To me, the
start of a new year with new classes is always an exciting time. It is like
painting with a fresh new palette of colours. My name is Nicole Schwarz and I
am currently a fourth year student in the Concurrent Education program at the
Primary/Junior level. I am someone who thrives on helping children develop
character and a desire for learning, and one day I hope to make a difference in
the lives of the children I teach, as this has been a passion of mine for as
long as I can remember.
Image Retrieved from http:// www.ncmle.org/publications/e-mono1/di gital_palette-basic-houghton.gif
Something
that I hope to grasp from my EDUC 4P27 course is a deeper understanding of the
importance of curriculum and backwards design, as these are essential pieces of
knowledge that I believe I will take with me into the classroom. In addition,
to further my knowledge in the 21st century literacies is another
crucial aspect I hope to engage in as the course progresses. That way, it will
provide me with opportunities to re-think ways to critically think about my own
teaching practices in order to change my perspective into something that suits
the 21st century; ultimately promoting a better education for my
students.
Now I can’t help but share this question that continue to
bounce around in my head after through class this week:
Have you ever stopped to think and reflect on how rapid our
world is changing?
In lecture, even just
reflecting back to when I was a student, I see noticeable differences in many
aspects of our school system now vs. back then. As an aspiring teacher entering
the 21st century, I am being exposed to so many new advancements in ways
students can learn. I believe that with the rise of the Internet, the ever-changing
technologies, and new types of literacies and media texts that continue to grow, this
has allowed for almost immediate global access to information around the world;
something that once could only exist in my imagination if I were to travel back
to my early elementary years as a student. Looking at the new generation of
children entering the education system now, I feel like a digital dinosaur! We
no longer need to necessarily read from a book because now we have new access and
tools to information through virtual bases like Google. What I aim to
understand as a future teacher is getting out of this mindset that literacy is
just reading, writing and speaking, because it is so much more than that!
Image Retrieved from http://edcoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/children-computing_hero.jpg
As a future
teacher, I hope to gain more knowledge of the methods and skillsthat I can use to incorporate these 21st
century literacies into my instruction, as they are all so new to me. As Drake et al. (2014) suggests, technology has become a whole new way of thinking, like an extension of our brains. In the end, I believe we all want our
students to be critically literate, because this is essential in order for them to
navigate the social world and meaningfully contribute to it. Therefore, I am confident we, as future teachers, have the potential to make
this happen, as there are endless possibilities in what our students can learn
and achieve as a result. I look forward to sharing more of my experiences throughout the course with you!
Schools play a vital role in promoting the intellectual and social well-being of students, but have you ever considered what learning approaches work best for students? If you try to think of the lessons you've learned in the past, I'm sure the ones you remember best involve physical, emotional and possibly spiritual aspects that completely opened up new ways of thinking.
For example, I can distinctly remember one of my Grade 7 geography lessons where my teacher incorporated music into the lesson. When learning the provinces in Canada, as a class, we created a "jingle" that would help us remember the provinces in order, from the East Coast to the West. Here is a very similar example of a teacher incorporating song in her geography lesson by getting all the students involved as a collective whole. By incorporating music into a lesson, it creates an environment that encourages, supports and nurtures the holistic development of its students. Drake et al. (2014) states that a holistic curriculum is a philosophy of education that aims to teach the whole child-- body, mind and spirit. Moreover, it integrates the physical, emotional, spiritual and cognitive/intellectual development of students. It becomes this notion that everything is interconnected, as Drake et al. (2014) believes it takes on qualities of a constructivist classroom within the context of the whole child.
Retrieved from http://humancure.com/eastern-holistic-medicine-vs-western-medicine/
Badjanova and Ilisko (2015) believe that not only does the use of providing hands-on experience with a task enable students to directly be involved with their learning and take ownership, but it also allows them to engage their bodies. Furthermore, Badjanova and Ilisko (2015) argue that holistic teaching connects students to the earth and its processes when we allow students to interact with the environment through outdoor activities such as nature walks or field trips that venture into the global community. I believe creating a holistic curriculum is a crucial piece to the puzzle in creating a quality-education, because we as future educators, know that a one size model does NOT fit all.
Diamond (2010) discusses Whole-Brain Teaching (WBT) as an interactive, student-centered, holistic style of teaching that teaches to the whole brain, stimulating emotions and allowing students to become active and engaged learners. Students are encouraged to visualize, draw, or even use drama to develop new ideas. In addition, a teacher may present new vocabulary words by building a story or skit that uses them, as Drake et al. (2014) stresses that storytelling can be an important part of teaching. Here is a video that incorporates WBT within a Grade 1 classroom, as there is an emphasis on using the head, hands and heart; reflecting the mind, body and spirit.
Retrieved from http://goo.gl/xnIcQw
Retrieved from http://goo.gl/hBbpka
VS.
In the above photos, just take a look and compare WBT and its holistic elements, to many traditionally styled classrooms where teachers lecture and students are expected to listen. It is apparent that holistic education connects the body and the mind, as the whole brain is engaged in learning!! I find it truly fascinating! What I love about the holistic approach is that the teacher is a learner too, and holistic teaching can be very flexible to any teacher and their preferred teaching methods. Diamond (2010) suggests that learning should be focused on a positive attitude, and skills including critical thinking and creativity, as teachers should aim for constructing a balance between theoretical knowledge and life skills. I want to share with you a video that shows the successful outcomes that can arise for students and teachers who take part in a holistic education, as students are engaged as both discoverers AND creators of knowledge.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN-bjKTsLy8
As a future teacher, I aim to transform my teaching practices in order to create a rich environment that incorporates a holistic approach, thus, taking all of my students' life experiences into account. All in all, I want to encourage uniqueness and individuality in my students, and challenge other teachers alike, to expand their horizons within a more holistic context as everyone truly benefits. My question to you is, can Whole Brain Teaching and its holistic elements be used at every level of instruction?
References
Badjanova, J., & Ilisko, D. (2015). Making Sense of Holistic Approach in the Context of Primary Education Content. Procedia - Social And Behavioral Sciences, 191(The Proceedings of 6th World Conference on educational Sciences), 1517-1521. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.343
Diamond, A. (2010). The Evidence Base for Improving School Outcomes by Addressing the Whole Child and by Addressing Skills and Attitudes, Not Just Content. Early Education And Development, 21(5), 780-793.
Drake, S. M., Reid, J.L. & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st century learner. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.
Free Stock Photos.biz. (2015). Illustration of music notation [Digital Image]. Retrieved November 1, 2015, from http://res.freestockphotos.biz/thumbs/16/16020-illustration-of-a-treble-clef-th.png
Success Academy. (2012, February 23). The success academy approach to teaching and curriculum [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN-bjKTsLy8
In my high school physics class, it was one thing to learn and understand formulas of velocity and Newton’s Third Law of Motion, but it was another
to actually apply these scientific concepts into a real life project:
Launching
a Water Bottle Rocket Using Pressurized Air.
This was one of the most exciting project’s I have ever
engaged in, and I can still remember it to this day. What I have now realized,
is that this type of learning has a name, it's called Project-based Learning
(PBL).
Drake et al. (2014) states that students in a PBL classroom do not learn content in a traditional teaching style, but
rather learn while doing the project. Students should not be seen as passive
learners or sponges that just absorb the knowledge teachers are explaining to
them, but instead they should be given the opportunity to engage in self-discovery.
Even from my own experiences, this task not only had a positive impact on me,
but my attitude towards the learning changed. Physics became one of my favourite subjects, and I really looked forward to going
to my class everyday to work on my project with my group!
When I was building my rocket, I learned how to
think critically and creatively when putting it together. I also had to keep in mind several concepts related to height, weight, speed and aerodynamics, as this helped me develop inquiry and problem-solving skills, which represent the 21st
century skills that make up PBL. PBL allows for student-centered learning,
as Drake et al. (2014) suggests it takes on a constructivist approach by encouraging students to take on an active role in
their learning. As future teachers, we should give our students numerous
opportunities to explore ideas in social contexts, as you learn from eachother,
and see things in a different light. This will allow for new experiences and
learning to be broadened and enriched. Here is a fantastic website that explores project-based learning through hands-on design challenges reflecting real events happening around the world. Not only is this exciting for students, but it is relevant in their lives!!
In a similar sense, Catapano and Gray (2015) also believe PBL
finds its roots in constructivism, reflecting the framework of child-directed,
inquiry-based learning. PBL uses in-depth projects to promote children’s
intellectual development by engaging their minds in observation and
investigation. Catapano and Gray (2015) found that students
learn better when they are in control of their own learning outcomes, as one
teacher noticed students were more motivated when taking learning into their
own hands as they used many different skills such as reading, writing,
mathematics and interpersonal interactions without even realizing it!!
One student goes, “I like how we do things differently, not
like regular school. We do fun projects and play games while learning at the
same time.” (Catapano & Gray, 2015, p. 93)
It allows for creative and critical thinking skills, as many
of these PBL projects proceed over a period of time, resulting in a product,
presentation or even a performance. Tamim and Grant (2013) found that PBL brought several advantages to the learning process such as fostering intrinsic motivation, developing critical thinking abilities, presentation and communication skills, and their ability to work effectively on a team. When students were involved in a PBL project, their performance not only improved, but they worked harder and gave better quality of work. Even teachers found that their students learned more, became more informed, and got a better understanding of the topic at hand. As a result, students were able to move from novices to experts in the domain of their project (Tamim & Grant, 2013).
Not only is PBL engaging and motivating, but it also allows students to work collaboratively and put their own spin on their solution to the problem. It’s the shift in delivery of instruction, as students not only get the knowledge, but they learn the application. In other words, the subject matter becomes relevant to their lives, as they are able to apply it to a real world situation. I see this as truly inspiring!
To all the future educators out there, here is a great article to help design a PBL classroom;
I believe that PBL is an outlet for every student to experience success and build even more on their strengths. Through PBL activities, I am strongly convinced that students are exposed to many more skills, as they are reading, writing, finding and analyzing information, composing and editing, constantly! Not only do they learn the subject content, but I imagine they are gaining some life skills along the way.
Here is a video that demonstrates what students are capable of if given the opportunity to engage in PBL.
Project-Based Learning has really opened my eyes to new ways of
teaching that can really benefit future teacher candidates like myself. Just a few thoughts, do you believe new teachers will be able to carry out this
style of teaching, and do you think it is possible to implement PBL to students
of all grade levels?
Ultimately, I believe if there has ever been a time to improve schools,
the time is now.
References
Catapano, S., & Gray, J. (2015). Saturday school:
Implementing project-based learning in an urban school. Perspectives On Urban Education, 12(1), 88-99.
Drake, S. M.,
Reid, J.L. & Kolohon, W. (2014).
Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st century
learner. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.
Explorer Elementary Student Projects (2009, December 18). Buck Institute for Education [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9JokfKBHxA
Tamim, S. s., & Grant, M. m.
(2013). Definitions and uses: Case study of teachers implementing project-based
learning. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 7(2),
71-101. doi:10.7771/1541-5015.1323
In one of my placements in a Kindergarten classroom, the
teacher asked me to take a few students one-on-one and practice their reading
fluency and phonetic pronunciation. I expected her to give me a few books, but
instead she handed me an iPad. There were a few apps that the teacher briefly showed
me to use, and there were multiple settings of difficulty depending on the
reader. I looked at the iPad quite overwhelmed and then one of the student’s points
to it and goes,
“This is how you do it, now you have to choose the
setting..”
I felt like a digital dinosaur, these kids seem to know more
about technology than me! I believe we are living in a new generation of
education where technology will be used in more sophisticated ways that will
enhance student learning.
Why I believe this is so important is because technology is
now becoming a huge part of young children’s lives, as children are exposed to
digital media and technology everywhere they go. Evidence from a study by Elena Andrei (2014) indicates that technology integration in the language learning classrooms leads not only to increased participation, but also engagement and collaboration among students.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/56155476
Delivery methods and teaching strategies are rapidly changing
in order to favour the different types of learners that exist in a classroom. In the above photo, the iPad has been delivered to students in new ways, where it can appeal to all types of visual or auditory learners. What Andrei (2014) found in her study, which absolutely fascinated me, was that ESL students and students who have difficulty in both reading and writing
fluency showed significant improvements with the presence of technology in the classroom. There were several learning websites that were intended to help these
students learn and practice their spelling, their basic language words and even improve their reading by following along the computer read aloud system. Whether it be through internet connection, digital
boards, computers or iPads, these are all potentially
great tools which can engage students and teachers in all aspects of subject content.
Our students are now entering the 21st century, and
we must prepare them for this ever-present and ever-changing society that continues to grow technologically everyday. Andrei (2014) suggests that these 21st century
skills include being able to effectively communicate and collaborate, problem solve, and develop the life skills in order to adapt to current and future circumstances. We live in
such a tech savvy world now, as we are surrounded by the Internet, search
engines, hand-held electronic devices and social media. This allows our
students to be in touch with people, places and information instantly, and it opens up a whole new process of critical thinking and problem solving. I was completely in awe of what young elementary school students have accomplished as a result of technology. The picture to the right shows 2 boys who showcased their digital robot in which they designed to be controlled by the iPad, allowing the water bottle to be held or opened based on the touch of a finger. All of this is made possible through the encouragement and support of technology in the classroom.
Motion Math: Hungry Fish iPad App- The fish is to eat the bubbles that corresponds to the total number inside the fish. (ie. Because the fish is labelled -11, you would tap the bubbles with the -5 and -6, in order to reach the appropriate total). More information about this game can be found at this link
Now I'm sure you are wondering about the negative impediments that technology can bring to a classroom, and the important thing to say is that, in no way am I expressing that technology should take over the teaching platform of teachers, but rather use technology as a tool to explore, create and collaborate new ideas by learning through different instruction. Advances in technology have led to continuous innovation in teaching and learning methods, and one study in particular has really shown me that technology allows teacher's to step back, and give their students an opportunity to "learn by doing," something educational philosopher, John Dewey, strongly believed in. Hung et al. (2015) found that the use of a iPad in the classroom has been shown to be effective in not only attracting and motivating students’ interest, but also increasing their desire to participate in learning activities. There is an iPad app called Motion Math: Hungry Fish, which helps students understand and practice mental addition and subtraction (Hung et al., 2015). Not only does it allow students to learn and improve on their mathematic abilities, but they become self-motivated. In looking at the teacher's role when using an iPad, it allows them to be facilitators and guides to their students' learning, rather than just directly instructing. In this sense, learning becomes student-driven, putting students at the center of their own learning.
Our world and our expectations are changing dramatically due to technology. As a result, the skills that our students need to succeed are dramatically different today from what students needed 10 or more years ago. We should be welcoming changes and celebrating new ideas, as technology in the classroom is not just a tool or resource, but an essential element in order to transform both teaching and learning.
What I believe I am getting at is that technology has become
a new way of thinking, and as Drake et al. (2014) suggests, it has become an
extension of our brains. I truly believe that we are the beginning of a new world
full of imagination and creativity. This digital wisdom will allow us, as
future educators, to develop new and innovative ways of teaching that is like bringing your student's on a virtual field trip everyday!!!
Thank you for reading my first blog, I hope this new digital culture inspires you as much as it did for me. For all those future educators out there, I want to show you all a short video clip that proves how illuminating and limitless the iPad and technology truly is!
I’d love to leave off with a quote from Prensky (2013)
“..technology isn’t something we need in
addition to mental activity; technology is now part of mental activity” (p.22)
If you are looking to transform your classroom into an aesthetically pleasing, tech-friendly atmosphere, here is a great read that offers creative tips on achieving this rich learning environment!
References
Andrei, E. (2014). Digital technology in three middle school
ESL language arts classrooms. TESL Reporter, 47(1/2), 35-50.
Drake, S. M., Reid, J.L. & Kolohon, W. (2014).
Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st century
learner. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.
Hung,
C., Sun, J. C., & Yu, P. (2015). The benefits of a challenge: Student
motivation and flow experience in tablet-PC-game-based learning. Interactive
Learning Environments, 23(2), 172-190.
iPads in the Classroom (2013, January 31). Eric Crouch [video
file]. Retrieved from
