Exam One
Question 1
Teaching Skills

The following are areas a teacher must consider in selecting teaching strategies.

1.BOS
In selecting teaching strategies for a for a stage 4 English main lesson a teacher needs to firstly develop a working understanding of the BOS requirements for teaching that particular unit, stage and outcomes that need to be covered. This information can be obtained from the BOS website or a copy of the syllabus for that teaching area. The BOS Syllabus Is crucial for developing a lesson plan in that it provides a scaffold for a teacher to use in developing material content and a learning sequence. It also provides a scaffold for a teacher to use if they wish to create a lesson content that differs from the suggested content of the curriculum in that a teacher can teach other areas of the subject as long as they are covering the learning outcomes for the unit.

A teacher could use these syllabus outcomes if teaching an English stage 4 lesson.

4.2: a student uses a range of processes for responding to and composing texts.
4.5: A student makes informed language choices to shape meaning with accuracy, clarity and coherence.
4.7: A student thinks critically and interpretively about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts.
4.6: A student draws on experience, information and ideas to imaginatively and interpretively responds to and composes texts.
4.9: A student demonstrates understanding that texts express views of their broadening world and their relationships within it.
4.11: a student uses, reflects on and assesses individual and collaborative skills for learning.


2. Schemes of knowledge and Social Interaction
The age group and developmental stage of the class are very important as they determine the content, how it is delivered and how the class is expected to behave.
According to Piaget this age group falls into the Concrete Operations, and the Formal Operations period as seen below learns in the following manner


Concrete Operations (6/7 to 11/12 years)
Children in the concrete operations stage are able to take into account another person’s point of view and consider more than one perspective simultaneously, with their thought process being more logical, flexible, and organized than in early childhood. They can also represent transformations as well as static situations. Although they can understand concrete problems, Piaget would argue that they cannot yet contemplate or solve abstract problems, and that they are not yet able to consider all of the logically possible outcomes. Children at this stage would have the ability to pass conservation (numerical), classification, separation, and spatial reasoning tasks

Formal Operations (11/12 to adult)
Persons who reach the formal operation stage are capable of thinking logically and abstractly. They can also reason theoretically. Piaget considered this the ultimate stage of development, and stated that although the children would still have to revise their knowledge base, their way of thinking was as powerful as it would get.

Taking these developmental areas into consideration would mean that the class must be times set aside for active discussion and encouragement of open debate in order to see the thing from more than one side and stimulate critical reflection. These discussions could also be used to teach and determine the students Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky.) and work towards their potential development.


2.Habitus
The classroom culture in terms of providing a creative learning community is necessary to encourage a deep learning environment.

Characteristics of the ideal learning place_
1. A special place: Feeling of comfort, safety, and security. _
2. Networked Learning: Learn through connections/networking_, Connect to others and learn_
3. Community: a linked group that have bonded through sharing, giving time and listening to each other creating a place where people are valued. A group that achieves beyond the sum of any one person. _
4. Reflection: Descriptive, self and critical reflection. Thinking about things at a base level, thinking about what a thing means to us and looking through the perspective of someone else to see things differently.
5. Deep learning: Bloom’s taxonomy_
6. Gifts and Talents: The recognition that all students and staff have gifts and talents and that the community is committed to the nurturing of them. A network of talent is created that moves together to produce something larger than any one person. An openness and inclusion to members of the community. _
7. Power and Freedom: Glasser’s recognition that it is power and freedom that are the great drivers of humanity. Only when these are present can a person take risks and create, can dare to dream. _
8. Creativity: the ability to approach the mundane from ever-new angles, the ability to create something out of nothing_
9. Transformation of the individual: An individual’s commitment to improving him or herself. To let the achievements of the whole community affect him or her in changing their outlook. _
10. Transformation of the culture of the school: Creating a team the has the same set of ideals and values that can identify the current paradigm and begin inclusive individualized efforts to ever improve that which exists

ref. Alan Coman


3.Connectedness
Using a constructivist approach to learning focuses on cognition as a collaborative process involving social processes, interactions with the environment and self-reflection and access to Information Communication Technologies. For example a class time could be divided between, teacher given material, individual research, group discussion and research, and a process of journaling for critical reflection.

4.Motivation to learn
By providing opportunities for students to experience Glasser’s drivers
1. A Secure Place– Safety and a sense of order though providing an individual place for each child and a strong class time rhythm reinforced through time.
2. Belonging– Offer each student a time to express their views on the subject, finding value in what they bring and offering reflective discussion.
3. Freedom independence and autonomy– Provide time for students to decide on an area of personal research within the topic. Provide for individual expression of their findings.
4. Fun and learning-–to make structured time and free time to seise the many opportunities that arise in a class for the students to enjoy and have fun in their learning process.

5.Ability to learn
By being aware of the childrens need for social recognition in how they behave (Rudolph Dreikurs) and providing time and opportunities for the students to experience there own and different learning styles as suggested by Rudolph Steiner with the four temperaments and Howard Gardner in his Multiple Intelligences. A teacher can also help the student’s ability to learn by structuring lessons that give opportunities for the different stages of learning as suggested in Blooms Taxonomy.

6.Expert Teachers
A teacher can by reviewing John Hattie’s guidelines for what makes an expert teacher use them as a guideline in preparing their material.

Expert teachers:

– Can identify essential representations of their subject,
– Can guide learning through classroom interactions,
– Can monitor learning and provide feedback,
– Can attend to affective attributes
– Can influence student outcomes
– Can identify crucial tools in creating effective teaching