Teachers and students working together in the classroom

I think this weeks topic is an important one because it shows that teachers and students are not separate entities. The word classroom (talking about the building itself) does not bring about many good memories. We were taught mostly in prefab units, which are made from rhinoboard (I think) and not bricks. They had no air-conditioners, no real way of keeping out the harsh conditions, and very little modern resources found in some schools today. I'm pretty sure my mom was taught in some of those classrooms. The classroom itself was not the greatest, but if I think 'school', the thing that stands out the most are those few teachers who managed to impact me beyond the uncomfortability of the classroom. The ones who made me feel like I belonged.

Those teachers are also part of the reason I decided to pursue a career in education. That kind of inspiring teaching is needed to both enjoy school and assist in learners learning. But how do teachers be that inspiration? I think it has a lot to do with involving students in a meaningful way.

I emphasize meaningful because some teachers think that by handing out notes and teaching students by throwing knowledge at them is the way it's done, without any need to get learner involvement or feedback. Those are extreme cases, but if I've experienced a teacher like that I assume its not as extreme as it may seem.

We as teachers need to look after our learners' wellbeing, which goes past each one getting a desk and a chair and a place to put their bag. It means that the school atmosphere is one where students are excited and look forward to go to school, while teachers feel empowered to make a difference in their lives. Teachers can do this by allowing feedback and being open to communication. An effective teacher is one who impacts the child on a personal level, and that can not occur if learner-to-teacher communication is not encouraged.

Effective teaching stretches beyond academic involvement (although that is important!). We learnt about the concept of in loco parentis, which is how teachers take the place of the parent in the school and thus have to look after them as if each one of them were one of their own. This means that teaching students about professional and respectful ways to communicate are as important as teaching them the format of a letter. We teach for lifelong learning and lessons which change their lives forever, and we need to interact with learners in order to do so.

The teacher and student battle

Our school system is not supportive of creativity. It does not really facilitate learning in such a way that students are able to deal and tackle real problems or questions they have. We are given a problem, taught a method to solve that problem, and if each step is not followed correctly you've done it 'wrong'. It sounds really sad when you're actually honest about how we were taught in school.

As a teacher we are expected to force feed knowledge as if that is 'preparation' for university which I don't think it is at all. Most of learning in my opinion happens through experience, experimentation and interaction which doesn't really have a place in school, especially in maths and science.  What should be done to inspire students an help them enjoy school is a very difficult problem considering the various different pedagogies around.

In the article entitled The Standards of Critical Digital Pedagogy (Hamilton, 2014), the author describes the standards created by organisations such as ISTE, P21 etc. are promoting ICT (Information and Communications Technology) literacy standards which are "limited, and therefore limiting". This means that although it is possible that technology could be used in innovative ways in the classroom, teachers are influenced negatively by these standards, where ideas and creativity are shut down by confined standards.

The independent project is something that comes to mind when thinking about what learners actually want to learn about. Students at Monument Regional High School involved in this project were allowed to choose their own curriculums, ask questions which were not addressed in class (or part of the general  subject curriculum) and learn from each by being taught by one another. They ended up working harder, learning more, presenting what they found in a variety of ways and enjoyed their schooling much more. I am not saying that this will work as a global standard for school curriculum, but it does open our eyes to the limiting factor mentioned above.

Can self-directed learning across classrooms become a viable option to students on a global scale? I don't think enough has been done to say that with a definite 'yes', but a start to that is experimenting outside of the traditional 'teacher as the be all and end all authority' mentality of our schooling system (including how some learners and teachers think as well). This outdated way of thinking can be changed by our approach to learning - teachers have much to learn from their students, it is a two way street. It also allows us to think critically and creatively about the possibilities of schooling in the future and the position we as teachers will hold.

Allegiance to the #Hashtag

Every time I read these articles on using social media in the classroom, all I can think is “damn I'm old”. I matriculated in 2010, from a school which rarely stepped outside traditional teaching methods – chalkboard and textbooks. That being said, there were many opportunities to explore and experiment with social media during my school life, both knowingly and unknowingly.

 A good example would be that of the Global Classroom Conference I had the privilege of attending in 2009. The networking and interaction with students globally is so invaluable an experience and one I certainly cherish. Times have certainly changed, where social media has not only become a prevalent but also relevant incorporation into our education and teaching methods.

In my own field (science), social media can be used quite creatively to facilitate learning. Science has always been seen as quite robust and structured in my opinion, but I don’t see why it can’t be fun at the same time. Both Provenzano (2015) and Davis (2014) make examples of how teachers around the world are using popular social media such as Instagram, Twitter and Blogging to their advantage.

Instagram for instance can be used in conjunction with specific topics or sections such as “The effect of pollution” or “Life and Living” which is slightly broader. Students will be given a hashtag to post pictures on instagram so that everybody is connected and able to see each others’ work. This is a great lesson because it also gives them the opportunity to really think about what they are hashtagging and how easy your information is accessible being part of an online network. It also means that students’ work and ideas can be shared in a fun but constructive way.

Another popular option would be that of blogging. Students are able to share their ideas and opinions and also engage and discuss with one another, just as I am doing now. If students are not allowed to (according to law) or it is possibly frowned upon in the university, the teacher can then share their inside opinion publicly on the topics covered in class. The teacher can then ask questions to students who are then required to answer them in the following lesson. This can be used as a deeper learning tool as students are required to evaluate the teachers opinion and then form their own opinion on the matter.

What makes social media a somewhat ‘darkhorse’ is all the negative hype concerning safety and security of the learners. The amount of spam and people prowling on naive children is not conducive to an effective learning environment, and doesn’t allow students to openly express themselves out of fear. Thus it is extremely important for teachers to find unique ways to mix students and social media while still having their safety as first priority.