Teachers as Learners

Anne Edwards and Nigel Fancourt

The Course

• Observing to research skills

• Discussing analyses to analytic skills

• Reading research to reviewing research

Task 2

• List your personal learning goals

• What do you have to work on to achieve them?

• Where will you get help?

Thinking about Learning as Mediated Action

You The problem to be worked on

Resources/Tools

Some resources – a reminderwww.gtce.org.uk/teachers/rft/

www.nfer.ac.uk

http://www.tlrp.org/

http://www.curee.co.uk/

http://www.ciea.org.uk/

www.bera.ac.uk

http://www.esri.mmu.ac.uk/carnnew/index.php

A quick introduction to some core ideas in the course

1. Conceptual development (learning) involves being able to regulate our behaviour so that we can take forward our intentions

2. People, through the use of their own social activities, by changing their own conditions of existence, can change themselves

Conceptual Development in a Community of Learners

• Preparation tasks – discussed with specialist tutors

• Consolidation tasks on web-learn

• Learning in discussions – but don’t forget writing

• Building towards assignments

Assignments

Both Part I and Part II involve

• a lit review and • a practitioner study

• Part I: 2 assignments of 5,000 words• Part 2: one assignment of 10,000 words

Research and practice: deduction and induction

• Educational research

Professional work and reflection

Deduction

Induction

Research and practice: abduction

• Educational research

Professional work and reflection

Action research cycle

The Cycle over Time

Examining and Understanding Current Practices

Examining• Observations (see target child proforma)• Students’ work• Interviews • School data and documentationUnderstanding• Your reflective diaries• Discussions in school and on the course• Using the literature and concepts from the course

Models of Teachers’ Learning

• The training model of teachers’ learning

• The reflective model

• The community of learners model –on the course and in school

Enhancing the language of practice

• On the course – discussions to use the language of the programme and to clarify ideas

• In school – weaving ideas into practices – yours and those of colleagues

Some Advance Organisers

• Learning appears first as social and becomes personal (Vygotsky’s inter-personal and intra-personal planes)

• Learning needs to be seen as a conversation (dialogicity)

• Conversations with others brings in the voices and knowledge that they can offer (multi-voicedness)

Teacher Knowledge

Lee Shulman (1987)

• Content knowledge• General pedagogic knowledge• Curriculum knowledge• Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)• Knowledge of learners• Knowledge of contexts• Knowledge of educational ends and purposes

Community of learners - challenges• I am a bit hesitant of the prospect of my team leader

participating, she has been behind many of the initiatives I have been questioning...but I do not think this will necessarily create tensions between us

• The tradition in the school is vigorously maintained by a handful of teachers...They have been in the school for ages...their approach to knowledge is narrow-minded and they expect the school to produce pupils in a disciplined manner.

• All the important decisions in our school for the moment are made by the Supreme Soviet, an Olympic Committee, the Mafia, call it whatever... (Eilertsen et al. 2008)

Community of learners - Task 3

• Discuss:

– What are the opportunities for and challenges of creating a small community of learners at school?

– What are reasonable expectations for you?