“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin
What greater purpose in life than to teach with the future generations of people that have the potential to make the world an even better place. All prominent figures throughout history, those who have passed away, those who currently lead and those who have yet to make their mark have all entered life as a curious child. People are a reflection of their childhood experiences. Or better yet, a person's experiences throughout their childhood forms the foundation of the type of person these children will grow to become.
As teachers, we have the ever important responsibility to provide experiences and environments in which children feel safe and where children can reach their maximum potential.
It is crucial that in our role as teachers, we can effectively:
- Incorporate ICT throughout the curriculum
- Create equity in the classroom
- Build connections between the school, home and community
- Regularly reflect on teaching practices
Incorporating ICT throughout the curriculum…
Thanks to current technologies, we have the world at our fingertips. With that comes much potential for learning. Too often children are not given the opportunity to explore much beyond their classroom. That was the case with my last practical experience. For four weeks I was lucky enough to have a class with 30 or so boys who had much potential to engage with a range of technologies, but lacked a teacher to provide experiences that sufficiently incorporate ICT across the curriculum. What I witnessed was two very different generations and a world of technological advancements in between. Technology is almost a language for this generation of children.
As a result, technology should be embedded in the curriculum. It is the role of teachers to demonstrate how education is responding to the changing world and use technology in new ways to achieve outcomes and goals (Booker et al, 2010). I agree with Goos (2010), that technology provides access to new kinds of tasks or new ways of approaching existing tasks to develop understanding. It is perhaps one of the most essential tools in educating and engaging this generation of learners, who have been brought up in a technological age and will, no doubt, require skills to use technology throughout their lifetime.
Equality in the classroom…
With every group of students there are a vast array of abilities and learning needs. All teaching should follow the equity model so that different learning opportunities are created based on the needs of students (Jorgensen & Niesche, 2008). All students should be provided with sufficient opportunities to help them reach their learning goals. This means that as teachers, we need to focus on each child as an individual. Once we do, we can cater to the various needs and abilities in the classroom to ensure that each child has the chance to reach their full potential. It can also be brought about by setting high and realistic expectations of the students, creating experiences which are based on the child’s needs, knowledge and experiences, valuing the differences within the classroom and using a variety of teaching styles (e.g. MI/Bloom planning matrix).
Building connections between school, home and community…
One thing in my studies of early childhood education taught me which has influenced my teaching is that children need to be viewed in light of the social and cultural contexts of their families and communities which they are situated in. According to Vygotsky, “the child exists within a society and cannot be separated when planning experiences or environment” (Arthur et al, 2008, p.95). Although this largely relates to early childhood, I feel it is important that this knowledge be carried into programming for children in primary school. Teaching should reflect that each child is a member of a family, and community. This could be done by involving members of the community in the school or classroom, creating tasks that require students to use knowledge about family and culture, planning tasks which incorporate the students’ interests and many more.
Reflection…
I believe that you can never underestimate the power of reflection. Regular reflection and self-evaluation are both crucial in providing beneficial learning for children. Through reflective practice, teachers are more able to respond to and manage change within the learning environment. Educators who reflect have a better awareness and understanding of the strengths, interests and capabilities of their students. With this knowledge, they are able to extend students’ learning. Through reflection educators can adapt and modify their teaching strategies and learning environments according to the needs of their students (Bloom, 2007). Reflection allows for continuous self-evaluation, which in turn provides a catalyst for change and innovation regarding approaches to interactions (Arthur et al, 2008). It also allows caregivers to change and develop over a period of time, constantly moving with the changing dynamics of education (Bloom, 2007).
REFERENCES:
Arthur et al. (2008). Programming and planning in early childhood settings.
South Melbourne: Cengrave.
Bloom, P.J. (2007). From the inside out: The power of reflection and self-awareness. USA,
Illinois: New Horizons.
Booker, G., Bond, D., Sparrow, L. & Swan, P (2010). Teaching Primary
Mathematics. Frenchs Forest:Pearson
Goos, M. (2010). Using technology to support effective mathematics teaching and learning: What counts? Australian Council for Education Research - Research Conference, p. 67-70.
Jorgensen, R & Niesche, R. (2008). Equity, mathematics and classroom practice: For disadvantaged students. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 13(4), p. 21-26.
