Week+5+-+Models+of+Teaching+and+Learning

**Models of Teaching and learning** //Lecture Review by Alison Harvey// 

The lecture started this week with the question "What is pedagogy?". Pedagogy is defined as "The art (or science) of teaching". Then we were challenged with the question "Are you teaching or educating?", where educating is defined as" the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel" (Socrates). The challenges kept coming: What is our belief system for teaching? Content Mastery? Performance of making content happen? Facilitator of learning? or a Relationship, building a vehicle for learning? What teaching and learning models will we use? Top down? Social? Bottom up? The models of teaching that are in use are based on metacognition, the learning theorists, the academic disciplines and developmental studies of the human intellect. We were shown the nine guiding principles for teaching (the Melbourne model) which are very similar to PoLT (the Principles of Learning and Teaching from DEECD) When we teach we need to take into account the different styles of learning eg in Gardner's Multiple Intelligences or Costa's 16 Habits of Mind so that we cater for each child's needs. The five 'E's of teaching are: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. If we can cover these in a lesson our students will be well rounded in their education! We should be aware, however that there are other theories of education being used worldwide e.g. Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Steiner to name a few. Our final challenging question for the lecture was: What is the 21st century pedagogy? // In 1983, Howard Gardner proposed a theory that individuals cannot be defined by a single intelligences (as measured by conventional IQ tests) but can be demonstrated to possess a range of intelligences in the specific areas: Following from Gardner's work additional intelligences have been proposed:
 * Gardner's Multiple Intelligences** reviewed by Alison Harvey //
 * verbal/linguistic[[image:multiple_intelligences.jpg width="400" height="193" align="right"]]
 * visual-spatial
 * musical
 * inter-personal
 * intra–personal
 * bodily-kinaesthetic
 * logical/mathematical.
 * naturalist intelligence
 * spiritual intelligence
 * existential intelligence

The following link gives a very good over view of Gardner's life and beliefs: []

Early in his career Gardner studied how the mind breaks down under conditions of brain damage. He also studied 'normal' and 'gifted' children, these studies led to the development of his theories of multiple intelligences. As Gardner was a psychologist he didn't propose any direct educational implications to follow from his theory; but he did observe that if individuals differ in their intellectual profiles, it makes sense to take this fact into account in devising an educational system. From observation of my friends and family, it is clear that we all have different intelligences, which would affect our learning styles and for some of us conventional education 'worked' and for others it did not maximise the ir potential. As teachers we must cater for all intelligences and abilities in our classrooms and make sure our teaching is accessible to all.

A //n answer to the questions 'What is the 21st century pedagogy?' may come in ther form of cooperation. The[| overview to cooperative learning] provides plentiful evidence that cooperative learning is more effective than individual or competitive models. Rather than individuals trying to out do each other to score a better mark, they work cooperatively to raise each others learning and contribution. Also, rather than simply working away in isolation students are required to work collaboratively. ** Students need to be provided with strategies over and above simply being asked to work together. They may be allocated with resources individually to contribute or be allocated to groups top take advantage of each others strengths. Students working together can improve each others learning outcomes individually and need to be rewarded for doing so. They need to be rewarded and assessed individdually and as a group - rewarded for achieveing better outcomes than would be possible by working individually.
 * Cooperative Learning //reviewed by Richard Gay

I think that in a world dominated by a competitive paradigm, educating children to be able to work effectively as part of a team can not only improve learning outcmes but also improve social skills, 'productivity' and key abilites such as empathy.

"Students who have had 12-20 years of cooperative learning and who have had opportunities to work cooperatively with students who vary in ability, ethnicity, gender, and so forth will be better able to build positively interdependent relationships than will students who have had 12-20 years of competitive and individualistic learning." || Photo Maxim Malevich ||

The six thinking hats is a framework for thinking which also incorporates lateral thinking, it was a method invented in the 80’s by Dr. De Bono. The framework includes valuable judgmental thinking although it does not allow it to dominate as normal. There is a network of trainers that work to introduce the method to organisations in parts of the world. The organisation behind this training is Advanced Practical Thinking (APTT). The method is aimed to focus on six different types of thinking and directions to think instead of suggesting one way that people should think. The method is designed to be proactive. Dr. De Bono designed this method to promote a healthy input from more people, it helps to ‘separate ego from performance’. It allows for everyone in the group to contribute to discussions/meetings, without being overshadowed by others. Using this method in whatever the organisation promotes performance, and allows a variety of people to be heard, and their opinions voiced. The hats encourage parallel thinking, encourage full-spectrum thinking and separate ego from performance and for these reasons are successful way for employees to be heard. The six hats can be colour coordinated based on what type of thinking they relate to: //**White Hat **// – facts, figures, information, needs and gaps. //**Red Hat ** –// intuition, feelings and emotions. //**Black Hat** –// judgment and caution. //**Yellow Hat** –// logical positive. //**Green Hat** –// creativity, alternatives, proposals, things that may be interesting, provocations and changes. **//Blue Hat//** – overview of process control. It is important that each hat identifies a different way of thinking. Whenever a person wants to contribute they simply put on the appropriate hat and talk to the group. It provides for properly organised way of conducting meetings/discussions.
 * Six Thinking Hats - De Bono's Method. ** //Reviewed by Svetlana Spaseska//

**Inquiry-based learning**. //Reviewed by Michelle Lotriet.// "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." This week I looked at the inquiry-based learning method. This theory believes that from the day we are born we start to inquire about things, and as such inquiry is a natural process and a integral part of learning. Which is in disagreement with our traditional education system. As students progress through the grades they learn not to ask too many questions, but rather repeat the expected answers. Inquiry instead of being squashed should be encouraged as it is an important part of learning. It is no longer essential to remember and information. We have abundant sources of information, however what is important is to understand the information we have access to. Schools need to move away from data collection and move toward generating applicable knowledge. Inquiry learning can be applied to all disciplines and these disciplines need to interrelate as a person needs many perspectives to view the world. An outcome of inquiry is a useful knowledge about the world around an individual, how does the world change, how is it organised, how do the man made and natural world relate and communicate? These concept although broad relate to questions that students will face through out their lives. Inquiry-based learning is aided by a conceptual context for learning. However there needs to be a balance students should not only focus on the outcome of their learning, or only focus on questioning. It is important to note that there are several different varioasions of inquiry-based learning.