I selected the BFE Early
Literacy Lesson, class. Ms. Kathleen Edgar circle time was used for interaction
and sharing content. The teacher was facilitating learning by not lecturing,
she invites feedback and learning (Weimer,2013, p.59,60). The teacher is
talking, but she is not telling all, she allows the children to talk about the
previous night, the weekend, and next week being the end of school (p.74). And the teacher used a combination of leading the children, teacher-directed, and
learner-centered. They are being directed to talk about their activities while
learning time-sequence and content (Laureate Education,2015b). Ms. Kathleen Edgar
is supporting learning, but she is also leading it (p.29). Furthermore, the teacher
has contents, standards, and assessments that must be incorporated and
determined how to integrate throughout her day (Laureate Education,2015b). Ms. Kathleen
Edgars integrated the content using questions and conversation because sharing the
content with the children is required (p.115).
Ms. Kathleen Edgar admits she
missed chances to facilitate learning and reflects while talking to Ms. Jacqui Hook
(p.25). Ms. Kathleen Edgars also incorporates transformative learning when she
allows the children time to think and make choices (). In her role as the teacher,
she used some learner-directed techniques, as well as teacher-directed.
Allowing the children to draw their own pictures, asking others who could not
write what they wanted to write about are aligned with learner-centered. And
reading the story and asking the questions she wanted to be answered was
teacher-directed. However, Weimer (2013) admitted that:” Learner-centered
teaching is not an all-or-nothing proposition” (64).
When considering the “Balance
of Power” in the classroom, I heard Ms. Kathleen Edgar mention the new student
whom she had to:” …guide them along to how you teach” (Laureate Education,
2015b). According to Weimer (2013), it does not matter what or how you train, the
decision to learn rests with the student (p.93). Some would say that the class
of kindergarteners was too young to be committed learners, and I would say the
teacher was preparing them to be when she inquired:” What was the best thing
about kindergarten” (Laureate Education,2015b). Weimer (2013), explained one
part of a “climate of learning” as the teacher promoting learning through relationships
(p. 149,150). The link was evident in the video with Ms. Kathleen Edgars and
her class of kindergarten, they were both attentive, exchanged ideas, and answers
without fear of being wrong (Laureate Education,2015b).
References
Laureate Education (Producer).
(2015b). Grand city university’s college of education
[Video file]. Baltimore, MD:
Author.
Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-centered
teaching: Five key changes to practice (2nd ed.).
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
