PG's Ponderings

As a teacher you are a leader – where do you stand on these Five Factors? Five key leadership factors that are clearly more important in the future than in the past include: thinking globally, appreciating cultural diversity, demonstrating technological savvy, building partnerships and sharing leadership. Thinking Globally Globalization is a trend that will have a major impact on the leaders of the future Two factors that are seen as making global thinking a key variable for the future are the dramatic projected increases in global trade and integrated global technology. New technology is another factor that is going to make global thinking a requirement for future leaders. Appreciating Cultural Diversity As the importance of globalization increases, future leaders will also need to appreciate cultural diversity. They will have to understand not only the economic and legal differences, but also the social and behavioural differences that are part of working around the world. The appr...

Choice Theory simply says that a purpose underlies all behavior. We are doing the best we can to meet our basic human needs given the knowledge, the skills, and the resources in our repertoire of behaviors. If we could think of a better way of achieving this purpose at any given time, we would choose it. When students learn and start using the ideas of Choice Theory in their lives, everyone benefits. Students learn these ideas easily and readily because they can relate to them. Choice Theory is all about their lives. Some of the benefits of teaching this theory to students include the following: Students gain an understanding of themselves. A student's understanding of his personal needs profiles may help him gain a better understanding of his unique identity, in turn helping him make important life decisions such as what occupation best suits him. Students gain an understanding of others. This appreciation can help students learn tolerance of and compassion for others in our incre...

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10 points about what research tells us about self-managing learning Learning is much more than acquiring new knowledge and concepts. It involves thinking, but learners need knowledge and experiences to think with. Learners need to be actively engaged in ways that allow them to process, interpret, and adapt an experience. Learners have to want to learn. They have to see a purpose to learning and how it will allow them to contribute to something beyond themselves. Learners have to feel in charge of their own learning and to get a sense of flow and progress, with the right amount of challenge and feedback along the way. Learners need to develop in-depth knowledge in some areas to help them keep learning. Learners need to be encouraged to search, not for the right answer (focusing on surface features) but for the right approach to solving a problem (deep structures). Learning involves interaction – trying out and testing ideas with others. Learning usually needs structure. For example, ad...

Self-Managed Learning is about individuals taking the steps, without the assistance of others, in determining their learning needs, developing their learning goals, identify human and material resources for their learning, choosing and carrying out appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating their learning outcomes. Managing their own learning has meant that our students need to use a wide range of opportunities for earning. For example: Using their environment – sharing new knowledge, facilitating development of new understanding Feedback from teacher – this tells the student what she has achieved and gives specific or general guidance to help her improve her work. Coaching – seeking special training for practical skills to improve performance Mentoring – working with an experienced person who provides guidance and advice about the student's work Finds help with specific needs – these might include languages and numeracy, access might be needed for specialist intervention S...

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Taking action in ways that address identified issues. This competency is about being actively involved in communities. Communities include family, whānau, and school and those based, for example, on a common interest or culture. They may be drawn together for purposes such as learning, work, celebration, or recreation. They may be local, national, or global. This competency includes a capacity to contribute appropriately as a group member, to make connections with others, and to create opportunities for others in the group. Students who participate and contribute in communities have a sense of belonging and the confidence to participate within new contexts. They understand the importance of balancing rights, roles, and responsibilities and of contributing to the quality and sustainability of social, cultural, physical, and economic environments. The future of this competency is to reflect on the sorts of learning students might need to access if they are to be and become "confiden...

The notion of participation is so well entrenched in the collective mind of the teaching profession that I wonder if we have not consciously stopped considering what we are after when we work with a class. (p. 15) Dennis Gioia thinks that most of us are after lots of different students answering and asking questions. It really feels good to see a substantial portion of the class joining in. Indeed, success at achieving class participation is a seductive sort of accomplishment—so seductive that it often leads to a de facto presumption that the class is successful simply because so many people are more actively involved in it. (p. 15) He's got a point. Sometimes it's so difficult to get anyone to participate, that on those days when there's a good amount of discussion, we can't help but feel the class is going well. But if our concern stops with the number of students who speak, we may be valuing quantity over quality. Gioia makes an interesting distinction between partic...

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Teaching and learning this week– Relating to others Empathy; Non-judgemental recognition of how others are situated. Relationships—The Fourth R As educators, we need to see the importance of adding a fourth R—Relationships—to the 3 Rs of Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic . Our students need to learn more about how to create and sustain healthy relationships. Because they are bombarded daily with many unhealthy behaviour models from the media, society, and even their families and peers, students often cannot figure out this huge gray area of what is good for them and what is bad. We need to give students tools for reflecting on their options and making sound choices. See: Peggy Calhoun : December 2000/January 2001 | Volume 4 | Number 4 The Changing Context of Education Clarifying relationships in the classroom: How to extend "the relating to others" competency into the learning environment At the heart of learning is the idea that students who truly understand and are i...

Four timeless elements that can enhance "the relating to the others competency" through learning relationships. 1. Consistent Communication Consistent communication is the most vital element as it serves to create a connection between the two. A teacher who understands the problems of his or her students and then shapes his or her teaching style in order to interact better with the student can see success, but this takes not simply observation, but communication. The more the teacher communicates well, the higher is the chance of fast and effective learning at the student's end. 2. An Emotionally-Safe Learning Space Creating an open learning environment where different opinions are equally respected and where there is no fear of ridicule from either one’s peers or the teacher is crucial for building good student teacher relationships. Students need to feel safe when asking questions, safe in the belief that they won’t be taunted or criticized and that their question or co...

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