It has been an enriching experience to have attended the Unisa Teacher Education at a Distance conference the past week. Attached (Download Dr_T_Groenewald-Quality_in_vivo_learning.ppt) please find my personal presentation at the conference.
A number of issues stood out to me, worth capturing for further exploration:
- Graduates enter work and are confronted by unscripted stuff, they often sink or swim. Curriculum design should contemplate the kinds of problems graduate are likely to be confronted with and concentrate on equipping students to deal with these.
- Indigenous knowledge should not be dismissed, there is much to learn; but should not be exploited either, without rewarding the knowledge carriers/holders fairly.
- We must be careful with what lens we approach things, there are many other viewpoint also!
- Learning in vivo should, like most learning, be staggered.
- Practice is merely an activity, whereas participation is about learning derived from active experience (Do not dismiss this idea as just playing with words).
There were many other inspiring ideas contained in presentations that are specific to teacher education. One such idea is the process of lesson study: teachers gather to critique a teacher's lecture and all learn from it. The emphasis here is on continued professional development. It certainly has application possibilities in many other occupational/professional fields. The idea of subjecting yourself, your practice to scrutiny of other; as well as partaking in constructive critique of peers.
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