Week 1

 

A challenge to your beliefs

 

You as a Contemporary Teacher?

To what extent is it reasonable to conclude that if you are not experiencing positive or negative emotions about the materials and activities in any learning experience, that you are potentially disinterested or not motivated? DIscuss in relation to your first emotional response to the nature of this unit.

It is highly reasonable and expected that if you are disinterested and not motivated by the learning materials and activities, you have no emotions towards the work. This could be because the learning is not relevant, not interesting and delivered in a way that is not interesting or engaging.

Elaborate on your emotions on engaging further with this unit? Positive, negative. Indifferent?

I have positive emotions towards engaging further with this unit as I recognise that incorporating ICT into my teaching is an area for improvement to benefit both my teaching and student learning. 

To what extent do you have the commitment to actively interrogate your emotions, and your beliefs about creative pedagogy (that extends beyond the mere delivery of information to your learners)? How might you be challenged to engage as you enter this unit?

Whilst I recognise that my creative pedagogies may not be at an appropriate level for successful teaching and learning, I don't hold any negative emotions towards opening my thoughts towards the development and integration of creative pedagogies into my teaching practice. I believe I will be challenged through inexperience with integrative creative pedagogies and a tendency to reverting to what I already know when under pressure.

Identify your present values and beliefs about ICT in the classroom. Keep it brief and focused.

I believe integrating ICT in the classroom is an effective way to teach students through engagement and accounting for individual student learning needs. Additionally, I value using ICT as I have experienced how it can improve student learning in particular student interest and engagement.

Identify your approach to teaching and learning - are you committed to the delivery of information, with yourself in control of all learning? Are you willing to let go of some control over what your learners learn, and how they learn it?

I typically recognise myself as being a controlling teaching who likes to take charge to present information to ensure students are being presented with the correct information that I see fit for learning. I have experimented with allowing students to take control of their learning through integrating research tasks and found success. Therefore, I hope to shift my teaching style moving forwards.

Identify any challenges to your values and beliefs as you enter this unit?

As stated, my challenge with creative pedagogies relates to a lack of experience.

What experience do you have with ICT in the classroom?

I have previously used ICT sparingly.

Documentation tool

 

Who is the contemporary learner?

How will the characteristics of our Gen Z learners depicted in the Meet GenZ video define their engagement in the traditional classroom snippet?

Gen Z learners will likely not engage with learning in the traditional classroom due to their characteristics of being inquisitive learners who like to engage with ICT's for both learning and social aspects. Additionally, as Gen Z learners heavily utilise research and entrepreneurial skills, the traditional classroom teaching approach will likely not engage most students.

Referring to the ideas presented by Willis and Robinson, is this level of creativity in evidence in the schools you have attended, both as a student, and as a preservice teacher? Furthermore, is this level of creativity in evidence in your University units? As secondary pre-service teaching students, you will experience a variety of approaches to teaching, learning and course design in your discipline studies. Why were your previous studies presented in that particular way? How could they have been presented?

During my last placement, my supervising teacher who has been teaching for close to 40 years displayed minimal creative learning opportunities and relied heavily on the old 'chalk talk' teaching style. Furthermore, at a university level, I have experienced a mixed approach with some units constructed using creative approaches to learning, some stating it was important for us as teachers to be creative whilst they themselves reverted to traditional forms of teaching and some not acknowledging creative teaching at all. I believe previous units are presented based on the personal values and beliefs of teaching and learning held by the unit coordinator. To improve, these unit coordinators could undertake additional research/study/short course in incorporating creative pedagogies into teaching and learning.

What do you think the implications are of a curriculum that is linear, progressive, aimed at a single learning outcome for the development of both individuals and the society we live in?

Whilst this method is the traditional teaching style, in modern society it will only suit some students with most students requiring specifically tailored approaches to engage them with teaching and learning.

How can ICTs help you in the development of a professional learning network? How are you feeling about this?

ICT's can help connect teachers with other staff and professionals across the globe to help everyone improve their ability to teach effectively.