28th January 2013

The two weeks of intensives are over, and I SURVIVED! There was very little time during the week days to complete the group assignment that was due for music, but we all rallied together & managed to get it done. It was actually a lot of fun! I was so lucky to work with such a great team of people.

I also really enjoyed completing the art assignment too; I didn't have a lot of time to create something in the detailed way I would normally, but I really tried to focus on what was asked of me, and express how I understood the elements and principles of art. I'm incredibly inspired by the work of Alexander Calder, and so I decided to make a wire mobile, using the fish shape given to me:

I really see lots of parallels in  the way principles of  Calder's work, and the practice of teaching. Both require a precise mix of art and science; yet both also rely on an element of dynamism to make them work. Balance and structure is key, and there is nothing hidden.

Calder was inspired by his environment, and I am too. Now, I just can't wait to be in a classroom, getting to know the children, and finding out what makes them tick. I want to start learning the 'framework'; how do I set up a classroom environment (physical & social) from the very beginning? I'm also very nervous...what if people expect more of me because of my prior degree? What if I can't deliver?

I've also started to read Hattie's (2012) 'Visible Learning for Teacher's'. It's brilliant, and I love it. One phrase that really resonated with me, is "all to often, teachers believe that theories dictate action, even when the evidence of impact does not support particular theories'. It was the symbolic slap in the face I needed. I'm not a clinician right now; I'm learning to be a teacher, and I have to embrace what it means to be a teacher. I really hope eventually I am able to integrate the two standpoints in my mind, but for now, I am suspending all beliefs, and am open to the teaching journey that's in front of me. It's early days.

The other point Hattie makes, is the vital importance in teachers being accountable. This resonates with me strongly. I very much believe in measuring progress, and being accountable, but the reality of what this means in a classroom over over twenty children scares me more than a little! Working with larger groups of children is another element that attracted me to this profession ( I like to push myself to do things that frighten me incredibly!) but I can feel the self-doubt creeping in...HOW am I going to do THIS!? Is what I am able to measure, a true reflection of the skill development the child is showing me? Or of my effectiveness as a teacher? Is effectiveness really measured by the outcomes (ie. NAPLAN) set by the Curriculum Council, or some other governing body? I understand the need to have children to meet such outcomes, but are we also able to measure how a child takes a skill set learnt in the classroom and then applies it elsewhere (i.e. generalisation)? To me, it's the generalisation of a skill that allows a child to become more and more independent; until they are self-sufficient learners who take control of their own quest for knowledge and skill. I see a valuable teacher as being someone who not only teaches a skill, but who is someone who shows a child how to use the skill outside of the classroom.

In saying that, I have definitely decided accountability needs to be in my upcoming reflective assignment, and I'm still debating the other...I strongly believe that both rapport and authenticity can have significant impact on a child's learning outcomes, and the research supports this, however, it seems that the research established this some time ago, and thus the articles I am finding are outside the allowable limits. I shall keep looking...

20th January, 2013

“ Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and feed him for a lifetime.”

            -Lao Tzu, the Chinese founder of Taoism, 4th Century BC

The first week of the course intensive lectures has been really tough! I always knew it was going to be, but the struggle to balance the really early mornings, a child that doesn’t like change in her routine, a shift working husband, shopping/cooking, no family support, late night readings, and small lunch breaks during the day has really knocked me about! That, and I decided to add purchasing and selling a house into the week as well. The thought "What was I THINKING!???" has entered my brain more than a few times this week. On Friday night, I decided it was acceptable to try to drown it out with wine. It didn't work.

I wanted to do this degree to get a better understanding of the perspective that teachers were coming from. Working as a team in an education setting, I felt that there was this gap; a lack of understanding between the two professions, and I really wanted to understand why. I had teachers expecting me to ‘fix’ things, and asking me how to teach literacy in a more effective way to different groups of children. As passionate as I am about this area, I didn’t feel qualified enough to give them a solution that I would be happy to accept, if I was in their position. In terms of literacy, my degree really focused on phonological awareness to 4-6 years, and use of the ' Stackhouse & Wells' speech processing model for literacy (2006). I thought maybe combining the two knowledge/theoretical bases would go a long way in being able to make a difference in this area for the children I work with:

Pascoe, M. Stackhouse, J. & Wells, B. (2006). Persisting Speech Difficulties in Children; Children's Speech and Literacy Difficulties. England: Whurr Publishers

But right now, I’m feeling a little frustrated. I didn’t realize how much I still work within theoretical models. They underpin all of my practices, and new learning. I now find it really difficult to accept new information without understanding why. I have so many questions:

• Where do things fit? 
• What is the rationale behind explicit instruction? The research might resoundingly say it’s efficacious, but where is the theory/model behind why we think it’s best? What are the processes?
• Is explicit instruction successful because we are providing a conceptual/semantic framework for children to ‘hang’ new information onto? 
• Is the repetition simply allowing the information to move from working memory into long-term storage, to then be integrated into an existing model of processing? 
• How is the brain integrating explicitly learned skills into it's processing of new information? 
• Are there really different models/systems for processing language, as opposed to literacy? Are they really two distinctly separate pathways? Surely the brain still needs to use 'decoding' and 'storing' skills on both? 
• How effective is this method work for children with auditory processing disorder?Phonological disorders, sensory processing disorder, and specific language impairment? The incidence of these difficulties is becoming more prevalent in classrooms. If we don’t understand the processes behind why explicit instruction is effective, we might not be able to adapt it, or re-inforce certain aspects of it to ensure success with all the children we teach, not just the ones who fall within 'normal' limits.

I’m strongly a ‘top down’ processor. I like to know the bigger picture behind what’s happening. I really like to see where things ‘fit’ alongside each other. Once this fortnight of intensives is over, I plan to sit down and start reading. Hopefully this will help me to answer the questions I have.

It's been quite frustrating not having information up on Blackboard too...and having separate information coming in from lots of different classes...it doesn't feel exactly cohesive, and I'm worried all of the promised unit outlines, assignment info, readings, and other literature will come all at once, and I won't have the time to check through and review all of the information. I also have no way of contacting my fellow classmates yet, either. It feels a little isolating.

On the positive side, the group of people in this course are amazing. I felt at ease almost immediately. There was none of the initial awkwardness I felt in my undergraduate degree. People jumped straight into group tasks, with an openness and willingness that I find incredibly refreshing! It’s been lovely. I also love the way the lecturers are passionate about what they teach, and how they constantly model ideas and methods to us in their delivery.

 Right now, I have to keep telling myself that this cognitive dissonance will settle, and that the information is still at a broad level, to prepare us for classrooms. There is more to come. Things will sort themselves out, and I won’t always feel this way.

The biggest achievement at the end of this week for me is that although it's hard, and I'm confused about where things are heading...I still have the belief that I can achieve this. I hope that doesn't change!