Module B: Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century

Module B went really fast. Without even noticing, it is already the end of the year! Most of the time was spent on preparing for the mini-lecture that will answer the BIG question: What is a good learning environment? In addition to the new information gained from different groups regarding the topic, what I have learned the most is probably the process of working with my group.

I had a really amazing group to work with and it completely changed my mind on group work. All the discussions and Skype meetings we had were so fruitful and efficient. I have heard and read so much emphasis on having more collaborative learning/ group work/ team projects in our teaching. Personally as a learner, I have never not found it as beneficial as it would be, but still I have tried to incorporate different collaborative learning activities for my previous students without really experiencing the benefit myself. 

From this group work experience, I have learned that:

1. The nature of the task should be big and challenging enough to be a group work. Working alone, I would not have come up with so many ideas for this difficult question as I did with my group. 
2. The task should be meaningful for the students. What is the outcome for the group work? In our case, this task is meaningful for us because we want to create a good learning environment for our students and we want to find out the answer. 
3. The personality and atmosphere of your group influences a lot. When you see how hard your fellow group mates are working, you get motivated and you learn from them. If your group mates are lazy, you often wonder why you should make any more effort. But how do we make sure all students will be motivated and responsible? I found it helpful when during this task, we were given guidance such as reading resources, facilitation from the teacher, and a few meetings with the teacher. Group work does not mean the teacher does not do anything, but he/she should assist along the process. 

Another thought that came up during Module B is that my identity as an immigrant teacher could be an asset rather an inferior status. In Culturally Responsive Learning, one of the important values is to consider students' diverse cultural backgrounds as assets instead of deficits. I think this can be applied to teachers as well. 

Although I did not have to do the observation as others, I had the chance to observe two lessons (English in a high school and Finnish as a foreign language in an adult learning institution). Both lessons showed very easy ways to cater activities to students' different levels. There was nothing fancy and miraculous in Finnish schools that most outsiders are hoping to find. Instead, there are devoted teachers, understanding the students' needs and helping them find their own way to learn with their humble and subtle strategies. For example, in one vocabulary activity for pairs, students can choose to match the definition and words or provide their own definition for the words, depending on their level. Another example is that the teacher provide different options that the students can choose from to learn the vocabulary in their free time. One more example is that before reading the actual material, the teacher offers the easy version of the same reading for those who need as an aid.

Below are two maps for the learning content of Module B. The first one is about what a good learning environment is from different aspects, and the second one is about observation.

Module A: Basic Studies in Education

During the orientation, we were told to reflect and think of our identity as an educator, what our philosophy and values are. Throughout Module A, we were able to look into different educational psychology and learning theories, and educational philosophy. In my previous teacher education training, we had one-semester-long courses respectively on those areas. The courses focused more on understanding the theories; however, in the current program, we were able to study those theories on our own, and also apply the knowledge to the reality. I do not know if it was because the program was designed very much around the core of application or I have grown older and changed my learning method. Maybe it was a combination of both. I particularly enjoy and benefit most from the process of trying to position myself in all the seemingly distant theories. Theories are not rigid texts anymore; they have a meaning in my learning and teaching. This was definitely something I have never experienced before. We were constantly reminded to reflect our teacher identity, and in what ways what we have learned could be applied. Perhaps this is how Finland trains their teachers in teacher education programs defers from other countries, which leads to higher teacher autonomy and stronger teacher agency. Teachers have a voice and their beliefs are not something they made up, but are theory-based and supported. This is why teachers are professional.

Although I resonate mostly with humanistic approach, by looking into how different learning theories might benefit different learners or areas, I learned that they all have certain functions. I also relate most with John Dewy's progressivism and pragmatist philosophy. In this every-changing world, education could empower people to live a better life. Learning by doing and by demonstrating how the learning content is used in the reality helps engage the learners and make learning meaningful to them. In foreign language teaching, connecting the language to real life purposes is not as difficult as some other disciplines. In addition to learning the basics of the language, we would provide more real-life application of the language to the students depending on their interest. For example, meeting speakers of the target language or using authentic materials are different methods. I have always known the importance of making the learning content meaningful for the students. Connecting the methods to the purpose of education, and realizing what it means to teach and learn helps me justify my teaching methods and beliefs. 

It has been very nice to learn from one another as everyone comes from such different backgrounds. I especially enjoyed being inspired and motivated by reading others' blog posts and the discussions in class. 

Below are my drawings/mindmappings of reflections and summary on Orientation, and the three themes in Module A of TAOK program. 

P.S. As I was drawing, I revisited the program curriculum as a checklist of what I have learned. However, sometimes I could not pinpoint my learning. Later in class, I remember Mark saying he had to interpret the given curriculum to design his lessons. I found it amusing that the journey from the curriculum planners to the learners is actually such a long way.