These have been extensively researched based and is intended as a guide and support for teachers making the professional judgements which they are uniquely positioned, and required, to make.
The BOLD description of each principle was taken directly from Andrew Pollard's Reflective Teaching in Schools. The added information was what I gained from the lecture and based on our group discussions.
Principle 2: Effective teaching and learning engages with valued forms knowledge.
Teaching and learning should engage with the big ideas, facts, processes, language and narratives of subjects so that learners understand what constitutes quality and standards in particular disciplines.
Firstly we discusses, who decides what goes into the NC, who decides what to teach and who decides at what age should it be taught. This principle is about making sense of the world we live in; whether we think geographically, scientifically mathematically, creatively, religiously or other possible ways.
We need to use our own personal knowledge and create lessons that a significant and give the students a strong experience.
Good primary teachers should be ale to know each subject well enough to be able to explain it without requiring a degree in all subjects.
This will then become part of you, and almost like breathing you will be able to teach each lesson without constantly planning and checking subject knowledge is secure.
When observing we need to look at what the teachers do with their subject knowledge and how do they focus in on the students learning.
Principle 6: Effective pedagogy promotes the active engagement of the learner. A chief goal of teaching and learning should be the promotion of learners' independence and autonomy. This involves acquiring a repertoire of learning strategies and practices, developing positive learning dispositions, and having the will and confidence to become agents in their own learning.
In the group discussion we spoke about Piaget and his theory of a condition and assimilation. In other words, make the knowledge your own. How and what you do in the classrooms will help children to learn through their challenges and master independence via scaffolding and discussion.
Teachers should equip their students with life skills. A video from the website teach media, showed how different roles can be shared amongst a group and enable each student to take ownership and feel part of a bigger picture.
These are the following Thinking Skills.
Manager-makes sure everyone works together.
Scribe- writes down the group ideas.
Encourager- praises people on the group and boosts positivity.
Reporter- reports the ideas back to the class.
These skills help students work in a group, promotes speaking and listening, gives more time to think, all can take part , and is important for personal/social development.
Principle 8: effective pedagogy recognises the significance of informal learning. Informal learning, such as out if school or away from the workplace, should be recognised as at least as significant as formal learning and should therefore be valued and appropriately utilised in formal process.
This focused on home/school knowledge. It made me think about next year with what I should find out about my class and their personal experiences.
Parents should ask their children to complete sums at home (shopping, time until bus arrives, fractions with pieces pig pizza).
Finding out what hobbies and activities they do as well, will help to shape an opinion of them plus give some indication as to why they could be tired, anxious, excited, sleepy etc. Also praise could be given for those who may have achieved something or want to talk about holidays etc.
