3.3 Use teaching strategies – Include a range of teaching strategies.
3.4 Select and use resources – Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
Reflective Commentary
Over the course of my Post Graduate Diploma, especially from my teaching practicums, my working experience as an Education Assistant and my role as a parent, I have learned that all students are different and they have different strengths and weaknesses. Students also have different learning styles and techniques, for example – Visual (using pictures, images and spatial understanding), Aural (using sound and music), linguistic (using words, both in speech and writing), Kinaesthetic (using your body, hands and sense of touch), logical (prefer using logic, reasoning and systems), social (to learn in groups or with other people), solitary (to work alone and use self-study). Most of the students have a mix of learning style. Some students find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. Using multiple learning styles and multiple intelligences for learning is a relatively new approach. This approach is one that educators have only recently started to recognize. Traditional schooling used (and continues to use) mainly linguistic and logical teaching methods. It also uses a limited range of learning and teaching techniques. By recognizing and understanding learning styles of students teaches can implement various strategies and techniques that will result in better teaching and learning outcomes. I believe that a teacher should use strategies that are flexible and responsive to the values, needs and interest of individual students and which support the different ways of thinking and learning. It is also important to build on students’ prior experiences, knowledge and skills and also capitalise on students’ experience of a technology- rich world.
Learning today demands new pedagogical and technological approaches to using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT is an ever-evolving animal and it continually gives birth to new innovations. School leaders and teachers have the responsibility to prepare students for the demands of an ever-changing world by facilitating learning in a technology-rich environment where students and teachers don't just learn about technology, they use it to achieve powerful learning and teaching, and improve student learning outcomes. During my final practicum I endeavoured to incorporate ICT in many different ways in my lessons for example for my HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences) lessons I showed videos related to the topics for students to get a deeper understanding. I must say that the feedback was overwhelming. Before every HASS lesson students will come up to me and ask if I was going to show a video during the lesson. Although it was really time consuming to select and download appropriate videos related to the topic, however it was worth it. Students were usually engaged during the lessons. One of my series of lessons on the topic “Farming in Australia”, which students really enjoyed is documented below.
Situation
For my Humanities and social sciences lessons, I was asked by my mentor teacher to cover certain topics from geography. One of these topics was “Farming in Australia”. For this topic, I prepared a program of four lessons which covered various aspects of farming in Australia for example, dairy farming, wheat and sugarcane farming, livestock farming, machineries and equipment used for farming, the impact of farming on Australian economy etc. Again this time my class comprised of 55 students (a cohort of two classes of Year 5 students).
Action
The class comprised of students with different academic levels. A few students had a very short attention span and hence to cater to all my students was indeed a challenge for me. To overcome this, for my lessons I incorporated various teaching strategies which included, worksheets, students sharing experiences, individual work, group work, questioning and answering and most importantly viewing numerous videos. Students were also encouraged to do internet research using laptops. At the end of each lesson the students were given homework to complete a picture page and a write-up on the topic.
Outcome
I was really impressed to learn that most of the students really enjoyed watching educational videos. Through the videos they were able to relate to the topics and get a deeper understanding of the content and this helped them to stay focused and engaged throughout the lessons. I have noted that students like using ICT devices for both classwork and homework. The younger generation is naturally inclined towards technology. I was pleased to see that majority of the students submitted high quality work for their assignments.
Action Plan
I must confess that currently my knowledge and skills in relation to ICT is simply average, however the good news is I am working on it. One of the areas I really need to work on is to get a deeper understanding of various functions of a White Interactive Board in the classrooms. I guess White Interactive Boards are still not being used to their optimum in many classrooms. I understand that as a 21st century educator all teachers must have the knowledge, tools and enthusiasm to fully integrate quality learning activities into ICT. This will maximise the impact on a child’s classroom experience and education as a whole. Teachers who are more engaged with ICT in the classroom show greater use of innovative teaching methods and teachers inclined towards innovative teaching methods use classroom ICT better. As a teacher I would like to make use of ICT to link home and school effectively (for students). I would also like to engage parents through ICT, as in my opinion this will increase student motivation and thus raise standards.
Documentation of Evidence
3.4 Select and use resources – Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
Reflective Commentary
Over the course of my Post Graduate Diploma, especially from my teaching practicums, my working experience as an Education Assistant and my role as a parent, I have learned that all students are different and they have different strengths and weaknesses. Students also have different learning styles and techniques, for example – Visual (using pictures, images and spatial understanding), Aural (using sound and music), linguistic (using words, both in speech and writing), Kinaesthetic (using your body, hands and sense of touch), logical (prefer using logic, reasoning and systems), social (to learn in groups or with other people), solitary (to work alone and use self-study). Most of the students have a mix of learning style. Some students find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. Using multiple learning styles and multiple intelligences for learning is a relatively new approach. This approach is one that educators have only recently started to recognize. Traditional schooling used (and continues to use) mainly linguistic and logical teaching methods. It also uses a limited range of learning and teaching techniques. By recognizing and understanding learning styles of students teaches can implement various strategies and techniques that will result in better teaching and learning outcomes. I believe that a teacher should use strategies that are flexible and responsive to the values, needs and interest of individual students and which support the different ways of thinking and learning. It is also important to build on students’ prior experiences, knowledge and skills and also capitalise on students’ experience of a technology- rich world.
Learning today demands new pedagogical and technological approaches to using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT is an ever-evolving animal and it continually gives birth to new innovations. School leaders and teachers have the responsibility to prepare students for the demands of an ever-changing world by facilitating learning in a technology-rich environment where students and teachers don't just learn about technology, they use it to achieve powerful learning and teaching, and improve student learning outcomes. During my final practicum I endeavoured to incorporate ICT in many different ways in my lessons for example for my HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences) lessons I showed videos related to the topics for students to get a deeper understanding. I must say that the feedback was overwhelming. Before every HASS lesson students will come up to me and ask if I was going to show a video during the lesson. Although it was really time consuming to select and download appropriate videos related to the topic, however it was worth it. Students were usually engaged during the lessons. One of my series of lessons on the topic “Farming in Australia”, which students really enjoyed is documented below.
Situation
For my Humanities and social sciences lessons, I was asked by my mentor teacher to cover certain topics from geography. One of these topics was “Farming in Australia”. For this topic, I prepared a program of four lessons which covered various aspects of farming in Australia for example, dairy farming, wheat and sugarcane farming, livestock farming, machineries and equipment used for farming, the impact of farming on Australian economy etc. Again this time my class comprised of 55 students (a cohort of two classes of Year 5 students).
Action
The class comprised of students with different academic levels. A few students had a very short attention span and hence to cater to all my students was indeed a challenge for me. To overcome this, for my lessons I incorporated various teaching strategies which included, worksheets, students sharing experiences, individual work, group work, questioning and answering and most importantly viewing numerous videos. Students were also encouraged to do internet research using laptops. At the end of each lesson the students were given homework to complete a picture page and a write-up on the topic.
Outcome
I was really impressed to learn that most of the students really enjoyed watching educational videos. Through the videos they were able to relate to the topics and get a deeper understanding of the content and this helped them to stay focused and engaged throughout the lessons. I have noted that students like using ICT devices for both classwork and homework. The younger generation is naturally inclined towards technology. I was pleased to see that majority of the students submitted high quality work for their assignments.
Action Plan
I must confess that currently my knowledge and skills in relation to ICT is simply average, however the good news is I am working on it. One of the areas I really need to work on is to get a deeper understanding of various functions of a White Interactive Board in the classrooms. I guess White Interactive Boards are still not being used to their optimum in many classrooms. I understand that as a 21st century educator all teachers must have the knowledge, tools and enthusiasm to fully integrate quality learning activities into ICT. This will maximise the impact on a child’s classroom experience and education as a whole. Teachers who are more engaged with ICT in the classroom show greater use of innovative teaching methods and teachers inclined towards innovative teaching methods use classroom ICT better. As a teacher I would like to make use of ICT to link home and school effectively (for students). I would also like to engage parents through ICT, as in my opinion this will increase student motivation and thus raise standards.
Documentation of Evidence
Students watch video for a HASS lesson
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Students' write up assignment on 'farming in Australia'
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Video (on Apple Farming) I showed my students
on the topic of farming in Australia |
Active participation by students in a HASS lesson
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