AbstractsThe role of professional learning in determining the teaching profession's future
Number 222, February 2013
Professional learning (PL) sometimes takes the form of things 'done to' teachers, to fill gaps in their knowledge or remedy shortfalls in their practice. In Australia the risk of such deficit thinking is partially offset by professional teaching standards that explicitly recognise high achievement and encourage an aspirational attitude. However, a risk remains that standards will be understood as requiring compliance to pre-set norms rather than as encouraging exploration and innovation in teaching practice. Teachers themselves may inadvertently contribute to this tendency insofar as they rely on 'common sense', in which certain norms are so deeply internalised that they seem above questioning. In its worst form this becomes unthinking adherence to established routines and resources. PL can challenge this tendency and serve as a springboard to innovation, through an emphasis on open-ended development and by drawing on theoretical knowledge rather than established common sense. Such PL also links the learning of teachers and their students. PL of this kind has several characteristics. One is a willingness to draw upon specialist expertise, usually from external sources, to address particular needs or aspirations. Specialist experts can illustrate new approaches, help teachers interpret their own experiments when trying new approaches, and provide scaffolding. Such use of outside experts makes teachers more, rather than less, confident in their own efficacy. A second feature is peer support. When teachers step beyond familiar routines, they take risks and it is easier to take risks in front of equally-vulnerable peers than in front of external experts. Thirdly, evaluations of professional learning are collected by government, which then 'operationalises this evidence in a set of principles, skills and core concepts underpinning effectiveness'. Fourthly, the evidence collected should incorporate the questions and comments of teachers during PL sessions, rather than simply reflecting the work of experts. Fifthly, PL with experts needs to include, and emphasise, measures to improve teachers' ability to make independent use of mentoring, coaching and inquiry learning. At present such learning needs are overshadowed or ignored in favour of school or system-level efforts to overcome teachers' knowledge deficits, or address other high-priority issues. In reviewing this evidence, education agencies need to examine what they can do to promote high-quality PL. For instance, policy governing the selection of schools leaders could be adapted to ensure that candidates' record in promoting effective PL figures significantly in the process. KLA Subject HeadingsProfessional developmentTeaching and learning Effective classroom management to promote learning
Volume 17
Number 1, January 2013;
Pages 1, 3–6
Research has identified four major elements of effective classroom management. The first is attention to classroom organisation and routine. This embraces factors such as the physical environment of the classroom and how students 'sit, line up, enter the classroom, and take notes'. An appropriate routine should be emphasised in the teachers' first few days with students. The teacher should set clear limits regarding students' behaviour, and record instances of misbehaviour. The teacher should be able to apply varied physical and verbal techniques to establish their authority. At the same time, students themselves should be involved in designing rules and procedures covering behavioural issues. The second element in effective classroom management is the development of positive teacher-student relations. Teachers can cultivate such good relations by informal discussions with students about their interests, by acknowledging students outside the classroom and by acknowledging important individual achievements of students. Within the classroom the teacher should treat all students equally; for example, by being physically present throughout all areas of the classroom. However, the teacher also needs to allow for the high needs of particular students. The article includes a table covering different types of high-need students and how their needs can be addressed. The third element is effective, engaging teaching. Such teaching gives students ample scope for involvement and shows the teacher's passion for their subject area. Well-structured lessons give students a sense of security. Students are stimulated because knowledge is offered in varied formats, such as stories or explanations, and via different media, eg oral, video and web presentations, or hands-on activities. The fourth element is focused pastoral-care programs, which include careful and regular tracking of students' social and academic progress. KLA Subject HeadingsClassroom managementTeaching and learning Flip your students' learningMarch 2013;
Pages 16–20
The concept of the 'flipped classroom' commonly associated with teachers' lectures being videotaped for students to use as homework. In reality the most important aspect of flipped learning is making the most effective use of in-class time by removing aspects of coursework that can readily be covered elsewhere. As well as content-heavy teacher lectures, this material may include overviews of upcoming units of study; illustrations of student activity (see example); and content that is a prerequisite for upcoming coursework in class. By contrast, some work is unsuited to flipping, such as inquiry activities. Instructional videos for flipping do not have to be created through video cameras recording a teacher in class. The authors created them using screencasting: technology that captures instructional material on the teacher's computer screen, along with the teacher's voice and a small webcam image of their face, and 'in our case, a digital pen that is useful for lessons that involve mathematical problem solving' (see example). The article includes a step-by-step guide to creating screencasts. Once teachers start flipping their classrooms, this flipped material quickly builds up into a library for future use by students or the teachers themselves. Flipped learning allows for self-paced study by students, including the option to repeat lessons, which is of particular benefit for students with learning difficulties. Flipped material may be offered as one of several ways to learn, alongside other options such as learning from textbooks. Flipping also suggests a different model for assessment: instead of taking an exam and receiving a permanent grade, students simply have to demonstrate mastery of any given flipped lesson, before proceeding to the lesson that follows it. KLA Subject HeadingsElearningInformation and Communications Technology (ICT) Teacher-student relationships Teaching and learning 'Perhaps I didn't really have as good a knowledge as I thought I had.' What do primary school teachers know and believe about grammar and grammar teaching?
Volume 35
Number 3, October 2012;
Pages 301–316
A study in New Zealand has examined primary teachers' knowledge of and beliefs concerning the teaching of grammar. The teachers took part in a study based on Halliday's systemic functional linguistics. Involving one class per week for 13 weeks, the course was one component of a diploma in TESOL, which aimed to provide professional development for both mainstream and TESOL teachers. The study collected data from the 2008 and 2009 cohorts of the course. Participants in the study – 42 teachers from 40 primary schools – completed a pre-test of their existing knowledge of grammatical terms, which informed the planning of course content, and a post-test at the completion of the course. Individual interviews were then conducted with nine of the teachers, taking classes in years 5 to 8, 'because the curriculum for students at this level included substantial references to grammar, thus classroom relevance was assured'. The interviewed teachers were asked about their own grammar knowledge and how they had acquired it; their views on how grammar should be taught; and how they actually dealt with grammar in their classes. The study found that the teachers' prior knowledge of grammar varied greatly but was 'generally poor', which was similar to findings from Australian research. Their knowledge improved after the course, but the scores for one third of the participants were still of concern. The course was successful in making participants aware of what they had yet to learn in terms of grammatical terminology. They remembered learning grammar to varying degrees in primary or secondary school, in 'traditional, decontextualised, rule-based' forms. Their descriptions of how grammar should be taught were a mix of decontextualised approaches, reflecting their own learning background, and contextualised approaches which they had learned as part of the genre approach to writing in New Zealand schools. In the absence of professional guidance, their decisions about the teaching of grammar seemed to be made haphazardly, based on their own school experiences and personal beliefs. Findings suggest that New Zealand primary teachers need to improve their knowledge of grammar, and the approach used in the TESOL course supports this goal. Attention to grammar should continue throughout the diploma to give teachers the chance to consolidate their knowledge. KLA Subject HeadingsProfessional developmentGrammar New Zealand Primary education Middle schooling English as an additional language English language teaching Edmodo: social collaboration for teachers9 April 2013
Edmodo is a social learning platform used for communication between teachers,students and parents. Teachers are able to invite students to secure online groups as a forum for classroom discussions. Access is invitation-only, with the teacher remaining 'firmly in control'. However, students are encouraged to allow their parents access to their activity within the site. Edmodo's online spaces are designed to replicate the security and communication protocols of the actual classroom. Students do not communicate individually with one another, only via the teacher or through group messages moderated by the teacher. Edmodo contains tools for administering tests and quizzes, and a growing range of third-party apps, and is 'developing into a lightweight learning management system'. Teachers can also use the platform to send information about assignments and deadlines to students and parents. Students cannot 'lose' the learning materials that teachers deliver to them via Edmodo, as they can lose paper-based materials. Edmodo also serves as a training ground to prepare students for the wider world of social networking. KLA Subject HeadingsCo-operationInformation and Communications Technology (ICT) Elearning Classroom management Two daddy tigers and a baby tiger: promoting understandings about same-gender parented families using picture books
Volume 32
Number 3, October 2012;
Pages 288–300
The New Zealand curriculum contains a commitment to equity and inclusiveness. However, a number of gay and lesbian parents have raised concerns about heteronormative and homophobic practices, and in some cases expressed anxiety about their children's safety in learning environments. There are now a small but quickly growing number of children's books which affirm diversity, some of which relate to gender diversity. However, there is also evidence that the use of such books is controversial in schools, and perceptions of disapproval from administrators and parents discourage teachers from using these books and making them available in their classrooms. Many teachers are likely to need support if they are to implement practices that include gay- and lesbian-parented families. The article describes a small-scale study in a New Zealand kindergarten, during which the lead researcher worked with four teacher-researchers to explore the use of picture books featuring same-gender parents. The results showed that children were 'open to the possibilities of non-traditional families’. KLA Subject HeadingsPicture booksEarly childhood education Gay and lesbian issues Homosexuality New Zealand When English meets history: exploring the faction genre through action learning
Volume 20
Number 3, October 2012;
Pages 85–95
The term 'faction' may be used to describe well-researched historical fiction that centres on real-life characters. An action-research project led by the AISWA has explored the use of faction to engage 24 teachers with the history and English subject areas of the Australian Curriculum. The teachers came from a wide range of independent schools. They took classes from years 2 to 10, most, however, being based in the middle years. The teachers undertook action research, setting up classroom projects that helped their students achieve learning goals for the Australian Curriculum: History and the Australian Curriculum: English. Over several days of professional learning, the teachers were introduced to both curriculum areas, including the cross-curricular links established for both English and history. They were also introduced to the genre of faction, and how it might be used to link the two areas of the curriculum, and were introduced to books relevent to faction and historical fiction. Participants were also introduced to action research; the role of historical inquiry, and key resources that students might use to conduct it; and the creation of narrative. Participants workshopped with four writers of historical fiction who described how they conducted research. Through this professional learning, the teachers' students undertook their own historical inquiry through excursions, interviews and critical analysis of literary texts, resulting in the creation of their own narratives. Key Learning AreasEnglishStudies of Society and Environment Subject HeadingsCurriculum planningTeaching and learning English language teaching History Middle schooling Virtual schools: where's the evidence?March 2013;
Pages 32–36
The huge expansion of education-related techology, including learning apps, has created vast opportunities for virtual learning. In the USA virtual learning has also received strong political support from government authorities managing tight education budgets, education technology pioneers, and supporters of home schooling and charter schools. However, the authors raise concerns over the expansion of online learning, particularly in relation to wholly-virtual schools. Research undertaken in this area is limited and inconclusive. Education agencies' monitoring of virtual learning is also limited. Of the US education districts that offer online learning, only 70 per cent monitor student attendance, only 56 per cent monitor login activity, and 49 per cent track time spent online. It is 'relatively easy for students to get lost in the system'. A further concern about online-only learning is students' lack of interaction with a caring adult, which plays an important part in the learning process from early childhood to adolescence. The author is a member of the National School Boards Association's Center for Public Education. (Full text available via subscription. See introductory text online) KLA Subject HeadingsUnited States of America (USA)Schools Elearning Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Home education There are no Conferences available in this issue. |