Recycling Ourselves As Teachers And Learners

“RECYCLING OURSELVES” - AS TEACHERS AND LEARNERS

-Tony GURR-5th Yüce College ELT Seminar

-(20th March 2010)

-Tony GURR-5th Yüce College ELT Seminar

-(20th March 2010)

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RECYCLING – OUTSIDE ELT

RECYCLING – OUTSIDE ELT

So, why do so few of us actually take time to

RECYCLE our glass, plastic, cans and….?

It’s an issue of PERSPECTIVE...

Most people HAVE a PERSPECTIVE on

recycling

Too few people TAKE a RECYCLING PERSECTIVE

WHAT ABOUT “ELT RECYCLING”?

What problems do

we face when we RECYCLE?

What do we RECYCLE?

Why do we

RECYCLE?

TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN

What should I teach?

What should my students be able to do with what they learn?

Teaching is the MEANS

Learning is the END

Teaching Learning

IS IT POSSIBLE

but…we only HAVE a

PERSPECTIVE on LEARNING?

..that we TAKE a TEACHING

PERSPECTIVE…

UNDERSTANDING & IMPROVING RECYCLING

What are we teaching? What topics, themes and content are we covering?

Who are we teaching?

When are we teaching?

How are we teaching? What tasks, activities and exercises are we using?

Where are we teaching?

UNDERSTANDING LEARNING & THE LEARNER

What is learning?

Does learning last, and if so, what kind of learning lasts?

When and where does learning happen?

Does teaching lead to learning and what do we know about the learning-to-teaching connection?

Who is learning?

What ought to be learned?

How and why does learning happen?

Who is learning for?

How do students develop responsibility for learning to learn - and to unlearn?

What is the role of practice, performance, assessment, and reflection in learning?

What can be learned?

HOW DO WE KNOW?

UNDERSTANDING LEARNING & THE LEARNER

What is learning?

Does learning last, and if so, what kind of learning lasts?

When and where does learning happen?

Does teaching lead to learning and what do we know about the learning-to-teaching connection?

Who is learning?

What ought to be learned?

How and why does learning happen?

Who is learning for?

How do students develop responsibility for learning to learn - and to unlearn?

What is the role of practice, performance, assessment, and reflection in learning?

What can be learned?

HOW DO WE KNOW?

A TALE OF TWO “PARADIGMS”

 ...the paradigm that has governed our colleges is this: A college is an institution that exists to provide instruction. Subtly, but profoundly we are shifting to a new paradigm: A college is an institution that exists to produce learning.  

(The Instructional Paradigm) takes the means or method – called “instruction” or “teaching” – and makes it the college’s end or purpose. To say the purpose of colleges is to provide instruction is like saying that General Motors’ business is to operate assembly lines...

Barr & Tagg, 1995

“TEACHING & LEARNING” OR “TEACHING & TEACHING”

In recent years, phrases such as ‘teaching and learning policies’ or ‘teaching and learning strategies’ have been used more and more.

But close examination suggests that they might better read ‘teaching and teaching’, since the real attention given to learning is minimal.  

Watkins (2003)

“VALUING WHAT WE MEASURE” OR “MEASURING WHAT WE VALUE”

In the rush to make young people into successful exam-passers, we have overlooked their deeper need to become successful people, eager to learn and grow in the real-life world of work, leisure and relationships...

The question is not whether young people can be persuaded to learn, it is: what stops them, or puts them off.

Claxton (2008)

SO, WHAT IS LEARNING?

LEARNING is ...

being ‘taught’

individual sense-making

building knowledge as part of

doing things with

others

TEACHING ≠ LEARNING

LEARNING =

CHANGE +COLLABORATION +ENGAGEMENT +

FEEDBACK + MISTAKES +

PERFORMANCE + PRACTICE +

PROCESSING + QUESTIONING +REFLECTION + TEACHING +

TIME +

???

RECYCLING OURSELVES – TEACHER RENEWAL...

conferences

reading

accountabilityprogrammes

workshops

higher degrees

Experiential Learning

by problem-solving

by sharingby reflecting

by learning through thinking & doing

Let’s forget this!

The “Search” for the GREAT TEACHER

What are the characteristics, dispositions and traits of great

teachers?

What do great teachers do?

Teachers’ ways of...

THINKING

DOINGIMPROVING

The “Search” for the EFFECTIVE TEACHER

What do they know and understand about teaching?

What do they do with what they know and understand about teaching?

What do they do to improve what they do with what they know and understand

about teaching?

The “Search” for EFFECTIVE TEACHING

What do they know and understand about teaching and learning?

What do they do with what they know and understand about teaching and

learning?

What do they do to improve what they do with what they know and understand

about teaching and learning?

WHAT IF………………..?

We asked more questions from a LEARNING PERSPECTIVE?

The quality of a question is not judged by its complexity but by the complexity of thinking it provokes. 

Joseph O’Connor

learning & supportive school

leaders

learning systems

learningteachers

Tony GURR

tonygurr@gmail.com

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