Teaching and Learning Investigation: A Guide

The role that teachers play in preparing students for the challenges that they will encounter cannot be overstated. In the past, teachers stayed in control of the learning process and students were reduced to mere recipients of knowledge. This approach was ineffective as it made it difficult for students to become active participants in learning. Having recognized the ineffectiveness of this approach, teachers are moving towards a new technique that places the learner at the center of the teaching experience. An increasing number of teachers are recognizing that students also possess knowledge and insight and are providing the students with platforms to share with their peers. As a result, the modern classroom has become an interactive environment where student experiences are cherished and acknowledged. I am among the teachers who understand that students should be provided with opportunities to direct the teaching process. In a recent investigation that I conducted, I gathered that students are incredibly gifted and deeply knowledgeable. By shining light on the knowledge that students possess, teachers create a learning environment is that is as engaging as it is interactive and fun.

Description of Experience 

For the teaching investigation, I assumed the position of a learner in my interactions with Amari and Blake Beers. During our session, there are a number of critical insights that I gained. The specific details of the session are provided in appendix 1. One of the lessons that I acquired is that contrary to the belief that many teachers hold, students are not empty vessels who should be required to sit quietly and receive instruction from their teachers. They already possess information that teachers can leverage to enhance the learning process. For example, as shown in appendix 2, Blake had a deep understanding of the American constitution and some of the key events surrounding the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He understood that the constitution guarantees equal protection to all Americans and that the internment of Japanese Americans amounted to a gross violation of the constitution. Another aspect of my experience as a learner in the investigation concerns the duty of the teacher to provide some direction. While working with Blake, I allowed him to share his perspectives on such issues as the experiences of Japanese Americans and his love for social studies. However, I observed that he found some questions to be confusing or unclear. I intervened and provided direction by offering more information or posing follow-up questions. Thanks to the session with Blake, I now recognize that while teachers should allow students to lead the teaching process, they should understand that from time to time, they may need to intervene and provide direction.

The investigation mostly involved speaking with Blake about his thoughts concerning his experiences as a student. In addition to our interactions, the investigation was also concerned with working with another individual. I needed to ensure that as a teacher, I needed to pursue the same goals and adopt similar perspectives as those held by Blake. The main lesson that I acquired concerns the importance of audio-visual technologies. For decades, verbal instruction has been the dominant approach to teaching. Today, I understand that an increasing number of teachers are incorporating such elements as audio-visuals into their classrooms as part of their efforts to inject life into the learning process and to stimulate students. In appendix 3, a description of how a visual representation of the bombing of Pearl Harbor was used to enhance clarity and understanding is provided. As this appendix confirms, Blake was able to offer an accurate and enlightened account of the bombing. It is evident that when they combine verbal instruction with audio-visual tools, teachers elevate the learning process to a level where the student feels engaged and inspired to participate. As I worked with Blake on the investigation, I embraced technology and I feel that this had profound impacts on the investigation. It allowed me to acknowledge the power of technology and to inject interest and some drama into the process.

Analysis 

In the section above, a summary of my experience during the investigation with Blake has been provided. The stage is now set for an analysis of the investigation and the implications that it presents for practice. Among the most important themes that emerged from the investigation include the importance of student-centered teaching, the impact of technology on the learning process and the critical role that teachers continue to play in learning. Each of these themes is discussed in detail in the section below.

Student-Centered Teaching 

Bransford, Brown and Cocking (n.d) edited an insightful piece in which they outline the strategies that children adopt as they learn. One of the most profound messages that they convey is that children have the capacity to absorb knowledge and that for learning to occur smoothly, teachers should create room for the students to participate. During my interaction with Blake, I understood that if we are to be effective as teachers, we must eliminate all the hurdles hat hamper student participation. For instance, as shown in appendix 4, Blake loved his social science teacher whom he found to be fun as he supplied stories that make the class interesting and fun for students. The lesson that I gathered from this is that effective teaching should strive to generate interest from learners. Students can also become engaged when they play active roles in the learning process. I took care during the investigation not to dominate the discussion. I allowed Blake to lead the discussion and to share his views on a wide range of issues. Blake challenged my perspective on the capacity of children. I was able to understand that whereas it is true that their capacity for knowledge is rather limited, they possess tremendously intriguing insights that can be leveraged to enrich the learning process.

To understand the importance of student-focused teaching, it is helpful to explore the various complex factors that interact to shape the learning process. Wilson, Shulman and Richert (1987) joined forces to shed light on the different techniques that teachers employ. In their text, they note that it is critical for teachers to be dynamic so as to respond to the various needs and questions that their students raise. It is nearly impossible for a teacher to adopt a student-focused approach when they lack the capacity and resources needed to address student needs and to place the students at the center of the teaching process. Blake directed my attention to the need for teachers to be deeply familiar with subject matter as well as being highly dynamic and versatile. I observed that Blake prefers an active and audio-visual aided approach to learning. There are other students who respond better to other teaching process. To be an effective teacher, I need to understand the learning styles of my students and adjust my teaching methods appropriately. This is the essence of student-focused teaching.

Impact of Technology 

The analysis of my interaction with Blake would not be complete without a look at the role that technology plays in education. As pointed out earlier, I have gained a deeper understanding of the critical function that technology serves in education. In the appendix, an expert of the transcript capturing my session with Blake shows how the use of audio-visual technologies streamlined the learning process. Blake was able to correctly identify and describe critical aspects of the Pearl Harbor bombing. Literature confirms that technology is an indispensable tool for teachers. For example, Ball and Forzani (2009) assert that the future of education hinges on the effective application of innovative technologies. I know that most teachers understand that technology can make them more effective. However, there remains a high number of teachers who are yet to integrate technology into their classroom. The low penetration of technology can be blamed on a host of factors. They include teachers lacking the knowledge, competence and resources required. Wilson, Shulman and Richert make it clear that a teachers’ effectiveness depends on their knowledge base. When a teacher has no knowledge of the impact of technology, it is nearly impossible for them to embrace such technologies as audio-visual equipment.

Role of Teachers 

The emergence of student-focused teaching has redefined the role and position of the teacher. Now that teachers are being encouraged to allow students to play a more active role, does this mean that the function of teachers has become diminished? This is one of the key questions that I was able to answer as I reflected on my investigation. It is true that I created an environment that enabled Blake to participate fully. However, I cannot say that my role lost its importance. I maintained general oversight and as noted earlier, I provided direction. Ball and Forzani (2009) underscore the critical role that teachers continue to play and urge teachers to ensure that they are adequately prepared for the challenges of the workplace. Essentially, these scholars make it clear that even as students take center-stage, teachers remain important. For the role of teachers to be acknowledged, I believe that there is a need for training and education for teachers. In order to keep up with the changes that are taking place in the classroom, teachers need to refresh their competencies and expand their knowledge base. It is nearly impossible for a teacher with limited knowledge of subject matter to be effective in providing instruction and direction to students who expect guidance.

New Insights Acquired 

The main purpose of the investigation that I conducted was to introduce us to lessons and insights that we can incorporate into teaching. Among the key insights that I acquired is that the close relationship between a teacher and students does not necessarily threaten the learning process. I feared that the fact that I was close friends with Blake would make it difficult to establish respect and boundaries. However, as the discussion this far has revealed, the relationship helped instead of hampering the interaction. While I would urge teachers to exercise tremendous caution, I would strongly encourage them to develop warm relationships with their students. That teachers need to be competent if they are to lead fulfilling classroom interactions is another lesson that I have obtained from this exercise. I now know that if they do not possess a deep grasp of subject matter, teachers will face difficulties in dealing with students like Blake who are impressively knowledgeable and have high expectations about the learning process. In closing, I have found the investigation process to be enlightening. It has exposed me to various aspects of the learning process and I believe that I am now better prepared to be an effective teacher.

References

Ball, D. L., & Forzani, F. M. (2009). The work of teaching and the challenge for teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 60 (5), 497-511.

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). How people learn. Brain, mind, experience, ands school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Wilson, S. M., Shulman, L. S., & Richert, A. (1987). 150 different ways of knowing: Representations of knowledge in teaching. In J. Calderhead (Ed.), Exploring teachers’ thinking (pp. 104-124). Sussex, England: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Appendices

Appendix 

Number 1: Transcript of Teacher Learner 

My learner was Blake Beers. Blake is a sophomore at the University of Michigan. Overall, my experience teaching Blake was not very challenging. Blake has prior knowledge to this subject, from taking AP history classes in high school.

This lesson went much smoother than I thought it would. Although, I have no prior experience of teaching I had a good experience with my first one.

One of my main concerns was that Blake would be distracted and ultimately end up not learning much because of our close friendship and not always being serious with each other. However, this was not the case and he understood what we needed to accomplish. I expected he would not be fully engaged while teaching him. To keep him engaged, I used a video and graphic organizers. I showed him a video on a personal account of a Japanese American and her feelings during this time. As well as a history of Pearl Harbor video. The last challenge I anticipated was how i could expand his knowledge from what he had previously learned about pearl harbor and see if he could actually remember what I had taught him during this lesson.

I first started talking to Blake about the context of Pearl Harbor. I asked him the basics about Pearl Harbor such as what time it took place, why it happened, who was involved etc.

When blake did not understand certain things during the lesson I tried to relate to him in a way I would if I was the one being taught. I tried to remember how I learned certain information the best and apllied it to my teaching.

This was challenging for me because I had to make sure I knew what I was talking about and teaching him at the same time. I was able to do this by doing a lot of research online as well as teaching myself prior to the lesson.

After we talked and he was able to understand Pearl Harbor more and more as the lesson went on, I gave Blake the timeline as to what Pearl Harbor was, when it happened, and information about Ww2.

I then found a video and hoped that it would interact with him in a better way that I didAfter the video I gave him documents G, D and E as just another tool to further enhances understanding. like the video with Amari I then used document D to try to appeal to Blakes emotions.

As we read using emotions are a great way for a student to learn and comprehend an idea or relate to an idea and I think that he was able to get a sense of what the Japanese people were afraid of and how they were mistreated while interpreting document D.

At the end, I asked blake to complete a short commentary on what Japanese Americans were most likely feeling during this time and his thoughts about the innocent people being mistreated.

Number 2: Evidence for support with Blake 

( He filled out this when I showed him the pictures D E and G in the t of Pearl harbor. They were pictures of a house and Japanese people holding up a flag. What he wrote on the sheet were just his reactions to this photo. ) 

Number 3: Amani examples 

Our assignment to teach a student about Pearl Harbor gives a reflection of the teaching and learning process that involves the interaction between a teacher, students, the content being taught and the surrounding environment such as school and home. A teaching method of sitting in a room and reviewing the information presented through verbal and visual teaching to embrace the learning process of which Akiko Kurose and James Cory gives a testimony of the experiences they had during the bombing of the Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. After the review of information, the student was most moved by the pictorial account of the bombing.

He remembered the bombing took place on December 7, 1941, where the Japanese attackers killed 2, 403 people and wounded 1,178. Therefore, as part of the learning process in understanding the historical occurrence that claimed the lives of many people, and the student made inferences to the images provided.

History is all about the past occurrences and therefore most of those who write such facts were never there when they were happening. To successfully write history, the historians majorly uses images and make interpretations from what they see, and from that, they can make conclusions on what is happening. However, interpretation of the images needs the intervention of additional information that gives insights into the same. For instance, in the case of the Pearl attack, the images presented in the primary document envies what took place during the raid and the aftermath. It is evident from the images that the attack was horrific even before seeking additional information for historical interpretation.

After making references on the additional information to interpret the images, there will be a slight change on perception because those who witnessed the incidence will have their chronological account of events. The student was interested in and remembered that James Cory stated Arizona suffered from the attack two explosions, and they were shielded from the flames by a bridge. This proves that the occurrences and the testimonies that were given by different people are very powerful coming from someone who was actually at the event.

In the historic bombing by the Japanese, the student noted there are two different accounts of events that took place as narrated by Akiko Kurose and James Cory. The two testimonies add information to the prior attained knowledge concerning the bombing attack. However, the testimonies given are different from each other hence making the learning process complicated.

The implication is that the process of teaching and learning always seem complicated to a student because different sources will provide information over the same concept in various ways hence bringing confusion.

Number 4: Teacher Student Transcript Excepts 

106 

00:05:31,965 --> 00:05:34,945 

>> What makes a social studies teacher 

107 

00:05:34,945 --> 00:05:38,276 

a good teacher? >> Like, they're fun, and they like, 

a good teacher? >> Like, they're fun, and they like, 

108 

00:05:38,276 --> 00:05:41,067 

explain things well. Like they tell stories, 

109 

00:05:41,067 --> 00:05:45,746 

like my social studies teacher, he tells a lot of stories, like he goes 

110 

00:05:45,746 --> 00:05:49,723 

in depth about a lot of things. They'll tell us things that aren't in the 

111 

00:05:49,723 --> 00:05:53,451 

book, so it's kind of nice to learn those things that we wouldn't have learned, 

112 

00:05:53,451 --> 00:05:58,459 

otherwise, we just read the book. >> That's great, so it's this combination, 

113 

00:05:58,459 --> 00:06:03,782 

from what you just said, of being both fun, but also going into depth, 

114 

00:06:03,782 --> 00:06:06,700 

and opening up content for you? >> Mm-hm. 

But you'll see that the video is really high quality. 

251 

00:14:03,922 --> 00:14:07,008 

So I think you'll be able to hear it well, but if you want to follow along, you can. 

252 

00:14:07,008 --> 00:14:10,425 

This is where I always hope the technology works for me. 

253 

00:14:10,425 --> 00:14:14,615 

>> Let's move ahead into the time of Pearl Harbor. 

254 

00:14:14,615 --> 00:14:17,182 

Where were you, what we're you doing? 

255 

00:14:17,182 --> 00:14:19,071 

>> Well, I just come home from church. 

256 

00:14:19,071 --> 00:14:25,516 

And we kept hearing Pearl Harbor was bombed, Pearl Harbor was bombed. 

257 

00:14:25,516 --> 00:14:27,619 

I had no idea what Pearl Harbor was. 

258 

00:14:27,619 --> 00:14:30,662 

My geography was not that sophisticated. 

259 

00:14:30,662 --> 00:14:35,085 

I had no idea and my father said, uh-oh, there's going to be trouble.