Video showing technology in classrooms today

Our students learning is for them, not us!

The notion that our learning design for students should be student centred is very important especially for the generations of today. Young people today need to find value and interest in their learning for them to be engaged. The 'Engagement Theory' (Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. 1999) is one example of how student centred learning can occur.

This theory is descibed here:

'The Fundamental idea underlying engagement theory is that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks. While in principle, such engagement could occur without the use of technology, we believe that technology can facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve otherwise. So engagement theory is intended to be a conceptual framework for technology-based learning and teaching.' (Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. 1999)

After contemplating this theory I have looked back at my own learning throughout my life and tried to recognise some student centred learning that I had experienced. Here is a picture of a performance that I created with a group of performing artists at The University of Wollongong. It was a perfect example of student centred learning as we designed our own characters and production that we were to perform for the public. We engaged in the style of circus performance which included acrobats, comedy, fire twirling and clowning. Then after learning these performance skills we then designed, created and mastered our own performances. Just quietly, I am the one with the red wig.

This example of student centred learning was great for us as students as we felt an ownership over the perfomances as we developed the characters from our own life experiences and imagination.

The Relate, Create and Donate theory was evident in this learning for me. To add to this, I have planned a basic lesson plan that incorporates this Relate, Create and Donate theory however more in depth planning is needed for this plan. It does show however an example of this theory to reinforce the notion of Relate, Create and Donate.

Learning Experience for Year 9 Drama Class

Content: The school is required to address bullying and the principle needs you to help educate young people new to the school about the problem and ways to overcome it.

Note: Bullying can occur in School, home, work, internet and social gatherings and how can we deal with this?

Relate: In class, I will offer the students to choose a place of where bullying can occur. In small groups then I will direct them to brainstorm ideas using a graphic organizer on large paper about what is bullying. After this, in these groups they will need to write a small monologue or diary entry of a day in the life of a person being bullied. It could be based on a personal experience or someone they know. Then one member from the group can read the diary entry/monologue out in front of class or if they are not ready for this they can pass it onto another group to read.

Create: From this, then students will be directed to brainstorm ideas on how to deal with bullying. This can be achieved by having small groups go to library, google searches and conducting interviews with the school councillor in regards to effective strategies to bullying. They will then use these strategies to create small 5 minute dualogues/performances of a situation where bullying has occured and the way the person dealt positively with the situation.

Donate: After a few lessons to articulate their performances, then I will facilitate an area in school for the rest of the Year 9 students to be audience for these performance.

If students do not wish to perform in front of the audience that is their peers they can design a video to present for their viewing instead.

Some other learning experiences that show the division between student centred learning and teacher centred learning can be shown here. I have rated these learning experiences between one and ten. With ten being highly student centred learning experiences.

1. Lectures at University : 5 points
2. Company conference: 5 points
3. Leadership Camp / 4 Day trip: This was highly stimulating, hands on, self-related learning, problem-solving, discussions, input, motivation from people of experience from other organizations. 10 points
4. Photograpghy workshops: 7 points
5. Work training seminars: Sit in chair and watch speaker with powerpoints. 6 Points
Average total score: 6.6

As you can see the highly student centred learning experiences were more memorable for me and I took alot more skills to use in my life long learning now from the leadership camp.

On another note I have also discovered from many self quiz tests and readings that we all have differing learning styles and that I am a highly visual learner. I thought about this and how it would effect me as a learning manager. I believe that you need to plan lessons that incorporate all learning styles and student centred activities. I have learnt from discussions from my peers to be aware of your learning styles and your students but remember not to always label. Another good notion to think about is the idea that all our young people nowadays are in a very visual and technological world so naturally they are using this style in everyday life.

"Technology provides an electronic learning mileux that fosters the kind of creativity and communication needed to nourish engagement." (Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. 1999)

Reference:

Reading: Kearsley, G. & Schneiderman, B. (1999) 'Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning', Maryland.

Photos provided from the University of Wollongong, Faculty of Creative Arts. Photo gallery.

Education - how has it changed?

"The purpose of education systems is to prepare young people in appropriate ways for the challenges and responsibilities they will face throughout their lives," Bentley (1998) says, "and if society is changing, so should the way in which we introduce young people to it."

The notion above is really paramount to be a learning manager of today's society and for the future. As the world is changing rapidly through growth in technology and information we are in this knowledge - based economy. This knowledge - based economy means that we now need to move on from the Industrial Age education systems that were based on the "one-size-fits-all" ( OECD 2002; Dembo & Eaton 2000; Gardner 1985; Scherer 1999) notion for students and move into more innovative, flexible and student centred learning.

I believe the focus that I will be taking in my learning throughout my Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching (CQU) is to create learning experiences for my students that will be relevant and interesting for them and for them to see how these learning will fit into their lives.

This is covered by Stephenson who argues that "the trend is towards creating 'capability' rather than competence, about 'imagining the future' and bringing it about, and qualities such as courage, risk - taking, intuition, sharing, acceptance of personal responsibility, flexibility, initiative, self confidence and values. The capability concept also applies to an oragnization if it embraces the intrinsic, conscious and continuing capacity to survive, grow, improve and transform. (Stephenson, 1999.)

I look back at my own learning at school and can note that it showed traces of the Industrial age of education in reference to discipline as we still had the cane in the early years of my learning which however quickly faded out. There definately was a changeover into the Knowledge based economy as in my first year of learning we had an Apple computer in the classroom to do maths questions and by Year 4 I began to use Type Quick to improve my typing skills. This was very exciting as a student especially when we could start doing our assignments on a computer and then the internet! Well, what can I say.

My learning however is very different from what the youth of today expect and want to know. I do believe that Mode 2 (Heath 2001 ) is the new approach in which learning manager's should take to design learning that is effective for young people. Mode 2 ways of learning is described as in point form by Heath( 2001) as:

- Transdisciplinary
- Heterogeneous in terms of the skills and experience brought to it
- Produced in diverse sites
- Produces in the context of application

Just to name a few. Mode 1 (Heath 2001) however "is based on traditional notions of the objectivity of knowledge". This will not be effective for the youth of today as they need to have their learning in context and they need to apply their knowledge. The implications that these modes have as a teaching professional is that we need to recognise that Mode 2 will be more effective in the Knowledge Based Economy that we are in now as it will work along side rapid change in society much better than Mode 1. Basically we will be 'keeping up with the times' so to speak with Mode 2.

From reading the paper "The Bachelor of Learning management (BLM ) and education capability ", Change : Transformations in Education. (Smith, R., Lynch, D. & Mienczakowski, J. (2003), I found that learning managers of today need to have a focus on the learning outcomes for their students and that they are more so learning facilitators than 'teachers'. It was noted in this paper that "Education Queensland's vision is that teachers are not longer gatekeepers of knowledge but 'managers of the learning experiences of children' (Kirby 2000, p .8)

From my learning this week it has been confirmed from these readings that Mode 1 ways of learning that derived from the Industrial Age are no longer relevant for todays students and Mode 2 should be what we as learning managers nowadays design our learning experiences around.

The world will be rapidly changing and so should we as learning managers because without change one cannot grow.



References :

Bentlley, T (1998) Learning Beyond the Classroom: educating for a changing world, London: Routledge, p.38.
Dembo, M. H. & Eaton, M. J. (2000) 'Self-rugulation of academic learning in middle-level schools", The Elementary School Journal, May, 100(50).
Gardner, h. (1985) The Theory of multiple intelligences, London: Paladin.
Heath, G. 2001. Teacher Education and the NEw Knowledge Environment. Australian Association for Educational Research Conference. Fremantle December.
Kirby, P.(ed) (2000) Ministerial Review of Post Compulsary Education and Training Pathways in Victoria, Final Report, DEET, State Government of Victoria.
OECD (2002) 'Understanding the Brain: Towards a new learning science', Paris: OECD Publications.
Scherer, M. (1999) 'The Understanding Pathway: a conversation with Howard Gardner'. Educational Leadership, 57 (3), pp.13 - 17.
Smith, R., Lynch, D & Mienczakowski, J. (2003) "The Bachelor of Learning Management (BLM) and education capability", Change: Transformations in Education, (6)(2): 23-37.
Stephenson, J. (1999) Corporate capability : implications for the style and direction of work-based learning, Formal public lecture delivered at the University of Technology, Sydney.