SAFETY WITH ELECTRICITY iN OUR HOMES
4.3. Conclusion
5.3.3. Self realization and affirming one's self
The above type of meaning making requires effective collaboration in social learning situations. In the PBL classroom collaboration is not achieved overnight. All role-players have a role to play in overcoming problems related to (among others) domination, non- participation by some team members, or respect for others in the team. We need to take time in developing' collaborative space' where each learner is allowed to articulate own ideas and listen to divergent views (Olsen, 1997). Such collaborative space must provide room for us to attend to multiple voices in our dialogue to negotiate new meanings (Castle, 1997).
Hence, accepting that students are there to learn, then, appropriate classroom management practices, other that the type that uses behavioural strategies discussed earlier, must be embraced to promote meaningful learning.
New beginnings such as those discussed by Greene (1988) are consistent with the new vision for education in a new democratic South Africa. The role of the educator in teaching and learning interactions is still regarded by researchers as a critical one.
The educator as mentor and/or mediator, where learning is a 'common enterprise' between the learner and the educator (Dewey, 1938) or other members of the learning community (see Figure 1, Chapter 2), is critical in democratizing the learning spaces.
The main critical attributes of the mediated learning experience (MLE) described by Feuerstein (2001) (see Chapter 1 - 1.9 and Chapter 2 - 2.2.2), namely, reciprocity, intentionality, meaning, and transcendence, are essential in the process of democratizing such desired democratic learning spaces.
Such a democratized learning space does not arise by chance, but is a goal strived for with commitment and discipline from all members of the learning community. Project based learning (PBL) provides opportunities for meaningful and interactive learning where a democratic human management system such as MLE is put in practice.
Depending on the entry level or the stage at which PBL is introduced, at the beginner level sufficient learner 'scaffolds' (Blumenfeldet al., 1991) would be required, where such scaffolding would be gradually withdrawn in a way that provides for greater learner autonomy in PBL.
MLE is not without challenges. The PBL classroom is made up of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds, each bringing his/her own prior experiences, needs and interests to the classroom.
With respect to the person who wishes to adopt MLE, each learner has his/her own idea of the kind of mediator agent for their learning, for example:
The teacher and other learners helped me when I needed to know. They helped me to look and listen. Talking helped me. I did not like it when the teacher turned the (my) question around and asked me ... as I needed to know (and not be questioned further at that point) (Lwazi) and,
The teacher gave us a chance to correct our work and gave us help when we needed it. My helper, one that I like, is a person who corrects me when I am wrong (Cameron).
And on the things that stood in the way to his learning:
The teacher, I could have learnt more
if
he left me to also learn on my own.If
my group allowed me to do the investigation and collect the information needed.If
I was serious about my work andfocussed on what I was doing. The school could have taken action to reduce the noise while I was learning (Cameron).Learners who learn this way, using MLE, require feedback that is mostly positive
especially is social situations that are '2-way rich' in dialogue as advocated by Feuerstein (2001). Learning is not about learners not knowing anything, all learners come with their own experiences, interests, strengths and barriers to learning which need to be
accommodated (RNeS, Grades R-9 Schools, 2003). The teacher's role is also publicly known: "The teacher will understand and interpret provided learning programmes, design original learning programmes, identify the requirements for a specific context of learning and select and prepare suitable textual and visual resources for learning. The teacher will also select, sequence and pace the learning in a manner suitable to the different needs of learners" (DOE, 1999: 69). This policy interpretation and implementation role of the teacher is also highlighted in this study.
The lesson plan was fully addressed and participants made effective use of the learning opportunities and learning scaffolds:
The portfolio boards, learning visibly step-by-step how electricity is produced and sent to our homes; doing experiments, writing things, stuck pictures, talked and talked and talked, and my peers helped me understand (Thandeka), and
The presentation or portfolio boards, and the Workbook notes helped me. The teacher gave us a chance to correct our work and gave us help when we needed it (Cameron).
A challenge in the above is the on-going assessment and recording of sustained learning.
In a MLE classroom a learner's experience with project approaches to science is
associated with a reduction in anxiety towards the subject, its relevance to everyday life, and a greater willingness on the part of student to approach science challenges with an open mind and a positive attitude (Boaler, 1997).
According to Chard (1999), teachers using PBL and MLE need to plan for such learning opportunities, as this allows the teacher to be mentally ready to use and engage the learner's experiences and interests, and, that he or she would then be more receptive to the different possibilities that may arise in the course of the learning task or project. She asserts that the teacher has an important role as a model for the learners of dispositions that enhance learning. What worked for me in a PBL and MLE classroom, and as a paradigm shift, was to "transform courses of study into instances of democratic living"
(Henderson& Kesson, 2004, p.1 02). Affirming learners in collaborative and 'joint enterprise' is all about practicing an ethic of care.
Henderson and Kesson (2004), quoting Noddings (1984), describe teachers working as caring professionals:
When we attribute the best possible motive consonant with reality to the cared-for, we confirm him; that is, we reveal to him an attainable image of himself that is lovelier than manifested in his present acts ... Confirmation, the loveliest of human functions, depends upon and interacts with dialogue and practice. I cannot confirm a child unless I talk with him and engage in co-operative practice with him" (p.!3).
Against the above backdrop, the multitude of challenges for effective PBL and MLE within a school context require new participatory approaches to both school and curriculum management. The involvement of all the school stakeholders is key in a school that is seen as a learning organization as described in Chapter 2 (see 2.2.4, Figure 1). Issues relating to power, learning and affirmation, as discussed above, need to be attended to in a way that allows for effective PBL and MLE in a learning context.