paradigm shift: it is time to change our educational activities This article is a product of my critical thinking and contextual information on the so-called paradigm shift in education and data provided by recent research to conduct in relation to effective teaching at university level.
right wants from saying that I do not understand why some teachers are still anchored to the obsolete approach tightly digestive instructional front, or whatever you prefer to call it, without even attempting to produce minimal changes in their teaching. Indeed, as an educator, I believe that teaching concepts are extremely important, but I also believe must meet the new requirements imposed by globalization processes, tuning and / or adjust the curriculum and students far more multimodal than those of previous generations. Moreover, global flows in education aimed at giving the student a strong role in their learning process. This presupposes that the process should focus primarily on learning. In other words, the teacher's role has changed from being a mere transmitter of contents, which lacks all sense in the era of knowledge society, a facilitator of learning and teaching, which, incidentally, actually demand more educational action purposeful and proactive.
In theory, more precisely from the ground entamblar conversations with my fellow teachers, the above is an interesting and challenging commitment. However, what is recorded in the micro-reality of the classroom, in many cases, remains the staging of the traditional front-class exhibition or no or very little space for student involvement and, therefore, with few potential applicability and replication practices. It is more often observed how many teachers still have a text book under his arm stuck as educational support tool most recurrent and essential for the development of the class. Is it this the way to address the pedagogical act in full paradigm shift?, do not have other, more creative and innovative teaching performance? I'd rather leave the answers to these questions for you to judge for yourself.
In this sense, in frustration I often hear from some teachers, such as opinions,
"interest me the contents cigarillos," students are like a diamond in the rough "," lectures are still the solution, " " and end the semester and still do not quite pass the matter, " etc. Given this alarming scenario, what is the point Tuning Project, a college education, or our native Proposal for Curricular adjustments at the level of primary and secondary education? As we see it is not possible to reconcile theory with practice if not first produce transformational changes in pedagogical approaches and in their own conceptions that teachers have about what it really means to educate in an environment as demanding as the current generator by the rapid technological developments and accelerating processes of globalization.
In reviewing the literature, we find that, in the midst of changes of all kinds, global trends in education aim to develop skills inevitably Among those who go beyond the mere memorization of content. In fact, what aspect is seen as embodied in the modern curriculum is the development of skills in students, enabling them to continue learning throughout their lives, which, incidentally, is precisely what is required in the field work. However, many educational activities are not consistent with the need to train professionals capable of displaying a world that is deep and fast changes.
In this context, I have always believed in self-learning as a strategy of exploration and construction of meaning. In fact, man has survived from its inception because of its high potential exploratory. He has learned to defend itself and respond to various demands of their environment. In other words, why give students all cases
"content cigarillos limiting their own personal research and awareness of the learning process? As I reflect and write this article comes to my mind the brilliant quote that Benjamin Franklin did three hundred years ago, in the XXI century, takes on great value:
"Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I learn. " By the way, I prefer the latter part of this quotation
involve me and I learn. " So, I wonder, why so many fellow teachers persist in their lectures ossified as a pedagogical strategy preferential?
respect, just this morning I read an article in the press about the actual study. The expert Monica Castagneto Argentina (El Mercurio, April 4, 2010, section A, p. 12) alluded to the importance of promoting skills and learning strategy contrastra true in the importance given to memorization. This research proposes four key tips, moreover, has many educational implications:
From the perspective deponent: 1) Learn to read
2) Structuring the subject studied
3) Observe how to structure an idea
From the educational perspective: 4) provide good reviews
Indeed, reading is a central component of learning. This is what I observed as a visiting professor at my internship in China in 2009, during a project to promote the English spoken in the host university. So, I realized the great importance that this country gives a reading at all educational levels. Indeed, in my conversation classes to college students always had well-documented and prepared to participate actively in the various topics of conversation raised for the program. Naturally, This involves a lot of previous reading. Unfortunately, in our Chilean context is not seen much incentive to reading as a strategy for student learning. This occurs, in my view, precisely because many teachers still insist on the old paradigm of frontal teaching and delivery of
"content cigarillos in the classroom. What I observe that promotes a sustained manner, is the memorization of facts rather than understanding of ideas. Therefore, there is no incentive or personal analysis and / or collective nor critical thinking.
In this scenario so frustrating sometimes, I see how many Chilean teachers to assess precisely match those calls
"content cigarillos through instruments of questionable methodological quality assessment that are only short-term memory. In my view, what really makes sense is assessed through practical application. That is, involving the student in learning situations that are meaningful and relevant to their training. Colleagues, not afraid to subject our students to challenges to overcome, because through problem solving shows how knowledge is applied and demonstrate creativity and innovation throughout its real magnitude.
regard, in creative studies, Dr. Teresa Amabile (cited in Kaufman & Ray, 2000) dares to talk about the
"murderers of creativity." This research has identified the following factors restrictors creativity:
- surveillance [excessive monitoring]
- evaluation [of self-evaluation]
- rewards [excessive awards]
- competition [desperate to win or lose],
- excessive control [how to perform the activities],
- restriction of the lessons [planning and strict adherence to inflexible texts] and
- pressure [decontextualized setting expectations].
Me wonder how many of these factors restrictors may be present in the actions of many of our teachers countrymen? The answer is left to his own reflection.
Moreover, in my opinion, creativity and teaching effectiveness are elements inherent in educational change we have been observing over the past decades. Within this framework, then step to identify some factors favoring such effectiveness, I've found from my experience as a consultant on self-evaluation processes, and a comparative study done by Prof. Arancibia (1992) in relation to this topic. Factors identified:
Context institutional
1. Professional leadership, direction,
2. Job stability,
3. Accession to the Institutional Education Project,
4. Strategies for academic,
5. Change orientation,
6. Oriented learning facilities,
7. Institutional support for learning management,
8. Participation in the educational community, and
9. Planning, structuring and updating the curriculum. Teaching Context
1. Learning climate,
2. Pedagogical practices,
3. Equal educational opportunities,
4. Adherence to the mission institutional
5. Professional liability,
6. Commitment to the organization,
7. Academic performance,
8. Change orientation,
9. Focus on learning, teaching 10.Efectividad
,
11.Altas expectations of student learning, and
12.Orientación to the self-study students.
Additionally, as a contribution to the issue raised here, I would like to add some points I have identified as factors restrictors educational effectiveness in a study recently done at the university context: Teaching Dimension
1. Learning environment escolarizante (mainly due to linking teaching with the school system),
2. Decontextualized teaching practices (school differs from college),
3. Lack of institutional mission,
4. Orientation class exhibition (the preferred strategy content delivery),
5. Low expectations of learning (lack of cognitive and cultural development of students), and
6. Promoting low self-study (as critical to academic success). Institutional dimension
1. Lack of educational leadership,
2. High turnover of teachers,
3. Lack of socialization of an education project,
4. Lack of academic development strategies,
5. Adherence to the traditional school,
6. Lack of support for educational innovation and
8. Individual planning of the curriculum.
As we see, in general, the paradigm shift is not an easy task. It involves extensive but successful challenges in the field of effectiveness, creativity and innovation in teaching, whether institutional or educational level. Moreover, is carefully observed and improve the educational act, required to leave behind old beliefs or ideas about pedagogy and open to new possibilities, involves sharing and exchanging our teaching experiences with others and grow as professional educators. Is it open to change does not involve high rates of creativity and innovation and, therefore, much personal satisfaction?, Would not we be more effective if we are really adding up all educational change? Judge for yourself. In any case, as an educator, researcher and critical observer and reflective of our reality and other borders, took many years to promote with passion and great efforts transformational changes in our ways of linking with the process of learning and teaching.
Finally, in relation to change education, Fullan (2002, p. 64) argues that
"educational decisions are often adopted by the pragmatic process of trial and error, no room for reflection or logical reasoning." I wonder
"perhaps is not an eminently educational act of critical reflection from and in practice?". As an agent and promoter of educational change, take your own conclusions. Bibliography
Arancibia, V. (1992). School effectiveness. A comparative analysis. Retrieved March 29, 2010, from: http://www.google.cl/search?source=ig&hl=es&rlz=1R2RNWE_enCL330&q=Viloleta+Arancibia+efectividad+escolar&meta=lr% 3D & aq = f & aqi = & aql = & q = & gs_rfai =
Castagneto, M. (2010). Four Tips really help you learn. In Section Education, p. 12 [April 4, 2010]. Santiago de Chile: El Mercurio.
Fullan, M. (2002). The new meaning of educational change. Barcelona: Ediciones octahedron.
Kaufman, P. and Ray, M. (2000). The creative spirit. The revolution of creativity and how it applies to all human activities. Buenos Aires: Ediciones B Argentina, SA
