emPower: Course 2012

Teaching Methods

Lecturer: Dr. Elisabeth Stern

Objectives for the Week

The students know how to conceptualize, prepare and present a teaching unit of 15 minutes.

The students know how to give structured feedback about the presentations of their colleagues.

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Weekly Programme

See separate hand-out.

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Education for the 21st century

„Learning: The treasure within...”

from the Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the 21st century.

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La Fontaine‘s fable and Education

For the title of its report, the Unesco Commission turned to one of La Fontaine‘s fables: The

Ploughman and His ChildrenBe sure (the ploughman said), not to sell the

inheritance our forebears left us: A treasure lies concealed therein

Unesco changed it into: But the old man was wise

to show them, before he died,that learning is the treasure

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Education: The Necessary Utopia

Education has a fundamental role to play in personal and social development.

In confronting the many challenges that the future holds in store, humankind sees in education an indispensable asset in its attempt to attain the ideals of peace, freedom and social justice. (Unesco)

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... Education....

.. In the hope for a world that is a better place to live in, where people will have learned to respect the rights of women and men, to show mutual understanding, and to use advances in knowledge to foster human development. (Unesco)

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... Education...

Education is also an expression of affection for childen whom we need to welcome into society, offering them the place that is theirs by right.

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The 4 Pillars of Education by Unesco

learning to gain knowledge (learning to know)

learning to act (learning to do) learning for life (learning to be) learning to live together (peace

education)

Read your part of the handed-out text Present it to your peer group (4 persons per

group) as if they knew nothing about the 4 Pillars of Education by UNESCO.

Peer Teaching/ «Puzzle»

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Planning Elements for Teaching

clarify the conditions of teaching and learning

set objectives/aims/goals select the content of teaching guide the learning process determine the teaching methods check on the learning success

Clarifying the Conditions of

Teaching and Learning

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Clarifying Conditions ….

Teachers must take into account the general conditions under which the teaching will take place.

Teachers need a sufficiently clear idea about the characteristics and learning conditions both in the class as a whole and among individual pupils.

Teachers will select objectives and topics based on their knowledge of the characteristics of individual children and the whole class

Teachers must clarify their teaching skills

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General Conditions

How do the teachers account for the time of the day or year, and the disposable teaching time

How has the classroom been designed?

How is the school equipped: quantity and variety of rooms, available media, materials etc.

Which framework is provided in terms of school culture (projects, team work, co-operation with parents).

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Characteristics of the group or class

How do the teachers want to, or how must they lead the class (communication, social behavior, disturbed relationships etc.)

What is the class atmosphere like? (group dynamics, ties of friendship, outsiders etc.)

Which conventions are to be adhered to? (language, duties, rules of social interaction, rituals, special occasions etc.)

The size of the class and its structure (gender, multicultural variety etc.)

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Characteristics of the pupils as individuals

Teachers should know: about the pupils as individuals what pupils must command to be able to tackle

their new task the information, skills and experience the

pupils have already acquired what is new for the pupils, what is repetition,

what is essential and what is supplementary the experience the pupils have with different

teaching methods and forms of social interaction

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Characteristics of the pupils as individuals

Positive or negative attitudes, habits, prejudices or convictions which the teacher may expect to encounter

Means to overcome pupils’ learning difficulties, learning barriers and resistance against learning

To adequately consider the children’s willingness to learn, their state of feelings, their responsiveness, their learning needs, their expectations, interests, their free time activities, and their living conditions

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Characteristics of the Teacher

General experiences, skills and knowledge

To which extent the knowledge is incomplete (contents and subject- matter, objectives, suitable teaching methods and the process of learning)

The concept of human nature which serves as a general guideline

The theoretical framework or the simplified version of a theory, which guides the work as a teacher

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Characteristics of the Teacher

How would the teachers describe and classify their relationship to the pupils?

Where are the personal limits, and how do teachers make use of their personal working capacity?

How to reduce the workload by better planning and better time management?

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Discipline and Order from a Democratic Point of View

Children should participate in setting up and enforcing rules. Only in this way is it possible for them to identify with the rules.

A classroom community cannot function without mutual trust and respect. (In some cases it may prove difficult to create such an atmosphere.) A friendly classroom atmosphere is of vital importance.

Team spirit must replace competition in the classroom.

Pupils must be encouraged to explore something new and to learn from mistakes.

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Discipline and Order from a Democratic Point of View

The social skills of the teacher have an essential contribution to make to democratic leadership, developing a feeling of belonging to the group, building up relationships.

Group communication is a permanent reality in democratically led classes.

Discipline and order will be accepted and complied with if teachers help each pupil to express herself/himself, and if they support the group in developing satisfying relationships.

A group without

order and basic rules

cannot be democratic.

(Rolf Gollob)

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Teachers’ Styles of Leadership

Autocratic Democratic

ruler leader sharp voice friendly voiceorder invitation, requestpower influencepressure suggestiondemand Winning over toof compliance co-operation

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Teachers’ Styles of Leadership

Autocratic Democraticimposes tasks offers ideas

criticism encouragement

Frequent punishment Frequent support and help

“I am telling you” “Let’s talk it over”

“I decide, you obey” “I make a proposal and help

you to decide”

Sole responsibility Shared responsibility with and

for the group in the group

Key QuestionsWhich knowledge and skills do the pupils already possess?Which knowledge and skills do I possess?Which external conditions must I be aware of?

Summary: Clarifying Conditions….

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Setting Objectives

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To set the Objectives ….

Which objectives do I want to achieve? How do I justify the selection of these objectives? How do I prioritize the objectives? (primary and

secondary objectives?Follow-up Questions: Did I formulate the objectives clearly enough? Did I consider the interests, needs, mental and

emotional capacities of the students/pupils (etc. see input by Marija) while formulating the objectives?

(Source: Dr. Rolf Gollob, Teacher‘s College Zurich)

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To set the Objectives...

Questions: Should the main objectives be on the level

of cognitive competence, self- or social competence?

When do I have to switch from one to the other?

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Cognitive Competence

Cognitive dimension of learning: Comprehension of subject matter Analysis, evaluation, control and application of

information Understanding the subject matter as one coherent

whole Critical review and revision of information Developing skills of learning and problem-solving Learning how to learn

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Self-Competencepersonal dimension of learning: developing personal identity

Self-Acceptance Self-Confidence Trust in one‘s abilities Feeling of Belonging Level of Happiness To be able to express

feelings, to reflect Creativity

Tolerance to frustrations To know one‘s effect on

others To be able to take

personal decisions Self-discipline Intelligence Self-Motivation etc.

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Social Competence/social objectives

Ability to communicate Ability to make contact and get into

relationship Social sensibility Solidarity Tolerance Cooperation Ability to deal with criticism Ability to solve conflicts

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Set objectives clearly!

Example: The students are able to distinguish correctly between observation and intepretation.

Example: The students can explain the monochronic versus the polychronic time concept.

Example: After explaining ‚discrimination‘, the students (or pupils) are able to write an individual text in which they correctly analyse and interpret a personal experience of discrimination.

Key Questions:

Which objectives do I wish to achieve?Which reasons do I give for the selection of these objectives?Which priority do I give to my objectives (primary and secondary objectives)?

Summary: Setting Objectives…

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Selecting the Content of Teaching

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To select the Content of Teaching

Which content do I want to select? How do I justify the chosen content? Content analysis: how is the content structured?

Control questions: do I have enough knowledge about the topic that I

can make a good selection? What is of interest to the students? Does the content suit both girls and boys? Etc.

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The Content of Teaching (subject-matter)

With which content can I achieve which objectives?

OR, vice versa: Which objectives do I want to meet with which

content?

Entrance via Ojectives or via Content

Entrance via Objectives

1) set objectives

2) match content to objectives

Entrance via Content

1) set teaching content

2) match objectives to

content

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Further Control questions

What is the larger context into which the chosen content falls? (e.g. historically, geographically, psychologically, culturally, politically etc.?)

How are the connections of the parts to the whole picture?

How can I present the parts simply and clearly without becoming simplistic?

What is particularly difficult for the students? Is this content a necessary stepping stone to

future topics?

Key QuestionsWhich topic have I chosen?What are the reasons for my choice?What is the structure of my topic?

Summary: Selecting Content….

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Guiding a Learning Process and Defining Forms of Teaching

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Phases of Learning Process

Processing/Storing exploring, understanding,

comprehending, memorizing, repeating

Absorptionwatching, smelling, touching,

tasting, hearing, feeling, perceiving, experiencing

Transfer

application, testing, handling new tasks, confidence,

action

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How most pupils around the world are learning/are being taught

by being verbally taught (lecture, story-telling etc.),

by observation (watching etc.),

by thinking (by mental experimenting, by “creating” new insights),

by experiment, trial and error,

by discussion and debate,

by producing a written documentation (report, learner’s diary etc.)

by action, i.e. by being active, by doing something (with their hands), by producing or forming something etc.

by instruction, assistance and co-operation (in a master-apprentice setting)

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Forms of Teaching

Which form of teaching will best support the intended process of learning? Teaching by Presentation Guided exploratory learning Open learning Individual teaching Learning in projects

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Key questionsWhich learning processes will allow the pupils to achieve the objectives?How can I enable the pupils to fully absorb, understand (process) and remember (store) the new information?Does the form of learning encourage the pupils to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to new tasks?

Summary: Guiding Learning Provesses – Defining Forms of Teaching…

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Assessing the learning and teaching results

Formative assessment serves to improve, control and check on a pupil’s learning process, or the pupil’s and teacher’s behaviour in relation to the objectives that are to be fulfilled.

Summary Assessment sums up the knowledge and skills which a pupils has acquired. Its main function is to inform different addressees about the pupil’s level of performance.

Prognostic Assessment: recommendations suggesting which path the actors of the education process believe to offer the ideal continuation of an individual pupil’s process of development and learning.

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Measures and instruments for assessing the learning success

related to the social group as a whole to individuals to the learning objectives which have been

defined.

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Individual check list in learning process

What have I learned? Have I actually made progress? Have I really understood what I have learned? Am I able to apply my newly acquired abilities in different

situations? Where and when can I make use of what I have learned? Am I personally satisfied with what I have succeeded in? Would I like to understand or be able to apply anything even

better? Have I achieved my learning objective? What must I still learn? Will I set myself new objectives for future learning?

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Individual check list in teaching process

How, when and with whom do I reflect on my teaching?

How do I let my pupils participate? How do I relate my pupils’ success or failure to

my teaching? How do I recognize my progress in teaching, and

how do I learn as a teacher?

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"In the end, good teaching lies in a willingness to attend and care for what

happens in our students, ourselves, and the space between us."

Laurent A. Daloz

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