1 - Unpacking: Beliefs about Teaching and Learning

Prepared by: Ana Mara Hurtado M. for BE

Aim: Exploring my ideas and beliefs about teaching and learning

Typical Teacher I Have Had

Typical Teacher I Have Had

spoonfeeder

Exploration of my own beliefs

1.! What is learning? 2.! What is teaching? 3.! What makes a good teacher? Task break 1_ Drawing of my classroom at school

Transmission Approach vs. Constructivist Approach From Behaviourism to Cognitive Learning

Vygotskys ZPD
Zone of Proximal Development

Six elements of constructivist learning model in ELT

1. Situation 2. Groupings 3. Bridge 4. Questions 5. Exhibit 6. Reflection

Constructivism and Language Teaching and Learning

1. about constructing knowledge, not receiving it 2. about thinking and analyzing, not accumulating memorizing 3. about understanding and applying, not repeating back 4. being active, not passive. (Marlowe & Page, 2005)

What type of teacher do I want to be?

What type of teacher do I want to be?

Task Break
Drawing of my ideal classroom What is the type of teacher I want to be?

Type of Teacher I Want to Be

A learning-centered classroom: ! Focuses on finding solutions to real-world problems. ! Is about what the students are doing and what the students can do in the future. ! There are multiple ways to accomplish an individual task. ! A partnership and a strong level of trust between educators and students.

Am I aware of my Apprenticeship of Observation?

! 12-20 years in classrooms watching teachers teach ! A repertoire of teaching strategies with which we felt comfortable as students ! Assumptions about how students learn based on our own learning styles and strategies ! A bias toward certain types of instructional materials with which we became familiar as students ! Asymmetrical, since we formulate a conception of teaching based on perceptions as students, not as teachers

A Blessing & A Curse

! Enables teachers to function immediately in the classroom ! This imprint may be difficult to overcome ! Forms the basis for how teachers carry out their classroom practices ! Because the basis is imitation rather than understanding, they often follow unchallenged common sense principles

Few teachers have direct experiences in learner-centered classrooms

Tension: Approaches to Teaching

Teacher Centred 1.! Focus on teacher 2.! Focus on what T thinks is important about language. 3.! Teacher talks; students listen 4.! Students work alone 5.! Teacher monitors and corrects every student utterance Learner Centred 1.! Focus on students and T 2.! Focus is on how students will use the language 3.! Instructor models; students interact with instructor and one another 4.! Students work in pairs, in groups, or alone depending on the purpose of the activity 5.! Students talk without constant instructor monitoring.

Approaches to teaching
1.! 2.! 3.! 4.! Teacher Centred Teacher answers students questions Teacher chooses topics Teacher evaluates Classroom is quiet Learner Centred 1.! Students answer each others questions. T is one information source 2.! Students have some choice of topics 3.! Students evaluate their own learning, teacher also evaluates 4. Classroom is often noisy and busy

Developmental Stages
Teachers move through developmental stages focus on self -> teaching task -> student learning

Apprenticeship of Learning Diagram (A. Sheehan)

Mapping the route of your ideas and beliefs: Key influences:
Preschool Miss Laura: -! Strict -! Frightening
Primary

Secondary Pop band Drama group Friends

University Puzzled Political awareness Self-discipline Autonomy

Miss Cecilia: - Strict & warm Miss Dora: - empowering

Task Break: Draw your own apprenticeship of learning diagram

Self-reflection: Can you identify important stages in your development as a teacher?

Task break: What were your best development experiences?

What was it all about today?

! How is all this linked to becoming a Mentor? ! What was the most meaningful? Most useful?

Credits
! Based on: Karen E. Johnsons ppt Penn State University, January, 2007 ! Diagram of Apprenticeship of Learning by Andrew Sheehan, Mentor Training Course 2005 ! Malderez, Angi & Bodoczky, Caroline (1999), Mentor Courses, CUP ! http://constructivisminelt.wikispaces.com/Constructivism+and +language+teaching ! Head, Katie & Taylor, Pauline (1997), Readings in Teacher Development, Macmillan