Week+1



Hi everyone!

This is our first post on our newly created WIKI, did you all understand the process involved in creating this? It was fairly well explained and now all we have to do is continually fill this space with reflection and discussion on the lectures and workshops about Issues in Education. Firstly before I begin discussion on the first class, how has everyone found Week 1 of the Diploma of Education? I have thoroughly enjoyed it, its intense but a challenge and I am looking forward to moving forward and completing this course and then completing my journey as a Primary School Teacher. Well now to my thoughts on the Issues in Education class this week...... Firstly we had the lecture with Greg, we basically learnt about the topics we will cover this year some include- planning for learning, classroom management, teacher identity and teacher ethics. We also covered the assessment tasks that are required to be completed this semester, one of which is the Wikispace, the other a reflective analysis of the personal learning involved in Task number 1. Greg then spoke about what effective teachers are- To him teachers know how students learn and build on their knowledge and teachers have a strong grasp of the content. However, the point Greg made about Effective Teachers using teaching strategies matched to the learning styles and needs of their students, to me, was the most valuable point that I reflected on. Teachers have an underlying influence on children's education and as an upcoming teacher I believe it is integral to grasp each child's learning difficulties and embrace them and guide them through these difficulties until they fully understand the process and method in what is being taught. I, as a student, struggled with mathematics, I had a fear of learning and failing in this discipline, the teachers rushed my learning and the knowledge was transmitted to quickly for me to absorb and learn what was being taught. I would continually lose confidence in my ability to do maths because I would not be able to keep up pace with the teacher and therefore entirely give up. If my teachers had used various strategies to help me through my weaknesses and fears of maths I may be better at it today. So to me as an upcoming teacher I believe in helping and guiding all my students despite their strengths and weaknesses. I will encourage those who are strong in an area to complete harder work and guide those who struggle at their desired pace to enable them to get the best possible results out of their learning. Greg also mentioned Good teachers are passionate, creative, flexible and can also integrate and make connections. However, I also believe that good teachers have to be good mothers/fathers, nurses, friends and leaders all in the one day as when you arrive in your classroom 8:30 and leave at 4:30 to go home you have to be prepared to model these roles throughout the day. After this lecture we then went to the workshop in which met our tutor Pete, who enabled to meet knew people through the various activities we played.

Hope you liked the reflection so far, feel free to post any of your reflections of our first week of Issues in Education.........

Great starting points Bec!

I agree with many aspects of what Greg said in the lecture and also what you have written above. The thing that sticks with me is that we as teachers need to find what motivates the children who are having the learning difficulties (like you mentioned with mathematics) and develop a style that makes it easier them to understand. I also remember struggling with mathematics (more so into grades 5-6 and then into high school), I developed an attitude to loathe maths and my self-esteem suffered. So I think it is vitally important that there are concerted efforts made by teachers to identify where children are struggling and really support them and make sure they are given every opportunity to develop. This can be done as discussed by Greg in many alternate learning activities depending on the learning styles of the student/s. This needs to be done carefully, to ensure that the student isn't feeling too insecure but also to ensure that the concept of self-development is spawned.

Jake Gordon 05/03/09

  G’day guys. Great job on getting started on the wiki.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first week at La Trobe doing the Dip. Ed. and although I also think it will be quite a challenge, it is certainly shaping up to be a pretty fun challenge.

I think perhaps this is something I have taken from the first week, and that is to look at the way our tutors and lecturers are handling class work. So far I can say that each tute we have had has been fun and all the lectures thus far thoroughly engaging. I have found myself drifting off and imagining some of the things brought up occurring in my own classroom and how I would handle them. I think you guys are both right when you say that one of the most important things that Greg brought up was recognising what kind of learner a student is and the different strategies that will best assist the learner in the subject matter. This will be some of the most important concepts for us to grasp as we look forward to becoming GREAT teachers and can’t wait to start getting a little more involved in that side of things.

As for Greg’s point about teachers being passionate, creative, flexible and can also integrate and make connections I think as teachers we immediately think of these things Greg outlined in the context of our relationship with our students, but I also believe we can utilise these aspects in the relationship we develop with our colleagues, the entire school community and the community at large. The better the relationship we have with all individuals and groups involved either directly or indirectly in our students’ lives can benefit them. Whether it be making them aware of all the facilities available to them at the school or in the wider community. The greater understanding we have of this, the more resources we can point our students towards for assistance in their studies and life in general.

Brent Plowright 09/03/2009

 Great discussion guys!

My first week at LaTrobe has been everything that I thought it would be. I am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead and the way that I will tackle them on my journey to becoming a Primary School Teacher! I definitely agree with the issues/discussions that have been highlighted so far in respect of recognising the abilities of the students in your classroom and adapting different learning styles for different students, however I really enjoyed the video presentation by Sir Ken Robinson and his views on creativity in the classroom. I walked away from the lecture with 2 quotes that really stuck with me - "Creativity should be just as important as literacy" and "Intelligence is original ideas that have value" -. In my opinion as future educators we should be encouraging children to excel in what they are good at whilst obviously still focusing on the areas of learning that are integral in the child's life as they evolve into teenagers and then adults (literacy/numeracy etc). Within our classroom we may well have the next Einstein who will be congratulated publicly for achieving high marks in a maths test, so why not give the same praise/encouragement to a child who has expressed themselves artistically or with a dramatic performance in a school play and on their way to becoming the next Hugh Jackman? There will always be students who are more academic than their peers and for some reason parents, teachers and the community as a whole see these kids as the success stories...why?

Yeah good point Amy! I’ll tell why these kids are revered as the best, it’s because the curriculum is targeted at preparing students not just for a democratic society as it has been suggested, but for being a valuable contributor to business. It is because we are all brought up in a predominantly capitalist society that being good at academia points to the fact that you will be a success in the business community. I think it is seen as much harder or much more unlikely for others to make money off your talents if they don’t fit into the box of useful corporate tools. Anyway, that’s my socialist rant for the day, on to this weeks lecture.

ONLINE RESOURCES
[|DEECD Blueprint for Education: Effective Schools] [|School Effectiveness Research] [|Creativity in Education]

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Names: Brent Plowright Rebecca Beed Amy Mclean Jake Gordon 

   