How do we see schooling differently?
Walking around many schools they look and feel the same as when we
attended school.
The world around us is completely different! The access to technology and the potential technology offers to learn. The classroom engagement! The interaction among peers! The many learning resources, physical and digital. Think about how LEARNING is taking place, in the classroom.
How learners interact in many ways has changed. They are aware of technology and in many instances have access to technology, even in underserved communities. Many young people are absorbed in the world of digital communication and interaction.
How are we teaching differently from the way we were taught?
How do we inspire creativity?
How do we incorporate the need for analytical analysis and critical thinking into lessons?
If we are teaching coding? Is it copy and paste? Or are we getting the learners to create their own code? Are they thinking about what they are doing?
How are we allowing learners to experience the learning? To recognise that they are unique individuals and see things differently from the person next to them?
How are we allowing for an awareness of the world around them? Allowing for the study and exploration of the world around them, such as the impact of climate change on their local community. Could learners come up with solutions to the problems? Do we promote this type of learning? It is all about, asking the right questions AND allowing learners to ask and formulate their OWN questions to be discussed and explored!
How are we teaching learners about sustainability and environmental awareness?
Are we growing vegetables and fruit at school? Are we encouraging learners to grow food in their backyards or if no backyard teaching them how to solve the problem by creating a living wall of edible plants?
Do we discuss issues that are impacting our lives? Such as discussing and addressing load shedding and getting children to think and experiment with solutions to solve the problem locally.
Making learning real and relevant. Learning that could potentially create jobs.
Learning that solving real problems empowers learning and empowers the learner. Such as incorporating ideas from the UNSDGs - exposing learners to real-world problems, and addressing ways to solve those problems in their communities.
PIRLs 2021 (Progress in International Reading Literacy Studies) report and the South Africa 2030 Reading Panel are saying our children can’t read for meaning. How are we actively teaching reading for meaning?
One example is to read and do! Read a section and build or make, thereby encouraging reading with comprehension and understanding. This is not just for little children, but all the way through - demonstrate your understanding!
Encouraging discussion and conversation. Building language skills, communication skills, confidence and self-assurance. Whatever age group we teach we should be allowing and encouraging dialogue, exchange of views, debate and deliberation in a safe learning space.
When teaching maths, are the maths problems relevant, adding meaning and understanding to the maths concepts?
As teachers, we truly need to empower our children to think, to be creative and to recognise that no matter who they are, they have the power to change and be an agent of change!
Inspire positive change agents for our country! We really need to see schooling and the way we teach differently!
What could you do to begin to change the way you teach? If as teachers we share ideas and explore the change, what an impact we could make in the lives of our learners, and in the country as a whole!
See schooling differently! Be an agent for positive change!
Share your ideas, I would love to hear from you.
e: info@karenwalstraconsulting.co.za
Karen.
Images from Slidesgo.com
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