Edited by Steve Bamlett, Wednesday, 31 Aug 2016, 18:01
We are accustomed to thinking of problem words in academic work as those relating to specialist lexis and syntax. In fact the key 'problem words' in my experience are 'reading', 'writing' and 'drawing'. These words attract normative interpretations that considerably over-simplify the social situations to which they refer.
The figure below is a resource I intend to use in class discussion in order to illustrate some of the effects of attempting
to differentiate the common terminology by which we describe media used in teaching and learning. Are writing, drawing and reading per se solitary and individual activities? What is the effect of using the same name for the medium and its means of active production? Of course the 'exclusive' nature of such a resource has to be confronted too, since it might otherwise imply privileging only those whose sensory range includes all of the capacities (including vision, hearing, movement). One important discussion point must be about how different modes of 'reading' can substitute for each other for the differently-abled.
Are the terms auditory, visual and kinesthetic when used alone sufficient to describe any one medium - or can 'reading' be considered as subject to kinesthetic, visual and auditory variability both singly or in combination. Are the kinesthetic and embodied different or not? What do we begin to learn - metacognitively hopefully - about our assumptions about space and time and as basic components of teaching and learning? I will use these images and questions to prompt thought in Year 1 under-graduate courses.
All are appropriate introductions to understanding the myths that disable learners (and some tutors) from realising the innovative value to effective teaching and learning of, for instance, the different kinds of participatory affordances of using wikis, blogging and asynchronic and synchronic forum work.
By the way, I think I deliberately went for the primary school imagery, although this resource can be used for undergraduates. It can be used to show that certain lifelong learning habits set in early and can reproduce themselves (to limiting effect) throughout adulthood.
Problem Words in Teaching and Learning
We are accustomed to thinking of problem words in academic work as those relating to specialist lexis and syntax. In fact the key 'problem words' in my experience are 'reading', 'writing' and 'drawing'. These words attract normative interpretations that considerably over-simplify the social situations to which they refer.
The figure below is a resource I intend to use in class discussion in order to illustrate some of the effects of attempting to differentiate the common terminology by which we describe media used in teaching and learning. Are writing, drawing and reading per se solitary and individual activities? What is the effect of using the same name for the medium and its means of active production? Of course the 'exclusive' nature of such a resource has to be confronted too, since it might otherwise imply privileging only those whose sensory range includes all of the capacities (including vision, hearing, movement). One important discussion point must be about how different modes of 'reading' can substitute for each other for the differently-abled.
Are the terms auditory, visual and kinesthetic when used alone sufficient to describe any one medium - or can 'reading' be considered as subject to kinesthetic, visual and auditory variability both singly or in combination. Are the kinesthetic and embodied different or not? What do we begin to learn - metacognitively hopefully - about our assumptions about space and time and as basic components of teaching and learning? I will use these images and questions to prompt thought in Year 1 under-graduate courses.
All are appropriate introductions to understanding the myths that disable learners (and some tutors) from realising the innovative value to effective teaching and learning of, for instance, the different kinds of participatory affordances of using wikis, blogging and asynchronic and synchronic forum work.
By the way, I think I deliberately went for the primary school imagery, although this resource can be used for undergraduates. It can be used to show that certain lifelong learning habits set in early and can reproduce themselves (to limiting effect) throughout adulthood.
All the best
Steve