Studentdrivencontent
Responsivetowhostudentsareaslearners
Multipleopportunitiesforsuccess
Buildingcommunity
Textssets,Information/literaturecircles
Open-endedteaching
Inquiry
INTRODUCTION TeacherCandidateVoices
METHODOLOGY&METHODS
CONTEXTS/DESIGN
PERSPECTIVES
CONCLUSION
DecenteringNormativePracticeThroughInSituTeacherEducation
Self-StudyMethodology• Tobetterunderstandandenhancecoursedesignandteachingpractices– boththeirimpactand
potential- throughengagingincyclesofactionandreflection(Hamilton&Pinnegar,2000;LaBoskey,2004;Loughran &Russell,2016;Samaras&Freese,2009).
• Recognizessocially-situated,evolvingandco-constitutingnatureoflearningandpractice.
DivisionK,AERAAnnualMeeting,SanAntonio,Texas– May1,2017
LeytonSchnellert,PhD,UniversityofBritishColumbia,[email protected],UniversityofBritishColumbia,VancouverCampus
urbanclassroomsandschoolsconsciously(re)writingthescriptofmiddleyearseducation.
Herewereportfindingsfromaselfstudyinvestigatinghowimmersionandco-teachinginthesemiddleyearsprogramspositionedteachercandidatesasinquirersre/de/constructingtheirunderstandingsofteachingandlearning.
Themesthatemergedrelatedtocultivatinggenerativespacesforteachercandidatestocritique,disruptandco-createresponsivestudent-centeredcurricularinnovations.
Ifprospectiveteachersaretosupportmoreequitableandpowerfuleducationforstudents,partoftheirprofessionaldevelopmentmustincludedevelopingasenseofmoralpurposeofthenecessitytocontributetotheconstantchangeprocesswithinorganizations (Darling-Hammond&Bransford,2005).
Teachereducationprogramsmustengageinpartnershipswithschoolsanddistrictsthatworktotransformschoolingandteachingintandem(Darling-Hammond&Bransford,2005).
• Whathappenswhenteachereducatorsinvitemiddleschoolteachercandidatestodeveloptheirauthenticteacheridentitiesthroughworkinginruralandurbanschoolsthatareconsciously(re)writingthescriptofmiddleyearseducation?
• Whatemergedasimportantwhenwesoughtoutandcultivateddynamicspacesforteachercandidatelearning,self-acceptance,andresponsivestudent-centeredcurricularinnovation?
1.Howdidwecreatetheconditionsforteachercandidatestobecreativeinwaysthatshapetheirpedagogyandutilizeresources ingenerativeways?
“…it’slearningtobalancewhencanIpushandwhenIcannot?”
“Alwaysbewillingtolearnandgrowandtrythings.”
“Don’tbeafraidtotrysomethingnew,evenifitfails,becausehavingpeoplesupportandbebehindyouwhileyouworkisapowerfulthing.”
“Kidsaregoingtodirectyouandthey’regoingtotellyouwhattheywant,andwhattheydon’tlike,andyouhavetoberesponsivetothat.”
Collaborativeteaching
Exploringtensionsinasafespace
Beingapartofacommunity
Reflectingthroughjournaling
Beinginschools/hands-onlearning
Experiencingvarietyincontexts,perspectives,approaches
FINDINGS
DISCUSSION
• Throughthisinquiry,asco-learners,wehavebeenabletodisruptthenormativescriptsofuniversity-basedmethodscoursesandre-imaginedwhatprofessionallearningforteachercandidatesmightlooklike.
• Basedonthetraditionalacademicexperiencesofmostuniversitystudents(passiverecipientsofknowledge),wefoundthatengagingteachercandidatesasactiveco-constructorsofknowledgewithinclassrooms(supportedbyreflection)inspiredandspurredlearningforteachercandidates,teachers,andmyselfasateachereducator.
Thisprojectaddressescallstoprepareteachercandidatesforrealitiesofschoolstoenablethemtocriticallychallengestatusquopracticesandperspectives,andworkwithotherstore-imagineschooling(Nieto,2000;Risko,2013).
Inthisstudy,weinvestigateifandhowateachereducationmethodscoursebasedoncoreprinciplesrootedinsocialjustice,decenterednormativepractice.
Instructorsinvitedmiddleschoolteachercandidatesto de/re/constructtheirteachingidentitiesthoughinsitucourseworkinlocaland
Thistimeofchangeanduncertaintyhasofferedusanopportunitytoinfusediversity-oriented,place-consciousandinterdisciplinaryapproachesintoourmiddleyearsteachereducationprogramandlocalschools(Gay,2002;Grunewald,2003;Willms,etal.,2009).
Rolheiser,EvansandGambhir (2011)notethat"theprinciplesofequityandinclusionarenowattheforefrontofCanadianeducation…inclusiveeducationcannotremainattheleveloftheoreticaldiscourse...Thegoalistohaveinclusiveeducationbecomeevidentinteachers'practicesandstudents'learning."
RESEARCHQUESTIONS
• WeeklyMiddleSchoolIntegratedMethodscourse– September–earlyDecember
• 12monthprogram,afterdegree• Middleschoolmodelsinclude
grades6-9inBC• Teachercandidatesmaybe
generalists,havetwospecialties,oronemajorwithsinglecoursesinotherrelatedcontentareas
MiddleSchoolIntegratedMethods
Fivevisitsin2011-1012 onesite• Formativeassessment;classprofiles;responsiveco-
planning;co-teaching;co-assessing;criticalreflectionGrew to3schoolsintwoschooldistricts2012-2014(afternoons)• Co-teachingfocus;classroomsembracingrich
pedagogicalmethodsthatarestudent-centered,inquiry-oriented, interdisciplinary;reflexivity
Grewto5schoolsin3districts(fullday)• Continuedfocusonresponsiveteachingandinnovative
pedagogy,butalsoschoollevelrestructuringthatalignswiththeory,practiceandrenewedBCcurriculum
CollaborativeInquiry
CollaborativeInquiryGroup• Teachers from3school
districtsand21/25 middleyearsteachercandidateswithfocusonthenewcurriculum January- June
• SmallSecondarySchoolThinkTank (May)
Methods• All25TCsinvitedtoparticipateafterendofsemester
(ethicsapproval)• Allparticipatedinsemi-structuredinterviewsthat
lasted20-30minutes.• Fieldnotes• Artifactssuchasclassassignmentsandwritten
reflectionswerealsocollectedaspartofthestudy(butnotusedatthisstageofanalysis).
• Instructorresearchjournal
Teaching
• Everyoneneedstobeincluded• Processovercontent;notaboutcoverage
• Wehavetoknowourlearners,wecannotmakeassumptions
• Textcanbeanyandmanythings
Learning
• Itdoesn'thavetobethewayithasalwaysbeen
• Learningneedstobestudentdrivennotteacherdirected
• Learningneedstoconnecttoreallife• Learningisnotaboutachecklist
Assessment
• Learningforourselves(notforanumberorgrade)
• Agradeisnottheendoflearning• Weareassessinglearning- notjudginglearning
• Thereisnoonerightanswer
2.Whatdidteachercandidatesrealize/possibilize/critiqueaboutexistingeducationalprocessesofsystems?
3.Whatdidteachercandidatesdescribeascrucialpedagogicalscaffoldsthatdecenternormativepractice?
ImportantAspectsoftheDesign
Learninginsituwas morepurposeful,especiallyco-teaching,thanotherobservationexperiences,lowerstakesthanpracticum
Increasedcomfortwithandunderstandingofstudentdiversity
Supportededucatorstothinkcreativelyandcritically
Instructorasfacilitatorandco-constructorofpractice,plansandunderstandings
Mentorteachersasresourcesincyclesofactionandreflection
Experiencingdiverseexamplesofinterdisciplinary,student-centered,decolonizing,andinquiry-basedlearningdisruptedpreviousconceptions
MiddleSchoolIntegratedMethods
“Collaboration,Ilearnedformyself,issomethingthatIactuallyreallyneed…itsokaytoseekhelp,anditsokayifit’ssometimeshard.”
“Youcan’tpassjudgmentonthecapabilityortheattentivenessorthewillingnessofastudenttolearn.”
“Studentscomefirst,andweshouldbedesigninganeducationthatletsthemexcel,becausetheyareourfuture.”
“IamlearningmorebytalkingaboutitbecausethatwayIamgettingdifferentperspectives.”
Curriculumspurredinresponseto21st centuryteachingandlearningliteraturechallengestraditionalconceptionsofeducationandoffersalternativeperspectivesonlearning,teachingandknowing(Darling-Hammondetal.,2008;Leander,Phillips&Taylor,2010;OECD,2010,2012).
Agreatdealoflearningthroughexperienceoccurswhenourteachercandidatesexplorelearningaboutteachinginthe‘realworld’ofschools(Loughran &Russell,1997).
“Learningtoteachismuchmorecomplexthanprovidingpropositionalknowledge.Learningtoteachisaprocessthatincludesforwardandbackwardmovements,disequilibriumandvis-versa,aprocessthatrequirescarefulsupporttohelpprospectiveteachersapplywhattheyhavelearnedwithinnewcontexts”(Risko,etal.,2010,p.342).
Trendsthatteachercandidatesreportedincluded:• co-planningwithstudentsasinformants;• feelingownershipoftheirlearningandpractice;• engagingwithcomplexities,ambiguitiesand
recursiveconsiderationofproblemsofpracticefrommultiplelenses
• collaboratingwithinacommunityofinquirywaskeytoongoinglearning
• criticallychallengingstatusquopracticesandperspectivesthroughworkingwithotherstoreimagineschooling
• Insitumethodscoursesofferedinsettingswitheducatorsthatchallengethestatusquoholdpotentialforteachercandidatestocombineexplorationsoftheoryandpracticewhileconcurrentlydevelopingtheirteachingphilosophyandidentity.
• DrawingfromdiverseexperiencesrequiredTCsto(re)considertheirbeliefsaboutteachingandlearningandexploreanddevelopinnovativediversitypositivepractices.