Comments on: Building on what comes before and preparing for what will come after

By: Hilery Williams

Hilery Williams — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:58:46 +0000

Alternatively, learners need coherent and consistent personal learning logs with up-to-date and accurate records of their performances of understanding so that they may build upon prior learning and experience in areas that interest, motivate and excite them - bottom up rather than top-down - with the guidance of mentors/coaches/teachers ensuring they develop the HOW of learning.
And those teachers .. require time to consult with others so as to ensure that the strengths and difficulties of each student are recognised and accommodated at every transition stage.
Then thoughtful structure, coherence and transparency can be individualised (insofar as this is possible or desirable), with the child rather than the curriculum at the centre.

By: John Wills Lloyd

John Wills Lloyd — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 11:39:17 +0000

To be sure, as a consequence of transitions, teachers must get to know the students in their classes (and students get to know their teachers). As important as it is to reflect on this social aspect education, it is also important not to overlook teachers’ knowledge about what students have already been taught and what they will need to know in the future.

What struck me was the importance of teachers knowing what pupils are going to be asked to do as they move up the school and also for teacher to know what the children have done before.

This seems to me to reflect the importance of curriculum. In a small school such as Elphinstone Primary School, teachers are likely to have a fairly clear understanding of what has been and what will be taught. The curriculum is transparent across the classes.

In larger schools and especially in large school systems (such as are common in the US), the absence of a consistent curriculum works to the detriment of both teachers’ teaching and students’ learning. This was the essential message of Don Hirsch’s call for “cultural literacy” (though I fear the title and listing of content overtook this point when the book was marketed and discussed). Education needs thoughtfully structured, coherent, and transparent curricula.

By: Don Ledingham

Don Ledingham — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:40:20 +0000

Donald

I hope this demonstrates the power of observation as a learning tool. Without this kind of experience I don’t think I would have been able to draw such a conclusion.

Cheers

Don

By: donald

donald — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:57:59 +0000

I hadn’t really thought about a P1 class moving to a different P2 teacher as transition! I think the example you have chosen to highlight to illustrate the importance of transition, whether it is from one teacher to another or from one sector to another is very effective. It is far too easy to think about transition as being cross sectoral. In my own school, at Liberton High, I know, based on feedback from parents and pupils this session that we did not manage our S2 to S3 transition as effectively as we ought to have done. This will be addressed for next session!

thanks, Donald