Category: Teaching

Abstract

Understanding text is a very complex issue for students. Majority of the young readers fail to connect thought during reading, thus suffer from inability to reveal comprehensive meaning of text. Good reading habits entail ability to question, search for context proof within text, reread and find more meaning. The learner must be in a position to move through text and understand meaning during comprehension.

Reading is an interaction process between the reader and the manuscript. This process guides reading frequency or automaticity, where the reader is able to interconnect dynamic texts to find exact meaning.

There are various purposes of reading and each determines the appropriate approach or strategy that a learner ought to take. The reading may be for enjoyment, to analyze text critically, for a purpose of gaining knowledge, to learn fluency or become skilled in a particular language.

Introduction

Educators often ask students to reads and make worksheet reports about their reading, instead of ensuring that learners are able to comprehend meaning from reading materials. Comprehension calls for teachers to utilize more real world or practical examples and enforce instructions that motivate learners. An educator can implement various reading comprehension strategies in the aim of enhancing practicability.

Some of the main strategies implemented worldwide by a number of proficient readers include ability to determine the important points from a reading.

This calls for one to identify themes, and academic augments that focus to the less important thoughts or ideas. Secondly, it is critical to depict presumptions from the reading. This requires the reader to find some background knowledge of the text, interpret details, and generate logical conclusions.

Comprehension also requires use of prior knowledge as well as experiences to realize meaning from text. The reader should in addition inquire about the writing before, during the period of reading and after analysis. This strategy assists in monitoring of ability to understand and find out if the text makes sense.

Lastly, it is important for the reader to engage mental images or pictorial presentations as a measure of enhancing experience. It is not possible to implement any of this critical measure unless the educator is in a position to take appropriate actions and strategies to guide the learner.

This research paper forms an analysis of five teaching strategies, required to promote reading comprehensions. The analysis is a comparison of various journal literatures.

Different teaching strategies to use for reading comprehension

Determining which text is important

For students to prosper in acquiring reading comprehension, they ought to have basic knowledge that pertain to reading as opposed to only boast learning aspects as set out on the course outlines. More traditional ways of enhancing comprehensions include the ability to follow functions fluently form the basic to the technical levels.

The teachers have to learn strategies of building teaching skills by consciously learning reading policies and rules, to gaining control over learners activities.

This helps pupils to interrelate learnt skills automatically and effectively. Ability to determine what is important is a function of learning, where educators have to apply the practical strategy, to promote the students personal output skills they have learned or mastered (Just et al, 1982).

One of the critical roles of the educator is to determine the text that must be used during teaching, and choose the suitable text for different students depending on their levels of study and abilities. Text used during different comprehension phases is suitable for particular applications or specific strategies to enhance learning. The teacher must be in a position to put emphasis on creation of links between text and applications.

During the choosing procedure, the text must be in line with the practical implementation for instance, if the text is suppose to trigger predictability, then it ought to be new for the students, and contain sequential events, which have sufficient clues for possible predictions.

All these strategies have to keenly cater for basic learners or first determine the level of learning and other aspects such as background knowledge, amount of vocabulary build and ability to decode meaning. Initial language learners should have lighter encounters (Just et al, 1982).

Drawing Inferences

The most important reason for learning is to conveying information and meaning. The ability of the acquirer to embrace and appreciate learning is what determines future endeavours.

Acquisition of knowledge or skills does not entail the use of extensively conscious regulations or hard drilling as many people especially parents would think. It instead requires the teacher to be patient with the learner, since the process is gradual. Fluency and proficiency comes later when the student start to specialize in the subject matter (Dole et al, 1991).

A good tutor must have huge amounts of input for enhancing learning. One major effort that is required and almost definite is keenness. Most learners suffer from anxiety because they lack patience and proper contributions for their attempts.

According to Dole et al (1991), the effective way of learning is to recognize that improvements are only achievable if the input is comprehensible to the learner and not forcible for an output. Rhetorically one would question if the output were the most essential aspects for learners. What would a teacher require for professionalisms and proficiency?

Strategy of asking Questions

Research studies have articulated input and output as essential aspects in acquisition of knowledge. Interaction is also an ignored but very important aspect of enhancing learning activities. The input stands for contribution or participation effort of the learner, while the output is productivity or end results received from the learner.

The ability to comprehend and apply meaning enhances the ability to gather more knowledge regarding the subject matter. The teacher must ensure that the learning atmosphere supports abilities to acquire comprehensible input and he/she must act as an assistant in the acquisition process (Swain, 1998).

Common suggestions from researchers indicate need to emphasize importance of ensuring learners comprehend and are in a position to thoroughly understand meaning, as well present a different view of logical outputs from the knowledge. Assisting to analyze and find meaning from phrasal verbs, idiomatic expressions, and hidden meaning in text assist the learner in comprehension of meaning.

Personal interpretation of meaning by the learner enhances the required communication for effective comprehension. If learners present personal opinions, they would be in a better position of acquiring more information.

It is thus logical to consider this as real time learning, where learners make use of their target to acquire more, as opposed to only receiving the classroom input knowledge from the teacher concerning their study (Swain, 1998).

In accordance with Swain (1998), there are four functions of involving questions and answer forums during learning. Students are able to find output as the fluency or skill-building function. They notice, comprehend and generate meaning from what they read.

Questions evoke the conscious mind for reaction, and equally trigger the deep thoughts of the reader. They are also able to know the main characters in cases of a narration and understand the theme. These useful reading utilities assist learners in comprehension of abilities and skills to improve easily and most importantly enjoy reading (Swain, 1998).

Creating Mental Images

In accordance with Hansen (1982), learners are able to hear and mentally visualize what they read in context and thus concentrate on the meaning. This definition indicates that educators are in a position to enhance knowledge acquisition from an interactive environment, by assisting to create the mental images.

This means that learners first learn, and then acquire knowledge, thus showing ability to understand content. They are in a position to manipulate or formulate their personal meaning.

With a close reference to Hansen interpretation over teaching (1982), students habitually refuse to show interest during learning because the explanation and the mental representation of the clarification fall short of visual representation of meaning. Educators visual representation produces more students output and ability to overcome failure due to enhanced comprehension of the reading.

Monitoring Comprehension and Meaning

The teacher must identify and acknowledge the learners ability to raise meaning from a reading through conceptualization. In the process of reading, the teacher must be in a position to point out learners abilities by understanding their competence, and achievement in relation to what is required of them.

The teachers ability to monitor functions indicates possibilities to get a triggering factor, to enhance extra knowledge pertaining reading abilities and needs to improve already existing knowledge. Monitoring also enables educators to determine the levels which students are able to comprehend (Chun, 2005).

During monitoring by the educator, the learners have chance to tryout their personal understanding or objectives regarding reading and receive instant feedback clearly or perfectly during the comprehension procedures. The teacher provides learners with a chance to connect easily with what they are learning through keen monitoring (Chun, 2005).

Learners acquire new knowledge and at the same time improve attained knowledge pertaining reading, when their tutor is in a position to monitor and guide them through, in a systematic manner. The reading occurs through comprehending meaning from text and in the process, collaboration between the student and teacher assists in enhancing the process and reshaping experiences.

Monitoring is therefore part of what constitutes teaching (Chun, 2005). Comprehensible output emerges from comprehensible input, thus the need for teachers ability to guide and monitor progress. Chuns argument was that inputs requirements in the process of learning to read need to be comprehensible since the process entails receiving signals and messages during communication (2005).

Conclusion

Overall inaccuracy in teaching is evidently due to lack of familiarity or poor control of complexities involving student learning. Learners require time and opportunity to produce meaning, because the issue of understanding new structure is not quite enough for their learning abilities depending on the level and amount of content.

Students learning therefore calls for a chance of increase opportunity to understand output and thus advance comprehension skills. This would assist them in overcoming problems, which mostly include accentuated comprehension and the immersion programs during the learning process. This tactic enhances the focus created on comprehension efforts.

Moreover, as a mechanism to help find meaning from text, there is need to increase output levels such as preciseness, rationality and appropriateness. The learners must collect a lot of information regarding the competency in the learning process for them to communicate or convey meaning.

Application of proper teaching strategies therefore causes appropriate and practical way of enhancing students ability to garner meaning from text.

Today, the main problems that the process of acquiring knowledge faces fall on the learners and tutors roles. They are the primary input and output to encourage learning or ability to comprehend meaning from reading. The learner must gather skills of reading text other than just learning how to read.

References:

Chun, D. (2005). Research on text comprehension in multimedia environment. Language Learning and Technology (LLC) Journal, 1, 60-80.

Dole, J., Duffy G., Roehler, L., and Pearson, D. (1991). Moving From the Old to the New: Research on Reading Comprehension Instruction. Sage Journal. 61(2), 239-264.

Hansen, J. (1982). The effects of inference training and practice on young childrens reading comprehension. University of New Hampshire Journal.

Just, M., Carpenter, P., and Woolley, J. (1982). Paradigms and Processes in Reading Comprehension. Carnegie-Mellon University journal, Ill(2), 228-238.

Swain, M. & Lapkin, S. (1998). Interaction and second language learning: Two Adolescent French immersion students working together. The Modern Language Journal, 82(3), 320-337.

Introduction

Graphic organizers are important components, nonverbal supporters of verbal information presented during the lesson. Their role therefore is confined to organizing, structuring new information into separate notions, ideas, and concepts for a student to understand the cause-and-effect relations and draw the parallels between definitions and terms.

The use of images, charts, diagrams, tables, and other graphic means can allow students to acquire knowledge by smaller portions because full texts often create challenges for students. Using graphic organizers, therefore, can allow students to divide information into meaningful patterns and objectives and follow these objectives throughout the academic course.

Techniques for introducing and organizing instructional content

Due to the various functions of graphic organizers, each set of resources and materials can be represented in a different way depending on the chosen graphic device (Olrich et al., 2009). For instance, using the flow chart can allow students to follow the causes and effects, as well as define the dependency between the dates of the World War II.

To begin with, the lesson will start with the topic identification including time frames and overall significance. The topic will be split into several thematic nodes that will be discussed in each lesson in more detail. In such a manner, students can both define different dimensions of the historic event, as well as understand the connection between these thematic dimensions.

Measurable learning objectives and the use of graphic organizers

At the end of the chart analysis, a student will be able to name correctly the sequence of important events and dates related to the Second World War. They will also be able to accurately define the figures involved into the War, as well as their roles in results of military actions.

The learner will also be able to prepare a comprehensive explanation of each event and attach the dates to the story. A succinct and meaningful list of all problems identified in the historical period will also be presented by a student. In addition, the learners will also be able to provide an in-depth examination of each problem at a relevant level of training.

Rationale for the chosen graphic organizer

In the appendix 1 presented below, it is possible to develop the main topic from the most common definition to the most specific ones so as to deepen students knowledge of a specific subject. The chosen organizers can perfectly suit to study such disciplines as law, healthcare, politics, history, philosophy, etc.

While using these flow charts, student should start reading from the upper part of the hierarchy by proceeding to the bottom of the flow chart. In such a manner, they can also develop good logical and analytical skills. Moreover, it allows students to memorize the information in a structural way.

Suitability of organizer

The choice of a flow chart as a graphic organizer can contribute to developing students analytical skills (Borich, 2007). Specifically, it will allow a teacher to keep track of the students success of conceiving the basic dates and events so as to highlight possible progress or gaps in knowledge.

More importantly, because World War II is closely connected with cause-and-effects dates, the analysis of different periods is necessary to designate some historical events. Such a structure will also ensure students overall understanding of the underpinnings and outcomes of specific actions during the War.

References

Borich, G. (2007). Effective teaching methods: Research-based practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Olrich, D. C., Harder, R. J., Callahan, R. C., Trevisan, M. S., & Brown, A. H. (2009). Teaching Strategies: A Guide to Effective Instruction. US: Cengage Learning.

My prime teaching time was between the second and the sixth year since I had high enthusiasm and energy to prove that I was the best teacher. Palmer (2007, p. 92) asserts that community cannot take root in the divided life. Long before community assumes external shape and form, it must be present as seed in the undivided self; only as we are in community with ourselves can we find community with others. In this regard, I focused on building positive relationships within the school and in the community. Intimacy is the best therapy for the pain of disconnection. An intimate relationship goes beyond an implicit capacity for connectedness; we explicitly share our deeper natures with each other in the belief that we can be fully known and accepted (Palmer, 2007, p. 93). Following this perspective, I embarked on establish strong relationships with the school administration and the parents in order to win their support in my teaching career.

I believed that the subjected-centered classroom is characterized by the fact that the third thing has a presence so real, and vivid that it can hold teachers and students alike accountable for what they say and do. In such a classroom, there are no inert facts (Palmer, 2007, p. 119). Hence, I focused on developing new learning materials to supplement the curriculum. Moreover, I helped my colleagues to improve their leadership skills. Standing (1998, p. 88), highlights the importance of leadership by stating that Maria Montessori was herself; the personification of what her own ideal teacher should be one who combines the self-sacrificing spirit of the scientist with the love of the disciple of Christ. Tolle (2005, p. 243) emphasizes the importance of creativity by stating that discover inner space by creating gaps in the stream of thinking. Without these gaps, your thinking becomes repetitive, uninspired, and devoid of any creative soar. Thus, I joined organizations such as Science Teachers Association, American Montessori Association, and Bay Area Montessori Teachers Association in order to discover my knowledge and skill deficiencies.

Aligning the schools curriculum to the Montessori system of education was very important to the school. In the third year, the administration invited me to participate in the design of policy and curriculum development. This experience enabled me to acquire listening, conflict resolution, and group facilitation skills. These skills are important because the majority of human beings do not want war, yet wars come. The causes of war are not those, which appear on the surface and immediately precipitate its outbreak. They lie deep down in the collective subconscious of humanity (Standing, 1998, p. 81). Tolle (2005, p. 228) reaffirms this statement by asserting that whenever you are upset by an event, a person, or a situation, the real cause is not the event, person, or situation, but a loss of true perspective that only space can provide. I was keen to generate knowledge that facilitates integration of ideas and information in the disciplines that I taught. According to Hirsch (1999, p. 25), the positive effects of giving children enabling knowledge accomplished a lot more than just making them better behaved. They are better behaved mainly because they are absorbed in learning. Consequently, I focused on delivering the content that is applicable to the real world in order to engage the children, as well as, to improve their behavior and understanding. This involved effective lesson planning and development of instructional materials that reflect current constructs and principles.

As the lead teacher for 1^st and 2^nd grade, I collaborated with teachers of other disciplines in order to analyze and to structure cross-disciplinary approaches to teaching. I supervised the guides who were responsible for designing instructions that develop students ability to use communication skills; apply core concepts; become self-sufficient and responsible team members; think and solve problems; and to integrate knowledge. This involved holding weekly meetings with the guides in order to help them develop the instructions. Standing (1998, p. 85) asserts that when the fascist rule became dominant in Italy, she (Montessori) realized that an education, which had as its aim the development of a strong and free personality could not thrive in a totalitarian atmosphere. This assertion highlights the importance of collaboration among teachers. Teachers often fail because they focus too much in one aspect of their career. This is the dimension of object consciousness, which is the predominant reality for many people, and that is why their lives are out of balance. Object consciousness should be balanced by space consciousness (Tolle, 2005, p. 227). I organized workshops and seminars to help the teachers to develop best teaching practices, as well as, to integrate skills, thinking processes, and content across disciplines.

By the end of the third year, I was in charge of six classes. I met with teachers in the summer of my third year and helped them to setup their classes appropriately in order to accommodate an authentic Montessori culture. The rationale of this strategy is that the childs love of order is based on a vital need for a precise and determined environment. Only in such an environment can the child categorize his perception, and form an inner conceptual framework with which to understand and deal with his world (Lillard, 1972, p. 33). Herman (2012, p. 38) asserts that Maria Montessori understood the importance of interaction with the world to the development of children. In this context, the digital interface is a permanent aspect of our existence.

Like most things in life, we must employ media to our advantage by using it appropriately and in moderation (Herman, 2012, p. 42). Thus, we introduced the use of technologies such as audiovisual and computers in the classrooms in order to improve learning. We also developed assessment rubrics for various grades. According to Tolle (2005, p. 241), test, touch, and smell are sense objects. They are what you experience. Moreover, every experience has three possible ingredients: sense perception, thoughts or mental images, and emotions (Tolle, 2005, p. 241). Thus, we planned for appropriate use of the resources that are available in the school and the community to support learning through field trips and demonstrations by outside experts. Students visited organizations such as H2 club where they got the opportunity to apply their knowledge.

Palmer (2007, p. 101) emphasizes the importance of positive interactions by asserting that the community of truth is an image of knowing that embraces both the great web of being on which all things depend and the fact that our knowledge of those things is helped, not hindered, by our being enmeshed in that web. Towards my fourth year, I focused on maintaining positive classroom interactions through group activities. According to Palmer (2007, p. 39), we cannot demand intimacy and when we try, we only drive each other off. However, the educational liabilities of the therapeutic model run deep still. When relationships are judged by the norm of intimacy, our world shrinks to a vanishing point. Thus, I focused on showing sensitivity to individuals and responding to students objectively.

In the fifth year, the enrolment in my class increased significantly because most of the students had scored above 90% in various assessments. I focused on relating learning with the knowledge and experiences that the students had acquired earlier. I also divided the class into smaller groups by allowing my assistant to help with the teaching.

In the summer of my sixth year, I embarked on evaluating the effectiveness of instructions, which were used in teaching. I also modified instructions based on my reflections, as well as, the comments and evaluation results that I obtained from the classes that I supervised. This strategy was important because the guiding principle of a successful educational system holds that slower children be encouraged to work longer and intensively. Teachers are aware of the minimal knowledge and skill that children must attain at each grade and must cooperate to reach that goal (Hirsch, 1999, p. 90). I assessed programs and curricula in order to make recommendations for improvements. Furthermore, I discussed with all stakeholders the aim and extent of the joint effort to advance the curriculum of the 1^st and 2^nd grade. The collaborative instructional methods were developed and implemented through a joint effort by all stakeholders.

References

Herman, J. (2012). Creating Balance in the New Age of Technology. Montessori Life, 24(1) , 42-43.

Hirsch, E. (1999). The Schools we Need and Why we dont have them. New York: Anchor Books.

Lillard, P. (1972). Montessori, a Modern Approach. New York: Schocken Books.

Palmer, P. (2007). The Courage to Teach. San Francisco: Wiley Imprint.

Standing, E. (1998). From Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work. Penguin Group: New York.

Tolle, E. (2005). The Power of a New Earth. New York: Penguin Group.

The assessment of the knowledge that the students have gathered during the course of the education process is a distinctly important factor in teaching. A persons teaching philosophy can find a reflection in the way they assess the students capabilities. All learners are different in the ways they perceive and retain information. Hence is the reason, my teaching philosophy revolves around having a student-centered overview of how to assist everyones characteristics and applying evidence-based techniques in my teaching materials.

As has been stated previously, all students possess unique capabilities and struggles when it comes to obtaining knowledge and skills. The same can be said about performing during performance assessments. It is essential to take the students differences into consideration not only when teaching, but also when assessing the results. An example of such catering is when I engage with learners who prefer different types of memorization. For certain students, visualization is preferred, and for certain students, it is auditory input that does the trick. Knowing this, I assess them differently  those with visual memory are tasked with writing and those with visual with recitals. In addition, I use techniques that have been proven efficient based on evidence. For example, it has been established that students require clarity about what is expected from them (Suskie, 2018). Therefore, I use rubrics that show criteria for grading and make sure that my instructions are clear and precise.

In conclusion, my teaching philosophy concerns engaging with students based on their particular characteristics and the application of evidence-based techniques. The same approach is employed not only when teaching, but also when assessing the students performance. I pay attention to their memorization patterns to make sure they perform to the best of their abilities. In addition, I use rubrics that allow the students to clearly understand my expectations of them.

Reference

Suskie, L. (2018). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide. John Wiley & Sons.

Education is essential in the lives of all children and adolescents since it fosters valuable skills and provides the necessary information, which the students later use in their lives. For instance, literature fosters critical thinking and expressing ones opinions on specific issues and matters learned through novels, stories, or poetry. As a result, it is the duty of an educator to find appropriate approaches to teach the students through a variety of activities and help develop their abilities. In many cases, literature discussion groups (LDGs) are formed in order to aid students in not only analyzing the piece but understanding and learning how to communicate with others. Therefore, LDGs are aimed at improving interpersonal and critical thinking skills by incorporating groups.

First, it is necessary to outline the purpose of LDGs. As a social circle, literature discussion groups are designed to foster the growth of analytical skills, communication, and listening abilities (Roessing, 2019). LDG encourages teamwork, self-reliance, and reading as social and lifestyle activities in this situation. This is why many educators choose to incorporate these activities into their curriculum. When it comes to the way these groups are formed, in most cases, teams of between three and six people are created, which later meet to select and debate a book (Roessing, 2019). Although some teachers develop long-lasting teams with participants continuing to read and debate multiple works, others prefer to create short-term teams that separate when the book is finished.

Here, it is essential to separate the roles of educators from the role of students since they differ. While serving as a mediator, the teacher observes each team without joining them. The instructor takes notes during the group interaction, which are later used for assessment, class training, or indicative comments (Roessing, 2019). Students formulate ideas, take part in in-depth discussions, and use critical reasoning to support their arguments with citations. With interactional learning, individuals improve their understanding of one another. Therefore, the activity is based on first-hand observations and feedback.

As for the tactics and strategies which teachers use when organizing and conducting literature discussion groups, these might involve personal responses and paraphrastic approaches. For example, when it comes to the first one consists in encouraging students to express their opinion regarding the book and then relate them to personal experiences (Mustakim et al., 2018). Moreover, the educator might enable students to relate their personal experiences and emotions to the main issues of the material (Mustakim et al., 2018). This way, the strategy is aimed at reflective tasks and individual perceptions. In another strategy, the educator might conduct a lesson aimed at learning the underlying meanings of the text and retelling the storylines (Mustakim et al., 2018). This way, the educator will foster memorization and critical thinking.

In sum, LDGs incorporate groups in order to enhance communication and critical thinking abilities. Literature discussion groups serve as a social setting that promotes the development of critical thinking, speaking and listening skills. In this circumstance, LDG promotes reading as a social and lifestyle activity, self-reliance, and teamwork. This is the reason so many teachers decide to include these exercises in their lesson plans. When it comes to how these groups are organized, teams of three to six individuals are often established, and they subsequently gather to choose and discuss a book. Personal response and paraphrastic techniques are only two examples of the tactics and strategies that instructors may employ when planning and leading literary discussion groups.

References

Mustakim, S. S., Mustapha, R., & Lebar, O. (2018). Teachers approaches in teaching literature: Observations of ESL classroom. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 2(4), 35-44. Web.

Roessing, L. (2019). Talking texts: A teachers guide to book clubs across the curriculum. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Introduction

The main feature of the differentiated classroom is its uniqueness which is provided by the teachers authorization to complete freedom of action. The atmosphere in the school should be respectful, welcoming, and safe. The pupils group must be changed permanently, reflecting student achievements. Teachers must become mentors for their students, aimed at success through various activities, including pre-assessment, planning and investigation, interest centers and independent study.

Discussion

Math is much easier to teach with new methods and techniques than it used to be, especially with Number Talks. This type of teaching provides all the pupils with access to reason and justifies their thinking while studying the subject. The benefits of differentiated instruction include proactiveness, high quality, ongoing assessment, and different approaches toward the subject matter, education, and final result. Even if, for some tasks, the class is separated into groups, the teaching remains organic and student-centered. The only noticeable disadvantage is that it may be hard for children to change their learning habits if they are not studying in a differentiated class from the beginning.

Conclusion

Thus, pupils learning needs can only be met in the differentiated classroom as this teaching method is directed to influence the learning process itself, not the information presented by the teacher. With this method, comparing the results from the various groups provides a possibility to learn from mistakes without disappointment. Pupils are becoming self-confident and freer to submit their ideas in finding solutions to new tasks without the fear of failing.

The focus of the present report will rest on preschoolers, children of ages three to five as a group to be investigated, and community helpers as a topic for a developmentally appropriate weekly lesson plan. Its purpose is to ensure that children learn and acquire an understanding of the numerous roles and functions that people fulfill in a community. Another component of the general goal of the lesson plan means to encourage children to actively participate in social life and build relationships. Preschoolers need to obtain knowledge that will help them to continue their education and become responsible members of society. Firefighters, police officers, hairdressers, teachers, psychologists, and people of other professions contribute to the development of a particular community and society as a whole. Therefore, one should develop a lesson plan that would address roles valuable for a community and include free play to make the educational process more child-driven, as the developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) guidelines require.

Creating a weekly lesson plan should rely on a clear understanding of what learning goals young students must achieve. The rationale will focus on the premise that children reaching three years tend to investigate the surrounding world more independently and become interested in other people and children that are non-family members (CDC, n.d.). Thus, the cornerstone of the lesson plan is to assist children in the first stages of shaping their personalities. For example, a teacher needs to plan lessons to involve youngsters in interacting with each other and the objects around them, thus fulfilling the objective of using the senses to explore their social and physical environment (Cahapay, 2020). This statement corresponds to the DAP guideline about creating and implementing an engaging curriculum and reasonable goals (NAEYC, n.d.e). Thus, children will have role-plays in a bakery, shop, or vet clinic, facilitating their understanding of behaviors in different settings. They will also do chemical and physical experiments, formulate their own hypotheses, create figures from different media, and so further. Moreover, preschoolers will use various materials, including real objects such as sweets or cookies and toy medical equipment, sports equipment like hula-hoop, wooden blocks, ice, and many others.

Comprehensive planning of a developmentally appropriate lesson plan may take considerable time because educators should create tasks and instructions corresponding to age-specific cognitive abilities and encourage children to challenge themselves and make discoveries. Notably, Cahapay (2020) emphasizes the importance of curriculum unpacking as a practice that impacts students learning outcomes because it connects planning and implementation and is characterized as interpreting intended learning material into instructions. Meanwhile, DAP guidelines serve as helpful tools for developing a lesson plan that addresses all learning needs of students aged three to five. The first guideline concerns creating a safe and caring community of learners (NAEYC, n.d.a). A teacher must demonstrate value by inviting all children to participate in the community and acknowledging each childs contribution in the learning process (NAEYC, n.d.a). A common goal in each lesson activity envisages uniting youngsters and helping others through performing various roles. The second guideline about engaging in partnerships with families and promoting community linkages is embodied in the teachers individual approach to each child at the lesson informed by parents (NAEYC, n.d.c). Observing, documenting, and evaluating childrens development and learning is another DAP guideline that also has connections to all activities (NAEYC, n.d.d). Within its framework, an educator assesses the achievements and progress of preschoolers and has the opportunity to adapt activities in the lesson plan when some students encounter difficulties. Moreover, as the fourth DAP guideline requires, all activities strive to enhance each childs development and learning. Recognizing play as a pivotal age-specific component helps build a meaningful teaching strategy, encompassing self-directed play and guided play in all lesson activities (NAEYC, n.d.f). In addition, direct instructions are necessary to support learning efforts in children. While giving clear instructions, a teacher can explain community roles in detail, identify relationships, and enrich childrens vocabulary (NAEYC, n.d.f). In addition, planning and implementing a curriculum that raises childrens interest and helps them to achieve meaningful goals is the fifth DAP guideline that is addressed in the lesson plan development. Each activity has a different topic, which encourages students to learn something new and valuable for the future. Furthermore, the lesson activities also vary to make the learning process multifaceted. Finally, when a teacher develops the lesson plan according to the DAP prescriptions, he or she demonstrates professionalism, as the last guideline claims (NAEYC, n.d.b). All activities in the present plan are relevant to the DAP guidelines because they address the learning goals, are age-specific, and contribute to the comprehensive development of a three-to-five-year-old child.

Planning an effective teaching strategy must always rely on the purpose of developing childrens skills and facilitating this process. DAP guidelines are based on the constructivist belief that a learner should interact with the environment that stimulates him or her to challenge their knowledge and thinking (Betawi & Jabbar, 2019). In this regard, offering worksheets and coloring pages to youngsters are considered developmentally inappropriate practices (DIP) because they impede creativity (Creative Nest Nursery, 2020). Worksheets do not work as intended because they ignite no interest in children and do not suppose creating something from scratch. Furthermore, they provide no opportunity for free play and physical activity that are vital for a childs proper and multisided development. Although worksheets may contain tasks related to imagination, a three-to-five-year-old is at the early phase of developing creativity and needs to know that it is not limited by a piece of paper and pencil. This assumption is equally fair concerning coloring pages, regardless of parents beliefs that it can develop fine motor skills (Creative Nest Nursery, 2020). However, coloring the picture drawn by an adult does not involve the process of thinking and imagination (Creative Nest Nursery, 2020). For example, the task of coloring a favorite cartoon figure requires keeping inside the lines and excludes any changes of color. Moreover, such activity may contribute to self-distrust and perfectionism, and a child will often need his abilities and achievements to be recognized. Preschoolers can learn the combination of the mentioned skills and creativity when drawing their own pictures or experimenting with colors and various media.

Any learning activity for preschoolers should include free play because it unlocks a childs potential. Given this, a teacher should give particular freedom to youngsters to see what tasks are most interesting to them. Furthermore, young learners tend to explore the world and how it works, which can suggest an educator some new ideas for diversifying activities. DAP guidelines warn against one-sided approaches in teaching, such as parent involvement, that can also be applied to teachers (NAEYC, n.d.b). Teacher-directed activities demand children to complete tasks according to a specific sample, which simplifies the process of observing and assessment of skills. Although such activities are possible to teach youngsters basic skills in literacy, mathematics, or science, they may not be ready to perform some steps of a task independently. For instance, cutting some objects with scissors or mixing the right proportions of safe chemical substances like baking soda and vinegar can appear to be complicated. On the other hand, child-driven activities should be controlled because most preschoolers are restless and need frequent changes of tasks. With respect to the stated above, one cannot exclude a teacher-directed approach from the learning process. It is a question of reasonable combining and balancing between childrens freedom of expression and a teachers intervention.

Finally, completing the present project has given valuable insights regarding teaching. It has provided a deeper understanding of a preschoolers development. Children of three-to-five-year age can be considered as young people in the early stages of forming a personality with a unique voice and expression. During this period, they acquire basic skills and independence, as well as the knowledge that sets a foundation for primary and secondary education. A clear understanding of childrens needs at this age can serve as an indispensable tool in developing lesson plans and teaching processes in the future. Keeping in mind that youngsters need to interact with the surrounding environment, an educator will put effort into scheduling a lesson in a park or forest to let children explore wildlife. Furthermore, preschoolers are spontaneous and expressive, so it makes sense to offer a task in which all children use the same media but create something independently. In addition, a future teacher must practice holding controlling impulses when some children do a task in an unexpected way. Three-to-five-year-olds are delicate and sensitive, so they may become frustrated if something must be done so and so without any option of adding new ideas. It also connects to a teachers behavior and the creation of a safe and inclusive environment where they do not fear asserting themselves. Thus, it is worth showing interest and value for each young learner by calling his or her name according to specific preferences, acknowledging their involvement during a lesson, and recognizing a childs skills, experiences, and achievements.

References

Betawi, A., & Jabbar, S. (2019). Developmentally appropriate or developmentally inappropriate, thats the question: Perception of early childhood pre-service teachers at the University of Jordan. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 24(1), pp. 40-50. Web.

Cahapay, M. B. (2020). A case study of curriculum unpacking practices of a kindergarten teacher. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 9(2), pp. 1-8. Web.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Preschoolers (3-5 years of age). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.

Creative Nest Nursery. (2020). Why we avoid using coloring books!Creative Nest Nursery. Web.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.a) DAP: Creating a caring, equitable community of learners. NAEYC. Web.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.b) DAP: Demonstrating professionalism as an early childhood educator. NAEYC. Web.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.c) DAP: Engaging in reciprocal partnerships with families and fostering community connections. NAEYC. Web.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.d) DAP: Observing, documenting and assessing childrens development and learning. NAEYC. Web.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.e) DAP: Planning and implementing an engaging curriculum to achieve meaningful goals. NAEYC. Web.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.f) DAP: Teaching to enhance each childs development and learning. NAEYC. Web.

Being a student means learning to work in a team. No matter how good ones personal academic score is, the skills of communicating the goals and the means of attaining them, as well as solving the emerging conflicts in a team efficiently, are the key qualities that are sought by most educators and employers. In order to train my skills as a team member, I got a part-time summer job as a reading instructor for kindergarteners and had to not only design a specific teaching strategy, but also cooperate with the rest of the instructors, so that the young learners could acquire the necessarily skills in a proper manner. Unless the management process had been split into the four key stages, i.e., planning, organizing, leading and controlling, I would not have been able to either come up with an efficient teaching strategy, or a method to coordinate the teaching process with the rest of the instructors and, thus, facilitate the perfect learning environment for the students.

As soon as the students background regarding reading was identified (e.g., some of the learners already knew alphabet, while the others did not), I had to come up with the methods for helping the children to develop the basic reading abilities. While the task itself was not quite complicated, with a range of teaching framework existing, I had to keep in mind the fact that, apart from me, other instructors also took part in teaching the specified group reading. Therefore, the five of us had to cooperate, creating a framework for all of us to comply with. As the oldest among the instructors, I was trusted with the role of a leader; therefore, I was supposed to plan the process and assign the rest of the instructors with their roles, which they had to play correspondingly. At this point, the project management framework mentioned above came in handy; first and foremost, I outlined the key goals, which included:

• Teaching the students to read the key diphthongs (e.g., ea, th, ou, etc.);
• Teaching the students alphabet;
• Teaching the students to read simple words and sentences (e.g., a cat, a camp, We are in a camp, etc.).

The process of setting goals, however, was all the more complicated with the introduction of the strategies for the instructors cooperation. As far as our actions as teachers were concerned, we were supposed to:

• Design a strategy, which we would all comply with when teaching the students;
• Work out a means to keep in touch on a regular basis;
• Be cohesive in our layout of the material so that the reading session with the next teacher should be a part of a continuous process of studying.

In order to attain the aforementioned objectives, we utilised the latest technological advances of the time. More to the point, we kept contact with the help of our mobile phones. We came to the conclusion that using Google Docs as a tool for designing lesson plans and correlating our actions was the best solution possible; with every user being able to edit the plans and provide their suggestions, the specified tool was impeccable.

The organization process, in its turn, was a bit more complicated, since each instructor had to check that the material provided by them to the students should not repeat the one that any of the other instructors had prepared. More to the point, the material mentioned above had to represent a continuous flow of information that was only interrupted by exercises and drills. The organization process, therefore, was mostly represented by the arrangement of the specified material, i.e., the rules on reading, the visual aids, the exercises and the sample words and texts. It took us about two days to come up with the materials and the schedule of teaching them to the young learners.

The leading process, in its turn, was admittedly the hardest one of all four. Despite the plan that we had designed previously, we had to shape the lessons on a regular basis and to introduce new elements to it as our students revealed new issues and demanded new assistance. For example, it was revealed very soon that a range of students had issues with proper pronunciation; it can be assumed that most of the cases were triggered by the learners parents engaging into baby talk with their children instead of providing the latter with a proper example of correct speech. Anyway, many children were incapable of pronouncing such sounds as r and sh; as a result, it was required to introduce the exercises, which would train the correct pronunciation of the specified sounds. The given problem slackened the process of teaching to a considerable degree, which resulted in a slight shift in the schedule and the following confusion.

Nevertheless, the team managed to coordinate their actions and even to create a system of succession, in which the next instructor continued the theme started by the previous one, yet provided the students with new material, new exercise and a new way of looking at the subject. For example, learning the letters a, b, c and d could be followed by a discussion of the differences between the letters b and d, with exercises on the topic (i.e., putting the right letter in the gap, as in re_ (b or d)). As a result, not only could every student drill the writing and pronunciation of the specified letters, but also the dyslexic children (three out of ten in our group) learn to differentiate between the letters, which they were constantly confusing.

As far as the leading process was concerned, I had not one, but two groups to lead, since I had to both teaching the young learners and organise the work of the rest of the team. I must admit that the motivation issue was obviously the most complicated one, since the students did not display any seeming interest in reading. It took quite a while for us, the instructors, to come up with a decent motivation strategy. To make the matter worse, because of the problems with the teaching process, neither of the instructors felt motivated enough to continue the teaching process. Luckily, with the help of a transformational leadership principle, which I used in order to encourage my colleagues, the process commenced. As far as the students were concerned, they received strong encouragement from us as charismatic leaders.

Controlling, in its turn, appeared to be the least painstaking process of all four. Though it did require unceasing scrutiny, it mainly presupposed checking our schedule and making sure that the young learners have acquired the skills that they were supposed to in accordance with the teaching plan. In addition, the process of controlling involved corresponding corrective actions most of the time; as it was mentioned above, in a number of times, when teaching a specific concept to the learners, we revealed that the children had major knowledge gaps in the specified area an did not have the background necessary for understanding what we were trying to get across. Consequently, the appropriate corrective actions in the shape of exercises and supplementary texts were provided to the learners. More to the point, at the end of each lesson, the appropriate test was carried out in order to make sure that the progress made corresponded with the initial goals.

It was only the adoption of the management process, which required the four basic stages (i.e., planning, organizing, leading and controlling) that allowed for creating the environment, in which students could acquire the necessary skills in a proper way, and where the instructors could find points of contact, soling the emerging conflicts successfully. True, one must admit that the adoption of a specific leadership strategy, which incorporated the transformational leadership style and the charismatic one, has also had its toll on the success of the project. However, if it had not been for the integration of the four key stages into the management process, the very creation of the strategy, as well as the communication process between the instructors, would have become impossible. The specified approach allowed for getting the priorities straight, as well as designing a proper model of teaching, which helped train the required knowledge in the students in as efficient and expeditious manner as possible.

Introduction

In the 2021 article Toward a Rehumanizing Education: Teaching and Learning in a Postpandemic Society by Collier, the author elaborates on the effect COVID-19 has had on the current structure of education. Collier (2021) proposes that the new structure should be directed toward the purposes of schools, that is, the way of education rather than the how, focusing on the various ways of delivering knowledge. The COVID-19 pandemic altered the normal functioning of schools as students were forced to learn virtually. It led to the emergence and realization of new challenges in the current education structure. The article aims to analyze the two primary educational approaches Gert Biesta and Knowles developed and provide a more appropriate philosophy based on rehuminazation, integrating positive attributes from each and forming a better option.

Teaching and Learning in a Postpandemic Society

According to Collier (2021), SDL increases learners emotional intelligence, personal responsibility, and self-esteem. It leads to the development of dependent learners who later struggle as classrooms do not provide enough growth opportunities. The second philosophy of education developed by Gert Biesta, a critique of Knowles SDL, is presented. Collier (2021) states that this approach discourages adopting self-education. Although learning is a natural process, it does not guarantee that only positive knowledge will be acquired. The author suggests that some aspects between the two can be unified, giving a more realistic and acceptable approach. Knowles and Biestas approaches were unified, and the following new spaces were identified: emancipation and rehuminazation. The former suggests that individual learning is vital in realizing some aspects, such as bias, and the latter states that teaching and learning are inseparable.

Critique

The articles strengths include the presentation of a good argument that can be used when evaluating the impact personal learning and teaching have on the development of an individual. All claims were accurately cited, and the source was presented under the reference list. The article is important in understanding the proper approaches toward establishing a good schooling system that will not be affected by any emergent circumstances, which lead to abnormal functions such as learning from home.

Reference

Collier, C. P. (2021). Toward a rehumanizing education: Teaching and learning in a postpandemic society. International Journal of Self-Directed Learning, 18(1), 1021. Web.

Introduction

Andragogy refers to the various strategies used to enhance teaching and learning among adults (Boshier 87). The strategies are often aimed at engaging the adult learners. The students are given the opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of their learning experience. Andragogy is important for both adult learners and teachers.

The main reason behind this is that adults and children learn variously. Adult learners can easily understand the concepts taught if the instructor uses the appropriate teaching strategies. The teacher is able to communicate with the students in a manner that they can easily understand and relate with.

As such, andragogy ensures that learning outcomes are met among adult students. In this paper, I will provide a comparison between Knowles six assumptions of adult learning and traditional teaching. I will discuss the benefits of Knowles andragogy from the perspective of an adult learner.

The Selected Traditional Learning Context

In relation to the issue of andragogy, I once had the opportunity to attend a conference organized by my employer. It was held with the aim of promoting skills in human resource development. Considering that it was an internal matter, it was held within the organizations premises.

The presenter was a young gentleman from a local Information Technology (IT) consultancy firm. The reason why the conference was held was to emphasize on the need for all human resource managers and other employees to conform to the changing trends in our society today. The theme was Technology for Future Prosperity.

The topic sounded interesting. In fact, all members of the organization were eager to hear what the presenter had in mind. In the days leading to the conference, everyone waited in anticipation. All employees at my organization were expected to be present (Mankin 11). Only employees with a valid reason were to be exempted from attending the event.

The purpose of the lecture was to inform employees of the current trends triggered by IT advancements in the corporate world. The audience was to be taught on the various aspects of technology that were beneficial to their organization. In addition, the presenter was to show how the adoption of such technologies would promote efficiency in the organization (Mankin 11).

Considering that it was a technical issue, it was expected that the presenter would use practical examples to pass the message across. The audience also expected to have an opportunity to see the practical application of technology in an organization (Mankin 11). However, this was not the case. The presenter disseminated information through a lecture.

Reflection on the Lecture from the Perspective of Knowles Adragogy

For effective adult learning, classroom conditions should be in line with adult qualities. Traditional learning contexts do not put these qualities into consideration. Knowles formulated six assumptions in an attempt to show what motivated adult learning.

They included self directing, experience, social role, application, internal motivation and reason for learning (Boshier 87). The assumptions relate directly to the lecture given by the IT consultant in my organization. I will reflect on these assumptions by comparing them with the traditional learning that took place during the lecture.

Self-Directing

Adult learners should be involved in planning and evaluation. They should make decisions concerning their education (Rogers and Horrocks 34). During the lecture, the presenter did not involve us. In addition, we did not have any choice but to attend the conference. As such, we felt that we were learning against our will.

In the traditional learning environment, the set learning outcomes were to increase the performance and efficiency of the employees. At the same time, the employees were to learn about the current trends in technology. Decisions on learning activities and outcomes were made by the management. No consultation was made.

Experience

Adults also need to be made aware of the learning activities that they will be part of. As such, they will be psychologically prepared to learn (Hayes 46). In the traditional learning context, we were only given a brief introduction of the topic.

No attempt was made to take us through the various learning activities and expected outcomes. As such, we did not know what to expect, which led to confusion. The session could have been more effective if the learning outcomes were aligned to adult qualities (Bobo 12).

Better results would have been achieved through such learning outcomes as improving the skills of the employees to enhance their productivity. Although the lecture was not effective, it would have been appropriate for a college or university setting where students are used to this mode of presentation.

Social Role

Knowles also assumed that adults are eager to learn what is of immediate relevance to them. They respond well to teachings touching on their careers and personal lives (Hayes 46). The traditional learning setting reflected this assumption. The teachings were of immediate importance to us since they were aimed at developing our skills.

As such, our productivity was likely to improve. The information in the presentation could have helped me relate better with other employees. Since technology supports communication, my interaction with fellow workmates and clients could also have improved.

Application

According to Knowles, adults are problem-centered as opposed to content-oriented learners. As such, they seek knowledge aimed at solving the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis (Rogers and Horrocks 34). The traditional learning environment was in line with this assumption.

The role of technology in todays society is undisputable. As such, the training improved our competencies. I feel that I needed the information to improve my performance at work. Receiving the information at a personal level would have enabled me to relate better with the issue. At the same time, I would have used the skills acquired outside the work environment.

Internal Motivation

Adult learners respond better to internal motivators than to external ones. As such, they pay more attention to things that concern them at a personal level (Connolly 5). In the traditional learning context, this assumption was not put into consideration. Technology was an external motivation. We viewed it as beneficial to the organization.

The presenter failed to show how its application would be beneficial to us at a personal level. The information provided in the lecture could have been of immediate application to me if the presenter made us feel that the teaching session was aimed at improving our performance as opposed to that of the organization (Bobo 16).

Reason for Learning

According to Knowles, adults need to be informed why the learning process is important (Bobo 12). The presenter must convince them why they need the knowledge to be acquired. In the traditional learning environment, the presenter went straight to the lecture. We were not informed why the session was important. As a result, the entire lecture felt like a waste of time.

Conclusion

Adults learn differently from children. As a result, different teaching methods need to be adopted. To enhance the effectiveness of the adopted strategies, instructors should be aware of the qualities associated with adult learners. Traditional teaching methods disregard these qualities.

As such, the learning outcomes are not usually met. Adopting strategies that pay attention to the qualities of adult learners would enable presenters to teach in a manner that the audience can easily understand and relate to.

Works Cited

Bobo, Luke. Does a Second Century Rabbis Teaching Methods and Process Elements Align with Malcolm Knowles Andragogical Framework?, St. Louis, Mo.: University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2011. Print.

Boshier, Peter. Perspectives of Quality in Adult Learning, London: Continuum, 2006. Print.

Connolly, Brid. Adult Learning in Groups, Maidenhead, England: Open UP, 2008. Print.

Hayes, Amanda. Teaching Adults, London: Continuum, 2006. Print.

Mankin, David. Human Resource Development, New York: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.

Rogers, Alan, and Naomi Horrocks. Teaching Adults. 4th ed. 2010. Berkshire, England: Open UP. Print.