Getting Practical: About Classroom-based Teaching for the National Curriculum Statement

Table of Contents:
1. How to use this module ; SECTION 1 INTRODUCES LEARNERS TO THE MODULE'S CONTENT AND DESIRED OUTCOMES, PROVIDES TIPS ON HOW TO STUDY, AND SKETCHES THE CHANGING PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT IN WHICH SOUTH AFRICAN TEACHERS WILL PRACTISE. ; 2. Planning to teach ; SECTION 2 EXPLORES THE NOTION OF TEACHING AS AN INTENTIONAL ACTIVITY THAT REQUIRES PLANNING. THE SECTION EXPLORES THE GENERAL PRINCIPAL OF SCAFFOLDING AND THEN EXPANDS ON THE PLANNING IMPLICATIONS OF THIS AT SCHOOL, PHASE, GRADE AND LESSON LEVEL. ; 3. Assessing learning and teaching ; SECTION THREE EXPLAINS THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE SHIFT TO A CRITERION-REFERENCED ASSESSMENT, AND DEMONSTRATES A NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH ASSESSMENT CAN BE USED DIAGNOSTICALLY AND FORMATIVELY. IT DEMONSTRATES HOW TO USE A RANGE OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES TO DIAGNOSE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AND RELIABLY ASSESS LEARNER COMPETENCE. ; 4. Teaching with learning in mind ; SECTION FOUR ASKS 'HOW DO LEARNERS LEARN?' IT THEN ILLUSTRATES WHAT IMPLICATIONS THESE UNDERSTANDINGS HOLD FOR TEACHING. THE WRITERS DEMONSTRATE HOW IMPORTANT TALK IS IN ALL LEARNING, HOW TO TEACH CONCEPTUALLY, AND HOW TO ENSURE THAT LEARNING DEVELOPS BOTH A DEPTH AND BREADTH OF UNDERSTANDING. ; 5. Whole-class teaching ; SECTION FIVE FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING TEACHERS' WHOLE-CLASS TEACHING SKILLS. IT EXPLAINS HOW TO USE STRATEGIES SUCH AS EXPLANATION, DEMONSTRATION, QUESTIONING AND LARGE CLASS DISCUSSIONS IN AN INTERACTIVE AND LEARNING-CENTRED WAY. ; 6. Small-group, problem-based teaching ; SECTION SIX FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING TEACHERS' SKILLS IN SMALL-GROUP, PROBLEM-BASED TEACHING. IT EXPLAINS HOW TO USE SMALL-GROUP DISCUSSIONS, PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING (IN PARTICULAR, PROJECT WORK, EXPERIMENTS, ROLE-PLAYS AND SIMULATIONS) TO CONSTRUCT LEARNING THAT IS ENGAGING AND RIGOROUS. IT CONCLUDES BY SHOWING HOW TO USE A WIDE RANGE OF RESOURCES [N] FROM TEXTBOOKS TO TRASH [N] TO ENRICH TEACHING. ; 7. Managing learning and teaching ; SECTION SEVEN FOCUSES ON THE BROADER TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. IT BEGINS BY EXPLORING HOW TEACHERS CAN MOVE FROM A 'DISCIPLINE-AS-PUNISHMENT' TO 'DISCIPLINE-AS-CARING-MANAGEMENT' APPROACH TO DISCIPLINE. IT THEN EMPHASISES THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD TEACHING AS A DISCIPLINARY TOOL. TO THIS END, IT TACKLES THE ISSUES OF LEARNING STYLES, TEACHING AGAINST PREJUDICE, LINKING LEARNING TO LIFE (THROUGH THEME TEACHING), AND EXTENDING LEARNING BY USING HOMEWORK AND EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES BETTER. THE SECTION ENDS BY EXAMINING HOW TEACHERS CAN BRIGHTEN UP THE SPACE IN WHICH THEY TEACH, AND USE IT BETTER. ; 8. Ongoing professional development ; SECTION EIGHT EXPLORES WHAT DIFFERENT GROUPS THINK A GOOD TEACHER IS, AND WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN DEVELOP OUR PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE. REFLECTIVE ACTION IS ONE SUGGESTED PROCESS FOR MONITORING OUR PRACTICES. THE SECTION ENDS BY PROVIDING TEACHERSERS WITH A TYPOLOGY THEY CAN USE TO ASSESS THEIR PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE.

About the Author :
Tony Mays is a Senior Education Specialist and Researcher at the South African Institute for Distance Education.