thinking

All this constant thinking about thinking, is driving me a bit crazy. Thinking about my thinking, which is thinking about their thinking and if they are learning, and how i can think of ways of improving their thinking. And I must review my methods of thinking of ways of improving their thinking, so they can think better.. more betterer, more gooder.
pah la la.

Its always interesting to see how different teachers tackle similar problems, even seemingly benign tasks can have a big effect on class and attitude.
The example that I am thinking of most recently is how teachers chose to introduce and set up a video machine in class. A very simple task that i have seen work very differently in different teachers' classrooms.

It seems like a very simple task indeed but the exicution can have vaired results. I have one (female) mentor that insists the "boys" should be the ones to get the video machine hook it up and turn it on, as long as they are not "too bad". But most male teachers i have seen would never let this occur. The female mentor says to the class she has no idea how to hook it up, and "you boys are experts" anyway. Whilst i think this method (either real, exaggerated or fiction) perpetuates the myth that females are no good at "technical stuff" and should be left to men, it certainly does have its advantages. As she rightly points out, it gives the boys chosen a good sense of responsibility. It also shows them that you ( the teacher ) trusts them with such a task. There are other benefits; it frees up the teacher to remain teaching, talking to the class about the lesson. Whist it is true that the "boys" are missing some instruction here, the most important aspect is that the teacher is not "missing a beat" and remains in total control of the class. I have seen the Mens class get increasingly out of control, distracted and off track as the male teacher fiddles/struggles with the video player, whist the Female teacher in a similar circumstance does not have this problem as the "boys" are dealing with the player.

After originally discarding the idea i think that now, after observing other teachers with video players, i may adopt the idea- with alterations. If a female student objects or registers interest in the task i would jump at the opportunities to share the duties around. I would use different language trying to never say that i am incompetent with the technology, rather i prefer to delegate the task.

Personal Reflective Journal

Reflection what it is to teach

I don't feel my views on teaching have changed all that much so far... Looking over my journal... I am still confused over course content and the order of things. And i still lack a bit of direction. But as a teacher i still want to be – and think that i can be: an influence facilitator, listener, mentor, be able to reach out to those who are yearning, Inspire with a range of teaching methods- particularly hands on in the field approach. A certain practicality that could demonstrate to students meaning, helping with the persistent question “why do we need to know this/what good is this to me”. I want to be available to the students- however i am aware that as i want this too much it might make is more difficult. I think empathy would help here,.. I guess it may be the opposite to learning or asking them what they “like” - it would be taking what they have presented to me (as a subject of issue) they are already interested in and running with it. Involving my self with the students ideas.

One main theme i have changed perspective on though would be the extent that the students would be involved in the class plans. Boomer (1992) talks of the need to ensure the student is suitably engaged- in that they have a real investment tot he curricular -through involvement with it. It really makes sense as a way of getting people involved and excited about the learning, as they have chosen it. The students own it. I can remember how boring most didactic learning is! I can imagine this would be a good method for teachers not so competent at “theatrics” - or just not such a large “personality” as some.

Such a flexible curriculum may play havoc with my own desire ( and preconceptions) of classes and how they would run.. That is my wish to make the aims and topics of the year/semester abundantly clear right from the start. With, for example, a university style program of topics and assessments given to the students. Thinking, i was, that this might allow the smarter or harder working kids to excel or excelorate (accelerate!) and do some self directed study.. Also ensure that not so smart kids or kids that don't work so hard, know what's ahead- to see the big picture.... However i guess i can concede that this also may over whelm people that have no or little conception at all on the topics presented. But with dates time lines and reassurances this may be overcome.

Also, i have to work more on assessing what the class knows already -and individual – as well as their interest. This would tie into involvements in class “plans” .

'Make the facts straight” i wrote- have to be aware of didactic learning and seeing the students s thinkers (Brunner 1996).

I think i had an assumption on the whole that once “taught” the topic would be finished. I can know see that a topic or idea may -and probably must be revisited many times – and in different methods to be sure to over come any preconceptions or new misconceptions. Leach &Scott (2000) talks about this as to make the scientific story available though talking. In particular i love what Lemarke says about learning science, that is is “learned” through “talking to others... we practice it by talking to others, and use it in talking to them” (1990: 122). This certainly helps explain to me why i have trouble talking to some people (e.g. artistic house mates) that may have no or very little learning of science and conversely have learned in their art classes “it just is” (intrinsic values), where as i have grown up in a household of scientist, forever asking “why is it so” or “how does that fit”.

Bibliography

Boomer, G.(1992). Negotiating the Curriculum, Negotiating the Curriculum, (pp. 4-14). The Falmer

Press, London & Washington, DC.

Bruner, J. (1996) Chapter 2: Folk Pedagogy, The Culture of Education, (pp.44-65). Cambridge,

Harvard.

Leach, J. and Scott, P. (2000). Children's Thinking, Learning, Teaching and Constructiveness. In M,

Monk and J, Osborne (eds.), Good Practice In Science Teaching: what research has to say, (pp 41

-56). OUP.

Lemarke, J.L. (1990) Talking Science: Language, Learning and Values. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex

Publishing Corporation

hard timesz

Its strange that, even though school is so busy and there is so much work- and expect ion here (not uni) i have consistently found it to be this year, the place were i feel most relaxed focused and at ease. This is also despite ( maybe even because of??) the fact i had a really hard time at high school as a student. I hated it generally,.. although it had more to do with peers than anything else.
I think i find the structure relaxing- knowing what will happen and when and what to expect, makes things very much easier right now. I don't know how long the feeling/impression will last- but is certainly much more than i have been coming to expect from my home/rest of life.... and therefore a relief.
yo.

if i had access to web ct right now

I would be able to ask anyone that was on line random questions and get random teachers emails with out a hitch.
I really like web ct. and the blog is just not enough. web ct has everything just there. as clunky as it may be - its the best system we have, NOt that hard to figure out ( first class web - for teachers is much harder) and so much more than just references!!!.
ITs talking to teaches, talking to ALL colleges ( more importantly) ,
Its a diary you can add too, a list of things to do, a reference list , a portal to the rest of the uni ( easily).
ANd thats all there with our us having to runaround collecting strangers emails to add to something they suggested - i don't even know what it was.. a chat room?? i didnt know you could set random ones up.

Its also annoying that some people within the Dip ed AT footsgray have asscess to one or more subject though WEb ct yet some ( like ME ) have NO access at all.

grr.
whats the web address to the new "reference blog" i cant find it. my papers seem to have gone AWOL with the ideal school planning stuff.

wheres the brown?

they lay out had brown int he preview - where is it? i had better be able to change it

just testing....

up late again waiting around.