November Contact Days Wrap-up 22. - 24.11.2016

Wrap-up for 2.1 Teaching and learning & Kick-off for 1.3 Learning at work. Only for those of you, who do not have RPL for these modules.

Those of you who have taken Teaching and learning with Susan, have been quite busy all fall. Even so busy that we had to tone down the team activity in other modules of the teacher education program to give you time to finish all Susan's tasks. On 22.11. your hard work came to an end in the form of a wrap-up seminar, where each team (of two to three people) presented their interpretation of a chosen learning theory. Congratulations! On Monday at the latest I'll mark Susan's course as passed on Winha.

In the afternoon we had a kick-off for 1.3. Learning at work.

Unfortunately I had to attend a meeting and leave you to plan the next steps by your self. The first task was: Plan a detailed timeline for all study activities. It might have remained a bit vague, where you should post this timeline. There is a designated discussion forum for topics related to Learning at work. However, some of you seemed to prefer working in the Communities instead. Up to you, as long as I know where to look for the outcomes.

Please, provide a link to the Google Doc where you drafted the outline for your team schedule. I wish the document provides answers to e.g. the following questions:

  • By when do all members read Manuti's article ?
  • What other articles where chosen? Where will the short intros be published and by when?
  • Where and when do you have your study circle meeting?
  • How will you organize the work on the presentation you will give in the webinar?
  • When will the webinar take place? Suggestion for dates could be shared e.g. using Doodle.
  • What are your preliminary plans for the continuation of the module (the questions you want to get answers to, the workplaces you want to visit, the schedule, ideas for the outcome)?

In short: what is your team's action plan for module 3.1 and where can I find it?

Designing Teaching and learning with Katri
Jigsaw Puzzle method

We used Jigsaw puzzle method to wrap-up the study circle literature. In all honesty's name we can admit that the topic itself wasn't deepened that much, but at least you learned to use three new digital tools! We think the method was quite effective: teaching one's own tool to peers was an effective way to really learn the tool well!

Teaching Practice Process

Based on the draft we made on the board while discussing teaching practice implementation I made a Piktochart to better depict the process. We start, once again!, with the inquiry-based cycle. There are several things you have already done in regard to module 2.3: you have positioned yourself on the map in your summer assignment and in your PDP (by picking the development goals you want to focus on). You have also gotten familiar with the learning theories and philosophy of education with Susan, or in prior studies, which you have done (I suggest you spend some time reflecting those prior studies, looking for old assignments and/or exams etc. to "revive" the takeaways). We have already had Katri's resource lecture on planning teaching and learning, and we will have resource lectures on tutoring and assessment, to name a few.

Of course there still is a lot to do as well! Depending on what school you choose for your training, you need to catch up with laws and regulations concerning that level of education, national degree requirements etc. And there is more literature to cover. In the Piktochart the green labels indicate some form of documented action ("assignment"). Study circle schedule and topics you decide within your peer group, document the plan in you PGAP, and the outcomes in the Community (just like you did with previous study circles). Action plan is a general framework of what you are going to do to find answers to your development questions. It includes the Why? and the What?, and When? The detailed pedagogic script (How?) will later be provided for each of the 6 situations. Try to negotiate it so that one of the situation is at least 1 cp of student work. That way you will be able to design both the implementation and the assessment. Try also to visit each other's sessions as much as possible. The debriefing discussions after the session are most rewarding!

Also, try to arrange the bulk of your practice in a vocational context. We don't want to force you out of general education just out of pure evilness!! The certificate you get gives you pedagogic qualification to teach in vocational education and even in general education as "subject matter teacher" (e.g. math, geography, entrepreneurship...) if you have a degree in that subject matter, but it does not make you eligible to teach in general education ("luokanopettaja"). That is why we want to force you out of the comfort zone already during the studies: there is no long term sustainability in networking with schools where you cannot get a permanent job.

Collab. workshop in the graph refers to collaborative workshops you will carry out in pairs in March and April. More on that during February contact days.

Assessment tag refers to comprehensive assessment of the whole process, which will be shared with the whole group as part of your development portfolio.

Greetings from the graduating group

Gina and Lydia from English2015 came to share what they had accomplished in the program, but even more that they wanted to give a testimonial on the importance of investing in the team work. The core of The Rainbow team worked intensively together throughout the studies. They even found a common umbrella for their development projects from art integration (last year the studies included a separate development project). The collective Spark is worth having a look at, just to get inspired! When Jaime asked Lydia for concrete hints on how to improve team work, two important points were:

  • give time to bonding, not only to accomplishing assignments. Meeting at a cozy place (Gina's home) with something to eat and drink helped.
  • sometimes one needs to make sacrifices. When a well functioning team is the aim, one knows that it cannot be accomplished without effort. Sometimes this mean that one needs to prioritize the team over what ever else life would have in stock.

Warm thoughts and light to darkness from

David & Irmeli

(who actively practice both of Lydia's suggestions in an attempt to keep our teamwork fresh and productive!)

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