PEDAGOGICAL REFLECTION

The main pedagogical reflection that I have been through during this unit is the one produced by the ideas behind Exploratory Practice, as described by Dick Allwright: “First, we should, above our concern for instructional efficiency, prioritize the quality of life in the language classroom. Secondly, instead of trying to develop ever `improved´ teaching techniques, we should try to develop our understandings of the quality of language classroom life. Thirdly, we should expect working helpfully for understanding to be a fundamentally social matter, not an asocial one. Simple causal relationships are most unlikely to apply, but all practitioners, learners as well as teachers, can expect to gain, to `develop´, from this mutual process of working for understanding.” (Allwright, D. 2003, p.114) These ideas have spurred a surge of questions and a desire to seek answers along the lines of improving the quality of life in a language classroom. But what exactly is quality of life? Is it  floral arrangement every Monday morning?, Or a clean classroom?, o more precisely, a circular seating disposition of the furniture?

I will most certainly need some more research to confirm my early assumptions, that quality of life and that understandings are better served with a group based methodologies; but I can foresee, regardless of the research results, that I will be implementing group work and socially accepted understandings as the base of an improvement in the quality of life in the language classroom. Student centered class work and group driven methodologies can improve the communicative nature of a language learning environment, by providing ample opportunities to engage in the target language, a negotiated classroom dynamics where participation is a must, a priority.

It most certainly is refreshing to read literature that promotes the idea of the teacher as a researcher at work, where she or he have the liberty to engage any aspect of their practice at any time; where students are seen as learning entities and not empty vessels that are in need of filling.  It is my informed belief that language is best learn by using it in meaningful ways, meaningful ways to the students, not necessarily meaningful to the curriculum. To work for understandings starts by improving the quality of life in the language classroom, this can be done by “involving everybody”, “working to bring people together”, and to “work also for mutual development” (Allwright, D. 2003, p.129) In all I can say that I have gathered more elements to make my pedagogical practice a meaningful one, not just for me, but for all those involved in it.

 

PEDAGOGICAL REFLECTION SEPTEMBER 2015

This semester has brought me many surprises and numerous opportunities to grow; so far it has been a very interesting semester. The most striking instance amongst them all in this semester has been the chance where Marion Mcgowan and I disagree on an issue on deliverance of criticism. I have to admit that I am generally most aligned with Marion on this issue that on the opposing side, in fact I have been very stern at times  with my classmates in criticizing them; but I have also learn, rediscover maybe, about this so called “Chilean Idiosyncrasy”, where frontal and abrupt criticism is not accepted, better yet, it is almost frown upon, it does not matter how sincere or well intentioned it might be.

But the most admiring thing about this instance was the fact that Marion, instead of making her weight as a senior teacher be felt, and end any further discussion, saw perhaps that the arguing side might some reason after all and instead of choosing confrontation, opted to retrieve and settle the argument peacefully. I wonder if I could do that myself as a teacher, if I have the enough wisdom to foresee a chance to end an argument earlier. I wonder  If I would had enough humility to admit the opinion of a student and how I would respond to contradictions.

Storytelling has been an interesting topic indeed, how our traditions has been hanged down from generation to generation, what really makes us human, how the reverence for our elders and how the wisdom of our tribes have been built. It has also been interesting to notice the power of storytelling as a tool for teaching literacy, not just a foreign language or a second language, but how we transfer our common knowledge, our social genetics of sorts.

I have learn a lot of pedagogy and methodology during this semester: learn directness, simple facts such as that an Extensive Reading Program should be in English or that in storytelling a Story  should not be read but told.  Even though I am only in Methodology 1, I have made efforts to study methodology more and appreciate the fact that our classes are integrated, even though they are more demanding I truly think that as a program we are in the right course.

Pedagogical Reflection

There were so many great texts to be read during this unit, and the theme was so challenging, that I could not wait to start; but then the “strike” came about,  later the “take over” of the university stunned us all, and the word “ethics” took a new light.  One thing that can be salvage from all the havoc that went on at the university is precisely the fact that, at least in our career, students and teachers came together and work through this ordeal. It was in fact a real case of “ethics” at work.

I can not think of  anything else that caught my attention during this semester but the “toma” that shook our institution to its core.  At first I was appalled by the actions of these “radical” groups, I actually vent my anger at a makeshift assembly, but later on the thought came : How could you (I) be angry at the students that were doing exactly what you had done in the past?

In one of our readings, the one about ethics and post modernism, Simon (1992) is quoted: “the need to understand ethics not as part of a fixed moral code that guides behavior of the individual but rather as part of a contingent way of thinking and acting that is always in relation to social, cultural, and political relations”. Despite everything I did learn some things about “ethics”.

JOURNAL ENTRY NUMBER ONE

Questions

1. To what extent, your understanding of alternative pedagogies echoes the generalized concept that teacher´s basic task is transmission of knowledge?

Explain and provide evidence.

1. My understanding of alternative pedagogies does not echo the belief that the teacher´s basic task is purely to transmit knowledge. At the contrary, my belief goes along the alternative pedagogies´ path that the teacher is a purveyor, a guide, a facilitator, someone that oversees the students and knows, due to interaction, when his students are ready to go up in complexity and depth. My short experience as an educator has allowed me to experience the remarkable achievement of constructing knowledge, together; alongside children, who interrogate and ponder about the language, dissect it and build new words.  One is enriched by seeing language at work up close and gains a different perspective; the key factor it seems is not to believe yourself to be an all knowing entity, and to humbly admit that the student has her or his opinion and conception of the truth.  Beside my personal experience I can find evidence in the theories of Vygotski relating to the Zone of Proximal Developmental and how it is that children learn independently by doing and can acquire enough insight to proceed to the next level, by themselves guided by an educator. In this process the teacher should be a sparring partner, someone to bounce ideas off, and someone to share. It is my outmost belief that any child has within a light, our role is to feed that flame, not extinguish it.

2. Would applying alternative pedagogies in the classroom involve changing the overall educational system? Evidence your response.

1. I truly do not think that we could apply the alternative pedagogies outlook at the macro level in our educational system, but we could apply certain measures modeled after the educational tools developed by these alternative pedagogies, specifically Waldorf/Steiner and Montessori.

First of all, in order to implement an overhaul of our educational system alongside the lines of alternative pedagogies would imply such a gargantuan amount of money, that an educational system where the student represents a mere cold amount of money, could not even fathom the idea of picking up such a tab.

My suggested measures go along a more plausible realm, such as:

1. Reduction of the working hours for an individual teacher.
2. Increment of the planning hours per teacher.
3. Nationally unified assessments, which would guarantee the quality of the teachers. A unique entity dealing with the formation of teachers would seem to be a logical step.
4. Reduction of number of students per teacher. 1/15
5. Addition of a teacher per classroom 2/35-40
6. Didactic furnishing of classroom

Measures that could perfectly make a great impact and lead a change in how we impart our lessons, the way we teach or better said “construct” knowledge. Measures that are plausible enough to implement but that have a far reaching influence.

http://youtu.be/92nnz68iCU4

REFORM OR REVOLUTION?

Much has been said about the precarious situation that the public educational system in Chile is undergoing, and certainly one of the most mention aspects in the continuing discussion has been “quality”. But, what do we mean by “quality” exactly? How do we achieve it? How do we teach it? How do we implement it? It is almost irrefutable that quality needs to be improving upon, but we first need to better understand our needs as a nation:  Are we trying to educate children to fulfill the needs of a pre-industrial revolution country or Are we trying to prepare the citizens of a modern globalized society? Hence, the so called “alternative pedagogies”, such as Montessori or Waldorf, do help us hone in the definition of “quality” and show us a road map in the pursuit of a better educational system.

When analyzing or criticizing modern society one cannot help but to recourse to the readings of Herbert Marcuse, one of the most influential thinkers of the last century, who in his seminal work, “One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society”, stated that: “By virtue of the way it has organized its technological base, contemporary industrial society tends to be totalitarian. For “totalitarian” is not only a terroristic political coordination of society, but also a non-terroristic economic-technical coordination which operates through the manipulation of needs by vested interests.” (Marcuse, H. 1964, p.124) Whose “vested interests”? The nation as whole or a privileged few? Or perhaps, the church, the purveyors, or even the government? We could all agree that the “vested interests” in a better educational system should be the interests of the children, and how these children will make a better country, and even a better world at large.
There are numerous measures that can be taken at the macro level that could improve greatly the inner workings of our educational system. These counter measures are inspired in part by the study of alternative pedagogies and their contributions to a better method in pedagogy. For example, Kulczyk tells us in his “Gurdjieff – An Introduction to his Teachings”, that, “At work knowledge is important, but more important is the ability to apply this knowledge, to continuously absorb new knowledge and to develop our curiosity to find out about new things. However our satisfaction and progress at work will, to a large extent, depend on our ability to interact with other people, on our ability to solve human problems and conflicts and on our skill to motivate others”.(Kulczyk, K. 2004, p. 46) It might seem revolutionary, but if we are going to ask our children to work in groups, dealing everyday with each other and also maintain at the same time a high level of interest and adherence to a disciplinary code, Why we could not ask our teachers to work every day side by side with a colleague and therefore teach by example?

Another far reaching macro level improvement would be the reduction of students per classroom to about thirty students per class. Arrange the seating in large tables of about six seats, making work group a must. This radical innovation could only succeed by the shortening of the working hours for the teachers, so the ratio between preparation and implementation is one to one. We could have a smaller class with two teachers working together with the sole purpose of improving their methods in teaching. The environment of the classrooms should be of a didactical nature, freeing the students to interact with its surroundings. Lessons should be short and concise followed by exercises and activities around the topic discussed.

The Montessori mandate that “Development is growth directed toward the production of an organism in accordance with a predetermined design” (Montessori, M. 1911, p. 10) becomes very concrete and precise, since we aspired to help develop better human beings, our predetermined design, we need to continue to help develop our teachers. If during the early seventies the ministry of education could run a weekly radio show that catered to the teachers of the nation, how come we cannot have an on-line program for teachers in order to help them improve their skills and guide them through these ground breaking changes. This brings up something that is not new in the field of pedagogy and that is that without the family hardly anything can be achieve, so this internet resource should be expanded to each family with a child in school age; in the form of a discount for the service or subsidized by the state. This technological outreach would be sterile if it does not contain a program that provides guidance and help to parents.

It is my belief that alternative pedagogies are beacons of light in the right direction, they show us that in order to have a profound change we need to rethink our concept of “child”. Maria Montessori used to say that we needed to stop thinking of the child as an imperfect adult, but to see it for what it was worth: a growing and developing human being.  There cannot be any lasting changes if we do not change the way we teach and what we teach. “Progressive education consequently over emphasized the importance of freedom, fantasy, “creativity”, and self expression. These are of vital importance to the child, but they must be integrated into a comprehensive setting where other aspects of the personality, particularly intellectual growth, are also taken into account” (Montessori, M. 1911, p. 64) The realization that the human beings of the future in this globalized world would need to be flexible, autonomous and creative to subsist make these suggestions very palpable and fertile. Marcuse finished his above mentioned work with a quote from one of his contemporaries, Walter Benjamin, that read “Nur um der Hoffnungslosen willen ist uns die Hoffnung gegeben“, which means, “It is only for the sake of those without hope that hope is given to us”, one could not help but to think of our role as teachers and the epiphany that a “better education starts with better teachers”.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Marcuse, Herbert (1964). One-dimensional Man: studies in ideology of advanced industrial society. London: Routledge.
2. Kulczyk, K., (2004) “Gurdjieff – An Introduction to his teachings”, Amazon Try Prime, 2014.
3. Montessori, M., (1911), “The Montessori Method”, Rome, Italy, Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, USA. 1912.
4. Benjamin, Goethes Wahlverwandtschaften, Gesammelte Schriften I.1, Frankfurt am Main 1991, p. 201.