Week 1 Discussion

Teaching and learning: What is my approach to teaching and learning and am I committed to delivering the information with myself in control of all learning? 

Whilst it is crucial that I know the content of my discipline areas and I am committed to delivering the content to my students, I believe that students need to be in charge of their learning which is why I tend to encourage a student-directed classroom. I can accept that I don't and won't know everything and love that the profession of teaching allows me to continue to learn on a daily basis. I strive to create an inclusive teaching and learning environment where I scaffold the content to be learned and leave it up to the students on how the information is delivered.



Letting go: Am I willing to lose some control over what my learners learn, how they learn it and what they learn from?

In order to learn, students need to be in control of their learning in a supportive and safe environment. Whilst I believe it's important to teach to the set curriculum and specific lesson learning goals, students definitely need to be in control of their learning and how they learn. It's inevitable that through classroom discussion with students, topics that aren't covered in the unit will arise and if relevant, it's definitely important to have a conversation about the said topic. After teaching a class for a certain time, it becomes obvious what students like and dislike. For example, during my Professional Placement 1, it was important that my Year 7 Mathematics class took notes from the textbook to understand the concept; however, students did not enjoy this. Instead, I played a YouTube video that incorporated the same information just in video form and we took notes from the video and this was their favourite part of the lesson.

Being challenged: What are my emotions in regards to this unit challenging my beliefs?

In order to learn and grow, I am open to have my personal beliefs challenged. I think it is important to have these differing points of view and to be able to share your own opinion whilst still respecting the beliefs of others. In challenging my beliefs I hope to learn and grow as a person and it is definitely possible that my own beliefs change in the process. 

ICT within the classroom: What experiences do I have regarding ICT?

My experiences with ICT in the classroom has been extensive since primary school. Classroom discussions were often greeted by the interactive whiteboard where our ideas could be saved in one place. iPads were also used as a 'fast finisher' tool, so obviously classwork was a race that I often won. The use of ICT in primary school was also encouraged by many of our assignments that were  multi-modal and required an extra element such as a PowerPoint, slideshow or voiceover and I'm thankful for these young experiences as they helped in my high school development. 

ICT in high school was enforced to an even greater level. Most days I wouldn't even pack a book, just my laptop. My school utilised the eLearn platform of iLearn where our resources could be found in one place. 'Kahoot' and other quiz-like websites were also popular to assess our learning after a lesson. High school gave me the opportunity to grow my ICT knowledge and skills through applications such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, Photoshop and MYOB.

As a pre-service teacher I have confidence in using ICT as a teaching tool. I have found that my students (so far) thrive on colourful, interactive PowerPoints and by watching YouTube videos. I have had the opportunity to use professional sites such as iLearn and OneSchool and I look forward to extending my knowledge and passion for ICT within the classroom.