Reflecting on Web Conferencing 

Using Web Conferencing is the next best medium for communication if face to face dialogue is not possible.  Through the use of Skype, it is possible to communicate beyond what is reflected through written email dialogue.  Facial expressions and gestures enhance one’s ability to deliver and receive a message, which enables the professional relationship to become dynamic.  Much of my dialogue with my learning partner focused on the topic of ‘rote’ learning and how it inhibits transformational learning.  We talked about principles of critical thinking, as reflected in the article, “Critical Theory and Holistic Education: Carrying on the Conversation” by Kathleen Kesson.  Some of the factors that were discussed related to the importance of learners embracing the process of learning for the purpose of learning knowledge and to grow as a person.  On the flip side, we considered how our role as educators is to prompt an emotional climate where critical thinking is invited through journaling, class discussions, and assignments. 

 

As Lawrence and I compared our teaching experiences, it became quite evident that some fields lend themselves to critical thinking, in particular reflection, more naturally than others.  As I talked about early childhood education, it was evident that reflection is a key element of an educator’s daily practice.  Reflection is linked to professional judgement and the ability for educators to look beyond their own beliefs, attitudes, and values to consider the perspectives of the children and their families who attend the centre.  As an educator, facilitating learning within a post-secondary classroom, it is important to incorporate reflection in the learning process to enhance the potential that students will develop an appreciation for the reflection process and hopefully incorporate it into their professional practice.  To the contrary, it may not be as easy to incorporate reflection in courses such as graphic design, engineering, or mathematics.  Yes, it is true that various opinions can still be shared, which is an aspect of critical thinking; however, the course content is more factual or is designed to develop an applied skill.  By no means did we reach conclusions on how we could incorporate reflection in applied skill courses.  The value of the conversation was rooted in asking more questions for us to continue thinking about.  Is reflection a mandatory component of higher level thinking?  Do all instructors in all fields of learning consider critical thinking as a part of the learning process?  How does the ability to engage in higher level thinking contribute to the quest for world democracy?  Through the discussion of life experiences as instructors, there was opportunity to expand our perspectives and consider various learning environments and fields of learning. 

Just like in a physical classroom, the depth of dialogue was dependent of preparation of our materials and the willingness to share life experiences.  Physical distance was not a barrier in being able to converse with one another as colleagues, thus it appeared web-conferencing was an effective means to draw learners together.

Kesson, Kathleen. (2011). Critical Theory and Holistic Education: Carrying on the Conversation. Encounter Summer 2011, Vol. 24 Issue 2, 95-114.

 

Trends Within Early Childhood Education

 

Reflective practice is a core component of being an effective early childhood educator.  Through the process of reflection, educators become aware of ‘who’ they are in relation to their colleagues, the children, and the families they serve.  The ability to engage in professional judgement is essential because educators regularly face decisions that require discernment that references professional ethics, personal professionalism, and family cultures.  Reflection, as a tool for transformational learning, facilitates the process of discovering how life experiences have contributed to the educator’s response to new situations or information.  The ability to reflect in the moment or after the fact empowers the educator to consider the effectiveness of his or her practice and alternative responses to situations.  The reality of reflection being a core component of best practice within early childhood education has prompted change within educational institutions over the years.  At Okanagan College, two courses are now titled 'Reflective Practice', and the emphasis of process over content permeates all the courses.  University of Victoria, Douglas College, and Thompson Rivers University also place an emphasis on ‘reflection’ being a part of the learning process.   

How am I preparing for trends within Early Childhood Education?  I believe a great place to begin preparing for the inclusion of reflection as a part of the transformational learning process is to engage in reflection myself.  Having been in the early education field for 25 years, it is likely that I have ‘rote’ practices within my professional engagements.  Perhaps what I believe  about play, how I believe children learn, or what I believe about the influence of media within today’s society has been set for a number of years now and I haven’t considered new findings within research or alternative perspectives from colleagues.  As an instructor, I need to look beyond the way I was taught in my post-secondary training and consider who the learner is today and adapt accordingly.  Brookfield (as cited in Jordi, 2011) “argued that a process of ‘critical reflection’ through which we challenge our assumptions is essential for such a transformation” (p. 183).  To be effective in today’s learning environment with today’s learners, it is important that I challenge myself to consider the value of technology, knowing that most youth readily have access to information in the web via their phones.  I can’t assume that what has been effective before is relevant today.  As an instructor, I am being handed a stack of overheads and notes from instructors who have previously taught the course.  In preparation of moving along with educational trends towards experiential learning and educational techniques that involve media, I am engaged in the process of ‘modernizing’ the class activities and delivery modes to adapt to today’s learning environment.  Certainly, making meaning of course material in the Provincial Instructors Diploma is a step towards broadening my perspectives and experiences.

Jordi, R. (2011). Reframing the Concept of Reflection: Consciousness, Experiential learning, and Reflective Practices, Adult Education Quarterly, 61(2), 181-197, doi:10.1177/0741713610380439.

 

Roles Educators Play in Learning Environments

While sitting in a desk as an elementary, secondary, and post-secondary student, I typically view the person at the front of the classroom as the “expert” in the field of study, whose role is to share his or her knowledge and experiences.  Usually through a lecture style delivery, the educator talks while I hastily record the information, knowing that I will be accountable to retrieve the information through some form of assessment process at a later date.  When it comes time to prepare for the exam, I engage my memory skills to store as much information as I can, using tools of the mind to create associations and acronyms that will assist the retrieval process.  Once the exam is complete, I briefly relax the muscles that worked so hard to recall the information, only to exercise them again by reactivating the rote learning cycle as new course material is presented.  As I reflect on this “input, storage, output” approach to education, I fail to see how I am impacted by new learning.  More importantly, as I consider my role as an educator, I feel challenged to explore more effective approaches where learners’ lives are impacted through the educational processes. 

Having read a few articles related to experiential learning; more specifically the role of reflection in the learning process, I am convinced that as an educator, my role is to be more of a resource and facilitator than the primary source of information.  If I view distilling information as my sole task as an educator, I have negated the value of individual experiences of the learners seated before me.  Kesson (2011) emphasizes that “the holistic educators should emphasize process over content” and that “truly transformative education could be a mutual and collective effort” to make meaning of life experiences and information.  Jordi (2011) quotes Boud, Keogh, and Walker by describing “reflection” as the key concept to life changing learning; it is the opportunity for students to “capture their experiences, think about it, mull it over, and evaluate it”.  Realistically, my classroom needs to be a place where students can engage in critical reflection through the process of considering how the new information jives with their beliefs, attitudes, and values that have been cultivated through life experiences.  This means that I need to be open to spontaneous learning moments, as well as, I need to create activities where students consider, debate, and reflect upon diverse experiences and thoughts.  This style of “teaching” is very different than the educational environments I have experienced as a learner.

Jordi, R. (2011). Reframing the Concept of Reflection: Consciousness, Experiential learning, and Reflective Practices, Adult Education Quarterly, 61(2), 181-197, doi:10.1177/0741713610380439.

Kesson, Kathleen. (2011). Critical Theory and Holistic Education: Carrying on the Conversation. Encounter Summer 2011, Vol. 24 Issue 2, 95-114.

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Reflection and Its Role in Higher Order Thinking

As a parent of two young adult university students, I periodically receive inquiries as to why there needs to be so much "reflection" in the process of learning theoretical concepts.  Similarly, I hear College students in my classroom question why they can't just learn the concepts without having to reflect upon it.  As I've considered a carefully crafted response to the emerging professionals before me, I have been prompted to delve deeper into the role that reflection plays in developing higher order thinking.  Yes, facts and theories are important elements of broadening one's academia; however, I am convinced that without the process of considering how the new understandings influence who we are as professionals, the knowledge will be static. 

 

While reading "Reflection as a Rationalistic Ideal" (Adult Education Quarterly 60(4) 339-356), I was reminded through Marianne vanWerkom's writing that emotions are engaged through the reflection process.  By pulling the information from a cognitive to an affective level, it allows the learner to activate responses that are life changing.  For example, if I were reading about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, I would cognitively learn that humans have the basic needs of food, water, shelter, and clothing.  However, through the reflection process, I would consider what happens if one of more of these needs are not met. Perhaps, I would consider how I would be impacted if I could not meet one or more of these needs or what if one of my students did not have one of more of these needs met.  How would the absence of fulfillment influence the student's ability to learn or my strategy in teaching? 

 

As my learning partner and I discuss the role of higher order thinking in adult education through Skype this week, I look forward to considering how deeper understanding of the higher order thinking will influence my teaching practice.

Another leg of the education journey begins...
I have always claimed to be a life long learner; however, I am only beginning to feel authentic in doing so as I find myself yearning to explore what's new, what's been confirmed once again as true, and what is no longer held as valid. As an early childhood educator and as a parent, I have been committed to the goal of "fostering a love for life long learning" as we explore this world together. However, as the world seems to be progressing faster than my less than technologically savy skill set serves me, I quickly realize that the next generation exudes carefree initiative to explore electronic devices much like I did the dirt pile on my parents' farm. Awareness of this reality motivates me to "catch up", so that I can teach with relevancy using the language and mode of today's emerging professionals.
On your mark, get set, go....