Differentiation in education

As teachers, we are expected to take in to account so many different factors when it comes to planning and executing an effective lesson. We are expected to identify any factors which could impact upon our teaching in a positive or negative way, and rightly so. A good teach is prepared for anything, it would be naive to assume that things are going to pan out exactly as we write them in our lessons plans.
Over the least few weeks I have been on teaching placement, teaching Music Technology within higher educations and one factor, in my opinion at least, dominates the rest: differentiation.

What is differentiation and why is it important?

One of the best descriptions I have read describing the concept comes from Petty (2014) who states that 'differentiation is the process by which the differences between learners are accommodated so that all students in a group have the best possible chance of learning'. Essentially, when we differentiate with learners, we take in to account all the elements which make then unique as individuals in order to ensure we can teach then in the best possible way, this ensuring the maximum level of learning takes place.
Over the least few weeks I have come to appreciate just how important differentiation, particularly within the more practical subjects such as Music Technology. One class I take is Recording studio practice, which is with a first year group of BSc students. Many of these students would have come from some sort of academic learning with regards to the subject, which led them here in university. However, there are others in the group who accessed university through their work or industry experiences, which in this case has given them a slight advantage with regards the the module. The learners who came from education could be seen as having quite a narrow learning experience, as they were taught what they were supposed to know as part of academic studies. Whereas the learners who came from industry seem to have learned many more aspects of the subject, often which they 'had to know' to generate income, which has resulted in their skills also being highly developed by comparison.
But what does this all mean in terms of differentiation and our teaching practice? essentially what I have written above is a shopping list of factors to take into account when planning my own lessons (most teachers will find similar factors in their own subjects among learners).



Ways to deal with differentiation

With the information above, what we should be ultimately doing is using this information to 'plan to which all learners are capable of achieving' (Gravells, 2012). I need to focus on the word all for a moment. Admittedly in an ideal world we would be able to devise lesson plans with excellent tasks and ideas which are able to fully engage all learners and challenge them. However, often this is not the case, and in my early teaching placements prior to this I found differentiation to be a challenge as one end of the spectrum (in terms of learner abilities) would get more focus than the other. Differentiation is a lot like spinning plates, as soon as you think you have them all in motion, some will ultimately start to show signs of loosing momentum. So how can we ensure this isn't the case.

Some of the following points are ideas which have either been developed my myself or by others I have been fortunate enough to work with who were facing similar challenges.

Know your learners: This is a factor I cannot stress the importance of enough. It is important to try and find out as much as we can about our learners in order to benefit us as teacher and them as part of the learning group. Powell (2010) suggests that we need to find out as much about our learners personal backgrounds as we do their academic, and that its no good just knowing their name and age. If a learner comes from a poor home, for example, then they may not have access to the same resources as a learner that is slightly better off. This may seem irrelevant as it is outside of the context of the lesson, however, this learner may not have access to some of the same gadgets or computer resources that others may have, so this could greatly effect their experience or competence levels. Of course, I use this as an example. Within my own subject for example, I have already said that one group has learners with a few decades of industry experience, which they are now seeking formal certification for as a result. Granted when I plan my lessons I tend to stick to the topic in general, but knowing this information can enable me to prepare extended activities, more challenging tasks, or even call upon their expertise to allow them to add to the lessons, keeping them engaged and included in the learning and sharing of ideas. Which brings me to my next point.

Using differentiation to your advantage: As I mentioned earlier, differentiation can be complex and quite off-putting, particularly to a new teacher. However, using the knowledge of more experienced learners within your own lesson could be as simple as asking if they would like to add to the lesson. A recent example come from my own studio practice lesson just last week. The task given to the learners was to assemble microphones around a drum kit to record in an industry standard setup. Quite challenging to new students, however, this class had at least 2 learners who have done this so much they could do the task in their sleep. In order to keep this interesting and to ensure they were kept involved and learning I had to continuously add to the task. I decided introduce new hardware or other factors, which they more able learners were able to try and adapt to the task. At one point, I actually stepped back from the teaching role and decided to allow the learners to lead their peers, which worked excellently as they were able to approach them in a more informal way and draw upon their own industry experience for guidance. Peer learning is an invaluable tool which can be used in group tasks, or even in this fashion, and can often have excellent positive result, as it did here. The answer to differentiation within your own tasks can be as simple as stepping back and allowing the learners to lead.

MAT helpers: When on placement a few months ago in a South Wales secondary school I was having difficulty teaching piano to around 33 learners, all of mixed levels. Some have been playing almost all their lives, yet others had only played a piano in the 2 or 3 lesson prior to this. My first reaction was to just keep given them more challenging pieces to play, giving me more time to focus on the learners that needed additional help. This was until I realised I didn't have enough sheet music to keep them challenged. Another teacher suggested that I use the MAT (more able and talented) learners as helpers, allowing them to go and help their peer, coaching them on part they found easy that others may have found to be a challenged. This worked excellently. Although it did require a little more classroom management on my part, the results spoke for themselves, as most of the learners were able to succeed and feel that they had achieved a lot by the end of the lesson.


There are countless other ways to accommodate for differentiation, as well as countless other factors (both personal and academic) that could require us to alter or shape our lessons and tasks to accommodate for them. The point I am trying to relay here is that differentiation need not be the overwhelming challenge it often is, particularly with new teachers. Although we may not be able to identify them all in our planning, it is important to try to have a backup idea ready to deal with any issues like the ones mentioned above, you may often find the solution is as simple as getting a more able learner to work in pairs or with a group of more challenged learners.




Reference

Powell, W. (2010). Knowing our students as learners. Available: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/111011/chapters/Knowing-Our-Students-as-Learners.aspx. Last accessed 25th Nov 2014.

Petty, G. (2014). Improve your teaching and that of your team.Available: http://geoffpetty.com/training-materials/differentiation/. Last accessed 25th Nov 2014.

Gravells, A (2012). Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector. 5th ed. london: learning matters .

Effective practice in modern teaching

Planning and preparation is, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of teaching, and if mastered could be the difference in a lesson being a soaring success or a disastrous wreck. Over the last few years while embarking on my own Teacher training path, I have been fortunate enough to witness lesson of the same subject or topic delivered by different Teachers. Theoretically, these lesson should have been very similar, when in actually fact, they would often be quite different, often resulting in one being more successful than the other. It could be argued that every Teacher has a different style, as such, lessons could be very different on this factor alone. However, I have often witnessed such lessons where one person has planned extensively, almost to the minute, while another would chose to 'wing it'. For this reasons I have decided to look into the various aspects we as Teachers often consider and why, as well as the implications on the quality of learning taking place. Lesson planning can be a complex monster, but of the elements collected together and planned effectively could result in a shining example of modern teaching practice.

So why do we plan lesson?  

First of all we need to ask ourselves one simple question: what is lesson planning? In a nutshell, lesson planning is 'The process of deciding what you will teach and how you will teach it' (Handley, 2010), which is the short answer, but a great summery none the less. Lesson planning will cover all aspects of your teaching, everything from activities, key points, resources you will need, as well as other details such as meeting government standards. They tend to vary depending on the teaching course or regions. Gravells (2012) states that lesson that are planned well should follow a set structure, namely a beginning, a middle and an end, referred to as an introduction section, a development section and a plenary. There are plenty of reasons for this structure, all of which often benefit both the Teacher and the learners, but ultimately the formula laid out above will provide learners with a sense of continuity, and overall make the lesson and the tasks within come full circle. 

Setting expectations

No lesson plan could be concrete without the aims and objectives, which would obviously be laid out at the start of the lesson in order to establish the learners are clear as to what is expected of them. The question raised at this point is what makes good aims and objectives within lesson planning? 

One of the most effective factors to consider when setting objectives is to ensure that they follow the SMART system (Gravells, 2012). The smart system is an acronym, which has been designed (not only for teaching) to ensure any objectives or aims we set are possible in the context of the lesson. SMART essentially stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-based (Bogue, 2005) and is excellent at ensuring we are able to set expectations that are both possible and relevant to the learning experience. 

Everything we have mentioned so far are only some of the key elements that form the essence of teaching and can result in great practice. This has certainly been true over the last few decades of teaching, but what about todays practice. What additional factors must the modern educator take into account?

Effective teaching

Planning a lesson is all well and good, and granted, knowing what your going to teach is a good starting point, but  its not an automatic guarantee that your going to be a good teacher. So what makes an effective Teacher? Research into this subject always seems to bring up similar results, and over the years they have seen some developments as the world around us evolves. 

If you were to run a good search for a list of the top teaching qualities the same results tend to come up: enthusiasm, motivation, hard working, passionate, friendly, approachable. All seem to follow this pattern. However, modern teaching, in my opinion, requires so much more of us than ever before, more so in some subjects than other. Let me explain. I myself am training to be a teacher of Music Technology and so far it is a fantastic and fulfilling experience to which every day brings exciting new challenges. Teaching a subject such as this, which has a backbone in the evolution of modern technology in the industry makes it even more challenging. The subject itself has its fundamentals, as it always has, and that will never change. As I look back on my own training when compared to the material and resources available today, its quite surprising how important it is to keep up to date with the material. Music Technology, for example, can change beyond recognition in a matter of years. The move from analogue and tape recording towards digital interfaces is a fine example. As a teacher of such an ever-changing subject it is crucial to keep my own skills and practice up to date and evolving along with the industry. I find myself on countless subject based websites looking for industry updates or changes, I even spend around £15 a month on subject based magazines and more on books! The point I am trying to make is simple: A good teacher keeps up to date with new and exciting concepts within their subjects, particularly more modern technology based subjects. Keeping material fresh and engaging is, in my opinion, just as important as the planning or practicing of the lesson. After all, you could be the most enthusiastic, fun or outgoing teacher in the business, but this won't mean a thing if your teaching outdated material. As teachers we should be looking for the new, the exciting, the innovating and the fresh approaches to our practice and our subject knowledge. Only then can we see the full potential of planning when combined with new ideas, effectively resulting in excellent modern teaching practice.

Reference

Handley, T. (2010). How to produce the perfect plan. Available: http://newteachers.tes.co.uk/content/how-produce-perfect-plan. Last accessed 24th Nov 2014

Gravells, A (2012). Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector. London: Learning matters . 62-66

Bogue, L. (2005). Use S.M.A.R.T. goals to launch management by objectives plan. Available: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/use-smart-goals-to-launch-management-by-objectives-plan/. Last accessed 24th nov 2014.

Barriers to effective use of technology in education

A lot of schools I have seen over the last few years have an extensive list of resources. The majority of schools these days will have computer access, often with internet capabilities and a variety of programs, while most schools have access to more sophisticated devices such as tablets. Whichever the case, most schools allow learners access to these technologies, however, some schools may not be using them to actually teach in an effective or engaging way. I myself have been fortunate enough to visit a few Schools in the South Wales area on teaching placement and have seen examples of effective use of technology, as well as no use at all.

Ramey (2013) suggest a few possibilities as to what the barriers to teaching using technology could be as ‘Resistance to change’ and ‘Lack of professional development’. in many schools teachers often unprepared to integrate technology in their own lessons as they are in facilities with little or no preparation or training. This is both unfortunate for the teachers and for the learners themselves, as mobile technology is a powerful tool to have at your disposal within the classroom. Many teachers who do not feel confident with mobile technology often fear it within their own practice. Many teacher fear the early stages of using mobile technology for many reasons, one of which will be the dependancy from the learners, particularly if they are new to a particular device such as a tablet. Ramey (2013) argues that most teachers fear that the learners will demand assistance with devices that they themselves may a novice. However, it is important to keep in mind the end result, in that to begin with it is true that learners will demand help and this will be tasking on the teachers skills and time, however, over time, the learners will become more confident and self-dependant, thus making the workload lighter, and the lessons more exciting and motivating.  

The other main factor seems to be that teachers are not ready to let of of the traditional styles of teaching (Jones, 2012). This is certainly true of the Schools I have visited in the past. Teachers have countless teaching resources available with little or no motivation to progress past using PowerPoint presentations. In my experience I have seen schools with interactive whiteboards which have been used solely to display images controlled via the computer. My experience comes from a key stage 3 and key stage 4 Music environment, where the School was equipped with various types of mobile technology (such as tablets), yet the Teachers were reluctant to introduce any to the lesson. The School in question had a higher level of difficulties than most with regards to learner engagement within the classroom, and lack of motivation throughout. It is my own opinion that after having read a number of reports, studies and articles on mobile technology in the classroom, adapting such ideas into their teaching could possibly result in some of these issues being resolves. Mobile technology makes the lessons more engaging for both the learners and the Teachers, often resulting in a heightened level of motivation (West, 2013). Schools such as the example above could see significant improvements in such areas, but only if the Teachers themselves are prepared to embrace the wonders of Technology and see them as a learning tool, not a replacement or a threat to their current Teaching practice. Teaching has never seen such leaps in the development as it has in the last few decades with the addition of new and emerging technology, all of which, when embraced and used properly, can become vital assets to the future of the education profession. 

References 

Ramey, K. (2013). Barriers to the effective uses of technology in education . Available: http://www.useoftechnology.com/barriers-effective-technology-education/. Last accessed 17th Nov 2014

Jones, J. (2014). iPads in the classroom. Available: http://www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/iPadsintheClassroom.aspx. Last accessed 17th Nov 2014.

West, D. (2013). Mobile Learning: Transforming Education, Engaging Students, and Improving Outcomes. Available: http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/09/17-mobile-learning-education-engaging-students-west. Last accessed 17th Nov 2014.

Image: http://tutoringservice.ca/blog/2013/02/19/teaching-with-technology-10-amazing-resources-to-integrate-into-your-classroom/

The value of mobile technology in teaching

‘Mobile technology is an exciting opportunity or educators, But in many ways we are just scratching the surface of what can be achieved with it’ (Wylie 2010)

It goes without saying that technology in general has had an invaluable impact upon the teaching profession, both in terms of how the teachers deliver lessons and resources, as well as how the learners themselves develop. Mobile technology has also seen incredible changes and developments over the last few years within the teaching environment. Devices such as iPads and other similar tablets are being integrated into lessons, so much so that you will often seen them listed as a critical resource within various schemes of work. 

In my own teaching experiences over the last few years, while on placement at various different schools and academic institutes, I have seen that the use of mobile technology within the classroom has been met with great skepticism. This could be for any number of reasons, one of which could be that mobile phones, for example, usually get a bad reputation in the classroom environment (Wylie, 2013). Based on discussions with teachers, it seems the other reason often tends to be a lack of confidence with their own knowledge of mobile technology, as well as the lack of trust towards the learners, which they feel may abuse the technology (often assumed of younger learners).

Norton (2014) argues that mobile technology in the classroom can help the teacher and learner interact seamlessly in a number of ways, within a number of different tasks. Learners can use mobile devices, such as iPads, to photograph or record their tasks, while other learners could give feedback afterwards. This brings me to an example I have seen in first hand while on a short placement in a primary School in the Swansea area. Learners were given the task of working out distances as part of a mathematical exercise in the playground. Each group allocated a peer to record the task on the iPad in order to document it as part of their ICT unit portfolios. Much to my surprise, the learners were fluent and more than capable of using these devices at ease, even at the age of 6 years old. Not only was this an excellent and engaging way to keep the children invested in the activity, but was a strong method of developing the ICT skills of the learners. 

Admittedly, when I first heard learners were able to use mobile technology within their lessons, I myself was quite skeptical, largely because of the abuse of the technology as mentioned above. However, after seeing the results first hand and seeing how the learners embraced the devices, rather than take advantage of them, measured me to that not only does technology have a place in the learning environment, but, as it can bring an enriching learning experience for the learners themselves. 

References 

Norton, J. (2014). Teaching tips: How students can use their mobile phones to learn english. Available: http://blog.britishcouncil.org/2014/05/19/how-students-can-use-their-mobile-phones-to-learn-english/. Last accessed 17th Nov 2014. 

Wylie, J. (2014). Mobile learning technologies for the 21st century classroom. Available: http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3754742. Last accessed 17th Nov 2014.

How technology has changed how we learn

How technology has changed how we learn

Over the years, the ways we learn has evolved in as many ways as we ourselves have as a society. Developments and advances in resources and ideas over the years have taken us from spoken word to written texts, and now from written texts into a modern, more technological way of learning. 

According to a report from 2010, the worlds digital information is the equivalent to a stack of books capable of reaching Pluto 10 times over! (Quinn, 2010). This is not only a staggering fact to try and absorb, but is also unforeseen when we look the shape of technology just a few decades ago. In the past information was only available to a few and from a few sources, these days however, its is available to everyone, whats more is that it is all available to most of us within out own pockets via mobile devices. 

In terms of teaching, digital technology has drastically changed it to enable us to widen out reach in terms of target audience. McKnight (2010) explains that 20 years ago learners had one main source of education: the teacher. These days however, they can draw information and education from anyone or anyplace on the planet. This alone is enough an argument to suggest that not only is technology assisting learners in the amount of information they access, but also changes how they learn.

In the last few decades we have seen the way we learn shift from text books and written notes, to online resources and e-books. Today, the majority of libraries offer an extensive library of online books and journals equal or greater to the quantity of hard copy text books. When we look at how the way we learn has morphed today into ways we couldn’t have comprehended, its hard not to wonder or even look forwards to how technology will enable us to access more and more information in the future. At the rate technology has changed and seems to change on a daily basis, its safe to say that nobody can predict what revolutionary teaching or learning tools are coming out way next. 

Quinn, A. (2010). Data, information and Knowledge . Available: http://www.sourcecon.com/news/2010/08/06/data-information-and-knowledge/. Last accessed 13th Nov 2014.

McKnight, K. (2014). Top 12 ways technology changed learning.Available: http://www.teachhub.com/how-technology-changed-learning. Last accessed 13t Nov 2014.

PCET: The first week of placement

The first week of placement is done and dusted and I have to say I couldn't hope to be in a better facility with experienced and supportive staff encouraging and guiding me along the way. The University I am based in is brilliant! the facilities are of industry quality, the students have a thirst and passion for the subject of Music Technology, and on top of which I have been made to feel like part of the team. All in all I can see this shaping up to be a rewarding and exciting year.
In terms of teaching, things are moving a little slow, getting involved here and there but the university had been out of action over the last few weeks due to a symphonic orchestra recording. However, I did get a chance to teach a full lesson, which was assessed and as well as some excellent and encouraging feedback, I also received some brilliant advice in terms of development. I loved every second of it, the learners were engaged, so much so that they still stop me in the building to talk to me about the topic and the session, which is flattering.
This placement is going to have its challenges though. For example, the music industry has a vast selection of equipment and audio recording systems, each more different than the last. The interface used at the university, Pro Tools, is one which I have had little experience with, and none for over 3 years. However, after bitting the bullet and investing in a copy (£240 cash!) I have been using the last few weeks to brush up on my skills and feel more than confident enough to use it in a teaching environment. That being said, Im not expert, but complications are part of the recording industry, i guess if any equipment fails on me then the learners will be having a crash course in problems solving.
Im actually impressed by the welcoming the University has provided for me. In the past I have been on placements within secondary schools (which I won't name), which not only we unwelcoming at times, but extremely brutal in terms of feedback and support....in short, there was none! Admittedly this impacted on me as I entered this placement with my guard up. However, it is quite the opposite here, full support and full involvement in the environment, even to the extent of being invited to head of faculty meetings to discuss changes to the curriculum.
Ok, Ive gone on a little here, largely because this week has been excellent! I am reading up on subjects I haven't thought about in years, and as a result, I forgot how much I loved. Its hard to see this as a work environment, Music Technology is my hobby and passion, after a long day on placement, I tend to go home and carry on with my own practice.

In closing - I am very excited to see what challenges and learning experiences the next few months have to offer!

UWTSD BBC building: Placement for the next 7 months

Teaching tools: Adobe Shape CC

Adobe shape: A teaching tool

Over the last few weeks I have been paying more attention to the variety of apps out there and trying to asses their value in the teaching environment. These days application marketplaces (such as apples App Store for example) will often point you in the direction of such apps by categorising them, thus making the hunt for great apps much simpler. 

The app I've decided to look at today is Adobe shape. Now I'm a big fan of teaching environments which are big on handouts, so this one was an excellent addition to my ever growing list of resources.

What is it?

Essentially, the app is used to make accurate sketch-like images form an image take with your phones camera. The app is ideal in situations where you find an excellent image in a text book for example, which would be a great help to your teaching. Rather than copying it by hand or going down the road of scanning and importing, Shape does it all in moments (as seen in the images bellow).

Over the last few days I have been experimenting with the app itself and have begun to include it within some resources, which I hope to use in future practice. 

The app is free of charge (at this time) on the App Store (not sure if it is available on other platforms or devices) so it's worth downloading just to experiment with. 

Here is an example I did using the application of the polar field of a microphone. The 4 images (scanned individually and collected as one) show the process the app takes as it scans through the outline of an image, which I took from a text book, effectively rendering it as an image ready to use. If i had tried to copy this by hand I assure you it would have been by no means accurate without various measurements, however, as Shape saves the file as an image, you can resize it and add it to various worksheets, handbooks, even powerpoint presentations. 

Adobe shape will save hours of time preparing resources, and although I have yet to use it in my own practice, I am already working on a number of resources which I will require the app for in the near future. You can read more about it in the link bellow.

Resources

LeFebvre, R. (2014). Real life becomes a vector with Adobe's Shape CC.Available: http://www.cultofmac.com/299107/real-life-becomes-vector-adobes-shape-cc/. Last accessed 2nd Nov 2014.