EDUC 5015Q: Teaching, Learning, and Development

Week 1

Reflective Practice: the process of self-analysis and reflection to become a more effective educator by being open-minded, adaptable, and self-inquisitive #

Schwab's 4 Commonplaces in Education: any instance of education has 4 critical components- the teacher, a topic, the setting, and a student

Educational Psychology

9 central topics:

  1. Learning/cognition
  2. Development
  3. Social/cultural influences
  4. Motivation
  5. Behavior/classroom management
  6. Individual difference
  7. Assessment/evaluation
  8. Teaching/instruction
  9. Psychological foundations of curricula

Effective Instructional Planning = excellent instruction, enhanced student learning, exemplary learning environments #

Instructional Planning: teacher vs student-centred approaches #

Curricular Planning: determining what curricula will be covered over the course of the year (educational purpose) and breaking it down into semesters, weeks, and daily activities (learning experiences), in addition to designing evaluations

Week 2

Best Practices/Guidelines in Teaching #

*Teach for understanding, appreciation, and life application

*Include practice and application activities

*Create a supportive classroom climate

Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck): intelligence can be developed, leading to one's desire to...

3 Instructional Approaches to Optimize Student Achievement

Development (in the context of learning: encompasses physical/cognitive/social changes, the increased organization of learning, and gaining adaptability in behaviour

Week 3

Behaviourism: mind as a black box

Cognitivism: mind as a computer

Constructivism: mind as a rhizome

behaviours are always motivated, and are shaped by rewards/consequences

learning = regular, expected responses

instruction = repetition and enforcement

focus on individual intelligence

learning = the recall of stored information

instruction = grabbing the learner's attention and helping with information storage to enable recall

prominent theorists: Piaget #

based on the idea that humans develop cognitive thinking structures before language

learning = building knowledge by doing; very hands-on

instruction = guiding the problem-solving process

prominent theorists: Vygotsky, Chomsky # #

Universal Design for Learning

Differentiated Instruction

Response to Intervention

5 Principles of Development

  1. Orderly progression/gradual process
  2. Period of rapid vs slow growth
  3. Quantitative and qualitative changes
  4. Individuals develop at different rates
  5. Genetics set developmental potential, environment determines realized potential

Early Learning vs Higher Order Executive Functioning

  • early learning: mastery of literacy and numeracy skills = best indicator of future academic success
  • higher order executive functioning: not achievable until 20s (or not at all) due to the length of time needed for the prefrontal cortex to become fully functional

Theorists in Educational Psychology

Piaget- humans have 2 basic learning instincts: a drive for organization (forming schemas) and a drive for adjustment (disequilibrium vs equilibrium)

Chomsky- Language Acquisition Device (LAD), humans have a need to learn and understand language

Erikson- Psychosocial Theory, an 8-stage process emphasizing social self-development and how we relate to others

welcome challenges in order to come out stronger

persevere when faced with obstacles and avoid discouragement by setbacks

put in the required effort to master certain skills

see criticism as a source of information and a tool for improvement

view the success of others as inspiring, using it as a learning experience

4 Stages of Cognitive Development:

  1. Sensorimotor (0-2 y/o)
  2. Preoperational (2-6 y/o)
  3. Concrete Operational (7-11 y/o)
  4. Formal Operational (12-adulthood)

Vygotsky- emphasis on why the process of constructing knowledge is important

Zone of Proximal Development- if a task falls outside of their developed zone, a child cannot perform it without assistance

Scaffolding- an instructional technique in which a more competent other demonstrates a skill to the child to learn

Week 4

How do teachers affect student achievement?

What are the 3 fundamental student needs?

What are the 6 strategies teachers can use to foster these needs?

How can teachers encourage self-efficacy and self-regulated learning?

design classroom curriculum to facilitate student learning- effective teachers work to control instructional variables such as difficulty, space, time language, and interpersonal relations

makes wise choices about the most effective instructional strategies to use

makes good use of classroom management techniques, in-line with the 5 global principles of effective classroom management

to belong and feel connected/respected

to have a sense of autonomy, allowing for self-determination and accountability

to feel competent, successful, and accomplished

‘plant the seeds’ of values that encourage a healthy classroom environment


have realistic goals and classroom expectations in place


reinforce student responsibility

give students the opportunity to solve problems, instilling autonomy and ownership


discipline effectively to encourage self-discipline

help students work through their mistakes

design complex tasks

give students control in terms of planning and goal-setting

allow students to self-evaluate

encourage collaboration with teachers when problem-solving

Week 5

3 Guiding Principles to Choosing Effective Instructional Mechanisms

Examples of Instructional Practices

UID: the use of physical spaces/tools that cater to the needs of all students, especially those with exceptionalities
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incorporate methods that emphasize constructivism into all teaching

gear teaching methods toward the process of student thinking, not knowledge acquisition

Motivation: getting students engaged in their own learning through the efficient design of tasks, use of problem-solving strategies, and building strong classroom relationships

UDL: a framework that focuses on 3 principles for developing a learning environment suited to the needs of individual students # #

Direct Instruction (DI a.k.a. ‘explicit teaching’): presenting students with small amounts of information and providing many opportunities to practice

Student-Problem Solving: includes the use of verbal protocol analysis and problem/project/inquiry-based learning (PPIL)

Developmentally Appropriate Learning: treats the child as an active explorer and focuses on guided play rather than the provision of information, accounts for cognition and emotion

social emotional benefits = greater emotional regulation and motivation, less stress and behavior problems

academic benefits = improved reading and math scores

Provide multiple means of representation (perception, language, expressions, symbols, comprehension)

Provide multiple means of action and expression (physical action, expression, communication)

Provide multiple means of engagement (sustaining interest/effort/persistence and promoting self-regulation)

Week 6

How do we decide what to teach?

Bloom’s Taxonomy: a six-level classification of cognitive learning goals

  1. Knowledge
  2. Comprehension
  3. Application
  4. Analysis
  5. Synthesis
  6. Evaluation

diagnostic assessment: gauging student prerequisite knowledge as a starting point

Backward Design: developing a course of teaching methods and lessons/units from specific learning objectives, involves 3 steps
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How People Learn (HPL) Framework: a break-down of how individual learning is centered around 4 main facets, allowing educators to plan a course of learning effectively

Understanding By Design: a framework for curriculum planning, assessment design, and teaching for understanding

Assessment for Learning

learner-centredness: who learns? how? why?

knowledge-centredness: what should be taught? why? how should this be organized?

community-centredness: what aspects of a classroom or school communities enhance learning?

assessment-centredness: what evidence can be used to determine if learning is actually occurring?

assessment serves different purposes at different times (e.g. diagnostic, formative, summative)

assessment is only efficient when it is well-planned (using methods such as backward design)

curriculum planning- expectations (framing questions, learning goals) are provided by the teacher and met by the students

assessment design

teaching for understanding- focus on type (e.g. questions used) and style (e.g. criterion vs norm-based) of assessment

  1. Identify desired results
  1. Determine acceptable evidence
  1. Plan learning experiences and instruction

assessment for learning (diagnostic)

assessment as learning (formative)

assessment of learning (summative)

Week 7

Intelligence

Cognitive Styles, Learning Styles, and Temperament

Special Education: providing appropriate education for students with special needs

Including Students with Exceptionalities #

social benefits for all when those with exceptionalities are included in the classroom

there is NO negative impact on other students’ academics when those with exceptionalities are included in the classroom

universal design/differentiated instruction are key tools

inclusion > segregation if possible in all situations

Who receives it?

key to success = proper assessment of student abilities- without this, special education isn’t effective

IEPs- documents designed for students with exceptionalities that include individualized goals and the methods/strategies that will be used to achieve these

high-incidence exceptionalities- ‘mild’ disabilities e.g. learning disabilities, giftedness, behavioural disorders

low-incidence exceptionalities- ‘moderate’ or ‘severe’ disabilities e.g. autism, hearing/visual impairments

cognitive style: one’s way of perceiving, thinking and problem-solving, has connections to personality

learning style: one’s preferred method of learning and type of learning environment, has impacts on how much/what is accomplished

temperament: one’s way of behaving and responding to new occurrences, including things such as activity level, attention span, and adaptability

as a structure or a process

Ken Robinson on creativity in schools

schools need to value the whole-being, an important part of which is creativity

fostering creativity may lead to ‘being wrong’, something that needs to be okay in a school environment

creativity should be treated as important as literacy

structure- Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences states that there are 8 structures of intelligence, each using different parts of the brain

process- Sternberg’s theory of human intelligence sees it as a series of processes across 3 realms that lead to learning and problem solving

Week 8

Week 9

How can teachers build a culturally responsive practice?

What are some of the socio-cultural considerations that need to be accounted for within a classroom?

What methods of teaching can satisfy the needs of learners from different backgrounds?

Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT)

works to incorporate cultural content into an effective learning environment

Differentiated Instruction (DI)- ‘mixed-ability teaching’; appropriate in environments where students have a wide range of ability

6 characteristics of CRT- validating, comprehensive, multidimensional, empowering, transformative, and emancipatory

examine their own cultural assumptions

ask students about their own cultural backgrounds, to help inform instructional practices

develop teaching strategies that satisfy the needs of students from different backgrounds, and know how/when to use them appropriately

learn how to mediate cultural incompatibilities and make links across different cultures

create a classroom curriculum that includes multiple cultural representations and contexts

differences within identified groups- while social identity factors can be related to race/culture/gender/socio-economic status (SES) and have impacts on learning, it is important to remember that this is not always the case and there is significant variability in groups

SES- the factor with the greatest impact on academic achievement, however it is necessary to remember variability within groups

stereotype threat- the fear that acting in a certain way will confirm an existing stereotype of your group; important for teachers to avoid the enforcement of this in their classrooms

cultural identity- it is important to be aware of the cultural diversity in your classroom, but not necessarily to completely understand all students’ cultural identity

Aboriginal education- factors that encourage success in Aboriginal students: early intervention, resiliency, positive self-image, family engagement, community involvement, relevant programming, Aboriginal role models

What is a standardized test?

What is the controversy behind standardized tests?

What are some of the significant issues linked to standardized testing?

How can we design better standardized tests? (Popham's 5 Essential Elements)

PROS

CONS

allows comparison of academic success between schools/provinces/countries

can aid in determining the specific strengths/weaknesses of a school/provinces/countries

can help students identify where they stand academically in comparison to their peers

causes many teachers to ‘teach to the test’

too much focus on literacy/numeracy, ignoring creativity, critical thinking skills, technological ability

can trigger student disengagement

often culturally biased

a test given to a large group of learners that is comprised of all the same questions, given at the same time, and assessed in the same manner

purpose is to assess effectiveness of instruction within a given area

source of student/teacher stress (can impact results)

focusing on preparing students for said tests takes up valuable lesson time

takes away teacher autonomy related to selecting learning topics

  1. The test must assess important curricular goals
  1. The curricular goals must be teachable
  1. The assessed knowledge and skills must be clearly described and accurately reflect effective learning
  1. The test must be specific enough to directly guide instruction
  1. The assessment process must be minimally intrusive on classrooms

I believe is arguably the most important skill a teacher can have, and that it should be part of any teacher's daily routine- reflecting on how individual lessons or activities went, in addition to entire units and semesters. Doing so can only strengthen one's practice and will ultimately benefit future students!

I would say that this is the most recurring subject throughout the course, linking to almost every week in some way. I plan to implement UDL in all of my classrooms, starting small if necessary, and working up to organizing my entire classroom in this way.

After working as a nanny and tutoring 3 children every evening, from my experience, I can confirm that these are the most important learner needs. Without these, it is unlikely that a student will be motivated to complete their work, or have any desire to succeed.

I believe it's important to incorporate each of these types of learning into each lesson as often as possible! Without assessment, it is impossible to know how your students are doing, and impossible to engage in reflective practice to determine how you can change your practice to encourage further student success.

Having worked closely with a student possessing a low-incidence exceptionality, I recognize the importance of providing special education to these learners. Without it, many of these children are not just at a slight disadvantage in terms of their capacity to learn, but many will not be included in formal education of any sort.

As my goal is to work in a largely Aboriginal community, this TED Talk was thought-provoking regarding how we can be successful in approaching Aboriginal education.This is area that I hope to learn more about throughout this program, as well as one that I plan on doing some of my own research into.