Implementation of the Teaching Objectives - Essay Example

? DCPS_ Short essay answers al affiliation DCPS_ Short essay answers Question I Education in the U.S.A. has not been smooth sailing, but has faced a myriad of challenges especially schools in the urban districts. One of the major challenges facing the USA urban school districts, according to Payzant (2010) is the increase in the deterioration of infrastructure useful in the delivery of education. Poor infrastructure, in this context, is inclusive of classrooms of poor conditions, yet the schools regard to their being located in urban areas. Studies indicate that in the urban areas, the costs needed to upgrade these schools keep on escalating, a fact that explains the severity of the status of the schools in the urban districts. In such situations, the kind of education being offered in these schools is of low quality, with the major beneficiaries- the learners and parents- paying the costs of such adverse effects. This can be solved with the government’s intervention, by conducting a consistent and continuous follow up on the status of the schools before the situation becomes worse and more expensive to handle. Secondly, urban schools have for along time been battling with the challenge of financial constraints. According to Hunter & Brown (2006), the schools in the urban areas are facing a very huge problem of handling the less funds and incorporating the rising number of learners into its system. With the high number of students in the urban schools, there is need to have more funds to equip the schools with more facilities, hire more tutors to implement the curriculum, as well as increase the number of lecture halls, amongst others. To deal with this challenge, the government should partner with the private sector to share the cost of funding the schools, either through donations or direct funding. Share-costing, in this case, would lessen the burden of costly funding in schools. Question II Adult learners have a myriad of needs that have to be met in the learning process. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the educator to structure the learning environment in such a way that the learners will find it trouble-free to accomplish the aims and objectives of learning. According to Wagner (2004), adult learning has to integrate the hard work of both the adult learners and the educators. Collaborative efforts between the two parties have been credited for its ability to create retention in the adult learners, an aspect that reduces the adults to a change- referred to as learning. To achieve the goals of learning in the learning setting, it is only possible, with an inclusion of the strategies of goal achievement. First, the ability of the learners to achieve their goals and objectives, allowing the learners set their own goals has been beneficial. Giving the learners an opportunity to set their own goals allows them to be part of the learning process. The adult learners are also in a better position to deal with barriers in the learning process that relate to overestimation and underestimation of their abilities to perform. With the learners being part of the learning process, the educators have an easier time in handling the adult learners. Secondly, continuous and consistent monitoring of the goals and objectives set by the learners is yet another strategy that has seen the attainance of goals by the adult learners. This is an interpretation of the fact that the educators must always be there to help the learners reflect on their abilities, and help them design the best approach towards attaining their goals and objectives. On another point of view, this allows the educators design the instructional programs in such a way that they will be directed towards attaining the goals and objectives of the learners. The goals set by the learners are indeed, the foundation in which the instruction should be formulated; thus, implementation of the teaching objectives. Soricone, Comings & Parrella (2000) indicate that, retention in the adult learning can only be successful if the adult educators constantly review the goals and objectives of learning. Progress in the learning environment can only be weighed if the goals can be assessed to check if they have been attained or not. An assessment of these goals with the learners, the teachers can easily correct their learners, with the learners having a clear understanding of their progress by improving on their weaknesses. In the long run, the learners are able to make realistic achievement strategies, with the educators being in a position to correct them and set timely expectations based on the goals previously set. With this, it is of great importance to consider that prioritization of goals by both the learners and educators cannot be overlooked if the learning has to take place. Additionally, the need to join forces with the educators has made it smooth sailing to attain the goals set by the learners. A collaborative approach is indeed, an important aspect in achieving the set goals during learning. Question III In the field of education, the set goals and objectives in the learning environment may fail to be met. This is among the many challenges that educators are faced with in the course of imparting skills in their learners. English literature as an important subject in the high schools is no exception to the challenge of unachieved goals by the educator. Among the reasons behind the inability to attain the goals and objectives of the professional goals by the teachers has a lot do with the inability of the teachers to be entirely dedicated to their job as educators (Hoover, Nolan &Nolan Jr., 2010). With the increase in the lack of interest in the teachers to work as changers, a lot of flaws have been recorded in the educational sector. As a certified English teacher of grade 9, I set the goal of always reflecting on the concepts to be taught in the classroom prior to the actual delivery. Benson (2008) indicates that, the aspect of analysis of the teaching process, and past experiences are indeed useful for productive lessons. With the increasing demands in the teaching and learning process, Hoover, Nolan &Nolan Jr. (2010) argue that the aspect of reflection cannot be underestimated. In today’s contemporary learning settings, most teachers do not value the importance of reflection in the learning process. With the subject of English literature dealing with facts, my failure to plan effectively through reflective during and after the lessons has led to continuous poor grades by my learners. At most times, I failed to come up with methodologies that would be beneficial in engaging my learners in the learning process as well as setting exact objectives of the lesson. This means that my teaching was random, with concepts mixed up in the learning process. Most of the times, some of the important points were not taught, and if taught, they were simply mentioned. This caused a lot of negative perception on the subject to my grade 9 learners. Failure to reflectively teach my learners, made me realize that setting aside the essentials of learning is compulsory if good results have to be attained. Reflective planning allows for development of a sequence on the next stage of learning based on the previously taught concepts. If I had engaged my learners in the lesson, a great percentage of them would have without a doubt been interested in my subject, but my failure to plan cost me my professional goal as a teacher. With reflection, I would have been in a position to assess if what was intended to be taught in the lesson was achieved and how to improve on the negatives in the lesson. Hoover, Nolan &Nolan Jr. (2010) summarize by indicating that reflective teaching must always be done prior to the lessons, during the lesson and after the lesson. The teachers, in this case, will be equipped with the best techniques to instill change among the learners; thus, effective implementation of the teaching and learning objectives. Question IV In the adult learning setting the use of feedback to allow for learning to take place is vital. According to research conducted by various analysts and researchers in the field of education have attested to the fact, that feedback has gone a great mile in imparting change in the learning process. Despite the fact that some analysts argue that feedback may be short lived especially if it becomes monotonous, a great percentage of adult learners have been seen to acquire strength and motivation in positive feedback in the learning environment. Other than that, the concept of performance evaluation has been a contentious issue in regard to feedback and learning. However, it is vital to assess the kind of feedback, in the case of imparting change among the adult learners. According to Ginsberg & Wlodkowski (2010), feedback can be used as a form of reinforcement in the leaning process of the adult learners. In practical setting, I incorporated the use of feedback in teaching of the need to understand the context of a theme prior to answering questions regarding any form of content in an examination setting. One of my learners was concerned with a question that they could not make out exactly what answer to give since the question touched on concepts that dealt with understanding the concept. My reaction was, ‘it would be of benefit to understand the reasons behind the examiner setting the particular question, in order to answer a question in an apposite manner. This typically cannot be ignored, especially in the case of questions related to modern-day issues in the society’. To validate my point, I undertook the measure of using examples in the classroom- that of the role of the educator in imparting change in the adult learners. In this case, I took the learners step by step, through an understanding of the context of the teacher in the classroom setting not in the educational system in general. By use of questions, in the bit by bit learning, learners were able to give responses, which I appreciated by telling them, ‘correct answer’; thus, positive answers in the next question given in the class. With this, it is justified to make the assumption that the learners understood the concept of context in answering questions. This argument concurs with that of Frey, Zakos & Flint (2002) who indicate that methodical feedback is essential for learning to take place. In the subsequent exams, the change in the learners was hilarious. This can only be attributed to the one on one feedback with the learners that allowed for collaborative response in the learning setting. Continuous use of feedback in the learning setting has been beneficial, in that, learners have continually grasped the concept being taught in the classroom when the contents is still fresh in their memories. Additionally, use of questions in the learning process motivates the learners to find solutions to the questions that relate to the topic under discussion, while immediate feedback reinforces learning among the students. References Benson, B. (2008). How to Meet Standards, Motivate Students, and Still Enjoy Teaching!: Four Practices That Improve Student Learning. New York: Corwin Press. Frey, R., Zakos, P. &Flint, T. (2002). Best Practices in Adult Learning: A Self-Evaluation Workbook for Colleges and Universities. Iowa: Kendall Hunt. Ginsberg, B. & Wlodkowski, R. (2010). Teaching Intensive and Accelerated Courses: Instruction That Motivates Learning. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Hoover, A., Nolan, J. &Nolan, J. Jr. (2010). Teacher Supervision and Evaluation. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Hunter, R. & Brown, F. (2006). No child left behind and other federal programs for urban school districts. New York: Emerald Group Publishing. Payzant, T. (2010). Urban School Leadership. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Soricone, L., Comings, J., & Parrella, A., (2000). Helping Adults Persist: Four Supports, 2000, Focus on Basics, 2000; Vol 4, Issue A. Wagner, M. (2004). Improving Student Retention in Adult Literacy Programs. Adult Education Journal, Feb. 2004. Read More