Learning Outcome g)

Learning Outcome g) Articulate and justify a personal professional philosophy of teaching.

Evidence One:
Wednesday 27th March 2013
Topic: Reflection
Notes taken in class.

Reflection is an important part of teaching as it provides a link between theory and practice. Through reflection, as teachers we can make connections between our practice and the classroom and what we learn through teacher training and personal development. Reflecting is also a part of graduating teacher standards and therefore a mandatory part of teaching.

When reflecting we need to think not only about how we teach but also why we teach that way to ensure our practice reflects effective pedagogy that is enhancing the learning of students. We also need to think about and reflect on our beliefs and prior experiences. These form the basis of how we interpret others behaviour. To support this view we were given the quotes "We see what we expect to see" and "I wouldnt have seen it if I hadn't believed it."

This made me think about how my background and upbringing could influence how I perceive and judge children in the classroom. I need to constantly be aware of and challenge these judgements. For example when we have good holidays and therefore ask children to write about their holidays, thinking they will be excited to do this, we really need to think about the fact that for some children, they may have not had the best holidays or feel comfortable writing about this.

When reflecting we must ask ourselves big overaching questions regarding whether what we are doing is worth doing, whether it is working and how does our teaching and the structure of the classroom and school influence the education system and society as a whole.

For more specific guided reflection focusing on a specific event, we must address what happened, why did it happen, what might it mean and what are the implications for my teaching practice.

There are also different levels of reflection going from our behaviour, competencies, beliefs, identity and teaching mission which all influence our environment and are influenced by our environment.

We then discussed our role as teachers and our personal identities. As teachers we need to reflect on who we are and whether our behaviour reflects this or whether it is in confliction. We therefore need to recognise who we are and unpack ourselves to form a link between our identities and being a teacher.

Reflecting in this way about ourselves and our role as the teacher will enable us to develop a personal philosophy of teaching.

Evidence Two. 
Reading Reflections:
Hole, S., & Hall-McEntee, G. H. (1999). Reflection is at the heart of practice. Educational Leadership, May, 34-37. 

I found this reading really informative in showing my the steps I should take in forming a reflection. It may seem simple but it is often hard to know what to write apart form what actually happened. I found it important to talk about 'what it might mean' in reference to an incidence or topic that I am reflecting on. In my reflections I usually talk about the incidence and its influence on my practice but I rarely think about why it happened, or what I specifically did or the underlying issue. This helped to remind me to include this important information in my reflections.

The reading also showed me how the smallest of incidences in the classroom can teach us a lot about our teaching practice. The reading talked about a small happening in the classroom where the child saw something outside and the teacher diverted attention back to the class. This may seem insignificant but under further reflection and examination the teacher was able to see how she was shutting down the classes opportunity to engage the learners in something they were interested in. In the classroom, I need to closely examine all interactions and events and not simply focus on big incidences as even small occurrences can speak large volumes about our competence as teachers.

Norsworthy, B. (2002). Revisiting reflection. Waikato Jounral of Education, 8, 101-115.

This reading discussed what it means to be a reflective practitioner and the reasons behind promoting reflection in student teachers. It talks about how many student teachers don't fully embrace the practice of reflecting and don't see it as a vital way in enhancing their teaching. I can see this point of view and have found at times it difficult to reflect and sometimes wonder what the point is. This reading therefore helped reiterate to me the importance of reflecting and how it will help my learning and practice as a teacher.

I feel that as part of my degree, to learn and gain knowledge, I have had to seek information from lectures, readings and professional opinions. There were very few times that I had to express my opinion or look at my own experiences and practice to form my learning. I think this is why I found it hard to look at what I see or do and think about what I can learn from this. However from the reading, I gained the insight that this year of training is not going to provide me with all the answers, readings and lecture information to be the best teacher for the rest of my life. However teaching me how to become a reflective practitioner will provide me with the skills to continue seeking to become a better teacher by constantly reflecting on my teaching and how I can improve it. This reading therefore reinforced to me how I need to continue reflecting in order to become a more competent teacher for my students.

I also find it hard to question assumptions for the truth if I perhaps don't know the truth. I am a person that wants to know the right thing to do. Critical reflection involves me, as a student teacher, questioning what has always been done. However I find it hard to question things when I don't know other or better ways they could be done. I feel to address this issue, I need to continue questioning but also link this with searching for alternative truths that could enhance my practice. I often also think that because I turned out to be a fully functioning adult who has completed further education, that my primary school education and what I experienced as a child must have been good to be able to get me to this point. However this does not necessarily mean that all the teaching approaches and ways of doing things were the best way for me or others to learn. This gives me further reason to question teaching approaches and practices that I experienced to ensure I am teaching in the best way, not just for children who learn like me, but for all children in my class.


Evidence Three
Wednesday 6th March 2013
Topic: How People Learn. 
Notes taken in class. 

In order to justify what and why we are planning to teach, we as teachers must have knowledge of how best students learn. This involves reviewing and critiquing learning theories that fit best with our personal philosophy of teaching that can guide how we teach in the classroom.

In order to know if students are learning we need to reflect on the learning process and evaluate whether students really did learn. Helen demonstrated this point through getting the class to make a paper napkin. Each of us watched a you-tube video showing instructions on how to fold a napkin and we followed these in order to make the creation out of our serviette. Although we eventually managed to make the creation, we all reflected on this process and realised we still have not properly learnt how to make the folded napkin. In order to learn we would need to remake it or teach the process to someone else. This exercise showed how often in the classroom teachers can give children activities that they can complete, however no real learning is being gained.

Many theorists in the past have created theories of learning showing the ways in which they believe people learn best. Some of these are listed below:

• Blooms Taxonomy:

This features different levels of thinking, questioning and answering that can be targeted to lessons children are engaging in. To use this theory, teachers would aim activities or questions at a particular level of the taxonomy. Children would be expected to show evidence of these types of thinking in their work. It involves working at surface level and deep level. These are often seen as good versus bad however we often need to engage in both in order to learn effectively.

1. Knowledge. 
2. Comprehension. 
3. Application 
4. Anaylsis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation.

I believe this theory of learning would be beneficial for children when engaging in reading. To ensure children are effectively making meaning of texts, teachers could ask questions at different levels to see if children are making meaning and extending their thinking about the text. 

• Skinner - Operant Conditioning. 

Skinner advocated that people learn through reinforcements and punishments. This means that to increase behaviour, teachers much reinforce students by providing positive reinforcement such as praise, stickers or other incentives. In order to decrease behaviours, teachers would need to provide punishments such as being told off, being put in time out or other negative consequences. I believe some of these principals could be applied to behaviour management in the classroom especially by encouraging positive behaviours through praise and positive feedback.  However I think providing reinforcements and punishments towards learning activities can decrease children's intrinsic motivation as they then only complete work in order to gain a reward or avoid a punishment rather than having a love of learning. 

• Piaget - Age/stage theory. 

Piaget's theory involved stages of development that children enter at certain ages during their development. Much controversy surrounds his stages and whether children's development really follows this age/stage nature rather than being progressively increasing development. 

• Vygotsky - Socio-cultural theory. 

Vygotsky believed that learning occurs in a social environment where students learn through communicating with others in their surroundings. Vygotsky created the concept of scaffolding and the zone of proximal development. When students work withing their zone of proximal development, they are working at level that is harder than what students can do independently, but easier than what they would not be able to do, even with assistance. this means students are working at a level where they require help from the teachers, also known as scaffolding that is gradually relinquished as the students gains ownership over the learning. 

• Barbara Rogoff. 

Barbara advocates the impact of culture on learning and how a child's home life can be very different from school and how this might impact on their learning. 

• Etienne Wenger and Jean Lave. 

These theorists focus on sociocultural learning theory, and more specifically communities of learners. This involves students being apprentices of learning who become part of the learning community. 

• Constructivism. 

Constructivism focuses on students having specific ways of thinking based on prior experiences that can be changed  and rearranged as they gain knowledge and learn. It is therefore the teachers role to constantly challenge students mental  schemas so this growth occurs to create increasingly complex cognitive structures. Teachers therefore also need to keep accessing to ensure students' schemas are changing. 

I agree with many aspects of constructivism and believe teaching in a way that encourages children to challenge their current knowledge is beneficial to their learning. The NZ curriculum also features similarities with constructivism where learning is placed in a social and cultural context. The NZ curriculum and graduating teacher standards also focus on meta cognition and how students need to be aware of their thinking processes and reflect on these. Therefore as a teacher I need to help children realise their thinking processes and how they can access these to develop strategies that help them learn best. 

Other theories and approaches to learning have also been introduced to schools such as habits of mind, thinking hats and thinkers keys. These can be beneficial to use in the classroom, however as a teacher I need to ensure I am using them for correct purposes and not lose sight of why I am using them.

As a teacher, to ensure children are engaged in learning, I need to be engaged in formative assessment where I am continuing to monitor children's learning to ensure that indeed this learning is taking place with whatever theory or combination of theories I chose to install in my teaching practice. 

Evidence Four
Reading Reflection 
Barker, M. (2008). How do people learn? Understanding the learning process. In C. McGee and D. Fraser, (Eds.), The professional practice of teaching (pp.21-54).(4th ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Cengage Learning. 

This reading talked about what it is to learn and the different learning theories that have been postulated over time to explain how people learn. The reading also talked about the disconnect that can occur for teachers between learning about theory and then using these theories in their everyday teaching practice. The main theories of learning discussed were behaviourist, developmental, humanistic, social constructivist and socio cultural. After completing a degree in psychology and education, I feel I have a great deal of knowledge surrounding these learning theories and I wondered how these would interact and impact on my classroom teaching. Much like the reading predicts of most teachers, I believe I take a eclectic approach to how people learn and can see advantages and disadvantages in all theories. Behaviourist theories often underpin much behaviour management in classrooms  and I think it would be hard pressed to find a classroom where there are no rewards given. I agree with the humanistic approach in that teachers should not only be teaching academic subjects but also the basic principals of what it is to be human. Social constructivist and sociocultural learning theories are predominant in teacher training today and guide students to incorporate group learning and  prior experience, both approaches I believe will enhance student learning.

As expressed in this reading, I feel as a beginning teacher that I do not really think or reflect on these theories whilst in the moment of classroom teaching. I do however believe I incorporate some aspects of these theories in my planning which subsequently influences my teaching. For example through various education papers and readings surrounding learning theories I know that incorporating prior knowledge and allowing children to work in groups increases learning opportunities. Although I have read much research surrounding these topics, I am looking forward to when I see the benefits of these approaches in my teaching.

I also found it interesting when the author talked about his evolution of adopting and using theories of learning in his teaching. This made me realise that over my lifetime as a I teacher, not only will I most likely change my stance but the world and current education theorists will also change theirs. With a fast changing world geared towards technology, the way people think about how people learn could be very different over my life course. As a teacher I will need to adapt to these changing environments however in also being critically reflective, I may also need to question some approaches to ensure they do truly increase children's learning.