Changes in learning - discussion

Many people have written about the changes in education in recent times, here are a few pieces that I have found to be of interest.

 

This short post mentions the effect of technology on education.  One point the author makes that I found particularly interesting was that children today are less likely to be satisfied with traditional lessons whereby the teacher provides instructions and teaching in an oral way.  The author refers to the fact that as so many children are exposed to many different forms of technology (television, computers, iPads) on a daily basis, they require a more visual method of teaching in order to remain motivated and to learn.  I have certainly encountered many children who are restless and proclaim they are “bored” when completing tasks that do not involve some form of technology.

http://www.tutors4gcse.co.uk/blog/general-education/how-has-teaching-changed/

 

The next article I found is from the point of view of a teacher, who describes her idea of learning in the 21^st century.  The author supports her ideas with sources and makes reference to specific research.  One interesting point she makes is that she supports the notion of creating a community of practice, whereby teachers have ways of speaking, sharing ideas and supporting one another.  This, she believes, is the key to teachers continuing to learn and “evolve”.  Recently, within my home university, some students have begun setting up an online community of practice using Twitter, and my own year group uses a private Facebook group to post questions/links/ideas that enable us to support each other.

http://edudemic.com/2013/04/what-21st-century-learning-means-to-me/

 

The last article I will mention comes from a 6^th form teacher in England, who writes about the importance of classroom layout and in particular, the importance of where a teacher chooses to position themselves during lessons.  The author suggests that sitting amongst your students, as opposed to standing at the front of the room, allows students to feel more comfortable with sharing their work with you and, in turn, enables them to receive more informal feedback.  Whilst, in reality this situation would not always work as many classes are simply too big to accommodate this type of teaching, I can certainly see the author’s point.  When I have the opportunity to work with small groups of children, I always sit at their table and find they tend to ask more questions, and I am able to give much more feedback and see exactly who needs help.  This, once again, raises the issue of class sizes, however, it definitely has its benefits.

http://edudemic.com/2013/03/classroom-of-the-future/


These articles, if nothing else, certainly provide food for thought on issues of learning and its evolution.

Changes in learning

My schooling in Scotland spanned from 1993 until 2005.  During this time I was taught by many different teachers, each with their own teaching style: some taught in a traditional format whereas others were keen to move away from tradition and try new methods and ideas in the classroom.  I was fortunate enough to encounter many teachers who were passionate and enthusiastic about learning and teaching, and as a result, inspired me to embark upon the same career. 

My own experiences of schooling were largely positive, particularly those gained in primary school.  I was often provided with concrete materials to use to support learning.   I was fortunate enough to go on excursions to places that allowed me to fully experience what I was being taught, rather than just hearing about it.  I was encouraged to achieve my best in all areas of life.  These aspects are still prevalent in education today, though some now have fancy titles attached to them.  Perhaps one of the main changes I have witnessed in education, is the content of what is being taught.  Education for citizenship, preparing children for life in the 21^st century and a focus on every aspect of pupils’ health and wellbeing all feature heavily in the new Scottish curriculum (A Curriculum for Excellence).  It is clear they are attempting to meet the needs of a changing society and suitably prepare children for what they will encounter as adults.  Whether they are meeting these needs or not with their curriculum is a hotly debated matter, which I will not even touch upon in this forum.

Moreover, one key change I have noted, is the increase in pupils who have been identified and labelled as having additional support needs.   These can range from the child being on the Autistic spectrum, to the children having a visual impairment.  Being aware of these needs allows schools to adapt their teaching to support the full range of needs within a classroom, and where necessary, provide additional support.  This is vital in ensuring all children have a fair chance to progress.

Furthermore, when considering if learning has changed over the years, the main thought that comes to mind is the advances in technology and its impact on the classroom.  My first encounter with technology in school was towards the end of primary school when we were occasionally allowed to use the one Apple Mac computer the school had (similar to the one below), on which we played simple educational games. 

Early Apple computer (Image source)

 

Whilst this computer was incredibly basic, it served a purpose and pupils were excited to have the chance to use it.  Fast forward 15 years to my experiences as a student teacher, where technology is a vital part of the majority of lessons.  From using the SMARTBOARD within the classroom to play interactive games to providing children with cameras to film themselves creating dramas to children using Activote to practice their maths calculations. 

Example of SMARTBOARD (Image source)

 

Even when teaching in nursery with children aged 3-5, technology played an important role, whether it be allowing children to access the CBeebies website to play games or use the BeeBots to learn about directions.  I was shocked to discover that by the time children came to nursery, they already knew how to use a computer, and most had frequent access to one at home.  Therefore, if children are being exposed to so many different forms of technology at such a young age, it seems obvious that it should be incorporated into their education.

Similarly, with my own continuing education, technology is incorporated at every level.  Each lecture I attend is accompanied by a powerpoint presentation, I type all of my assignments on my home PC, and spend countless hours trawling the internet for lesson ideas and sources to support my work.  I can contact tutors with any concerns via email and receive a response within a matter of minutes.   In fact, often my peers and I will comment on how much we would struggle without the use of technology whilst completing our degree, showing just how much we rely upon it.

I am aware that some aspects of learning have remained the same over the past 15 years or so, however, I am also aware of just how many significant changes have occurred, particularly with how rapidly technology has been incorporated into the classroom.  Therefore, this begs the question, where will education and learning be 15 years from now?

Image source

 

Experience of webpublishing tools

I do not have any significant experience of using webpublishing tools. Over the years I have participated in various social networking sites, such as Livejournal (angsty teen diary),Myspace (not quite as angsty teen blog),and now use Facebook as a means of staying in touch with friends.  I also use Skype to maintain contact with family and friends. I have several email accounts for different purposes: outlook (student account), hotmail (personal account) and gmail (professional account). 

All in all, my experience with any kind of webpublishing tools is quite limited, however, I am keen to expand my knowledge in this area throughout this course.

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