The Teaching and Learning Experiences Ensued during the Work Placement alongside Educational Theories - Essay Example

Section 4: A Focused Study Teaching young children can be a very fulfilling career. To be a witness to a child’s curiosity evidently being satisfied with a knowing smile and confident gait is a priceless memory that eggs on a teacher to keep on teaching and touching lives. The case at hand to be analyzed is a teacher’s involvement with very young learners. Her work requires her to teach Math once a week (Saturdays) for three hours to five to seven year old children. This small group of ten children is divided into two groups based on their age and learning competencies. Her work lasted only for a few months (from October, 2007 to February, 2008), however, much learning was derived from it both for her and for her students. It is heartening to note that “the ultimate reason for mathematics is, after all, not just to solve problems as presented in a text or worksheet but to solve problems that present themselves in many phases of life. The complexity of life today is many times greater than that in earlier centuries, and we are discovering that young children are capable of mathematical thinking that is much deeper and broader than we had ever before realized.” (Krogh, 1995, p.148) This portfolio analyzes the teaching and learning experiences that ensued during the work placement alongside educational theories and studies established in the literature. The pupils in the case belong to a stage of transition between the preprimary and primary school. The preprimary child has limited abilities in conservation, classification, seriation, and ordering of numbers. The primary child has gained, or is gaining competence in all of these. Thus, for the children in the case at hand, it is important to provide experiences that will help them make the transition smooth. (Krogh, 1995). The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000) identified high quality mathematics programs for early childhood as having the following characteristics: (Brewer, 2001, pp. 319-320) “They build upon and extend children’s intuitive and informal mathematics knowledge” – The teacher in the case taught mathematical concepts in a sequential order depending on the children’s mastery of previous concepts. “They are grounded in knowledge of child development” – The teacher grouped the class in two after assessing their competencies and gave age-appropriate activities. She also considered the individual needs of each child. “They provide environments that encourage children to be active learners, eager for new challenges”- the informal mood of the class and the small number of children allowed for flexibility in being able to follow the children’s lead in terms of seeking challenge in the application of the things they have learned. “They develop a strong conceptual framework that provides the foundation for skills acquisition” – If ever the teacher developed a strong conceptual framework for her class, it was only for the short duration of the program. Had it been a full math program, then the conceptual framework would have been more evident. They nurture and develop children’s inclination to solve problems.” –The teacher presented activities that required the children to think up of solutions. The mathematics program provided in the case at hand may not share all of the above-mentioned characteristics, having run for only a limited period , however, it is believed that the teacher has initiated best efforts in coming close to most of the valued characteristics, as shall be discussed throughout this portfolio. A child will not survive without the care and support of others. He learns about life and living not only by his own discoveries but with interactions with people around him and within the environment he lives in. Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development outlines how a child develops his learning abilities that equip him to survive life’s challenges. Initially, he discovers the world using his senses, and as he grows, learns to form associations and conclusions. With a healthy attachment to significant adults, the child develops a sense of security enabling him to venture into more learning about his world. The initial stage of Piaget’s theoretical model is the Sensorimotor Stage of babies and toddlers. This period is characterized by interactions with the environment based on the child’s reception of sensory input and muscular reactions. The task of this period is to develop the concept of object permanence, the idea that objects exist even when they cannot be seen or heard. (Brewer, 2001). The Preoperational Period (two to seven years) marks the time when a child becomes able to represent objects and knowledge through imitation, symbolic play, drawing, mental images and spoken language. Lack of conservation skills is also characteristic of this stage. “Conservation is defined as the knowledge that the number, mass, area, length, weight, and volume of objects are not changed by physically rearranging the objects.” (Brewer, 2001, p.318) The ages of seven to eleven or twelve years falls under the Concrete Operational Period. Children at this age begin to think more operationally. Piaget and Inhelder (1969) described the operational thinker as one who employs “identity or reversibility by inversion or reciprocity” (p.99) in solving problems. They have moved on from being egocentric and consider that others may come to conclusions that differ from theirs. The case at hand involves children at Piaget’s Preoperational period, with some pupils bordering on the next stage, which is the Concrete Operational Period. The initial sessions of the class focused on numeracy and the more advanced operations of multiplication and division. Outwardly, parents may doubt the capacity of their children to understand such concepts due to their young age, however, the teacher managed to elicit interest in the children using age-appropriate methodologies. For some activities, the children enjoyed the game-like quality that whet their appetite for more. The teacher took the children’s interest as her cue to move along. Vygotsky (1978) believed that children’s intellectual development is influenced more by social context than by individual experiences. His theory places a great deal of emphasis on effective social interaction. Sometimes, the direction of learning is from the teacher to the learner, other times, the learner provides new learning to the teacher. This flow of learning vacillates as teacher and learner interact. Sometimes, learning happens in group interactions, where each member contributes his or her own learning. Such learning gets internalized when the learner is on his own, and does his own individual learning. The case at hand involves a lot of social interactions that do enhance the learning of the students. Apart from lessons and instructions learned from the teacher, the students likewise learn from each other through games and other fun activities that involve mathematical applications. Salomon and Perkins (1998, pp. 17-19) came up with theories on the relationship between individual and social learning. The first relation, “Individual learning can be less or more socially mediated learning” confirm the thesis point that learning social interactions have a great effect on an individual’s learning. However, the value of individual reflection and “time-out” from social interactions should not be undermined, as it is at this time when the learner comes to depend on his own insights, and skills to be able to make his own decisions in the direction of his learning and development. The second relation, “Individuals can participate in the learning of a collective, sometimes with what is learned distributed throughout the collective more than in the mind of any one individual” explains that a whole social entity can benefit from the knowledge of an individual sharing his own learning. Thus, the significance of a good mentor that a social group can consult and learn from is emphasized. The third relation, “Individual and social aspects of learning in both senses (Relations 1 and 2) can interact over time to strengthen one another in what might be called a “reciprocal spiral relationship” strengthen the belief that learning evolves through a variety of modes, and all modes benefit the learner. Interactions are likely to go through a process called intersubjectivity. This is when two people are engaged in a task and begin from different understandings but with interaction, comes to an agreed, shared understanding. This is usually manifested when children initially debate opposite arguments but upon more understanding of the concept because of listening to each other’s opinions, will both end up seeing the concept in one direction. This agrees with Piaget’s Concrete Operational Stage usually associated with children aged seven and above. However, in terms of more formal and academic learning such as the one provided in the case at hand, it was evident that the younger children have shown their capacity for such a process. Vygotsky came up with the concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD). He defined the ZPD as the distance between a child’s independent problem-solving level and that obtained under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Wertsch, 1985). Wells (1997) cautioned us, however, that a ZPD is formed not just within an individual learner, but in the interaction between the learner, coparticipants, and available tools during involvement in a common activity. ZPDs, therefore, depend on the quality of the total interactive context as well as individual learner capabilities. (Bonk & Cunningham, 1998). With the students in the present case, there were times when the children were not interested in the lessons, especially if they are repeated on a regular basis. They found it more challenging to learn a slightly more difficult concept to test their mettle in the skills they have gained. “Such cognitive apprenticeships are, of course, inherently reliant on a mentor or guide who effectively uses “scaffolded instruction.” (Bonk & Cunningham, 1998 p.40). As the term implies, scaffolds are temporary supports in the process of learning which are gradually taken away when the student is already capable of learning without them. The task would not have been completed without the help of scaffolds. As an example, the teacher helping the children to do mathematical operations first give them more concrete materials such as paper shapes or beads and as they master the concept, the materials or “scaffolds” are slowly eased away until they can do the operations mentally. This was also done because the teacher knew that her students were at a stage when attention span could be short and she needed supports to hold the children’s attention long enough for her to introduce mathematical concepts. “Examples of this support might include prompts, hints, comments, explanations, questions, counterexamples, and suggestions. A learning scaffold may be embedded in an explicit request to include additional information or a more general question or comment intended to spur new idea linkages or course connections. Of course, these learning aids are faded and removed as the learner assumes control over the activity. Through such assistance, the learner (or a team of learners) solves a problem, generates solutions, and gains insights that would ordinarily rest beyond his or her independent abilities. (Bonk & Cunningham, 1998, p. 40-41) It is essential to strike a balance between giving the pupils sufficient challenge and taking care not to push them into a level they are not yet capable of. Research shows that when children are trained to learn mathematics above their reasoning level, there may be positive results at first but they are “rarely retained unless the child is already in transition from one level to another” (Suydam and Weaver, 1975, p. 47). The teacher should be discerning enough to know when to apply ZPD with her students and know the proper scaffolds to use. According to the behaviorist view, an individual is reinforced (positively or negatively) for responses to various stimuli, hence, the external environment plays a great part in the formation of behaviors. By administering positive reinforcement such as praising or smiling when a desired behavior occurs and administering negative reinforcement such as scolding or correcting when an undesired behavior occurs, one is assumed to encourage the desired behavior and make it more likely that that behavior will recur (Lindfors, 1987). The teacher in the case at hand used positive reinforcement with her pupils. The review of past lessons coupled with praise when the pupils are successful in their recall moved towards the direction of more success in their present and future learning. More important than the lessons taught in the sessions are the interests of the children themselves. This is especially true with very young children whose minds are always brimming with ideas. The learning environment in the case at hand is supportive of children’s ideas and feelings. Being very young, the children must be allowed to express themselves freely. The teacher allowed the children to share their experiences that seemed to be all-important to them and the message that came across was that she was interested in them and their lives. Trafton suggests that individualization must include “acceptance of each child as an individual worthy of adult respect,” and that to this should be added “an acceptance of the child’s ideas, a provision of opportunities for pupil input in developing and selecting learning experiences, a concern for the quality of the child’s intellectual development, and a willingness to take time to know the child as an individual” (1975, p. 39). The teacher in the case was caring and understanding enough to take time to listen to the interests of her students. The four months of work with young children have proven to be fruitful for both parties – the children, having had opportunities to learn mathematical concepts successfully in a smaller and more intimate social setting, while gaining more friends, and the teacher, not only in having the opportunity to apply her learning to her small class but also to learn more about her own skills and potentials as a teacher. The short span of time invested in the work placement shall go a long way in establishing a fulfilling career as a teacher if all the learning gained from it will be taken to heart. Reflective Report A career in Education, or one related to it, covers a wide scope of responsibility. Since it is a “people-oriented” field, there are many considerations to make in coming up with decisions that would benefit the majority. This assignment has pushed me to the deepest level of introspection with regards to my own beliefs and principles on teaching and education. According to Osterman (1990), “reflection is the essential part of the learning process because it results in making sense of or extracting meaning from the experience”. My practice teaching and the enormous amount of reading required has made me gain a lot of meaningful insights that apply to the teaching profession and reflect on my own perspectives and advocacies. Being in charge of class of young children is a great responsibility. I have learned that first hand in the time I have spent with 10 precocious youngsters whom I meet for three hours every Saturday. I have also learned much in terms of the skills that are necessary in teaching – before, during and after a class. Before classes, the preparation of a developmentally-appropriate curriculum is planned out to consider the students’ age and level expectations, observed competencies and even their individual personalities. The concepts and activities that would comprise the lesson plan should suit the children’s learning capacity and learning styles. During classes, classroom management is of utmost importance, as the teacher balances multiple tasks – keeping the children motivated in class, adjusting to their behavior and reminding them to behave in such a way that supports their own learning as well as others’, while keeping the learning outcomes of the class in mind. Interactions within the class between students and the teacher, and among students themselves are to be kept positive as much as possible. After classes, it is essential that the teacher evaluates the class performance as well as her own so she can make the necessary adjustments in the next class. My small group of children gave me enough experience to know how much a teacher does and can do. The small number enabled me to observe each child better and to address their individual needs to provide the quality of education they deserve. I am aware that in a real classroom setting where there are more than twenty children, it would be much more challenging. I have grouped the children in two based on their age and ability level. “Ability grouping refers to the process of teaching students in groups that are stratified by achievement, skill, or ability levels.” (McCoach, O’connell & Levitt, 2006, p. 339). I believe that teachers should learn to be comfortable with grouping strategies. This reflects on the fact that the working world highly values teamwork and cooperation. Grouping puts together students of varying backgrounds and abilities. Teachers need to monitor so that each student is respected and given a fair chance to participate. They need to be reminded that some students need more attention than others. It could also be suggested ability grouping makes better use of time. If children of similar ability were grouped together for example, it would be easier for a teacher to talk and give instructions directly to that group. Paying particular attention to time restrictions, it is worth noting of Moyles’ (1993) suggestion that tasks would be “more efficient and less tedious” for children if they were working collaboratively with children of similar ability. In addition, working in similar ability groups enables the teacher to assess each group needs more effectively and allows children on the same level to have the opportunity to share ideas with each other and support each other in their learning. Ability groups are often viewed to make teaching a class with a wide range of skill levels more convenient for the teaching because she is able to aim their lessons at the middle range of students without being concerned about lower and higher abilities since the specific groups will process the lessons in their own pace. Ability groups are more effective with short-term instruction designed to help students who are experiencing difficulties or who require more extensive instruction in a particular area (Scholz , 2004). In my case, I was always conscious of the children’s skills in each group so I prepared different activities for them. One example is when Group 1, the older and more advanced group in terms of skill, did multiplication exercises, while Group 2, the younger and was into more basic math skills, did cutting shapes exercises and then assembling these shapes into figures according to the number specified. Initially, I felt inadequate as a teacher when first faced with a heterogeneous group, so I felt my way around by getting cues from my students. There were times when I felt uncomfortable because they seemed bored and uninterested or unable to get the concepts I introduced. I felt I needed to coordinate with the supervisor or the parents of the children regarding the curriculum I intended to implement. However, I realized that taking cues from the children’s behaviours and following their lead were good indicators that I was on the right track. This is one teaching I learned from the Humanist view of education – being person-centred. In my case, I was learner-centred. The arrival of a new student after my sessions have already commenced weeks earlier have created a stir in the class. The children were curious about the newcomer (E-7), and at the same time felt threatened that he might be better than them in terms of skills. Indeed, student E-7 exhibited good abilities in Math, so a competitive air was palpable. This was strongly felt in the next session when the students seemed to do better in their performance. It seemed that the sense of competition helped the students study more intensely to regain their stature in class. However, the teacher was afraid that the competition might be a tad too much that it may overheated. Thankfully, it normalized eventually and the class gained back its momentum with the newcomer. The use of concrete things, like candies as reinforcement for the children to do well works with very young children. The children seemed to enjoy the learning games and strived to perform well knowing that they may keep the candies they “win”. This kept them motivated throughout the class. This is consistent with Piaget’s theory of concrete learning and the behaviorist view of reinforcement. I was delighted that I was getting to apply the theories I learned in my teaching practice. A game-like quality of activities seemed to be preferred by children (even by adults!). Although the learning a concept was the main task, the means to the end was enjoyable and effective in the learning process. Knowing this, I tried to think up of fun activities for the children without sacrificing their need to gain the concepts and skills. I am confident that I scored high marks in this area. It was amazing to discover things about the children as time progressed. One unexpected discovery was that the students had more interest in multiplication than addition or subtraction despite the fact that multiplication was a more complicated process. This only shows that the children in the group thrived on challenge, and in a hurry to go to the next level even if they have not yet mastered a previous level. What makes it more complex is the fact that Mathematics is a hierarchical discipline where concepts build on previous concepts and more often than not, need full understanding before proceeding to the next, more complicated concept. (Ruthven, 1987). Being the teacher, I knew that I had to train them to master the more basic concepts first. Over time, the children seemed to learn faster. This may be due to the fact that the small number of children made it easier for me to give one on one instruction. Also, since the children felt more comfortable in the group, they let their guard down and just let learning happen. Although the class only met once a week, the class seemed to bond well. Even if there were interruptions in the regular schedule (like holiday breaks, or times when the children get sick), they easily fall back into the routine. I just had to ensure that they were reviewed of the lessons more thoroughly when they get back after missed sessions. Towards the end of my practicum, I reviewed the things the children have learned over the period I handled the class. I felt pride and a sense of fulfillment at the learning and mastery my students exhibited. On my last day with them, I was quite emotional with ambivalent feelings -exhilarated that I was eventually successful in my teaching task when initially I felt very inadequate at the same time, sad that my sessions with these adorable children were over. I realized that teachers can indeed feel a certain attachment to her students, especially when the relationship with them was fruitful and filled with challenges. I also assured myself that there will be more students to be had in the near future. My short stint with the children has gained for me a lot of meaningful insights that I can apply to my teaching practice. I know as a teacher, I have to develop patience, since children can be very challenging. Misbehaving students and those who have much difficulty understanding the subject matter may easily inflame anyone’s temper. As a professional I know that I have to keep a calm demeanor and handle such challenging situations with integrity and grace. I should always remember that as a role-model, I have to exhibit positive character that my students can emulate. I learned that when student attention shifts away from the original lesson plan, the effective teacher must assess whether the shift is useful and go with the enthusiasm, or refocus student attention and steer class activity back to the lesson plan. The teacher has to fall back on awareness and flexibility in like situations so the aims and objectives of the lesson may not be lost. Sometimes, the teacher needs to follow her instincts, but the seasoned teacher falls back on experience which almost always works. Labeling a student based on his or her performance may have adverse affects on the child, and may fulfill expected set by the teacher or his own self-fulfilling prophecies. It is better that a child is aware that the teacher believes in his capabilities instead of being seen as a “slow learner” who has learning challenges. Although I have two diverse groups in my class and they are aware that they have different programs designed for them, I try my best to assure all of them that what is given them is appropriate to their skill levels and empower them that I trust in their ability to achieve success in each task. I make it a point to send each child home feeling confident. It is my opinion that students appreciate an opportunity to use humor in their projects and presentations. This makes the class laugh and pay attention. Just because something is fun does not mean it is not good schoolwork. I agree that collaboration in learning brings about more knowledge acquisition than what would be generated through independent, individual learning. Vygotsky (1978) believed that children’s intellectual development is influenced more by social context than by individual experiences. His theory places a great deal of emphasis on effective social interaction. The group dynamics that ensued in my class surely fostered collective learning that benefited each student. At the same time, the small number of the group ensured more concentrated attention so the subtlest error or correct response is noticed and acknowledged accordingly. Feedback is immediately available. I believe the most important thing that I learned from this experience is to respect children’s ideas and way of learning. My initial feelings of inadequacy led me to take cues from them, and I realized that in doing so, I can be more successful in establishing better rapport with them. Of course, a teacher needs to have enough knowledge to guide children in their learning, but taking the time and effort to listen to children’s ideas, views and respecting their learning styles is likewise essential. My readings have convinced me that my teaching philosophy gears towards Constructivist theories. It premises on the belief that learners “construct” their own learning, and in effect, have better retention of it. “In the Constructivist theory the emphasis is placed on the learner or the student rather than the teacher or the instructor.  It is the learner who interacts with objects and events and thereby gains an understanding of the features held by such objects or events.  The learner, therefore, constructs his/her own conceptualizations and solutions to problems.  Learner autonomy and initiative is accepted and encouraged.” (Van Ryneveld, n.d., n.p.). Students learn to make connections through guided practice and interaction with others. Respect for students’ ideas is prevalent in the constructivist classroom. Teachers seek and value their students’ points of view and even use them as cues for ensuing lessons. They are aware that relevance, meaning and interest in lessons should consider the learner’s experience, background and understanding. Although my students were very young, I should not underestimate them because they are also capable of controlling their own learning. I am sensitive to their needs and the level of attention they are capable of and accept that there are times when it would be trying to maintain their full attention. One example of this was around the time of the holiday season. I knew we were studying something important, however, most of them were distracted by all the goings-on and excited about the Christmas break. When they came back after the vacation, I gave them the opportunity to share their experiences. Although my lessons did not take top priority at this time, I knew I was allowing them to go through an important process in learning and interacting with others. I valued that not only were they learning Maths in my class, but also communication skills, building friendships amongst each other and confidence in themselves. I know that my sessions with the children were only supplementary to their actual schooling and not compulsory for them to attend. That is why I felt privileged that these children kept attending my classes, and even showed enthusiasm for it even if it falls on a Saturday when most of their peers were at play. I take that as an indication that I am making a difference in their learning. It assures me that as a new teacher, I am capable of being someone they look up to and a moving force for them to pursue greater heights. Now, I know which direction I want to take in bringing me closer to my ideals. I want to be an effective teacher. One who can discern which learning strategy would be most appropriate on a case-to-case basis. Imbedded in her are hidden agendas for making her students reach their optimum learning potentials and in effect, the development of a healthy self-esteem. She is aware that she is just an instrument in assisting the students to gain knowledge, and not the source of knowledge herself. I want to be on hand to ignite the spark of interest and motivation of my students. It is now up to the students themselves to turn that spark into a burning flame that would keep them fired up for more learning. References Bonk, C.J. & Cunningham, D.J. (1998) “Searching for Learner-Centered, Constructivist, and Sociocultural Components of Collaborative Educational Learning Tools” in Electronic Collaborators. Retrieved on February 20, 2008 from: www.publicationshare.com/docs/Bon02.pdf Brewer, J., (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Allyn & Bacon Krogh, S. (1995) The Integrated Early Childhood Curriculum, McGraw-Hill, Inc. Lindfors, J.W., (1987) Children’s Language and Learning, 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall, Inc. McCoach, D.B., O’Connell, A.A., Levitt, H. (2006) “Ability Grouping Across Kindergarten Using an Early Childhood Longitudinal Study”, The Journal of Educational Research, July/August [Vol. 99(No. 6)] National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (2000) Standards for Discussion. Available online: www.nctm.org Osterman, K. F (1990) "Reflective Practice: A New Agenda for Education." Education And Urban Society 22, no. 2 (February 1990): 133-152. Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969) The Psychology of the Child. New York: Basic Books Salomon, G., & Perkins, D.N., (1998), “Individual and Social Aspects of Learning”, Review in Research Education, Vol 23, pp. 1-24 Scholz, S. (2004) “Ability Groups Ineffective or Ineffectively Used?”, Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 9 (2) Suydam, M. & Weaver, F. (1975) Research on learning mathematics. In J. Payme (Ed.) Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood. Reston, VA: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Ruthven, K. (1987). Ability stereotyping in mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 18(3), 243–253. Trafton, P. (1975) The Curriculum. Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood Education. Reston, VA: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Van Ryneveld, L., (n.d.) “What is constructivism?”, Retrieved on March 27, 2008 from http://hagar.up.ac.za/catts/learner/lindavr/lindapg1.htm Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wells, G. (1997). “The zone of proximal development and its implications for learning and teaching.” Retrieved on February 20, 2008 from http://www.iose.utoronto.ca/~gwells/zpd.discussion.txt Wertsch, J. V. (1985). Vygotsky and the social formation of the mind. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Read More