This post appears over at Blogging Corner at Edna (South Australia).
Thanks to A.U.S.S.I.E. Literacy Consultant friend Leslie in New York, I’ve just learnt about Brian Cambourne’s Seven Conditions of Learning. Here is a Google collection of articles on the topic.
Here is the url for the summary below for young students.
| Immersion | Infant and young children need to be surrounded by an environment that is rich in spoken and written language. |
| Demonstration | Children need opportunities to observe models of the way written language is used in daily life. |
| Engagement | Young children need opportunities to try reading and writing activates on their own. |
| Expectation | Children need to be in an environment where adults believe that they will acquire literacy skills. |
| Use | Children must use reading and writing skills throughout their daily lives. |
| Approximation | Young children should be free to make attempts at written language that move closer and closer to conventional reading and writing. |
| Response | Children need to receive feedback from knowledgeable people on their attempts a reading and writing. |
It’s sound stuff. The seven key words in the left column are my challenge for every lesson. Perhaps I need to make my own chart as a reminder.
One of the points in my reading today, by Dr Greg Yates, UniSA Magill, was that learning is an unpleasant experience. We may enjoy the anticipation of learning and the experience of knowing something but the process for the most part is not enjoyable. I want to disagree and say that it’s up to us as teachers to create fun learning experiences, but here I am forcing myself to read when I would rather be outside doing something with friends.
Yates go on to say, “One factor implicated in this principle is that humans possess a natural tendency towards overconfidence. …Please realise these natural tendencies are neither “good” nor “bad”, but they should be recognised by all instructors, teachers, and parents. The overconfidence effect is especially strong before people receive objective feedback about performances. Feedback may force a person to radically alter such assessments.”
While we may argue that teaching shouldn’t be onerous, it’s simply a healthy reminder that learning is a complicated affair and we can do much to assist the process.
Take a look at the photos of my walk to school here in Baku, Azerbaijan. They’re in the last few posts on my blog. Friend Leslie pointed out, ‘you wouldn’t see that in Australia’.
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