Week 2 - Pedagogy

While there are many ways to "teach" I think it is important to have your own pedagogical approach. My personal preferences are pedagogies which extend on prior knowledge and utilise the connection and/or construction of knowledge, such as:

- Problem-based curriculum

- Knowledge integration

- Connectedness to the world

- Background Knowledge

I think, for me, these hit home because of the way lesson planning is based on these areas which has been ingrained in my mind as the foundation of pedagogical practice. I especially like the metaphor below as it rings true to the fact that students usually have the prior knowledge but just need us, the teachers, to bring those prior experiences together to ignite connections and feed their interest.

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Also I am a big believer in connecting with your students on a level that allows for trust and comfort. Hearing your student's stories and anecdotes when you ask questions like "where have you seen something like this before?" allows your students to open up to you in ways that aren't possible otherwise. This then results in you being able to personalise the learning experience for your student. 

Week 1 - Learning Theory

These two topics help educators really know about how students can learn best. A good teacher will cater for individual students (learner-centered). A "one-size fits all" approach is not a good way to ensure students remain inspired and engaged with the content you are teaching. 

It can be the difference between your class remaining on task with enjoyment and interest in the content, or getting off-task which can lead to classroom management issues. This is where Marc Prensky's quote "Engage me or enrage me" speaks truth. A great teacher will inspire their students and in turn, experience a busy and productive classroom.

Image by quotesoflifes.com

Learning theory is an interesting topic and fundamental to good teaching practices. There are many theories on how students best learn and ways that are best to teach content. They have been narrowed down to 5 major theories:

- Behaviourism consists of a single clearly defined outcome that will be eventually mastered by all students. This is where rote learning would be appropriate.

- Cognitivism talks about mental processess, the sensory register, short term and long term memory. 

- Constructivism believes that learning is social and support is vital. Group work and collaboration is important as students can learn off one another. Constructivism also constructs upon prior knowledge.  Giving your student opportunities to experience or recall prior experiences would help here.

- Connectivism is all about identifying how and where to find knowledge, rather than know it all.

I could go on for days about all the aspects of education that I feel passionate about but I honestly believe that knowing how your learner learns, and how you can best teach makes for a very successful classroom.