Pedagogical Principles

Pedagogies of Online Welcome | Faculty Focus

What are the Pedagogical Principles (defined in the Learning Materials)?

The Pedagogical Principals are defined as: 

1. Facilitating deep knowledge through higher order thinking 

2. Facilitating collaborative learning in which conversations are important 

3. Supporting students in knowing how they learn best 

4. Planning learning that is problem-based, and situated in real life contexts 

5. Is relevant to students, and connects to their background knowledge 

6. Supports learning that is owned, controlled and managed by students themselves 

7. Is socially supportive, engaging, and values cultural knowledges 

8. Is supportive of the development of active citizenship, and strong group identity. 

Retrieved from: A Guide to Productive Pedagogies (unimelb.edu.au)

What do the Pedagogical Principles mean to you in common language?

Pedagogical principles mean that as I continue my degree I need to work out the best teaching pedagogies that suit me, in order to have a planned approach to teach the students authentically. This will support student learning and my individual teaching approach. It will help me form relationships with students where I am confident in my practice.

Consider whether the Pedagogical Principles make sense to you in terms of your own experience in learning that has a) been pedagogically sound, and b) been pedagogically woeful?

Throughout my high school, my job as a Teacher Aid and as a university student I have experienced pedagogical principles being implemented successfully as well as ineffectively.  As a school student, I remember feeling bored and disengaged through a few of my high school subjects. I feel this was because of the way teacher was relaying the information and not making it easy to understand or comprehend, particularly for a student like myself where I needed extra time to process new information. However, I found ITD and HPE to be subjects that I enjoyed as the pedagogical principles were sound.

Can you recognise these pedagogies in the experiences you have identified in the sound category? Elaborate.

Throughout high school, I found that my ITD and HPE subjects were definitely in the sound category. Firstly, because my teachers where enthusiastic and made what we were learning interesting. Secondly, because it was engaging. Finally, because it was relatable to real life.

Beyond this, can you identify the links between Judy Willis' knowledge of the brain and learning, Sir Ken Robinson's perspective on creativity, the needs of your contemporary learners and these pedagogical principles?

I can identify links between Judy Willis' Knowledge of the brain and the messages she gives. Her pedagogical ways of Teaching were aimed at reducing students' boredom during class and encouraging their engagement. These are similar to Sir Ken Robinson, as he advocates creativeness and encourages outside the box thinking. These ideas are inspirational, for they evolve students' higher order thinking. Thus, the students become more creative and critical thinkers, more engaged and ultimately become contemporary learners reaching their full potential.

Why is it important to engage social interaction and prior knowledge, and plan for individualised and socially supportive, valued learning?

It is important to engage students in social interaction and use their prior knowledge to develop an understanding of what student already know and how they can incorporate that into what they are learning about. Planning for social and individualised interactions, ensures students can apply every-day knowledge and considerations, making the learning more approachable and attainable.

Reflect on your experiences of pedagogy as a learner. How many of these pedagogies are you familiar with?

I am reflecting on my post-school cabinet making apprenticeship. This is where I remember our teacher using Pedagogy Principle (2) 'Facilitating collaborative learning in which conversations are important', when allowing students to work together when using timber. (4)  'Planning learning that is problem-based, and situated in real life contexts' and (8) 'Is supportive of the development of active citizenship, and strong group identity' were also seen when we were put in groups to work collaboratively and come up with solutions to make a timber based product that would be useful and efficient in real life scenarios. 

 

 

Bloom's Taxonomy - Higher Order Thinking

 

Bloom’s Taxonomy | Center for Teaching | Vanderbilt University

Reflecting on higher order thinking

Secondary discipline areas are often content-laden. Use Robyn Collins Curriculum and Leadership as a foundation, and consider the Australian Curriculum in your selected junior discipline area. Identify the process/research/inquiry skills that are required. They are skills that, according to Collins, are best developed through application to real-life contexts. Use the Aims, rationale and structure of the curriculum to uncover the global approaches of importance, as well as the content.

Collins states "the extent to which higher-order thinking skills are taught and assessed continues to be an area of debate, with many teachers and employers expressing concern that young people ‘cannot think’". This is important note in all subjects, particularly in HPE, one of my junior disciplinary Key Learning Areas(KLA). There are many assumptions that HPE is easy and does not involve much thinking as it is 'just running around and playing games'. However, just as in other in KLAs, critical thinking is required. For example, in years 7 and 8, students are to "Evaluate strategies to manage personal, physical and social changes that occur as they grow older (ACPPS071) (ACARA)". The verb 'evaluate' is one of the Bloom's Taxonomy forms of higher-order thinking. This curriculum descriptor aims to encourage students to evaluate changes that relate to themselves and others in society.

SAMR Drawing it all together

 

Teaching Digitally: All About the SAMR Model - The Owl Teacher

Write a reflection that draws together Blooms Taxonomy, your understanding of ICT pedagogy and the SAMR model as it relates to your teaching context. 

Rather than think about what you have experienced in schools, try to take an aspirational position on this reflection. Examine not what currently exists, but what is possible.
This will become the foundation of your own pedagogical framework which will later be mapped against a learning design.
When reflecting on Blooms Taxonomy, ICT pedagogies and the SAMR Model, it can be noted that the SAMR Model and Bloom's Taxonomy are similar frameworks, showing progressions in levels of learning and tools required to progress. As mentioned previously, when students are evaluating 'strategies to manage personal, physical and social changes' (ACPPS071), they can use technological tools in varying ways, either substituting, augmenting, modifying and redefining tasks. When given this task, at first the task can be set out in the first stage of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model (GRRM), where the teacher is using technology by substituting and augmenting. Then when students apply critical thinking, they can modify and redefine using technological tools, the 'You Do' stage in GRRM. Technology pedagogies need to demonstrate understanding of the progressions of the mentioned frameworks, to ensure students can achieve their potential and are not given limitations.

Legal, safe and ethical ICT practice

 

Cyber Safety and the Responsible Use of IT | AISM

Legal, safe and ethical practice and what it means for you

What are the dimensions of legal, safe and ethical practice outlined in the Australian Curriculum: ICT as a General Capability?
This information is taken from ACARA:
This element involves students developing an understanding of how social and ethical protocols and practices are applied when using ICT.

Students apply appropriate practices to recognise the intellectual property for digital information of themselves and others. They use appropriate practices for the physical and logical storage and security of digital information, and apply appropriate protocols when using ICT to safely create, communicate or share information. Students gain an understanding of the benefits and consequences of the use of ICT by individuals, groups and communities and the impact of the use of ICT on the fabric of society. In developing and acting with ICT capability, students:

- recognise intellectual property
- apply digital information security practices
- apply personal security protocols
- identify the impacts of ICT in society.

What will you need to consider in your curriculum learning areas?
When considering legal, safe and ethical practice using ICT, here are some examples that relate to Industrial Technology and Design (ITD) and Health and Physical Education (HPE):

ITD:
- intellectual property when creating designs for products in timber, metal and graphics
- security protocols when saving their work and designs
- apply digital information security practices when searching online for inspiration

HPE:
- identifying the impacts of ICT in society when analysing Health curriculum concepts
- apply personal security protocols when answering personal information