My Understanding of Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century

Competencies and e-Portfolio

Having seen this week's task about creating an e-portfolio relating to the progress I have made during my stay in Linz, I was immediately interested in trying out one of the suggested tools.  However, upon registering and attempting to create an e-portfolio I realised that it would take me some time to get to grips with the process. Whilst I would like to explore these tools further, for the time being I will simply explain how I would intend to demonstrate my progress using a portfolio.

 

The most significant area of progress for me has been the development of my communicative skills.  Through participating in classes with students from many different countries (Austria,Turkey and Spain to name a few), I have had to adapt the ways in which I communicate with people in order for conversations and co-operation to occur.  One of the classes I attended, entitled Innovative Teaching Strategies, involved participating in various activities that are intended to develop communicative skills and encourage co-operation.  Therefore, on my e-portfolio, I could display some examples of activities I have participated in from this class.

 

Additionally, my communicative skills were developed through the experience of school practice.  Having had the chance to plan lessons for a 4th grade class of native German speakers with limited English, this enabled me to develop the skills necessary to support these pupils' learning.  Through the use of visual aids, drama and gestures, myself and my fellow students were able to provide instructions to pupils to enable them to understand what they were being asked to do.  This also enabled us to engage in conversations with the pupils, supported by the use of gestures and visuals.  To provide evidence of this, I could perhaps post some lesson plans and pictures of the materials used and of myself teaching during lessons.

 

On a personal level, my self-confidence and independence have increased greatly since I arrived in Austria.  As someone who would have considered themselves to be a rather shy person who was somewhat set in their ways,the process of living alone, travelling to many different places and meeting so many new people has pushed me to break out of my comfort zone and try new and exciting things.  Perhaps including details of some of my experiences from my stay in Linz, details of my travels and photographs would demonstrate this growth.

 

In summary, having experienced the use of paper based portfolios, I can see the advantages of using an e-portfolio as an alternative. It is easier for both students and teachers to access.  If there are changes to be made, this is much easier to do on an e-portfolio as opposed to a paper based portfolio.  Finally, technology is advancing so rapidly, and features heavily in education, it seems appropriate to take full advantage of the tools available and extend your skills with online tools at the same time as displaying learning in other areas.

Perhaps? Source

Open Learning Environments

I believe that my first experience of open learning came when I started university.  Whilst there are specific topics I need to learn and write about, the process by which I find information and write is very much left up to me to decide.  Furthermore, as I only had, on average, 13 hours a week in university, the emphasis was on independent learning. The university shares some resources on our online Moodle forum, however, this is not the only method I use to support my learning.  I quite often use online communities to share and find resources. Some of these communities are on Twitter, another is the TES forum and finally, the Facebook group for my university year group can be helpful in sharing resources. 

Participating in this Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century course has been the most extreme case of open learning I have encountered.  I have enjoyed the process of creating a blog, and exploring different web tools that can support learning.  However, one difficulty I have found from open learning is that, occasionally, I can struggle to find motivation to complete tasks.  Whilst I am interested in the topics being raised, and enjoy the tasks when I get started, I sometimes find it difficult to prioritise the tasks compared to other courses I take.  I believe this is due to the fact that the tasks are completely web-based and there is no tutor continually reminding me to complete tasks, it is a course that requires a lot of self motivation.  However, the main aspect that enables me to complete the tasks is through speaking with fellow students.  Discussing these key topics with my peers prompts debate,allowing me to see the importance of what we are learning and this in turn encourages me to try and be a more active participant.  Therefore, I would argue that for open learning to be successful,there must first be strong networks created, whereby learners can support each other through the process.

Source

Personal Learning Environment

Learning Contract

Topic - I would like to learn German.

Purpose - I believe that in today's multicultural society, teacher's should be at the very least bilingual, as in most cases there will be bilingual pupils in their classrooms.  Languages are something I have always enjoyed learning, however, I have never reached a level of good fluency in any of the languages I have studied.  Therefore, my aim is to become a fluent speaker and writer of German.

Resources - There are a number of different ways I plan to learn German.  Firstly, whilst I stay here in Linz I am taking a German for Beginners class at the university, where I have been learning the basics of the language.  Secondly, through meeting people during my stay in Linz, I am trying to learn from native speakers by asking questions and listening to conversations.  With regards web based resources, I have downloaded a Babbel app on to my Android tablet.  Here I have been taking a different section each night and trying learn some key words and phrases.  I would like to enroll in a class when I return home to continue learning, as I feel I will learn best from face-to-face teaching.

Strategy - Whilst I stay in Linz, I will learn from my university class, and from the people around me.  However, when I return home I will need to commit myself to working my way through the Babbel app at a consistent pace, and I will search the internet for a tutor who can offer German lessons.

Outcome evaluation - I am aware that this goal will take some time to complete, however, I believe I will know I have been successful if I can return to Austria at some point in the future, and maintain a conversation with native speakers, and have the confidence to do so.

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