Teacher as Inquirer
‘Theory without practice is empty; practice without theory is blind’
Who am I as a teacher?
Dylan Wiliam.
'On the Shoulders of Giants'
What are the key ideas?
How do these ideas inspire you as a teacher?
How do these ideas relate to curriculum?
How do these ideas relate to teaching and/or theory you have come across in one of your courses so far?
How could these ideas influence how you teach?
Preparation for Literature Circles
Please skim read the article you have been assigned in class and make notes on the main ideas and concepts as long as any questions the article raises for you. Bring these to class so that you are ready to participate in a literature circle on your reading.
Read Chapter 17 of Facing the big questions in teaching.
Research to inform inquiries
what is most important given where my students are at? (focus inquiry)
what evidence based strategies are most likely to work? (teaching inquiry)
how did my teaching impact on my students? (learning inquiry)
The role of research in supporting teachers as they determine priorities in the focusing inquiry
The purpose of a focusing inquiry needs to establish priorities as it can point them in the direction of likely understandings and misunderstandings that they should be aware of.
Example: Teacher's awareness of 6 progressive stages for historical understanding among 7-14 year old students will help them determine what is most important to emphasise in their teaching of historical content.
How do you focus?
Prior teachers, how did they meet this need?
The role in research in supporting teachers as they decide on teaching strategies most likely to work in the teaching inquiry
its purpose is to encourage consideration of evidence-informed strategies, so that teachers' likelihood of success with their own students is increased.
where would you find the evidence informed strategies?
is there an expert in this field at school?
how much time needs to be invested in learning this?
The role of research in supporting teachers as they establish the impact of teaching on their students in the learning inquiry
Learning Inquiry not only requires teachers to describe the impact of their teaching but also explain that impact.
Four mechanisms from Social Sciences BES:
connection
alignment
community
interest
Sociocultural frameworks such as development of:
cognitive
social-emotional
physical connections
explain research findings, and can also help teachers think about their practice and the participation patterns on their own context.
How is individual student achievement managed over the 8 learning areas when the school day is broken into different subjects and activities where each lesson is broken into 20-30 minute segments?
Follow up activity - issues/policy
In order to follow on from our discussion this morning, one of the things you should be doing in your professional role as a teacher is to keep up to date with what is happening in education generally. We spoke about these things in terms of issues, proposals/ideas, and policy. Use the google doc provided to record examples of these that you come across in your reading, viewing and listening.
Information
Resources
Illustrate their personal-professional development by examining and critiquing their own development of teacher identity, beliefs and dispositions, ethical practices and actions focussed on improving learner outcomes.
Critically reflect on the implementation of the Teaching as Inquiry process to improve learning.
Synthesise their theoretical and practical understandings of teaching in primary classrooms.
Critically reflect upon their developing educational philosophy and the influences that have helped inform that philosophy.