Literacy and Numeracy

The level of literacy and numeracy of students differs a lot individually at tertiary institutions. Some of them are good in reading but cannot extract the theme of the text they read. The tertiary educators dealing with literacy and numeracy should understand their learners’ skills of literacy and numeracy and accordingly plan their strategy to enable the learner to meet the demand of the course.

I would like to mention the teaching session on reading by Pariya Williams at Language Learning Centre. The learners were diverse in terms of age, gender and understanding. Among the male learners some were mature adults and three of them were young adults. Among the females also two were mature and others were young adults. They were from China and other South East Asian countries.

Rebecca (2011) mentions in her blog the following techniques for reading.

1.      Show and tell

2.      Tap into Prior Knowledge

3.      Give time to talk

4.      Pre-teach Vocabulary

5.      Use visual aids

6.      Pause , ask questions , pause , Review

 I observed some of the techniques in Pariya’s class. She used different scaffolding techniques to develop their reading. She divided the whole text into small pieces and told them to read a small part. She also applied the differentiation technique and facilitated those learners who were struggling with vocabulary. She emphasized on ‘Think Aloud’ technique in which the students discussed in groups the topic sentence and tried to understand the theme of the passage. She started with the topic sentence of the passage and the students understood that the theme of the passage is to find the causative factor of shortage of teachers in the United Kingdom. She gave them time to talk and was taking pauses and asking questions after a little pause.

Similarly the other constituents (writing and speaking) of literacy can be developed through scaffolding and differentiation techniques. The educators should try to develop their lesson plans keeping in mind the context and culture of the adult learners because these are the two essential elements to engage the adult learners.  

The New Zealand Ministry of Education (2010) launched various numeracy projects which provide guidelines for students, parents and facilitators. The online material to learn numeracy is organized.   Numeracy can be best developed in the context. The best way to start with is learning about numbers by counting the objects. The selection of objects to be counted should of their interest for example an adult farmer can be asked to count the number of sheep in the pictures. Gradually they should learn the recognition of number from 0 to 9. This can be done by displaying charts and cards. Initially the number should be written in order. Later on cards with jumbled numbers should be given to them and they should be asked to rewrite them in correct order. In this way using scaffolding and differentiation techniques the facilitator should teach them large numbers, add, and subtract, multiply and numerical word problems. The statements of the word problems should be selected with utmost care. For example: “Martin went to the supermarket. He had $25. He bought a packet of bread for $2, 1 kg. cooking oil for $6, two packets of biscuits for $1.15 each. How much did he spend in all? How much money had he left with?” The problems should be related to their daily life. I would like to give the example of a numeracy project launched by the local govt. for the farmers in my home town. It was held in the grain market in 2006. The facilitators enabled the illiterate farmers to learn about numbers by counting the sacks of wheat. They were practicing numeracy orally. How many sacks were packed each day? How many of them are loaded into the trucks? How many of them are left? After getting oral practice, they were taught to recognize the numbers through cards and feedback was taken by asking them questions about the numbers written on different objects in the market. The next step was to write the numbers and the practice was given through a number chart and they were told to count the number of sacks packed per hour and note down the number on paper by looking at the chart for each hour. They also learnt to prepare a bill for the crop sold in the last two days. The facilitator took the copies of the bill and enabled them to practice. Initially they calculated for small amount and with practice they learnt to prepare the bill for large calculation.

Alber, R. (2011). The six scaffolding strategies to use with your students. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/scaffolding-lessons-six-strategies-rebecca-alber on August 31, 2013.

The New Zealand Ministry of education. (2010). Numeracy Projects. Retrieved from http://nzmaths.co.nz/numeracy-projects on August 31, 2013.

Adult Development Theories

Baumgartner (2000) mentions four lenses through which adult development will be seen are: behavioral or mechanistic, cognitive or psychological, contextual or socio-cultural, and integrative.

1.       Behavioral Approach: According to this approach people learn by responding to stimuli. Instructors provide opportunity for drills and practice to the learners. They use positive and negative reinforcement to develop a certain behavior.

2.       Cognitive Approach: The psychological or cognitive perspective focuses on an individual's "internal developmental processes" in interaction with the environment (Clark & Caffarella,1999,p.5). It emphasizes that adult learner learn through active participation and interaction with their environment.

3.       Contextual Approach: The contextual or socio-cultural perspective on development works from the point of view that adult development cannot be understood apart from the socio-historical context in which it occurs (Miller, 1993). Socio-cultural elements such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation influence adult development. It is the intersection of these factors rather than a single factor that affects adult development and learning (Baumgartner & Merriam, 2000). The instructors who favor this approach try to blend the different cultural and contextual content into their teaching methods. They keep themselves aware of the diversity of their learners.

4.       Integrated Approach: The integrated approach to adult development takes a holistic view of adult development. This perspective is focused on how the intersections of mind, body, and socio-cultural influences affect development (Clark & Caffarella, 1999). It is believed that there is a connection between mind, body, spirit and socio-cultural factors. Educators believe in the all round development of the learners. The learner should grow intellectually, physically, emotionally, spiritually, aesthetically and morally. (Miller, 1999).

Teaching Philosophy: A good teacher follows one teaching philosophy. A better teacher favors two philosophies. The best teacher always considers his learners to adopt a certain teaching philosophy. I never remain stuck to one teaching philosophy. I believe in alternative and suitable learning model that suits my learners. After examining the above mentioned approaches, I find my teaching philosophy mostly fit into the integrated approach as I always favor the all round development of my learners.  

References:

Baumgartner, L., & Merriam, S. M. (2000). Adult Learning and Development: Multicultural Stories. Malabar, FL: Krieger. Retrieved from http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=268.html on 25 August 2013

Clark, M., & Caffarella, R. (eds.) (2000), An Update on Adult Development Theory: New Ways of Thinking about the Life Course. (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, No. 84.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=268.html on 25 August 2013

Miller, J.  (1999). "Making connections through holistic learning." Educational Leadership, 56 (4), 46-48. Retrieved from http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=268.html on 25 August 2013

Pedagogies

Teaching and learning are the most dynamic elements in the world. The education field has observed a number of changes. If we look into the past the face to face teaching was dominating in the learning process. But the advancement of technology and the busy modern life forced the educators to think and find out alternative methods of delivering the course so that it should be accessible to everyone conveniently.

Pedagogies are institutional approaches to create learning environment. The choice of pedagogy depends on many factors like:

     1.       Context

     2.       Content

     3.       Learner

Context refers to the learning environment which includes the infrastructure, stake holders, and state policies. Online or blended pedagogies require well developed means of electronic communication. The nature of the course is also a key point in determining the right pedagogy. The completely theoretical course can be developed as purely online. On the other hand, a course that has a practical content can be delivered through blended pedagogy. The practical content can be delivered through block courses and theoretical component can be completed online. The centre of the whole learning process is the learner. Are they digitally literate? If yes, online pedagogy is suitable for them. If no, the blended pedagogy will serve our purpose in which they can be facilitated to use modern technology in learning.

An electronic portfolio is a platform where a user manages the evidences of his learning by using different online tools like blogs, slide share, wiki spaces, uploading text, videos, images and hyperlinks. Jenny (2005) states, “E-portfolios, like traditional portfolios, can facilitate students' reflection on their own learning, leading to more awareness of learning strategies and needs.” They can be updated conveniently therefore they are very dynamic. Personal learning environment puts the learner at the centre. It allows the learners to manage, modify, arrange the learning material as it suits to them. Personal Learning Environments (PLE’s) are the systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to:

       1.       Set their own learning goals.

       2.       Manage their learning, both content and process.

       3.       Communicate with others in the process of learning.

Nowadays digital portfolios are gaining momentum at all levels of education. They are becoming popular at schools where the record the students’ development is kept updated online which is always available to the parents and the students. Tertiary education which is more self directed helps the learners and the facilitators to reflect on the learning development and plan accordingly the future course of action. 

References:

 Moon, Jenny. (2005). "Guide for Busy Academics No. 4: Learning through reflection" (MSWord). The Higher Education Academy. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_portfolio#cite_note-1 on 25 August 2013.

Van Harmelen, H., "Design trajectories: four experiments in PLE implementation", Interactive Learning Environments, 1744-5191, Volume 16, Issue 1, 2008, Pages 36 – 46 Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Learning_Environment 25 August 2013.

Learning Theories

                                               

                                                 

Learning theories explain the learning styles of various learners and guide us to design a course. These are applicable to teaching and learning but the extent of application of different theories varies according to context, content, nature of learners and age of learners. The teachers unknowingly apply these learning theories while teaching.

I would take the example of the school of carpentry at OP. The certificate level 4 course consist of six modules which are further divided into forty four units. The program includes theory and practical work. The emphasize is on practical work. The question is how are the learning theories applied in the course?

It consists of unit called health and safety in which the theory and practical are required. After explaining the theory the teacher takes the learners to the workshop where he himself use health and safety kits and explains the students how to operate different tools and machines. The learners follow the instructions of the teacher step by step and repeat the same and they develop behavior which enables them to follow health and safety rules while operating the machines. The teacher use positive and negative reinforcement to encourage them to learn.

There is a unit in which teacher act as a facilitator and supervise the work the learners. The student form three groups and each group design and construct a house. The students work independently and are facilitated by the teacher. They involve themselves in constructing new thing and the facilitator refines their understanding through supervision.

To conclude all the learning theories have their own importance and are applied in different situation in designing the program and learning.                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

   

The Maori and The Pasifika Learners

The models of learning have changed in this modern era. As all the planets revolve around the sun, similarly the learning methodologies, strategies and techniques revolve around the learner. The rate of success of learning process depends on facilitators’ knowledge of learner. Moreover the value of culture competency adds to the efficacy of the learning process.

Maori students have a very low rate of success in tertiary education field and different findings suggest the reason is ignoring the culture. “Maori students often found themselves operating between two cultures, that of home and another of the school where, ironically, they were considered to be ‘culturally different’ in their own country” (Jones et al., 1995).So, I opine that my priority will be to under the basic cultural values of my learners. They are the key to make my learners actively participate in the learning process. “The integration of Māori culture values within tertiary education is widely acknowledged as an essential element in the development of improved Māori retention and success” (Campbell, 2004; Durie, 2003; Bishop, 1999). The Whanau Group methods integrate the Maori Values into Tertiary Education and provide them an opportunity to remain connected with their culture. The Pasifika learners do not differ much from the Maori Learners. Bronwyn Hegarty (October 30, 2012) represented a model on the Pasifika learners. She states that family is the base of the foundation of the Pasifika learners. The success of the learners belongs to family and community values. The respect of the culture provides them safety and an encouragement to participate in the classroom. Therefore the learners should be able to express their culture. They believe in spiritual values which include Christianity and traditional values for nature, history and ancestors. The physical and the mental well being are the other factors which must be protected by the facilitator by arranging a suitable environment in the classroom according to context.   

The four models called Te Whare Tapa Whā, Ako, Tuakana-Tiena, and Pōwhiri Poutama provide me a good guidance to manage the diversity in the class. The ‘Te Whare Tapa Wha’ refers to apply group work to learning process. The group work will encourage the learners to interact with each other and understand and respect for other cultures. The concept of ‘Ako’ supports interactive learning in which I will act as a facilitator rather than an instructor. It will enable me increase participation of diverse learners. For example there are individual problems of learners which can be handled by a facilitator. The principle of ‘Tuakana-Tiena’ is helpful to manage a class of different range of experiences and skills. It is convenient to divide my learners into pairs in which one member will be less experience than the other. For example the learners have different digital literacy and accordingly pairing can be done. Pōwhiri Poutama allows me to start the learning process from simple to complex and it is the best methodology to build up the confidence of learners. 

References:
Bronwyn, H. (October 30, 2012). Pasifika learner’s literacy and numeracy. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux9sLwmuIUU&list=PLMzi9_F5p1YB-hmP4_V8gz3ZWpT-el8Ww&index=3

Campbell, T. (2004). Ethnicity, the Treat and Māori health improvement… let’s put it in perspective. New Zealand Nursing Review, 20(4), 7-8. Retrieved from: http://www.waiariki.ac.nz/documents/academic/Indigenous-Journal-Edition2_may2011.pdf

Durie, M. (2003). Providing health services to indigenous peoples. British Medical Journal 327(7412), 408-409. Retrieved from: http://www.waiariki.ac.nz/documents/academic/Indigenous-Journal-Edition2_may2011.pdf

Jones, A., Marshall, J., Matthews, K., Smith, G., & Smith, L. (1995). Myths & realities: Schooling in New Zealand (2nd Ed.). Palmerston North: The Dunmore Press. http://unitec.researchbank.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10652/1539/Jenny%20Sherrif%20MEdL&M.pdf

Diversity

Diversity refers to variety of elements that compose a certain ecosystem from micro to macro level. We generally define it at micro level like diversity of plants or animals; cultures or traditions, languages etc. But in terms of learning environment it has wider scope. It involves culture, age, gender, socio-economic status, language proficiency and access to resources etc.

I would like to mention a group of students of year 16 that I taught in India. The school is located in the suburban area and is accessible to the students of surrounding urban and rural areas. Although they belonged to same ethnicity still there was diversity in the class. The diverse factors were unequal socio-economic status, religious beliefs, access to resources like technology and transport, abilities and language proficiency.

It was really challenging for me to engage such a class. The first step was to relate myself with my learners. It is the most important factor that a teacher should understand for active participation. Randy Miller (2010) states in his blog posting that a teacher should know how to connect with his students. If a teacher fails in connecting with learners, even a well prepared lesson cannot achieve its objectives.

My students were extreme in many ways like the students from rural areas were poor, unfavorable learning environment at home, no access to technology like computers and mobile phones, English proficiency was low. On the other hand urban students belong to rich and educate families, so the environment was conducive to learn. They had access to modern means of technology and communication skills were better than rural students.

As mentioned above, my priority was to create a relationship with my students. I used to visit my students and meet the family members. I took part in their religious ceremonies. I used to spend a long time to talk to students and their family members to share their joys and sorrows. The families understood their role in learning. It benefitted me a lot as they all welcomed my activities outside the comfort zone of the school. This close relationship helped me to engage my learners.

The second step was to decrease the gap between the efficiencies of learners. The school has well developed computer lab in which I divided the students in groups and some students were asked to act as mentors for others. They were encouraged to use internet to upgrade their communication skills and search the support required for their lessons. I suggested them to listen some radio programs and watch a channel called Gyan Darshan which is freely available.

To sum up, I tried to understand their emotional intelligence by developing a constructive relationship with them and enabled them to use that for their all round development. Evans (2007) studied emotional intelligence in high school students and revealed that high school students used certain self-regulation methods that led them to academic and social success. Students who have worked positively with others had self-regulating experiences that led to the students’ high achievement, social adjustment, and empowerment.

References:-

Evans, H. T. (2007). A phenomenological study: The benefits of self-regulation regarding student achievement, social adjustment, and empowerment. Retrieved from: http://www.hrmars.com/admin/pics/721.pdf

Randy, M. (2010). The importance of Culturally Competent Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-miller/the-importance-of-cultura_b_787876.html

Expert Learner

An expert learner can formulate plans and devise different strategies to use the available resources optimally so that the desired learning outcomes can be achieved. He possesses a prior knowledge and is able to relate that knowledge with the learning situations. He can regulate and monitor progress and modifies his tactics from time to time to adapt with the changing trends. 

Keeping in mind the list of characteristics that an expert learner must have, I possess a few of them like adaptable, flexible, self motivating, independent, and persistence and explore different ways and time management. Most of the characteristics are missing in me. In my opinion these characteristics are not inborn. They develop gradually throughout our life. It depends on culture, education system in which learning takes place, sincerity and determination and willingness to achieve. In my case, I learnt for sake of employment, better opportunities and most of the education I achieved was without any goal.

It seems quite difficult but it is not impossible to develop the required characteristics. The most important thing that I need to set up a certain goal or objective. The set goal will direct me in a right direction. It will enable me to find the resources available and use them optimally to achieve it.  The better way to develop this habit is to find out the limitations and tackling them with appropriate strategies. 

To sum up, the better way to learn is to set objectives, plan and set a time frame to achieve, seek resources, develop different strategies to use them optimally, review and monitor progress from time to time, change strategies and modify your techniques to follow the right path.