integration of these new technologies like integrating traditional literacies with new technologies into rich learning tasks and projects, so that students learn to use, switch and combine these according to purpose, product and desired outcomes. Through these tasks and projects skills of usage, understanding can be developed in students with technology and communications media and ultimately the level of teaching develops further.

Further more, I will try to apply this approach in my class by involving my students in projects which will only be completed with the usage of technological tools, so that they could be able to access the new technologies to complete that project, while these projects will ultimately lead them to understanding of integration of new technologies.

TASK 2: Explore the next three section of Pedagogy in Action: Collaboration, Self responsibility and Human development. Choose an idea and explain how you would introduce it to teachers in your context so that they would try the idea in their teaching. This could also be an ideal for your workshop during the course.

SELF RESPONSIBILITY

Among the different themes under the Pedagogy in Action, I have chosen Self Responsibility which attracted me very much. However the rest of material and information is quite relevant and implemental in different contexts. But I would prefer to discuss Self responsibility to introduce this notion among the teacher of my context.

The development of young people toward becoming self-responsible, self-directed learners and autonomous human beings is a major goal of education. Lifelong and life-wide learning will be essential in a world characterized by change and diversity. The role we play in helping children learn to take increasing control of their thinking, learning and behavior is critical. Self responsibility has been very much clearly discussed on the site by categorizing it into different approaches like Negotiated approach, Intrinsic motivation, Self management skills, Empower students, Macro thinking, build self-understanding and Focus on reflection.

Focus on Reflection

Focus on reflection as an essential aspect of learning. Reflection is a way of processing to help us make sense of what we are learning, to make important connections, to depth our understanding, and to monitor our learning and thinking towards positive growth.

            Reflection helps us learn-how-to-learn, and to deal wisely with the information-complex world of today and tomorrow. It is essential for effective learning and to for lifelong learning. Reflection requires of a real understanding of its importance and a commitment to it. So, to initiate its implementation, I may try to motivate the teachers to maintain a reflective journal or simply will introduce a format starting with any of these points for reflections like, My strengths, Area/s I need to improve in or want to explore further, Steps I will take to achieve my goal…, Three things I learned ... , My favorite part ... , it would have been good if .... One thing I learned today ..., A question I have is ..., I did really well on ..., Next time, I would change ..., A strategy I used ... , I solved a challenge by ... etc. If a simplified format is prepared and given to teachers through a practical demonstration in a workshop they can be motivated to do so. Initially its implementation can be challenging as teachers may fell extra burden, but a smooth and friendly follow-up with encouragement can enhance its efficiency and learning. As a PDT, I may try to arrange short courses for the concerned staff members to introduce reflections and its importance. Furthermore, to reinforce these absolutely new ideas and strategies of professional development according to my context, I have to remain closely in contact with teachers. This will help me to compare the theoretical knowledge with the actual practices on the real scene.

TASK 3: Explore the first two sections of the Professional Communities areas of PLOT i.e. Professional Learning Processes (PLP) & Reflection and Assessment (R and A). In PLP you will find the Lamp of Learning and ideas for workshops. In R and A, you will find 3 interesting self-assessment rubrics. Fill one of those rubrics and reflect on the results. How could you use the Lamp of Learning metaphor in facilitating teacher learning?

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROCESSES

Lamp of Learning

This metaphor appears to be connected with active, constructivist theories of learning, that there are three interrelated important stages from the base of the lamp upwards to its top. Each stage depends on the knowledge of previous stage for effective learning to take place. As the structure of the lamp shows that there are three interconnected stages and professional learning must also be interconnected to a strong base which means the learners’ existing knowledge, beliefs, experience and practices should be strong to absorb or to accommodate new knowledge to construct the understanding. Because to teach deep understanding, teacher need to clearly understand how understanding is constructed. Like the lamp, learning has to be carefully constructed parts which interacts new learning. 

Moreover lamp of learning guides us in understanding on construction of understanding from bottom to top. Teaching for deep understanding of significant concepts questions, issues and processes requires a lot of conceptuality. The construction of lamp of learning enables us to grapple with, process, organize and internalize new concepts, skills and processes to build on from our knowledge base. In addition effective learning is constructed to make connection between new concepts and processes.  Students and their learning needs are the center of effective learning.  There are many a number of teaching strategies that can be employed to actively engage students in the learning process, including group discussions, problem solving, case studies, role play, reflection and journal writing. The benefits of using such activities are many including critical thinking skills, increased retention and transfer of new information, increased motivation and improved intrapersonal skills. The overall quality of teaching and learning is improved when students have ample opportunities to clarify questions, apply and consolidate new knowledge. In this case teachers can create opportunities for students to engage new material, serving as guide to help them understand deeply and apply in their daily life. They help to “light the lamp” of student learning.

                                                                                                      

Community Rubric Result

I had chosen the Community Rubric to know about my understanding about the learning community. The result has very explicitly showed my over all understanding about this area. I found the rubric very helpful to understand my perception about community. In the rubric six major themes or sections have been identified and every theme contains a set of questions. According to this result, I me doing well in Pedagogy, Substantive dialogue and Effective collaboration but a bit lacking in some areas. I understand that it is a universal truth that development never ends, so I need to improve these dimensions further along-with other sectors of community like Professional learning and implementation, future premise and relationships. 

TASK 4: In the Professional Communities section explores Substantive Dialogue. Find an idea from this area which may be a question or a quote which you particularly like. Comment on what that idea, question or quote means to you and why it appeals to you.

SUBSTANTIVE DIALOGUE

I really impressed from the designed stages of substantive dialogue, which has been categorized in different stages. I would like to advocate the first most important stage according to my understanding that the base of the lamp - existing understandings is very much essential for an organization. Because people cannot work together effectively and engage in substantive dialogue about pedagogy unless time has been taken to build trusting, supportive relationships, to co-create shared norms and values, and a need-satisfying environment is not created. Building community is the foundation on which effective collaboration and substantive dialogue rely.  Similarly, we can't work on increasing teamwork effectiveness if people see little or no benefit in working together. Building commitment to teamwork is foundational to collaborative success. For such successful collaboration, we have to attract people by keeping their benefits in mind so that they could be ready to willingly participate in the process of building teamwork and learning communities.

Furthermore, in positive improvement which is a component of substantive dialogue, it has been emphasized on an idea that “our goal with students is to empower them to become more self-responsible and to work collaboratively”. This idea enlightens the message that we have to change the traditional practice of teaching in the schools. Such practices serve as de-motivating factors to students as the teacher plays an authoritative role.

In substantive dialogue various quotes and questions about teacher learning have been furnished. All the quotes I found very relevant and related to teacher learning and knowledge but one quote, “If values are the heart of the community, communications are the pulse, bones and physiology. Most teaching groups, isolated from peers for so many years, and to learn ways of talking together” (Garston and Wellman, 1999), really inspired me, as when I relate this quote to my own context and teaching learning experiences, it reflects the whole story.

              This quote appealed me because it applies to my context. Teachers used to work in isolation due to various reasons. One very important reason is that teachers are not provided such environment to communicate each others ideas, reflections, feelings and thoughts. Most teachers are proud of their seniority and teaching experience. They do not want to discuss teaching learning issues and matters with the junior and novice teachers. Therefore such kinds of teachers neither take any initiative themselves nor led others to do something innovative. Consequently teachers’ professional development stops and definitely it affects students learning outcome. There are some values we have to take care in the way when we ask questions, talk to each others and respond to each others. To ensure productive talk, we need to understand the different purposes and outcomes of dialogue and discussion, and the pathway we take to achieve them.