[re: > A. Winter (951114.2320 PST)]
[ re: >> Chris Cherpas (951114.1846 PT)]
cc:
Are there any specific perscriptions for educational practice based on
PCT?
AW:
Based on my interest in adult education and experience in post-secondary
institutes, I would say the first step would be to try and and make the
"What of Learning" explicit - something which I have seldom ever seen.
cc:
I'm having a little trouble parsing the "what of learning." Do you
mean what specific subjects or skills the student would learn? If
so, I am working in the area of K-8 education for the most part.
Regards,
cc
When I say the "What of Learning" I mean specifically what particular task a
person is capable of, or would be capable of doing after learning. Ideally,
in PCT language (I think)this would be what perceptions a person is
controlling, or capable of controlling.
Maybe this should be considered more of a commitment to making learning
explicit (a never ending process).
I am not really getting into other aspects of education at all - such as 1.
a supportive, friendly, non-coercive, cooperative, environment or 2.
building trust as the context for re-organization.
It will probably help for me to say where I am coming from. I have been
teaching communication skills to mostly English as a Second Language
students who are trying to upgrade their skills to get into a regular
program in a technical institute. It is not uncommon for 50 to 70% of the
original students to not pass or disappear during the course. Discussion
among peers and others involved with these programs covers may 'things' such
as: what co-operative learning activities to be used, what
exercises/techniques supposedly work, how to include everything under the
sun in the course outline and cover all those topics in class, how to ensure
any characters used when roles are assigned are politically correct, how to
mark written exams (out of 100), how to promote the program in workshops to
professional organizations, what to put in the philosilhy statement for the
program, how to tinker with the exams each term, how to write up development
proposals to impress the right people etc. etc. etc. the usual stuff.
- a situation where so much is happening and so many activities are taking
place but the idea of considering a particular student, after a particular
activity/class and asking the question "What has actually been learned?"
kills conversation (that is in meetings of peers with authority figures
present).
So for me "But what is the learning?" is the key leading question.
Actually, I am not trying to think so much in terms of approaches,
techniques, methods etc. but the terms of the supposed outcomes. Approaches
come and go, get interpreted differently, and get applied in ways that some
other people may think are 180% off base.
Consequently, I don't want to consider any approach as PCT based.
Cheers,
autumn