Planning for Learning

When planning for learning, the emphasis is not so much on the volume of knowledge to be learned, but rather the outcomes to be achieved. Outcomes which are critical include learning disciplinary knowledge and skills, (actively) utilising them within the lesson and applying them to future contexts. Further considerations include how those outcomes will be assessed and what learning tasks will best help the students to achieve them. The context for the learning is also key as students, locations, purposes and resources must be considered in terms of how might they impact on your approach to the teaching.

In this module we will introduce you to lesson plan formats that guide what is to happen in each lesson, and how the participants are to achieve the outcomes of the unit.

Here are some thoughts about what makes a successful class from practising teaching colleagues of the authors. These colleagues are acknowledged on the previous page.

"Much better to go slower and let the students show what they know rather than reading and controlling the information - focus on the students rather than focus on me  - I remember at first they were just a sea of faces rather than individual people with individual lives – it’s not about me!"

"Being able to say or show in a really simplistic way the structure of concepts … I often draw …  as I am saying things … To explain a complex idea straight up, start with a humorous version or a send up or a simplified version as a way of scaffolding to it, but move fairly quickly as the students who get it don’t want to waste their time."

"Make sure things don’t ‘dribble on’ – better to finish a little early while there is still some more energy in the discussion – leave them wanting more!"

"Activities are an anxiety for new teachers getting through the curriculum. The curriculum is considered as … transmission of information but what we are doing partly is trying to change who somebody (the student) is so that they … know enough about this subject to be able to teach themselves or learn themselves rather than you trying to communicate this quantum of information, pouring it into their heads … Activities can (help them) make sense …"

"It might be that people (teachers) have to change their concept of what the curriculum is about rather than just information."

"Giving time to talk about it at the end of the sessions … not that they can say what you said but that they can translate it into another language or medium or action… Get the students to draw a mind map or talk to the person next to them."

"A successful outcome (for the student) is someone who has a feel for the field and has learning skills that they can follow up for themselves."

"Learn not to react to things … Make it safe for students to say what they want at certain times … you are responsible for controlling the space and the process … [Create a] change of mood or something to break the circuitous nature of the session … Knowledge is not static."

 

Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/5605440885