creating effective environments in school

For a lesson to be learned, it has to be meaningful otherwise what’s the point? So I came to the realization that in order for a child to learn in class, the classroom environment also needs to be meaningful. Actually... the whole school environment has to be meaningful. When the atmosphere of the school is just right, then effective learning is prone to happen. So here’s the problem: when is the atmosphere of the school “just right”? Who gets to choose the ambiance of the school? I would argue the teachers and the learners have an equal responsibility in choosing what works for them. We all know the saying “charity begins at home” right? Now let us look at the school environment as a community, each classroom representing a house in the broader community (school). Values are mainly taught at home (classroom) and people apply it to their dealings with the rest of the community (school). What I am trying to get at is that the classroom has to be an environment which motivates learners to practice it in the rest of the school.

What role do teachers play in enforcing this mentality? It’s simple. Teachers need to be available and accessible; learners should feel comfortable when talking to you about issues that bother them (think of yourself as a caring parent of a household). There needs to be open communication between you as teacher and the learners. Teachers should lay a solid foundation in basic skills that the learners need to acquire like reading and writing. And of course, like any nurturing parent, you need to show empathy and understanding. Intervene when you see your learners being bullied, you wouldn’t want anyone picking on your child right? Remember birthdays and special events, you will score major brownie points!! And any task you ask of them will be done without hesitation. Lastly, encourage group work!! Humans are social beings; do not rob your learners of their innate behaviors.

It is important to get the learners involved in their own learning. I would for instance in my classroom give them the option of how to do homework. I would create a bond to find out what they find interesting and form that as the basis of my lesson. Pertaining to class rules, I would ask them what they want or think the class rules should be and how they want me to treat them. One thing that we must remember is that learners or children know what they want, so there is no harm in asking them. You as the teacher should have the ability to know what will be out of reach and what rules will actually work in the classroom. Be more of a facilitator, guiding them through the work, resulting in critical thinkers. I would let them work on their own or in pairs more often, while of course making myself available it they face any challenges. When children become active citizens in your classroom, it promotes the well-being of the entire school. 

Fun Schooling

Humans are social beings. We are made to interact with each other in order to survive. For humans to survive they have to learn things to help them through the journey of life. We are complex beings and therefore cannot be placed in boxes. Why should the standard education limit these natural abilities?

 

Schools have a set of subjects that is being taught to children. In South Africa this includes Math, Languages, Business Economics, Life Orientation, Sciences. We have a curriculum set out that indicates exactly what learners ought to learn and how they should learn it. It is true that these subjects are important to learn, but what really troubles me is the content of the subject, that is not really relevant to apply it to real life circumstances.

 

Most children would agree that they do not enjoy school. What possible explanation can be given to children being unhappy in a place where they need to go everyday of their lives for 12years. School is supposed to make you independent right? Then why is education limiting the ability of learners to be independent, to think on their own and be creative? Learners are being boxed, taught to think alike.   As Hamilton states; teachers and students are confined in their roles which are only to deposit knowledge (teachers) and receiving knowledge (students). This notion needs to be addressed and drastically changed. Learners should become active in their own learning. In order for education to become enjoyable, learners should be able to choose what they want to learn. Instead of teachers simply giving information, their prime role would be to facilitate this way of learning. When learners are involved in their own learning they feel a sense of agency. They feel like they actually learn and remember and not just learning useless information that they’ll anyway forget right after the test.

 

One way in which learners can be active participants in their own learning is through self-directed distance learning.  Learners agree on concepts they want to learn. They go and do research on this particular topic and then reconvene and discuss what they’ve found. They ask critical questions to their peers and through this they’re gaining knowledge. They do not necessarily have to be from the same school. They can make an online chat room. There are no limitations to their exploration. As Hamilton argues, knowledge is happening and cannot be defined in categories.  While children are playfully experiencing with stuff, discovery takes place and this evokes curiosity to deepen knowledge on a specific subject, inevitably teaching learners, future citizens, to think and be independent.      

 

Social Media in the classroom

The use of technology in class is getting more relevant. There is quite a debate on whether it’s a good or bad thing. But let’s face it... anything good can eventually turn bad or vice versa. Davis explains that teaching children to write and have pen pals can be just as dangerous as sending emails or online chatting. The fact of the matter is, the world is evolving and with this comes consequences... good and bad. Another negative point for technology in the classroom, is the argument that learners will misuse this opportunity to use technology for social reason and not so much academically. This is not entirely the case. Technology use in classroom motivates learners to be active and it makes them willing to work. They still have to focus on the task at hand. Social media should be seen as a tool to use in class.

I would definitely be open to using technology in my classroom or teaching practice, because I believe you have to progress with the times. Technology is continuously being used and learners, nowadays, are much more comfortable with it and find it stimulating and intriguing. Technology allows us to connect with each other immediately, even if we are far apart. Learners can go home and interact with each other on a social network about work they discussed and what they found interesting. One way of incorporating social media is blogging. This is especially helpful with summaries. Learners can summarize their ideas about what they feel they’ve learned and share this with fellow students. I have come to find that when sharing ideas of how you understand a topic, makes it easier for someone else to understand. Different viewpoints are being shared and this deepens their understanding, not only on the topic but maybe also their understanding of the world around them. I specialize in English and Life- Orientation. Life- Orientation is a subject that has no specific right answer. Learners often have an understanding or opinion about topics being handled in class and they can blog about their thoughts. Blogging can also help students with their writing skills, not necessarily in English, but any language they wish to use.

Social media does not always have to be about work, but teachers can also use it to their benefit. The app Remind allows teachers to send out information to the group. This information can be a reminder of due dates for assignments or letting learners know if there’s any changes to the due date and just general news regarding school or subjects.

One problem I do have with social media is that it is not that accessible as we wish it was. Looking at it from a South African perspective, let’s assume every learner in high school has a phone with internet access. The reality is that most of these learners won’t even have airtime to access/ use these apps. That might be a limitation.

Digital Pedagogy Explained

There is much confusion regarding what digital pedagogy is. To put it as simply as possible, digital pedagogy is not the same as online teaching. Online teaching is basically going online, doing activities and interacting digitally (Can only be done on electronically devices like computers or tablets). Pedagogy refers to the method teachers use to facilitate learning. Digital pedagogy, then, refers to tools teachers use to educate learners. These tools can be a variety of things, from watching a movie that corresponds with a book that is being handled in class, to doing research on a specific topic/subject. To my understanding, digital pedagogy is using tools that are available to support effective teaching and learning. Coming back to the movie, it is important to understand that everyone does not learn the same. Exposing them to the movie, might help them to grasp the main theme of the book that is being dealt with.   

In its essence, the term pedagogue means to lead a child. @slumteacher makes the statement that all teachers are not digital pedagogues and I completely agree with him. Think about the teacher you had in high school. The one who gives answers immediately after asking questions, convincing you that this is all you need for the exams. That is not leading a child (learner) to become critical thinkers and it certainly does not encourage the learner to engage. To lead, in a sense, means to give directions  and also make tool accessible for learners to figure things out on their own or to make the learning process as easy as possible, but also sustainable. Teachers need to get on the same level as the learners and explore with them, the many ways of learning.

Of course, digital pedagogy is not only limited to the classroom.  Digital pedagogy can be used in online teaching. Remember the days when internet was not invented yet? Can you tell me that some of those teachers were not digital pedagogues? Of course they were. Papers, pens and textbooks were once “new technology”.

                                                                                                   

To us it this is not strange, because it became our way of life. The same can be said for generations to follow. What is new to us will eventually become their way of life. Therefore, new methods of learning have to come forward and it looks like the bar is set. Digital pedagogy does now mean, incorporating the latest technology to facilitate learning for next generation, on a level that they understand.   

The Digital Pedagogue

The Digital Pedagogue…

Dear Mr Fyfe and lecturer, I will put this as bluntly as I please… I hated the wonderfully written piece on Digital Pedagogy and all its surrounding debates. Most people I know, myself included, don’t have the time or resources to help visionaries like Stephen Ramsay or Brad Pasanek combat the actual frightening revelation of students losing their practical, one could almost say social aspect of learning. Electronics and the Microsoft based tools are here to stay and that happened before I even was a twinkle in someone’s eye. Here’s my dilemma, why should I give a sh!t about lost creativity when I have no children. True I am being an @$$, but let me put it this way, because I am starting to feel hungry. Food will represent educational knowledge, our crippling methods of digital pedagogy will represent me ordering the food, going to get the food strikes the balance between the methods of Stephen and Panasek, to strive towards a less technological method of teaching “DH”. Why should I get into my parents car and drive all the way to my local take-out joint, use petrol, get stuck in traffic and wait in line to order?  When I can just use my mom’s airtime and order the food, free delivery… I don’t have to tip. So why should major companies re-utilize their program tools, just because a few out of the box thinkers demand our digital humanities program become less technological? The billionaire company owners only think of profit and major change, especially good change comes at a high cost. I do agree with Mr Fyfe, too many slide shows wreck the brain. I got power point slide shows and pdf’s pouring out my sensitive bits. But I choose the strict, one-way method of digital pedagogy as it is. Like the billionaire company owner, change is not what I am looking for, it wouldn’t be cost efficient. Everybody needs /wants efficient, affective education. Let’s just consider it, the educational system might be rigged. People just don’t care enough about these things, strict parents, teachers and now these strict digital educational programs. The door bel rang, must be my take-out.