Organising the Literacies

The concept of KLA-specific literacies is not necessarily a new one: Elizabeth Moje has conducted research into this field for many years. In one such study from the early 1990s she observed the integration, role and importance of literacy over a two-year period in a particular chemistry teacher’s secondary school classroom. The findings were quite intriguing, and in my mind somewhat unexpected, as the culture of the classroom was found to influence the students’ ability to apply the strategies implemented by their chemistry teacher, Ms Landy. When other teachers utilised the same ‘SQ3R strategy’ the students did not readily apply it, in part due to their “allegiance” to Ms Landy and “her” strategy, and in part due to the fact that it formed part of the classroom culture specific to that class, that teacher and that subject. I had previously underestimated the degree to which the culture of a classroom can impact upon its functioning; the teacher creates an environment in which the class is able to flourish and participate to varying degrees, thereby encouraging them to contribute to the culture themselves to differing extents. Ms Landy’s desire to assist her students to succeed led her to include literacy techniques in her pedagogy and her practice, as her definition of success involved attending college (university) and thus necessitates well developed literacy skills. This created a literacy-based classroom culture, linked to the teaching and learning practices, dialogues, outcomes, objectives, motivations, ends and means.

Ms Landy’s primary concern with student welfare and success led to her focus on literacy, as she identified it as a determining factor in her students’ education journey; but what I found particularly striking was not only her motivation for incorporating literacy into her chemistry curriculum, but her method of doing so. The thread that tied chemistry and literacy together, in Ms Landy’s mind, was organisation, and that concept allowed the neat marriage of the two aspects of education. Chemistry is a highly organised field of education, she argued, and literacy provided a means of understanding and interacting with this. Her students agreed that organisation was central to the concepts of chemistry, as the periodic table is “perfect” and thus understanding it requires an approach that highlighted its organisation. These students also recognised the fact that their teacher cared deeply about them, and in some ways felt more obliged to be ‘well behaved’ in her class as a result. This was engrained in the culture of the classroom, and resulted in the students’ “allegiance” to Ms Landy’s literacy methods being utilised in her classroom exclusively. This creates disparate literary success: the students are more inclined to employ literacy techniques in their chemistry class, but are not encouraged to do so in other classes. In another article Moje queries: “…why teachers do or do not enact the strategies designed by content literacy researchers, and whether students transfer their use of strategies in one subject area to another.” (Moje 2008, p97). From the study of Ms Landy’s class it is evident that teaching literacy strategies in one discipline will not necessarily translate into adopting an inter-disciplinary approach to literacy. I do not find this to be intuitive, as previously I assumed that the introduction of literacy strategies by a teacher, no matter the subject area, would increase the students’ overall literacy proficiency. Albeit, the fact that this is incorrect strengthens the argument that disparate literacies exist, and as such students may not understand how to apply a ‘chemistry strategy’ to a ‘SOSE text’.

I think the concept and implications of KLA-specific literacies is articulated very nicely by Moje herself: “…literacy as an essential aspect of disciplinary learning, requires the acceptance of a key premise that “the disciplines are constituted by discourses” (Luke, p. xii, 2001; cf. O’Brien, Moje, & Stewart, 2001). This premise assumes that producing knowledge in a discipline requires fluency in making and interrogating knowledge claims, which in turn require fluency in a wide range of ways of constructing and communicating knowledge. Literacy thus becomes an essential aspect of disciplinary practice, rather than a set of strategies or tools brought in to the disciplines to improve reading and writing of subject-matter texts.” (Moje 2008, p99)

To become literate in a specific discipline, therefore, both the student and the teacher must firstly recognise its discoursive nature, secondly work in collaboration to understand and unpack this discourse, and thirdly develop methods to readily apply to deciphering this discourse. In Ms Landy’s classroom, this was achieved through the uniting thread of organisation – the process by which the discourse of chemistry was ‘normalised’ and made familiar was through the lens of this ‘known’ concept. The teacher, Ms Landy, had recognised the need for a connection to be made between literacy and chemistry before her students would be capable of grappling with it, and provided them with strategies revolving around this concept to practice and implement.

I find it to be somewhat of an abstract decision which aspect of the topics are chosen to connect them, as their multi-faceted nature means it can be difficult to identify a single unifying theme. However, it appeared to occur effortlessly to Ms Landy in her teaching of chemistry, and thus it may potentially be a matter of course that such things ‘come with the territory’.

– For Science!

References

Moje, E. B. 2008. Foregrounding the Disciplines in Secondary Literacy Teaching and Learning: A Call for Change. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Vol 52(2), pp 96-107

Moje, E.B. 1996. “I teach students not subjects”: Teacher-student relationships as contect for secondary literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, Vol 31(2), pp 172-195

Geological Literacy

I realised that I know very little about how the education system operates in the western states of Australia (we are very East-centric over here, are we not?), and after some investigation discovered an amazing example of ELPC 2 (Ehanced Learning in Professional Contexts 2) in action!

On the education website of South Australia I found the list of subjects that can be studied in the SACE (SA Certificate of Education), and then the list of sciences, and therein found the Subject Outline for Geology (yes, they have Geology!). This document contained, amongst other things, the following headings:

Literacy in Geology
Numeracy in Geology
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge, Cultures, and Perspectives 

Amazing! It goes on to say that literacy in geology includes the following capabilities:

• communicate within and beyond the geological community using the terminology and
conventions of geology
• access and critically read and summarise geological texts
• summarise geological information using formats appropriate to an audience
• select and use formats appropriate to their purpose and audience
• develop and display skills in the use of web-based presentations and visual, written,
and oral texts.

How can literacy be a distraction from our core business as teachers when its role and importance in a science subject is so explicitly detailed? This document explains not only the ways in which literacy is relevant to, in this instance, the study of geology, but by simply being mentioned in the Subject Outline its profile has been raised.

It is very heartening to read such demystifying documents in public circulation, as the awareness of both the teacher and the general populace can be influenced by them. Addressing the cross-disciplinary nature of literacy and the flow-on effects that low literacy levels can therefore engender becomes just a mite simpler when the education system recognises its importance, too.

– For Science!

Practical Experience: Building It Up and Breaking It Down

I went in to my prac placement expecting to fail.

I had steeled myself against the clutches of defeat: readying myself for the disaster lessons, the constructive, albeit negative, feedback, the chaos, the explosions, the floundering, the awkwardness, the sheer ineptitude, the failure. I had come to terms with the fact that I would make many, many mistakes, and would hopefully be in a position to learn from them. I was anticipating a very tiring, challenging, rewarding and eye-opening six weeks of practical experience to ruminate upon. I predicted all of this, assuring myself that my inevitable failure would be useful in the long-run, in the knowledge that everyone has bad days, and everyone is constantly learning.

What I did not predict in this, however, was the possibility that I could succeed – and I am thus currently finding myself somewhat lost for words. I received an unexpectedly glowing report from my mentor teachers, and was genuinely surprised at the depth of knowledge and skills I was depicted as having – did I really develop successful relationships with the students? Did I really respond effectively to the learning needs of different individuals and class groups? Did I really make a positive contribution to the learning of my classes? Did I really teach…?

Reflecting upon my six weeks of practical experience I was struck by something: I actually taught my students…wow! Was that really me? Did I accomplish that? I taught my students content material and they retained some of that knowledge – they even applied some of it in other classes, and did so with a smile! I planned and executed lessons, pondering how best to explain concepts I had only just re-acquainted myself with. I highlighted the positive and the negative aspects of my lessons, reflecting on my poor timing and thinking of ways to improve it. It may sound ludicrous, being a student teacher half-way through their qualification, but these premises are genuinely amazing to me – the very fact that I really and truly taught in a classroom is fundamentally impressive – to the extent that I am only now realising its weight and implications. I learned so much in my time at my school that I can scarcely recall it all, but I imagine that as things wind-down and I have some time to breathe (phew!) many thoughts will surface and I will be able to grasp the gravity of teaching and the part that I played in the school community.

I feel so privileged to have been able to take part in aspects of schooling beyond the classroom, observing the community response at Open Night and the external learning on school excursions. I was accepted openly and freely by both the staff and students, and that made an enormous difference to my time there. And yes, there were frustrations, but thinking everything through logically allowed for the best lesson preparation and classroom responses. I was anticipating tears and frustration, and instead felt at ease – was I doing something wrong? I know my situation was not typical of all school placements – and I certainly do not believe that I will have the same experience again! – but I applied myself and found that everything flowed from there. My students paid attention to what I had to say, and attempted their work. I heeded the words of my mentors and amended my approach where necessary. I was initially nervous about teaching a class, not because I have a fear of public speaking, but because what I said determined whether the students understood a concept or not – and I was being judged on my performance – but it soon occurred to me that if I relaxed I could deliver my message in a more effective manner anyway.

These few weeks seem like aeons ago now, and the thought of not showing up at school next week is somewhat confronting: it really is over. I will miss the staff and students, but I am looking forward to a break to allow for some much needed mental processing time (not to mention the chance to catch up on some sleep!) It’s straight back to uni next week, but I am sure that the course material will only help me to reflect upon my prac time.

I am sure, in time, that I will post more measured, scholastic and quantified responses to my practical placement, but for the time being my understanding has not progressed past this point of bewildered reflection, and as such this post is sufficient for own learning journey. I am not leaving with the misguided impression that teaching is easy, or that I am now more than qualified to start teaching now – quite the contrary!! – but I have gained a new-found confidence in my ability to, at least in some small part, form relationships with students and teach them as both a group and as individuals – and I never thought for a moment that I could say that at the end of my first few weeks of placement.

I was surprised, also, by a teacher’s comments after my mentor had announced at morning tea that it was my last day of placement. He said to me: “Are you a prac-y, mate? I thought you were an actual teacher – I’ve walked past your classroom a few times and seen through the window that you’ve got a good vibe in the room – you get a good feel for these things after a few years of looking through windows, so you’ve been doing an awesome job!” I was so surprised by this comment – and, I have to admit, very proud – and I realised that perhaps I really had achieved what my mentor teachers had written about me…

And so, Wally Watchers, my prac is finished and I can finally let out a sigh of relief – although I realise that I have a whole lot more contemplation to undertake. Stay tuned for future installments of prac rumination!

– For Science!

Assignment 2b: CPP 1 Portfolio Reflections

1. The art of teaching science, the science of teaching art

Science is a discipline based upon inquiry, curiosity, rigour, creativity and exploration, underlain by an inherent focus on safety. My science classroom, therefore, centres on mutual respect between students and teachers, safety during all experimental and non-experimental work, a continual process of conscious and unconscious learning and a withstanding sense of enjoyment. These aspects of schooling are not dissimilar from that observed in other disciplines, as most teachers strive to create a fun and educational environment; albeit, the focus on safety is different from that relevant to other key learning areas (KLAs), as the use of chemicals, fire, glassware, scalpels, pathogens etc. necessitates a different approach to supervision, responsibility, trust and awareness in the classroom.

This indicates that a high level of cross-over exists between planning strategies used in different KLAs, as teachers across disciplines aim to establish similar learning environments, but that the application of these strategies varies. A focus on hands-on applications of concepts being investigated is implemented universally, but is of particular significance in the context of a science classroom. Learning-by-doing is often considered to be the most engaging and informative method for scientific learning, as it is an ideal way for students to investigate, prove, disprove, observe, understand and/or create a concept experimentally after learning about the theory underlying it. This highlights the ‘real-ness’ of their studies, and assists in uncovering the connectivity between their life and their schooling. This sought after ‘relevance-factor’ is applicable to all KLAs, but, once again, the reality of this varies between them.

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2. Bloom’s Chemical Taxonomy

I have observed the effectiveness of the learning-by-doing strategy in classes that I have taught, using experimentation to strengthen, clarify, alter and/or confirm students’ understanding of the theory being studied. Year 11 Chemistry were investigating the theory of the adhesion, cohesion, viscosity and surface tension of water, and undertook experiments which allowed them to directly observe these phenomena in their practical lessons. It was evident that they had a much greater conceptual understanding of these principles after they had undertaken this experimentation, as compared to their initial understanding of these effects and their implications. Predictions can be proven or contradicted, hypotheses confirmed or rebutted: direct observation allows the science student to reconcile their theoretical enquiries with their practical investigations, and relate this to the world at large. Remembering that the textbook describes a solution of hydrochloric acid as acidic and actually observing evidence of this acidity involves two separate levels of learning, and therefore necessitates different learning activities to be achieved. Bloom’s Taxonomy would classify these as Remembering and Understanding, respectively, and it is evident that the Year 11 Chemistry class are currently grappling with these states of cognition. These processes are laying down the foundations required to progress to the level of Application and beyond, at which stage students will be able to draw connections between their theoretical and practical knowledge. Their deductive reasoning will come to the fore as they learn to recognise patterns, formulate predictions, devise methods to confirm or refute these, infer trends, and evaluate the success and relevance of their results.

By contrast, the Year 12 Chemistry class has advanced to the stages of Synthesis and Evaluation, and are able to work independently in both practical and theoretical undertakings. As their prior knowledge forms the basis of their enquiries they are able to readily interpret, extrapolate and infer information, doing so almost unconsciously and with little guidance from their teacher. This ability has been fostered and developed over their 13 years of schooling, with cross-disciplinary learning culminating in this autonomous learner. In their short 18-month college career these skills have been honed and refined for application in the laboratory, and as such they are trusted to act appropriately and efficiently with minimal active supervision. In my opinion this is indicative of very effective teaching, as the classroom operates on the self-driven actions of the students, with the teacher playing the role of mediator and guide. This student-driven learning also works to empower them, as they take responsibility for their own behaviour and their learning journey.

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3. Contingency, thy name be planning

Planning strategies must take into account the inconvenient reality that in some instances, no matter how hard one tries, a class will complete none of the work assigned for the lesson. Even the best laid plans can prove to be unsuccessful when implemented, and maximising learning in such situations can be very difficult. Perseverance, flexibility and responsiveness will be the saviour in such situations, and it is essential to devise contingency plans and activities suitable for many different types of learners and environments, which can be used as a ‘last resort’ strategy when all else fails.

I have been caught unprepared in the classroom on a number of occasions. A crystallisation experiment took longer than was anticipated to complete, and I had no contingency activity to undertake whilst the students waited during this period. One-third of the lesson was spent doing effectively nothing, and thus I felt as though I had failed to capitalise on the minimal class time that I have to spend with them. Some productive discussions ensued, albeit, if I had been better prepared I would have organised an interim activity to further enhance the learning taking place.

I have also found myself floundering in my own ignorance, after starting to doubt the accuracy of my own knowledge. I genuinely forgot the types of bonding exhibited by specific molecules whilst I was trying to explain it to my students. I was able to salvage this mini-catastrophe by setting a homework question of discovering the bonding shown by the (obviously!) covalently-bonded molecule of silicon dioxide (sand). This was a very interesting experience, as I had not only forgotten something that I fundamentally know and understand, but I had done so in the midst of explaining the reasoning behind it to a group of people! I believe I was able to effectively preserve my credibility without providing fallacious information to my students – and my mentor teacher informed me that he did not realise that I had forgotten what it was that I was explaining.

Assignment 2b: CPP 2 Portfolio Reflections

1. Immobile environments, dynamic learning

The environment of a classroom impacts upon the approach to both teaching and learning that occurs within it – ultimately dictating the nature of the relationship between teachers, students and subject matter. The environment itself is determined by the interaction of the physical space that it occupies with the dynamic created by its inhabitants, and as such varies greatly between KLAs and even between individual classes within one discipline.

In the majority of Canberra high schools a science classroom is a laboratory. Immobile experiment benches line the outskirts of the room and a demonstration bench sits at the head of it, thereby minimising the area available for other objects, and severely limiting the capacity to vary desk, chair and student arrangements within the space. Smaller table groupings, discussion-centred arrangements, horseshoe patterns: different desk arrangements engender different classroom environments and therefore different teaching and learning experiences; albeit, they also necessitate space to accommodate them. The physical environment of the science classroom is thus limited to one or very few possibilities, and the teacher must vary alternative aspects of their teaching to create different learning environments. The teaching style, learning activities, use of positive and negative reinforcement, degree of scaffolding, source of information, learning objectives, methodologies employed and underlying motivations of the teaching will impact upon the classroom environment, and the manner in which students interact with it. These variables can be factored into lesson planning to analyse their effect on the environment and thereby the appropriate balance to strike between them.

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 2. Discipline-specific or specifically disciplined?

In my KLA workshops my mentor teacher discussed the different learning styles recognised in education and asked us to consider how the differences would affect our approach to lesson planning. He highlighted that as teachers we must adapt our approach to teaching to cater for as many learning styles as possible, but that we are also responsible for preparing our students for the ‘real world’ and as such must aim to alter their ability to learn effectively from different methods of engagement.

I have discovered that in college-level science classes there is an expectation that the environment will be teacher-centred, with the use of textbooks and worksheets forming the basis of the activities undertaken. This form of teaching limits the types of learning that can occur in the classroom, and necessarily prevents other strategies from being trialled or implemented. For the sake of maintaining consistency and familiarity for the students I have been following this established routine in my classes, essentially emulating my mentor teacher’s method: introducing a new topic, working through an example of its application, setting textbook questions, working through some of the answers, clarifying points of confusion and setting the more difficult question for homework. This may be an effective means of imparting the required knowledge to my students, but is it the most effective method of doing so? I am not entirely comfortable relying on this approach as my only method of teaching, and I am keen to experiment with alternatives; albeit, while I am still finding my feet in the profession I would like to spend more time considering which approaches would be worth attempting.  

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3. A video is worth a thousand words

There is a distinct difference between the use of technology in a classroom and effective ICT integration in lessons. The latter not only involves understanding the applications and uses of the technology itself, but also of the learning outcomes associated with its use – consideration must be given to what distinct and identifiable benefit is afforded by incorporating a video into a lesson, or using a powerpoint presentation, or establishing a class webpage, or developing a blogging assignment, or utilising the services of the school’s connected learning community (CLC). Uploading notes to the class CLC page is a great method for students to review the work already covered in class and to catch up on anything that they missed, albeit, this does not provide any extension or enrichment – it does not add anything to the class. To use this ICT effectively, additional resources such as related information, topical stories, random facts, extension material, videos, diagrams, pictures, cartoons etc. should be included, not only to enrich the students’ learning but also to cater to the many different learning styles.

I attempted to integrate internet usage into a double-lesson of Year 12 Genetics, in a research and presentation activity. The underlying outcomes of this lesson included practice in researching, understanding and summarising information, experience in presenting to a group and working within the timeframe constraints. The predominating issue with this activity was the blasé way in which it was approached by the students, with limited motivation to complete the work to a high standard, and a diminished sense of urgency for its completion on time. My mentor teacher conceded that the class is difficult to motivate and that my attempt yielded results similar to those that she regularly receives, albeit, I feel that I should have done more to enthuse them. The activity itself incorporated many withstanding skills that are invaluable to all areas of study, and thus I believe it contained effective ICT integration, but the students’ response evidently necessitated an additional motivating factor.

My use of YouTube videos in Chemistry classes has been met with approval from both my mentor teacher and from the students. Time-lapse videos are a fantastic method of showing processes that are otherwise unobservable in the classroom, and provide a much needed break in the midst of a theory lesson. However, my mentor teacher has highlighted the fact that while showing a video of an experiment is very beneficial, not allowing the students to then attempt the experiment depicted works to counter it; although seeing may engender believing, learning-by-doing often surpasses the efficacy of learning-by-seeing. The use of ICT in the classroom does not automatically increase levels of learning and thus adequate planning regarding its implementation is imperative.

The Thinkers-and-Doers of the Science Metaphor

Upon reading one of my lecturer’s wonderfully insightful and provocative blog posts I felt the need to respond – and although the content veers tangentially away from his main purpose for writing it, the inherent element of meta-cognition has awakened some parts of my thinking that have been lying dormant, patiently waiting for a time to emerge when I was ready to deal with them. They have been tugging at the corner of my subconscious for a number of weeks, but have yet to be adequately acknowledged – until now…there is always so much contemplate!

“To learn to teach is to belong to, and draw upon, a community of thinkers-and-doers. The hyphens remind us that this is one set of people, not (as some would have it) a world divided into two groups, the thinkers and the doers. These thinkers-and-doers include our teachers, our parents, our former teachers, our fellow students and teaching colleagues, the authors of the books we read, the presenters of the courses we attend.”

I was so exalted to read this description, as I feel that society creates such limiting and short-sighted constructs that the population feels obligated to fit into them. There is often no possibility of cross-category liaison or information exchange in the sense that the doers could not possibly learn anything from the thinkers, and visa versa, as they have different roles and therefore different activities to undergo. How could doing something assist in one’s thinking about it?How could thinking something assist in one’s doing it? And yet, the two are so very interconnected that I would argue it is nigh on impossible to adequately fulfil either task without referencing the other – and thus is the basis for the mentality that theory informs practice. This does not necessarily mean that theory must precede practice, but it does mean that the recipe for success involves both.

12 months ago my main teaching ambition was centred on being accepted into the 2-year program entitled “Teach For Australia“, whereupon successful completion awards the participant a Diploma in teaching and two years of on-the-job experience in a “disadvantaged” school in Australia. This seemed like the most amazing opportunity and fulfilled so many of my desired criteria – teaching qualification, practical experience, work in remote areas – that I decided that it was a non-negotiable goal. I did not look upon this as an easy objective, but I did believe that I would be ready to teach without any introductory training (oh the folly of youth!), although there is a six-week introductory training course. But times, how they change, and cutting a long, involved story short, I ended up enrolling in the Dip Ed I am currently studying. And oh, how my perspective on that program has changed! How on Earth could I have hoped to succeed in any capacity with no theory informing my practice? I may have succeeded in making a child laugh, or in making myself feel like I was achieving my goals, or in making personal revelations, or perhaps even conveying knowledge to someone, but I can, without any doubt, conclude that I would not have truly taught those students in a meaningful manner without starting from a somewhat informed viewpoint. I would have entered that classroom flying blind, with no vision and no co-pilot, and been expecting to make it through the turbulence unscathed, landing on the run-way after two years of relative smooth sailing…what was I thinking?! It is not until one begins to study teaching that one realises how little one genuinely understands it, and it is this daunting, unsettling, and most uncomfortable transition to conscious incompetence that is the point at which the real learning begins.

A teacher must be a thinker-and-doer by the very nature of their career, and I think it is worth taking stock of this at the end of a hard day. Reflecting upon this yields that successful teaching requires a level of developmental maturity to realise that there is always a meaning in an action, and a theory in a practice.

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“To be in the grip of the scientific metaphor is to be made to feel uneasy about the fact that intuitively we know we learn from our colleagues and from our practice. If my student could more easily allow himself to be invaded by the ‘learning communities’ metaphor, he would know he could draw on his fellow students’ blogs if indeed they help him to understand, and to act effectively in, the complex  ‘indeterminate zones of practice’.”

I do not consider myself a scientist in the sense that resonates with society; I do not inhabit a lab coat five days per week, I do not spend my days pipetting coloured liquids into trays upon trays of sample vials, I do not make a habit of breeding albino rats for experimentation, my time is not occupied by analysing endless data files and graphs, I am not required to douse and scour my person before entering my workplace, I am not found hunched over a large and expensive piece of equipment on a daily basis. I am not a stereotypical scientist as the media portrays us – although these scientific endeavours are wholly valuable and worthwhile career pursuits – and yet, I do refer to myself as a scientist, and I see myself as one: I look for the science in the world, seeking out the amazingly embedded yet prominent scientific basis in everything in my life, and thus my outlook on life is science! – and what is more scientific than that?

I know many individuals who would argue with this definition and reasoning, and possibly rightly so; albeit, science is such a salient and integral part of my life that I feel I cannot fully encapsulate myself using any other term, and thus I continue to appropriate it for my own purposes.
This, however, raises a separate ‘kind of science’ from that referenced above, and yet they are wholly related. “To be in the grip of the scientific metaphor is to be made to feel uneasy about the fact that intuitively we know we learn from our colleagues and from our practice.” I know the truth in these words, and yet this learning, this understanding, this knowing is not undertaken in a scientifically rigorous manner – does this mean it is necessarily rendered invalid, unusable, unreliable? As a joyously self-proclaimed scientist, must I undertake ‘research’ upon which to base any so-called knowledge that I come to ‘know’? Must I reference my teaching practice, and employ only those methods proffered in ‘academic journals’? Must the anecdotal be ignored? Must we rally against the spread of a socially constructed nature of knowledge? To these ideas the reflectivist and scientist in me both say a resounding, “No!”
Humanity was founded on the activity of tribal groups who survived, subsequently sharing this knowledge of survival, reality and history between generations and amongst community members – we were born of communal functionality. Our reality may have altered significantly from that of the ancestral hominids speaking, singing, dancing, surviving and learning on the plains of Africa, but the ability and propensity to share knowledge has never been more immediate as it is today. Our community has broadened to international horizons; our survival has altered from run-survive, hunt-kill to survival in the constructs of modern civilisation (in the West/First World, at least); our history has seen advancement, tragedy, wonderment, genius, pain, suffering and above all else, humanity; and what has remained stoically unchanged throughout this time is that salient, flawed and defining construct that is our humanity. And we know this because our ancestors communicated this to us. Anecdotes, stories, embellishments, fabrications, forgotten events, contradictory accounts, language, art, discoveries, technology – inter-written into all of these abstract and tangible media is the history of the human journey…and I do not know this because it was cited by seven respected scholars – I know this because I am human and it is as much my story as it is yours.

To think about this knowledge, to understand its meaning and to enact its purpose is surely the way that our community (society) has operated from its very origin? The thinkers-and-doers of the world understand this in some capacity – be they scientists, bakers or electricians – and are therefore not limited or contained by the walls of the science metaphor.

I am a scientist, I am a teacher-in-training, and I am always learning – and that in and of itself opens so many doors to accessing knowledge, with innumerable purposes and from myriad sources, each with its own relevance or lack thereof, to be determined by the individual seeking out the knowledge. Every referenced article itself was seeded by an ‘idea’ that was generated from contemplation of current knowledge, and was constructed around this established ‘known’. Ultimately, regardless of its source, through collation of information, review of data, experimental observation, disproving and supporting theories and hypotheses, thinking about the world in a different manner, problem solving, and intellectual inquiry, all knowledge is constructed – and that means we all contribute to its existence.

– For Science!

Learning to Love Learning – CPP 2, WEEK 9

1. Read the blog posts, The walled city: Josh Part 1, Doubts and loves: Josh Part 2, Walking through the barrier: Josh Part 3
2. Think (and write) about times when you’ve felt trapped or excluded from the learning, and whether you found (or were helped to find) an escape route.
3. Think about the reading and reflecting you’ve already done in CPP 2, and what light it might throw on this issue.
4. Reflect on the implications of all of this for your teaching.

The story of Josh is a story of teachers: his journey and approach to schooling is an embodiment of his interaction with the teaching and learning taking place in his classroom. The ‘Walled City’ in which he found himself may have also been populated by other students, each of them grappling with the same issues that he was, or perhaps walled-in by their own individual barriers. But where did the teacher fit into this? Was the teacher themself barricaded off from the students, or even barridcaded in with the students? Was the teaching itself born of isolation from the world, necessarily preventing students from making connections between the subject matter and their inner and outer selves? Was the teacher aware that this was happening, allowing the construction of walled fortresses to isolate students? Was the teacher attempting to break down these barriers? Or were they oblivious to the existence of these separatory constructs? Were they consciously or unconsciously encouraging their development? Or were they knowingly or unknowingly breaking them down, one brick at a time?

As a teacher, how do you even begin to plan for such a situation arising? Are you resigned to the fate of putting your students into boxes labelled “Incapable of deep thinking” and leaving it at that? (My Assignment One was founded on this very premise of ‘boxing’ students based on assumptions, and thus I find it very interesting that it has been somewhat alluded to here..) Can you counter this affect at all?

I have felt excluded from many different things in my life, albeit, learning has never truly been one of them. I did always feel a need to see things from the ‘right’ point of view – that is, the view presented to us as correct – but also felt that I had the right to challenge this view if and when I saw the need to. I trusted my teachers to be supportive of my opinions, and equally I respected theirs; I was lucky enough to have wonderful English teachers who encouraged the development of skills and implementation of critical analysis. The times that I did feel a sense of exclusion from learning usually occurred when assigned a text that I did not connect with on any level; I can recall a few novels throughout high school that fit into this category! If the class as a whole looked upon the book unfavourably there was no such sense of exclusion, as we were all ‘on the same page’ with regards to engagement (or disengagement) with the subject. However, if the class were able to find some insightful quality in its pages that I was not privy to I would be incensed – it was just so unfair that I was being excluded from accessing the meaning in the text.
Class discussions would assist me in understanding the way in which my classmates were viewing the text, and therefore the route they travelled to reach their insight into its meaning. This would go some way in relieving the stress that accompanied the feeling of floundering in the sea of unknowingness, but would not necessarily lead me to discover for myself a meaning or purpose in the text. I did feel comfortable expressing this view, though, and can recall some of my journal entries illustrating just that: “I cannot see the point of the use of metaphor here, as it does not add to the overall meaning of the story. It seems unnecessarily ambiguous, and does not assist in conveying meaning.” (Clearly if I could not connect with a text it was not worth reading…or so I told myself to appease the sense of uneasiness that was born of frustration!) Thankfully, though, the large majority of the essays I was required to write at school were not based upon a text that I was so disengaged with, and I was thus able to formulate an adequate discussion regarding its themes, story, premises, meaning etc.

The student’s ability to connect with subject matter is pivotal to their investment in the exploration of its meaning, development, purpose and importance; if one cannot personally relate to a piece of writing, one would be generally disinclined to analyse it further. The very personal nature of interpretation renders this a very hit-and-miss type of activity: one man’s Shakespeare is another man’s Suess (NB – I am not intending to pass judgement on either of these authors, rather I am highlighting that the very varied nature of their works can be viewed by different individuals as either analogous or contrasting). Albeit, I believe the wonderfully insightful musings into Josh’s journey of discovery into the meaning in Othello highlights the need for the student to see connections between the text and their own life – and this transcends the need for individually targeted pieces of work. The development of a universal connection with a text, formed from multi-faceted analyses and viewpoints, can be encouraged by not automatically disregarding students for their ‘incorrect’ interpretation of the text.
Josh was only able to see meaning in Shakespeare’s words when the larger context was uncovered, providing a framework for his interpretation to build upon. This was achieved through class discussions, reading summarising articles on SparkNotes and watching a film adaptation of the play, all of which combined to provide a rich tapestry of perspectives and understanding. Josh’s immediate response to studying a Shakespearean play illustrated that he was convinced that there was a right and a wrong way for it to be interpreted. He enjoyed the personal nature of poetry, as each person was allowed to interpret it in their own way, drawing whatever meaning from it that they could see individually, and thus he felt constricted by the perceived requirements and boundaries associated with studying Othello. Initially seeing and feeling no real meaning in this play, Josh felt as though he had utterly ‘missed the point’, or perhaps that there was just no point to see.

So what does this mean for my teaching? Science is somewhat different from Shakespeare, in that scientific theories are to be understood in a certain manner – but this does not mean that students should not question them! As I have said numerous times previously, science is about being wrong, and thus it is imperative that people question the theories that underlie our understanding of the world. It is equally as crucial, though, that the initial premise is truly understood, as one cannot prove, disprove or argue the validity of a concept without first understanding what it means. I must convey to my students the ‘laws’ of science in such a way that they understand and are able to personally connect with them; concurrently instilling in them the importance of questioning what is accepted as a scientific fact. As Josh felt constricted by a perceived ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ view of Shakespeare, so too science students can feel stifled by the impression that scientific theories are either ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. This can be particularly pertinent in relation to experimental data, as a student at my placement school illustrated on Friday: “My dad looked at my results and said I had done it completely wrong, and that I should do it all again…I don’t really understand my data either so I think he’s right, but I don’t know what I did wrong!” I assured her that just because her data was not in-keeping with her hypothesis did not mean that she had conducted her experiment incorrectly, and that her task now was to explain the results that she had observed. I also attempted to communicate to her the variable nature of scientific investigations, and that often results will deviate from that which is ‘expected’, but it is not an artifact of being ‘incorrect’. Sometimes there are errors in an experimental method, and in that instance it is important to identify and explain the source and effect of the error on the experiment – but that is all part of science! She appeared to be slightly more confident in her work after our chat, but I was saddened by the impact that her father’s view of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ had had on her perceived success – no matter what I said his disparaging comments would be able to (unknowingly) undermine my reassurances.
There is evidently a difference between scientific rigour and being ‘right’ – and the variable nature of experiments will always turn up interesting results. As I always said during my university chemistry laboratory sessions: “If the data is right, you’ve done something wrong!”

– For Science!

Pre-pre-service, no more!

Monday was my first day of prac, and although I have really only observed lessons, I have also interacted with many of the students, assisting and encouraging them. They hail from a wide array of backgrounds and demographics, and from that point of view it is very interesting to observe how they each interact differently with the subject matter. I have been lucky enough to observe chemistry, physics, maths and biology classes – so much science! 🙂

It quickly became evident which students are actually interested in a subject, or have at least slept the night before so are awake enough to pay attention, but the size of the class also makes a huge difference to the class atmosphere. One class consists of only nine students, and when they are working it as literally silent (which, to be honest, is rather off-putting!!); conversely, in a class of thirty or more students the room seems to have a constant, ambient hum. There is a marked difference between the Tertiary and Accredited classes also, although I am yet to put my finger on exactly what the distinguishing factor is. The students are not necessarily more focussed in the Tertiary classes, but their work is different and thus they are focussing on different things, in a different way. There is also a noticeable difference between Year 11 and Year 12 classes, as the latter seems to expect to do classwork, whereas the former still seem to be getting their heads around the concept of college in general. It is Week 8 so they have largely settled in, albeit, their approach to their work is different from that of the Year 12s.

The teaching I have observed has also been quite variable, being dependent upon the teacher, the class and the subject involved. I was surprised at the extent to which a teacher’s main interest or forte is evident in their teaching practice; I needed only to observe them in their element to realise that, by contrast, the other subjects were just not as familiar and intuitive to them. Methods of delivery have included textbook questions, powerpoint presentations, interactive whiteboard functions, direct instruction, internet research and practical experimentation, and the students seem to respond to each of these methods in one way or another. They do, however, let out a sigh when the word ‘textbook’ is mentioned, although it seems almost an obligatory response rather than a genuine concern. I will hopefully also observe a laboratory session later in the week, however, as it is leading up to exam week the lessons do have to be quite focussed on revision and content clarification.

I also wish to make a special mention of the brief time that I spent observing the ‘Alternative Program’ class of Year 10 students, as these are the kids whose needs can no longer be met by mainstream programming. It was very interesting to see the methods employed by the staff in this area, and how it must necessarily be a very individualised approach. I had a truly wonderful chat about viewing the world from a scientific perspective  with a boy in this program, whom I later discovered is understood to be quite high on the Asperges spectrum. It was fascinating, enlightening and insightful to simply chat to these individuals – as they have each encountered numerous problems in their lives, but have quite clear ambitions and passions in life.

So, at the end of this most auspicious of Wednesdays, I am three days in to a 30-day placement, and have very much more to see; I’m sure it will be quite an adventure!

– For Science!

Engaging the Disadvantaged – Ed Foundations WEEK 7

2) You are at an interview for a job at a school with a large number of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The Principal asks, ‘At our school, some of our students live in troubled and sometimes abusive family environments, some others are from refugee or new immigrant families with financial difficulties. Considering the problems these students experience in their lives, how will you engage them in their studies of English/Maths/Science/PE…?’

This is assuredly one of the most daunting and complex issues a teacher must face: how do you engage a student whose life does not allow school to be a priority? My answer to this question is multi-faceted, including aspects on my view of teaching, science in the world and the implications of Provocation 7 (Should we teach students or subjects?).

In my mind, science is not a subject, it is a way of viewing the world. Science is in, under and around everything in the world – it is our way of describing and understanding our lives and existence. My ability to type this now, or verbally deliver it in an interview, is a result of chemical and physical processes occurring in my body, as is your ability to read it. The laptop on which I type was born of technological experimentation, as was the blogging interface I am currently utilising. The school, the desks, the chairs and the people therein all are embodiments of biological, chemical and physical interactions, and thus science is inherently relevant to every aspect of our lives.
Science is fundamentally about being wrong. It is about disproving findings, eliminating hypotheses and repeating processes to retrieve differing results; science is about a process of elimination, and is thus underlain by the premise of being incorrect. To put this in context it is important to realise that the chance of initially guessing something correctly is, generally speaking, very low, and thus scientific inquiry is founded on the premise of juxtaposing and testing multiple solutions for a conundrum/event/happening/phenomenon. The beauty of this investigative process is that accidents can also yield exciting discoveries – the discovery of penicillin undoubtedly being the most well-known example of this. By its very nature, science necessitates creativity and imagination: the development of hypotheses and experimental procedures requires an inquisitive, adaptable, and novel approach to the task. It requires questioning, collaboration and building upon previous investigations to expand knowledge and understanding.

It is evident, then, that individuals who are creative, analytical, curious, hands-on, focussed, imaginative, purposeful, willing and collaborative are well-suited to the world of scientific discovery and experimentation. This caters to a wide range of learning styles, providing a foundation of inclusivity. Individual interests can also be catered for, as the all-pervasive nature of science provides myriad possibilities for its exploration therein. Again, this highlights the versatility of science as a discipline, and illustrates the targeted manner in which it can be delivered to different students.

For the disadvantaged students who have more pressing issues in their life than focussing in class and doing well at school, it becomes a matter of showing them the importance of it, rather than telling them why they should care. No one of any age responds well to being lectured or told categorically that their opinion is incorrect, and thus establishing a dialogue between student and teacher can go a long way in achieving an approach that befits the individual student’s situation. A concerted effort must be mustered to engage these students, across all of their classes and the school as a whole.
In my area specifically, I would endeavour to make a genuine connection between the science content in my classes and the student’s reality. In doing so it could be possible to generate an interesting and constructive outlet for their frustrations, and work to highlight the fact that science is applicable to every person, in any life situation. It is imperative to enable these individuals to realise that no matter their background or socio-economic status that they deserve to receive an education and have the ability and right to learn at school. Self-concept is often compromised when children are raised in a ‘disadvantaged’ environment, as society tells these individuals that are not as worthwhile as those who have more money and opportunities in life. It is wholly empowering to show these students that their value is equal to that of their counterparts, and by giving them ‘the time of day’ at school allows this process to occur.

This is in no small portion related to the premise of Provocation 7: should we teach students or subjects? Focussing solely on the subject frequently eliminates the potential for such a specific dialogue to be established – to truly reach these students from ‘troubled’ backgrounds there is no question that it is the student  that must be taught specifically.

Science is relevant to every person in the world, no matter their background. To inspire and empower these students it is crucial to highlight this relevance to their lives, within the larger context of the world, through the establishment of a reciprocal dialogue of support…I only hope I am able to achieve this.

– For Science!

First Comes Syllabus, Then Comes Science – CPP 1 WEEK 3

I find it very interesting that we must master and implement the skills, outcomes and objectives of our KLA before even beginning to consider teaching any subject matter. We need to understand what we are aiming for, knowing the structure that will guide our teaching before we begin to do any teaching earnest. I can see this being very important for a number of reasons, including providing inexperienced teachers with an informed starting point for venturing into the unknown territory of the classroom.

1) What is your immediate impression about the breadth of KLA your subject sits within?

The breadth of the area of science is gargantuan, and attempting to describe the variety included within it would be a folly of a task for a single blog post. This being so, I was amazed and somewhat taken aback to discover that the expected learning outcomes (ELAs) of ‘science’ in the ACT Curriculum are limited to ELA 19: understands and applies scientific knowledge and ELA 20: acts for an environmentally sustainable future…*insert mental crickets…and a tumbleweed, for good measure* so, like, wow, dream big ACT…what do you do with that?! With these as the ELAs for the general KLA of science I assumed that it would not bode well for my specific areas of chemistry, biology and earth and environmental science. Upon closer inspection, though, looking specifically at the ACARA website, the content does appear to support a more informative, useful, educational, purposeful, relevant, on-topic syllabus (phew!).
I value the presence of the Interdisciplinary ELAs also, as they give an indication of the ‘universal knowledge’ we should be imparting to our students in all subject areas. Such skills include ELA 1: uses a range of strategies to think and learn, ELA 2: understands and applies the inquiry process, ELA 3: makes considered decisions, ELA 4: acts with integrity and regard for others, ELA 5: contributes to group effectiveness, and ELA 6: uses Information and Communication Technologies effectively.
NB – I believe the importance of imparting ICT literacy to our students is highlighted by the fact that specific mention is given to it.

2) Have a look at the Rationale of the subject, and write a paragraph about why the subject is in the curriculum and your opinion of this reason. How does the stated Rationale compare to your reason for choosing to teach the subject?

Science is our way of best describing our understanding of how the universe and phenomena therein operates. In my eyes it is the most important tool in leading an informed life, as it underlies everything that we do. The Rationale on the ACARA website (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Rationale) is basically a method of communicating what the government believes to be of importance in a specific KLA, and why as teachers we should teach the subject at all. The Rationale goes a long way in explaining the basis of science in society, referencing the many avenues of applying scientific knowledge, as “[s]cience provides opportunities for students to develop an understanding of important science concepts and processes, the practices used to develop scientific knowledge, of science’s contribution to our culture and society, and its applications in our lives.” It is heartening to see that what I believe to be imperative to teaching science is also supposedly valued by the ‘powers that be’.

3) Now that you have an idea about the reason the subject is in the curriculum have a look at the Aim (Goals), Objective and Outcomes of the subject. These are very important aspects of each subject as they give you guidance as to what students need to be able to do and understand at the completion of the course. It is around particularly the outcomes that your lessons and overall scope and sequence will be organised. If we regard the Rationale as an overarching principle of ‘why’, then these are the what of the course (in the sense of skills & aptitudes).

As the ‘what’ of the course we are teaching, the aims provide a great insight into what specifically is valued, and thus emphasised, by the government. They are too lengthy to post in their entirety (you can read them at http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Science/Aims), but I would have to say that I generally agree with the premises presented. My prime motivations for teaching science link mostly neatly with two in particular:

• an interest in science as a means of expanding their curiosity and willingness to explore, ask questions about and speculate on the changing world in which they live;

• a solid foundation of knowledge of the biological, chemical, physical, Earth and space sciences, including being able to select and integrate the scientific knowledge and methods needed to explain and predict phenomena, to apply that understanding to new situations and events, and to appreciate the dynamic nature of science knowledge.

In my mind, the first aim is expressing a need for understanding the ‘everyday science’ in our lives, and the importance of the realisation of such. The latter aim is a general way of highlighting the dynamic nature of scientific methods and knowledge, in both an inter-KLA and intra-KLA sense. The analytical approach fostered by a scientific method of inquiry can be applied in any number of other subject areas, leading to the formation of cross-disciplinary connections. Discovering the inextricable links between all areas of scientific study also goes a long way in establishing in the students’ minds the connectedness of the world.

– For Science!