[NIFL-AALPD:231] Think like a Teacher

From: Barbara Raines (braines@eldoradolibrary.org)
Date: Fri Apr 18 2003 - 12:41:17 EDT


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From: Barbara Raines <braines@eldoradolibrary.org>
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Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:231] Think like a Teacher
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Mary:

Good question.  I can only give a subjective opinion based on personal 
experience.  As a Psychology and Sociology  Professor for Los Rios 
Community College District for the past 20 years I have gone through the 
process of textbook selection, curriculum construction and presentation, 
and classroom evaluation.  In this setup, however, there are required 
course mandates which must be met, so they drive the engine.
What must I cover/present to meet the required mandates, that is first?
What printed materials will I use to meet those requirements most effectively?
What methods will I use to present the information, socratic, pedagogic, etc.
How will I use or incorporate the 23 individual learning styles in my 
classroom presentation to accommode the student differences?
         visual learner, auditory learner, kinesthetic learner, global 
learner, sequential learner, et al
         As well as presenting the information humoursly for greater 
retention, while maintaining respect and understanding for the      diverse 
backgrounds of the students.  This includes pacing for absorption and 
understanding of information presented.  And      most crucial questions 
and answers and feedback from the students.  Education without application 
can be futile.
How will I evaluate the effectiveness of presenting and retaining the 
information?
         exams, essays, verbal feedback, blackboard demonstrations, real 
life application examples, etc.

That is how one teacher thinks.  :-)

Barbara Raines, Director
Literacy Services Programs
El Dorado County Library
braines@eldoradolibrary.org

At 11:35 AM 04/18/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>A few thoughts on teacher learning, inspired by Eileen Eckert’s  statement :
>Disagreement or controversy over what constitutes evidence shouldn't be an 
>excuse to avoid the question of what difference PD makes in teachers' 
>knowledge and practice, and more importantly, in students' lives.
>
>I want to address the issue of what difference PD makes in teachers' 
>knowledge and practice. As Eileen mentioned, because teacher learning is 
>fairly recent as a research topic there is not a great deal of data on it 
>and the studies that are available have largely been conducted with 
>primary and secondary teachers (see, for example,  Lampert & Ball, 1998; 
>McAninch, 1993; Richardson, 1996).
>  It is probably safe to say, however, that what is known about adults as 
> learners generally applies to teachers specifically. My experience with 
> professional development and reading has shown me that teachers share 
> with other adult learners the desire to have their instruction be needs 
> based and centered on life situations. In their professional studies, 
> they prefer to incorporate their experience, exercise some control over 
> their learning, and to have their learning differences accommodated.
>It is probably also worth noting that socially constructed concepts of 
>teacher learning have been advocated as particularly applicable to 
>professional development for teachers of adults (Lytle & Cochran-Smith, 
>1998; McAninch, 1993; Richardson, 1994; Shulman, 1996). These concepts 
>have in common a focus on the classroom as the site of investigation, and 
>an emphasis on the importance of building community among teachers. 
>Instead of taking a position in the debate about what teachers need to 
>know, these models ask instead how teachers might come to know those 
>things. As Lampert and Ball point out, "learning to teach—like learning to 
>be an architect or a doctor—means learning to think like one"(1998, p. 
>36). What does "thinking like a teacher" mean for adult 
>educators?  Responses welcome.
>
>--
>Mary Russell
>National Center on Adult Literacy
>University of Pennsylvania
>3910 Chestnut St
>Philadelphia, PA 19104
>Phone: 215-746-6742
>Fax: 215-898-9804
>http://literacy.org



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