Teaching and Learning

Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning is a process that includes many variables. These variables interact as learners work toward their goals and incorporate new knowledge, behaviors, and skills that add to their range of learning experiences.

Over the past century, various perspectives on learning have emerged, among them — behaviorist (response to external stimuli); cognitivist (learning as a mental operation); and constructivist (knowledge as a constructed element resulting from the learning process). Rather than considering these theories separately, it is best to think of them together as a range of possibilities that can be integrated into the learning experience. During the integration process, it is also important to consider a number of other factors — cognitive style, learning style, the multiple nature of our intelligences, and learning as it relates to those who have special needs and are from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Consideration of these factors and the ways in which they interact provide an organic view of the teaching-learning process that is often called a “systems approach”. This approach also provides a way of looking at ourselves, the environments in which we teach, and the environments around us. Using this perspective, we can better examine the process and better design the process itself.

Technology has long been used as a support for learning, for example, the use of radio, film, film strips, and overheads. During the past several decades, however, the advancement of technology has led to comprehensive meeting and teaching via more advanced technologies like audioconferencing, videoconferencing, webconferencing and online learning management systems (LMS). These new technologies are rapidly changing the face of education. In this changed educational environment it is essential to develop design principles and a process that will lead to effective educational experiences. These effective practices should include — 1) access, 2) learning effectiveness, 3) faculty satisfaction, 4) learner satisfaction, and 5) cost-effectiveness. (Sloan-C Five Pillars of Quality).

The Principal as Supervisor in the Curriculum

To do well in supervision, the principal must develop good rapport with classroom teachers. Hostility and mistrust have no role to play when developing a quality curriculum. Negative attitudes toward others hinders interactions among the principal and teachers. A feeling of acceptance needs to be in the offing. The school climate needs to emphasize politeness, feelings of belonging, and honest praise for quality work performed. The latter helps individuals to meet esteem needs. Too often, teachers and principals come to school each day of the calendar year with little or no attention being given to that which is done well by any one individual. The routiness of these situations must be broken to bring in a school climate which encourages and welcomes faculty members as well as support personnel (Ediger, 2007).

This sets the stage then for principals and teachers working together to develop the best curriculum possible for students. The stated objectives for pupils to achieve must be attainable. If the mandated objectives are too rigid and complex, the principal may assist teachers to develop enabling objectives which help pupils to achieve the desired end. These enabling objectives assist pupils to sequentially realize the original complex goal. Another approach for assisting teachers in teaching is for the principal to stress the concept of scaffolding. Thus, for example, the objective is too difficult for pupils to attain. However with scaffolding, pupils are aided with a series of sequentially arranged learning activities to realize the complex objective or goal. Thus, there are definite strategies for aiding pupils to achieve difficult learnings, either through enabling objectives or through scaffolding. The principal needs to guide teachers to study these two concepts in depth. Then too, the principal may use demonstration teaching to show how to put these two and other strategies into operation. When classroom teachers use either or both procedures, they need to report back to school professionals what they did to implement and how they felt the new procedures affected pupil achievement (Ediger, 2007).

Teachers may need assistance in stressing knowledge (knowing about enabling objectives and scaffolding), as well as skills objectives (strategies to use in implementing the acquired knowledge in teaching and learning situations). Attitudes as objectives result from learning experiences involving knowledge and skills ends.

If the following occur during teaching and learning situations, the chances are negative attitudes have been developed:

* excess drill which takes the joy out of the ongoing experiences

* pressure to achieve beyond what the learner can possibly attain

* a lack of challenge

* dull learning activities

* inadequate explanations given within the learning activity (Ediger, 2008).

Alignment of Learning Activities

School principals must guide teachers to align learning experiences with the stated objectives. Learning activities need to be aligned with the chosen objectives to optimize pupil achievement. The objectives provide direction for changes to be made within the learner. The learning activities assist in bringing about the necessary modifications. Too frequently, the objectives have been stated too broadly and thus provide little help in knowing what the objective means. The other extreme is to write objectives which are too specific, resulting in facts, only, being taught. Thus, a happy medium must be sought whereby objectives are specific enough to agree upon what will be taught and, at the same time, possess adequate leeway to provide for higher cognitive levels of subject matter being taught such as critical and creative thinking as well as problem solving (See Guilfoyle, 2006).

School principals need to help teachers choose learning activities which are varied to develop and maintain learner interests. Reading experiences, audio visual aids, discussions, small and large group work, as well as the integration of technology need to be incorporated into the curriculum. Individual differences must be provided for including interest differences, diverse learning styles, and multiple intelligences. Teachers must assist pupils to develop

* quality self concepts whereby there is confidence for achieving

* feelings of curiosity in knowledge and skills being taught

* habits of being responsible for objectives to be attained

* traits of friendliness in learning to accept each pupil in the classroom and school

* polite behavior avoiding rudeness, and negative judgmental statements made about others (Ediger, 2008).

A school climate needs to emerge which encourages optimal student learning. This implies, too, that the environment for learning encourages quality teaching. Learners need to feel respected in a relaxed environment for learning. Pupils must be actively engaged in learning. Interest needs to be a major factor in teaching pupils in securing their attention. Any learning experience may be made interesting with appropriate selections made. Methods used along with the learning experience must be varied such as using inductive, deductive, problem solving, textbook, multi-media, and project method approaches. Principals should assist teachers to guide pupils to perceive purpose for learning. Thus, learners are assisted to perceive reasons for achieving objectives of instruction. Facts, concepts, and generalizations taught and achieved need to be meaningful. They must be understood by pupils since each becomes a building block for ensuing activities. Quality sequence stresses that pupils are able to relate previous with subsequent subject matter. A good school climate then emphasizes providing for individual differences in an environment conducive to learning (See Tighe and O'Conner, 2005).