Week 4- Research Informed Practice (LDC) & Learning Theories (DCL)

Felt like I was only writing last week's reflection yesterday and I feel as if all I've done has been this reflection. However I'm finding real value in these weekly reflections as I realise that I have managed to fit in most of the learning requirements for the course this week. Interestingly I've slipped back into study mode quite easily - I think because it was only 2 years ago that I finished. So grateful that my degree was obtained through online study - it set me up well for this as I find I can do the early morning or late night readings etc to fit in with my classroom teaching.

I thought I would look back on my goals I set for myself the previous week and just give an update or progress report to myself on them.

o my goals for this week are.

1. Created my Interactive Wall Display using Aurasma. - as always anything in class takes 10 times longer in reality than in my head. Today post production the students are having an easy day so I am starting the filming process and will put up the display this weekend.
2. Introduce my students to creating a word cloud as they give me their key vocab around the Perseverance Mindset task of Austin's Butterfly. Lol tried this but lost it as I didn't copy it. Have written each student's words down and will do in class today so I can add it to my window display.

23 NOVEMBER 2015

Week 4 - DCL - Learning Theories

So to this week's readings and my learning.Will split the readings from the two papers.

Well this felt like I was back in my teaching degree study. So many familiar names that at the time didn't mean a lot and felt like their theories were just that. I was just saying to other teachers last night how I've felt I've stumbled along these last two years relying on gut and common sense more than good planning based on sound educational research.I'm realising that I was not only overwhelmed with just trying to be in the classroom and manage the high behaviour needs I had but also was overwhelmed with the amount of theories and resources out there - often conflicting.

So after being reminded of these ten learning theories I thought I would try to summarise where I think my teaching is and the theories underpinning them. As I've said earlier I have fallen into the 'Industrial Model' trap of teaching where I've wanted the students to just sit down, shut up and work hard without needing to be engaged and motivated. To learn because that is why they are at school. It has been damn hard work trying to teach using this model day after day after day. I've slowly come to accept that I want an engaged, motivated, self-directed, purposeful, collaborative classroom with students who own their learning and where digital technology supports that in a new and defining way.

So which of the Learning Theories best sit with me at this next step in my learning journey?

Learning is incremental rather than insightful - build a step at a time - Connectionism and the Law of Effect. - Edward Thorndike

• self governing learners, teachers as guides.
• Hands on learning/experiential education - Progressive Education - John Dewey

• Zone of Proximal Development - area between what the learner can do independently.
• Social learning precedes development - Constructivism: Social Development Theory - Lev Vygotsky

• Teacher act as models - Social Cognitive Theory - Albert Bandura

• Learning while interacting with others through shared activities and language - Situated Learning/Cognition - John Seely-Brown, 

• Learning in unintentional(informal)  and situated within authentic activity, context and culture - Community of Practise - Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger

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  • Based on learning by doing, constructionism utilises physical materials to create

  
  

  develop abstract learning - Constructionism - Seymour Papert

• internet technologies have created new opportunities for people to learn and share information - Connectivism - George Siemens
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Week 4 - LDC - Research Informed Practice

Overview

Research Informed Practice supports and encourages the link between research and teaching.

Education research includes traditional, discipline-based research, practice-as-research, applied research and pedagogic research.

Research-informed teaching enhances the student experience, improves student learning outcomes and enriches the education experience.

Class Notes

Research informed practice is an important aspect of leadership, since research provides insights both into leadership itself and the activities you are leading.Research can be relevant to the classroom in a number of ways; research-led teaching, which is when the curriculum is based on research interests of teachers, research-oriented teaching, where the process of learning is as important as the content, research based teaching, where the curriculum is based on inquiry-based activities, and research informed teaching, which consciously draws on the teaching and learning process. It is research informed teaching which is our main focus on this course.

How many of these educational researchers are you aware of?

Seymour Papert, Jean Piaget, John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky

The Dr Fox Lecture
This reminded me of discussion often had in the staffroom where someone will share