2.8.4: EXPERIENCE OF ONLINE LEARNING

Knowledge is increasing at a very high rate. Education ideas and technologies are also changing very fast. However, there are a lot of discrepancies. The first world now talks about virtual learning. However, some people in the jungles of Africa and the Philippines have never even had an opportunity for a traditional classroom experience. Talk of children in Uganda who were born and grew in displaced camps and those in Congo living behind rebel lines.

Clayton Christensen finds fault with the monolithic nature of education for ignoring learner differences (in intelligence, the way they learn and the pace at which they learn) and interests (working with a fixed curriculum). He also notices that in "that setup", teachers are aiming at producing learners with a particular mindset. For that matter, they do not so much as look at a variety of  approaches and teaching-learning styles to achieve that.

In his solution, he advocates for recognizing the different intelligences, interests or needs and strengths or potential of the learner. However, he does not dismiss the teacher from the scene. No matter how much strong and endowed a learner may be, he still needs the teacher. But, he notes that the amount of time learners spend with the teacher be reduced. Instead, learners be given more time to themselves with learning material through the use of technology and specialized software.

Salman Khan, in his video also submits that when students are busy trying to make sense of material, they need to be on their own. They do not need interference from anybody - trying to probe them with what they know or do not know.

The process of material content conceptualization by learners requires integration of technology, but both pitfalls and advantages were identified:

Problems associated with virtual learning

1. It requires a lot more preparation
1. Teachers should record lectures or source foe videos and use them in teaching. 
2. Teacher should prepare in class elements for learners.
3. Teachers should prepare out of class activities like projects
2. The innovation require new skills for the teacher and school administrators to implement
3. New tools are needed, e.g. mobile devices to support the program especially out of class part of the curriculum.
4. The innovation may require modification or expansion of class space to support active and collaborative work.
5. The innovation requires curriculum changes in some countries.

Advantages of virtual learning

1. Technology radically increases access to education. It helps to reduce the cost of tuition, reduce congestion in institutions, overcomes the limitations associated with monolithic approaches.
2. Technology gives learners urgency. Learners can decide on what they want to learn, how they want to learn it, when they can learn it and how to accomplish tasks.
3. Technology enables mass customization.
4. Technology allows for adjustments to be made. Learners learn at their own paces and in their own time.
5. Technology creates creators. Learners are able to create meaningful products using tools that professionals use.
6. Technology enables real-time feedback. It enables teachers to create maps that show where learners are going and how they are proceeding.

2.9: KEY PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION

The principles of education from Course 2

2.1: Authentic learning. In this principle of education, material content should be relevant and learning activities comparing well with real world tasks professionals do. Learners must be actively involved in realistic and social, investigative climate, using technologies that real professionals use to bring out a polished valuable product. For instance, a chemistry class handling physical states of matter could easily come out with a candles from molten wax as a product. Similarly, if they are looking at solutions and mixtures, they could easily product cough mixture as an authentic product.  

2.2: Multiple intelligences. Human beings are unique individuals with different intellectual strengths and interests. They look at things differently, learn in different ways, and represent and use knowledge in many different ways. It is important that teachers know and use the learners' mix of intelligence to avoid treating all learners the same way. In that way, they are able to create real but different learning situations and experiences, and use different approaches to address individual differences in order to benefit them. It is also important content material be relevant and enough time be allowed to learners to interact and reflect on it. Then and only then can they make sense of content in their own way.

2.3: Constructivist approach and creative thinking. Reality or knowledge is not meant to be served to learners ready-made. Learners are supposed to construct it. All children are born creative. They have creative ideas and a capacity to try them out. In this way, they are able to construct things and with good guidance from a teacher, they could construct knowledge. Therefore, students should be allowed the freedom to follow their passions, to do things their own way, to study at their own pace and in their own time, to reflect clearly on what they do and to be meaningfully guided by the teachers.

2.4: Progressive and experiential learning. This principle advocates for rapid social and academic reforms in schools and classrooms. It is intended to create free, independent and creative human beings by allowing learners to follow their natural instincts instead of developing obedient and subordinate citizens. Learners should be provided real world resources and be helped to use them to find information and construct knowledge. Teachers should plan activities that create experiences and engage learners in the learning process by recognizing that "people learn better by doing". Experiences make more lasting impressions in peoples' lives breeding confidence and broadening creative and critical thinking.

2.7: Equilibrium, disequilibrium, assimilation and accommodation. If we allow students to learn things that really matter to them, they easily assimilate them into their own schemas. Then they are more likely to ask questions and to construct meaning out of them and to integrate them into their mental frameworks. The teacher should be able to encourage disequilibrium in his class by providing concepts and experiences to learners using different approaches. The different approaches give students different pictures of the concept in question. Knowledge is dynamic. New ideas change what we know.

2.8: Disruptive learning. This entails substituting the teacher with technology as the main learning vehicle, so that learning becomes self-organized and self-directed in response to individual differences. This principle taps into learners' different intelligences, and providing technologies helps learners to learn at their own paces using their own styles. A good example of this type of learning is the flipped classroom. 

2.5: Socratic method and Critical thinking. Learners should be taught how to think critically, learn and live. That ought to be the role of school and teachers.  

Action plan - My teaching

I consider good teaching to involve the following: knowledge of students' mix of intelligences; creating an attractive, democratic and safe learning environment for the students; setting learning objectives appropriate with the knowledge and skills being developed in the students; selecting relevant content; designing activities or creating experiences through which the objectives can be achieved; selecting media and technological resources that align well with the learning activities and designing assessment activities aligned with and contributing to the achievement of learning objectives.

If someone were to visit my class in a year's time, S/he should be able to see:

• Aspects of constructivism infused in my lessons, with students' interests and questions pursued, involving interactive learning, building on what the student already knows, using active techniques such as experimentation, Socratic inquiry and problem solving, taking risks by allowing students and myself to go wrong in the interest of creativity, resulting in the stretching, exploration and invention of  knowledge.
• Evidence of flipped classroom instruction; with students accessing content through computers and software, students studying at their own pace and in their own time, after which they are invited to class for more in-depth collaborative learning and application of knowledge through planned hands-on activities.
• A shift in the mode of assessment from summative assessment (using tests and examinations) to formative or integrated assessment (which is continuous and diagnostic), in which learners get immediate feedback and improve their performance while teachers adjust their modes and styles of content presentation.

Action plan - My school

Learners should be taught how to think critically, how to learn and how to live. That ought to be the role of school and teachers. Therefore, if someone were to visit my College in a year's time, s/he should be able to see blended learning in form of flipped classrooms taking place. There should be evidence of directed learning with technology being used as the main learning vehicle. This should be possible with seven CCTI participants and other ATL (active teaching and learning) enabled members on the campus. We also have a sizeable IT laboratory for students' use. Administration and Ministry of Education could also be implored to increase internet coverage and signal strength in the college. 

2.7.4: TRANSFORMATIVE LESSON & STUDENTS' REFLECTIONS

TRANSFORMATIVE LESSON CONDUCTION

The transformative lesson was taught on 3rd April 2015 (Good Friday), instead of 26th March 2015 as earlier planned. This was because of other students’ engagements (especially Micro-teaching) during the previous week.

QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE LESSON

STEP I

Please make sense of the story. What is happening in the story?

1. Who is the character in the story?
2. What was happening to him?
3. What was he surprised or shocked about?
4. Who was responsible for the events in the story?

STEP II

1. From the story, which areas of the environment were negatively impacted by human activity? How specifically were those areas affected?
2. Which areas of the environment were not mentioned in the story but could be negatively impacted by human activity?

STEP III & IV

Form groups of your interest according to areas/spheres.

1. Brainstorm on how man has badly impacted those areas.
2. Create driving questions for research.

REFLECTION ON THE LESSON

My students are not used to giving reflections on lesson. So, to help guide the reflection process, I asked them to respond to some questions and statements:

1. How was the lesson introduced? How did you feel about it? Could it be a good way to introduce lessons in secondary schools?
2. What do you think were the method(s) used in the lesson? In your opinion, how did the methods benefit you and other learners?
3. How relevant was the topic to you? And to society?
4. Make any other comments of your own about the lesson.

STUDENTS' REFLECTIONS

The lesson was introduced nicely through storytelling. This was new to me in the sciences. But it was interesting. I will be using it in my classes in “O” level.

The methods used were: Socratic, problem solving, brainstorming, discussion, and presentation. The methods made me actively involved in critical thinking and class participation.

The lesson threw more light on the effects of man’s activities on the environment. It could be used to caution the citizens on how to safeguard their environment.

Enock Kwagala

Lesson so interesting. It was introduced by a story which was thought provoking. I think it is an appropriate way of introducing lesson in secondary school. It calls for students’ attention.

The methods used were: Socratic, group work, presentation and problem solving. They encourage critical thinking and sharing of ideas.

Lesson subtopic was very relevant to me and society.

Jackson Sajjabi

Introduction started with a story. It was very good one for me. I hope to use it in my teaching because it calls for learners’ attentiveness and trains listening skills.

The methods used were Problem solving, Socratic, and group work. These methods improve reasoning, call for self-discovery and maximum cooperation with fellow learners.

The topic is very relevant to me and society. We need to conserve and preserve our environment.

Josephine Nakero

2.1.4: AUTHENTIC LEARNING

CREATING LEARNING EXPERIENCES

As a teacher, I have created learning experiences for my students in the following ways:

1. Making the learning environment as friendly and emotionally free as possible by cultivating a sense of humor.
2. Preparing excerpts inform of stories, science poems etc, to be read by students during lesson introduction. 
3. Tapping into students' experiences and making use of their prior knowledge to explain more abstract issues.
4. Using methodologies e.g. Socratic inquiry and problem solving, that call for higher order thinking among students.
5. Creating a culture of explanations instead of just right answers from students.
6. Planning hands-on practical exercises and experiences in form of projects.
7. Creating appropriate intermediate steps in a hard task so that students can navigate through the task at reasonable paces.
8. Using question strategies that make all students think answer.
9. Flipping the class using online videos accompanied by challenging questions and integrating it all with out of class experiences.
10. Linking material content with needs of the society in order to show its relevance to the learners.
11. Use of supervised occupational experience programs (SOEPs). 
12. Choosing real life problems and engaging students in projects to address them e.g. problems of accessing clean water in the community.

THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT I DO TO MAKE MY LESSONS MORE AUTHENTIC   

1. Setting challenging tasks to them.
2. Grouping students so that they can collaborate on a task.
3. Providing immediate response to their questions and their practical work.
4. Allowing a time of reflection during and after class activities to consolidate what has been done.

2.1.1: EXPERIENCES OF TRUE LEARNING

Learning can be challenging or fun, difficult or easy. All of us must have found it to be either one or the other. For a truly deep and rewarding learning experience, certain aspects must be true about the learner, the teacher and/or the school:

1. The learning environment must be friendly and social. Does the learner socialize well? Does s/he socialize to learn? Does s/he learn  as s/he socializes?  
2. Facilitation. Is the learner well facilitated or not? 
3. Active participation. Is the learner actively involved in his or her learning? 
4. Does the learner set her own goals or s/he waits to achieve whatever goals have been set for her or him? 
5. Does the learner set his or her own time of study? Is s/he self-driven? 
6. The learner must know something. Learning takes place from knowledge to knowledge. One must build on what one already knows.
7. Access to help. Is there a way the learner can be helped? Does s/he seek help? Is the help freely offered? 
8. Associative learning. Is there anything with which the learner can associate new ideas, concepts or words to ease the process?
9. Is the learner inquisitive? Does s/he source for more information about the concept through research? 
10. Learner should be periodically guided. S/he must be working under the watchful eye of a mentor.
11. Positive attitude. Does the learner have a positive attitude to learning or positive outlook to life?
12. Self-image. How does the learner view him or herself? One learns better if s/he views herself or himself as a winner.
13. Passion, enthusiasm. Is the learner passionate about material content? 
14. Is the learner frequently or constantly practicing what s/he is learning? 
15. Allowing mistakes during the learning process. Unwillingness to make or allow mistakes may be a sign of perfectionism and it's not good for learning. 
16. Accountability. Does the learner feel accountable to anybody with regard to her learning? 
17. Immediate response, accepting correction. Does the learner receive immediate response to her work or submissions? How does s/he react to the response? 
18. Listening to others. Is the learner a good listener? Does the learner freely welcome other peoples' opinions? 
19. Take learning outside class. Does the learner limit her learning only to the classroom?   

2.5.4: MANY QUESTIONS

What is true learning? I wish to say that it is the construction of knowledge through passion-driven spontaneity, using resources in a natural environment.

Like the Science Leadership Academy, we need to steer our schools and learning programs towards:

• Teaching learners how to learn.
• Opening learners’ minds to ideas through critical and creative thinking.
• Teaching learners how to live, to be citizens.
• Using enquiry based approaches, asking questions whose answers learners do not know.
• Helping learners to realize themselves in the community through community-based collaboration. If we are to be part of the community, we need to know the needs of the community and work with it to solve them.
• Honoring the lives of learners - allowing learners to do  things that please them. Let them research, collaborate, present and network.

What seems to complicate learning in our schools are the following:

• The laid down and rigid curriculum which is often irrelevant and meaningless to the learners.
• The failure of the teachers to identify the diverse strengths and multiple intelligences of the learners, culminating into the use of poor approaches to teaching and learning.
• The failure of the education system to see and recognize the position, role and contribution of the learner in his own learning.
• The mistaken view hat knowledge is an independent entity that has to be delivered to an empty vessel.
• The unknown reality that, when young children are left alone, the can originate great ideas from which knowledge can be constructed using simple local materials.
• That good and meaningful learning is originated by the teacher. The learner is less exposed and therefore has less body of knowledge.
• The failure of the teacher to plan meaningful but challenging activities and experiences for the learner.
• The failure of the teacher in becoming a constantly passionate and willing learner, ready to follow with the interest of the learners' activities and asking questions that lead to the desired goal.

Did I enjoy having to do a more creative kind of task? You guess I did! The exercise was a high challenge learning opportunity. It required creativity and it was quite thrilling. Tasks involving the creation and submission of a product, however simple, have been more rewarding for me than just written reflections. The infographic is another very powerful tool that I will be using in class. I see its immediate application and relevance to my work.

And the feeling of having to tackle something with which I was unfamiliar? That is where the fun begins. First, it looks complicated but as we collaborate and work together, a new thing or two turn things around, making the activity more rewarding.
 I felt the pleasure of the rigour of working hard when I submitted my assignment.

2.6.4: HIGH TECH HIGH

High Tech High (https://vimeo.com/10000408) adopts a constructivist approach in the following ways: 

1. Learning is passion driven. Learners are intrinsically motivated.
2. Learning takes place through learner engagement, i.e. it is hands-on or experiential. Students feel a sense of ownership of the work.
3. Learners analyze solutions to problems in their school or community. Learning is community-based.
4. Teacher treats learners as adults and partners. In this way, students feel a part of the decision making process
5. Mixes learners of different categories and social classes together.
6. Learning is a social activity. Learners socialize as they learn and learn as they socialize.
7. Instruction goes from whole class to groups
8. Teacher facilitates activities rather than lecturing
9. Students are engaged more and learn to work with others
10. Students are more cooperative and less competitive
11. A higher level of thinking is encouraged. 

Do you believe that this school promotes creativity? If so, how?
Yes, they allow students to try things out and make mistakes but ensure minimum accidents occur.
Does the school provide an inclusive environment? Yes, the school does not categorize learners in terms of those supposed to use their hands or heads, in terms of social classes. They treat all learners the same way and encourage all to use their hands and heads according to their interests.

Do you think this is a realistic, "do-able" approach that you could introduce into your school? This approach is realistic and "do-able". But needs curriculum review and re-tooling of teachers (acquiring expertise in 'low-threat, high-challenge' pedagogy that is better aligned with new ways of living and learning) to roll it out to the whole school.

Do you believe that they really are able to cover their syllabus requirements? If students and teachers have a say in decision making, then possibly, syllabi are set by them and they are able to move at their own pace. But, should we always measure students' performance and learning through the covering  of the syllabus or acquisition skills?

The school is called High Tech High – what is the role of technology in this school? The school uses a hands-on experiential approach to teaching and technologies are employed like any other tools to ease learners' work. I don't see technology making learners stupid. They are not spending time with it doing nothing. Instead, technology helps them to produce results faster, encouraging the students to do even more.

Do you agree with McWilliam (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZNZQRl8aRM)? Should we as teachers be less ready to boost students' self-esteem when they don't really deserve it? How does this promote or not promote creativity? Yes, I agree with her. May be we need to ask ourselves a question, "Does creativity depend only on appraisal/self-esteem?" No. I don't think pampering a child will make him more creative. At some point, that child may know that our appraisal was inappropriate. And when that happens, s/he may not respect you or his work. Instead, we need to be more realistic by:     

• Guiding students with better and right questions that call for high level thinking.
• Obligatory engagement by planning interesting lesson activities.
• Creating the right learning environment etc.  

WHEN WE WERE TRAINED AS TRS...	BUT OUR ADVICE TO YOU NOW IS...
Were asked to strictly follow a prescribed curriculum	There is need to adopt a more flexible curriculum of big questions
Treated teaching as the transfer of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values	Treat teaching as the process of probing learners to help them construct their own knowledge, skills, attitudes and values
Separated learners of different ages, levels and categories, i.e. streamed classes to improve performance	Mix learners of different categories so that they can learn from and with each other.
Were warned against allowing ourselves or our students to make mistakes during the teaching and learning process.	Allow yourselves and your students to make mistakes to encourage creativity.
Were not allowed to welcome learners' decisions or tolerate their involvement in policy formulation.	Treat learners as adults. Let them have a say in their own education.
Knew knowledge to be static and independent of the knower. It could be sought or examined.	Knowledge is dynamic. It can be constructed by the learners with the teachers' help.
Valued literacy above creativity.	Emphasize both literacy and creativity. They have the same status in education.
It was fashionable to study as an individual. Learning was individualized and competitive.	Encourage social learning. It is less competitive and more productive.
Tests and examinations were hailed as the best approaches to assessment of learners.	During assessment, balance learner performance in class activities with the end product
Technologies like calculators were not encouraged. Mental work was emphasized.	As much as possible, integrate technology in your planning and presentation of lessons.
Teacher-centered approaches were applauded for helping to complete syllabi faster.	Emphasize learner-centered approaches that enhance learner participation.