Observation of teaching practice and Learning Design

Part A (Individual Observation of teaching practice)
The first section of this task is an individual observation of teaching practice.  Under the “For your assessment” link for Topic 7, you will find links to 5 samples of teaching practice which are the resources to be used for Part A.
You need to choose ONE video and complete a 500-word observation using the question framework below as a guide for what to observe.  You should identify the video you have chosen at the beginning of your observation e.g. Observation of teaching practice – Video sample 3 – Exploring the world through the eye of a camera (the link below will direct you to the video)

1.    How are students learning in this sample of teaching practice?

2.    What does the teacher do to facilitate student learning?

3.    How does the learning experience achieve some or all of these outcomes:
•    Encourage learners’ independence and autonomy
•    Assist in the development of thinking skills
•    Promote real life learning
•    Embed meaningful literacy and / or numeracy learning
•    Allow for creativity and imagination
•    Provide for child-centred or student-centred learning that caters for a diverse range of interests, needs and backgrounds
•    Provide creative and / or challenging opportunities to stimulate learning in a developmentally appropriate way?

The video sample you choose may not show evidence of teaching practice that includes all of the dot points above but the list will alert you to the types of interactions and teacher actions to look for that are relevant to the observation.
You should select specific aspects of the learning environment including the physical space and teacher actions, questions, feedback or prompts that provide evidence of the claims you are making about the outcomes that the learning experience achieves.  Refer to the first two criteria on the criteria sheet to ensure you demonstrate the knowledge and understanding expected in your observation.

References

Reading 1
The following reading from Snowman et al (2009) extends the understanding of constructivist learning theories that you explored in Topic 4.  As you read the extract, take particular note of the three conditions described in the text for fostering constructivist learning.  See pages 342-343 and the headings “cognitive apprenticeship”, “situated learning” and “multiple perspectives” and record your own list of characteristics or strategies that teachers can use to set up these conditions for learning.

(NB: Please note that the resource for this reading includes the whole book. This is because the text is no longer in print and the library has made the entire book available online as a resource.  When you click on the link below, the CRO may take a couple of minutes to download.  After the page to the CRO opens, on the left hand side you will see bookmarks for each chapter.  The pages you need to read are included in Chapter 10 so click on this link to find the reading.  For this reading, the only relevant section of the book that you need to read is from page 337 to page 350.)
Constructivist approaches to learning(Snowman 2009)

Reading 2
In Topic 7, you examined constructivist learning theories in more detail and were introduced to the term “zone of proximal development” which describes “the distance between what a learner can do unaided and what the learner can do with the support of a teacher” .
The following reading describes and illustrates the process of scaffolding as a “special kind of help that assists learners to move towards new skills, concepts or levels of understanding” (Gibbons, 2002, p.10 cited in Brady, 2006).  The reading includes an excellent illustration of the link between support for learning and engagement in learning which should provide a framework for selecting and evaluating your planned activities and strategies for Assessment Task 2.  (See Figure 2 on page 13 of the reading)
Read the whole chapter as background information, then complete the activity that follows below.
Brady – A collaborative view of learning 2006

Reading 3
The final reading for this week includes examples of some very useful teaching practices that can be described as strategic planned moves that open up communication to actively engage children and students in their learning.
To begin you should skim read through the section from pp. 83-88 which introduces principles for “dialogic pedagogies”.  This term simply refers to pedagogies or strategies which promote children’s and students’ abilities to “talk with more substance” (Edwards-Groves, Anstey & Bull, 2014, p.83) about their learning and the tasks they are involved in to deepen their understandings and ability to construct meaning.  The authors refer to the planned and spontaneous actions of teachers as the “sayings, doings and relatings” that create supportive and engaging environments where meaningful learning is possible.  This section of the reading will provide vocabulary and reference support for your detailed observation of teaching practice for Part A.
Dialogue, pedagogy and practice – Edwards-Groves et al 2014

Reading 4
Groundswater Learning Theories