July 20
Ch. 8 of “From Telling to Teaching”, transitions into another part of teaching specifically lesson design. As a review, the author revisits the meaning of “a dialogue approach to learning.” Another way to put this is a conversation, open ended questions are asked by the teacher, and small group interaction is personalizing the learning. But there is more to learning than just how information is delivered. Norris once again cites Jane Vella who I know some of my peers are blogging about. Vella’s system of learning needs assessment involves three ways an instructor can gather information about learners and their needs....ask,study,observe.
· Ask- send an email to the people you will be training asking several, what else but, open ended questions. An example of one question might be,” What strengths do you bring to this program? Or what do you believe would be most helpful to you to learn in this training? Asking is all about “taking the pulse” of the students.
· Study-Read and find who your learners are. Read articles that will inform you about their work and field.
· Observe-Understand by observing, a day in the life of your participants. Understand their special language, the daily challenges they face, their strengths. This picture can go a long way in guiding your teaching.
It is important to educate yourself about who your learners are, their strengths and needs.
Yes, I remember learning about the learner's needs assessment in Vella's Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach. It really shifts the focus of the instructor to the learners, where they are coming from, and how the instructor can best facilitate their learning.
ReplyDeleteKind of like "begin where you are", so simple but not always easy to do!
ReplyDelete