How effective questioning contributes to learning

How effective questioning contributes to learning For the purpose of this essay I will look at effective questioning and how the use of effective questioning contributes to the learning process of pupils in a school or classroom setting. The essay will look at the varying Theorists that talk about questioning and how they believe that questioning was a positive part of the schooling day and delve into different methods of questioning and how best the answers support the learning of how to question. I will look in particular how effective questioning is useful in two subjects thought on the curriculum which are English Literature and Information and Communication Technology or ICT as it is known. To concentrate on these two subjects and to show how important I have found effective questioning I will look at how effective listening and speaking also contributes to effective questioning. The essay will look at different National Strategies and Frameworks and literature available that exist to support the guidelines and theories that ex ist to support effective questioning and evidence I have gathered during my experiences working with children in the class room to portray the practical evidence of this. Main The Primary National Strategy (2006) emphasises the need for the development and promotion of creativity across the curriculum. Speaking and Listening are to be developed in innovative and exiting ways through discussion and questioning. Children need to listen to their teacher and their peers and have the confidence to express their own thoughts, Sharing responses to Literature is one of the most meaningful ways in which good listening and good talking can be achieved.(Nicholson, C as site in Goodwin, 2005). This assignment will take a look into how effective questioning can contribute to pupils learning and will be backed up by examples that I have seen in my practice. Theorists have different beliefs as to how children learn. In my opinion, a mixture of their strategies is needed in schools and across the curriculum to achieve the best results possible. We learn that Bruner is more associated with questioning, problem and discussion in contrast to Vygotsky believed that adult talk plays a central role in developing a childs understanding. He saw all speech as primary social in function, the intellect being developed within social interaction (Goodwin, 2001). He believed in combining language with thought but more emphasis being placed on effective adult language and that through pupil talk, children would develop their reading and writing skills. Ofsted (2005), reported that when children talked through ideas firstly, they were there after better writers. Bruner introduced cognitive scaffolding, which aimed at extending pupil understanding through support of a social system. He highlighted the importance of language and communication with others- peers and others (Loveless, 2003). He didnt believe in giving pupils material in this final form. On placement I would introduce a problem to the children and support them with appropriate questioning. This in turn led to discussion and the utilisation of higher order thinking skills in scaffolding conversations learners can try out ideas make mistakes and adapt their thinking by listening to others as they work towards understanding (Goodwin, 2001). I consider a lot of classes as being too rigid and they are trying to adhere to a strict plan to reach goals and cover material. For example in literacy The National Curriculum and the Literacy Strategy (although this is not statutory) have a wide range of topics to be covered leaving I found teachers under pressure for time. I feel that time needs to be allocated for spontaneity where the teacher focuses and directs children through effective modelling questioning and discussion with educational goals in mind. The Ofstead English Report (2005) found that even though there is more discussion in primary schools at the moment unfortunately it is dominated by the teacher giving the pupils only limited opportunities to express their thoughts and listen to their peers. The report also found reading and writing getting more attention in schools. Excellent and Enjoyment (2003) described teaching in England as being too prescriptive which was impacting negatively on creativity. Another example of how effective questioning contributes to students learning in through the use of information and communication technology or ICT. The National Grid for learning was set up by the DfEE in 1997 to equip schools with computers and this in turn enabled both students and teachers to access materials that became available. This also enabled children to talk to others in the world and to interact globally. Schools therefore now have more resources, computers and packages to enhance ICT usage, some even have laptops. Before my six week placement, I had little knowledge of how to use the IWB as a teaching tool but, my class teacher taught me how to use it with confidence. I found it a useful resource for holding the childrens interest and attention. It enabled supporting use of exciting pictures to brighten up tasks. For example, in Literacy, we were doing a story from the Jungle Book called Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, I was able to search for and insert pictures of the characters fr om Google images to suit the theme. The children really enjoyed this as it brought the characters to life. Stories are important for a number of reasons. They link places to interesting themes, they aid spelling and they can increase knowledge about certain topics or facts. Stories are the fundamental way of organising human experience and understanding the world (Fisher, R., Williams, M. 2006). They can be linked to many different tasks, apart from reading to enhance literacy skills. The book I am basing my lessons on with regard to this assignment, is called Rose Blanche. The illustrations within it present a World War Two setting which gives a truly special historical insight into the suffering and pain endured by the characters as seen through the eyes of a child. Analysis of this picture book will evoke an emotional response to the Second World War through the implementation of effective questioning and discussion in the classroom. Such strategies are central in the new the Primary National Strategy (2006). As a teacher, it will be my role to ensure that the children apply creative/h igher order thinking to their reading through learning how to read between the lines, using inference, deduction and prediction and learning how to recreate and respond to the text. Effective questioning with regard to setting, character, plot, themes dialogue and point of view will extend childrens thinking about a story (Fisher, R., Williams, M. 2006). A mixture of both open ended and closed questions are necessary components of reflective reading where children will skim, scan and read in more detail to find answers. An essential aspect of questioning is allowing children enough time to think before pursuing a response. Towards the end of my placement, the children had an idea of the type of response I required by the length of thinking time I would give them. They knew that more thinking time required more than one word answers. It is crucial also that teachers pitch questions at appropriate levels to challenge the more able without loosing the interest of the less able through lack of understanding. EAL students and those with special educational needs may benefit from visual cues where possible. This is where Literacy through ICT becomes highly beneficial and effective. Interactive white boards are powerful tools for displaying images and texts which can be clearly seen by the whole class. Speaking and listening in the National Curriculum has a strong social focus. Children will learn to take turns, deal with opposing views politely, talk effectively, take different roles and help the group to move forward (DfEE, 1999). These aspects need to be enforced within each subject in order to achieve success where all voices are heard and spoken. Children need to become interactive listeners where they listen to other members of the group but also have the confidence to articulate ideas without fear of embarrassment or ridicule. This is also the view point of Jones, R., Wyse, D., 2004 who believe that in building pupils literacy skills, teachers should reward curiosity and exploration, build internal motivation, encourage risk taking, have high expectations of all pupils, give opportunities for choice and discovery and develop students self-management skills. Children need to know when it is ok for them to speak and when they should listen. For this reason, I always made the rules clear at the beginning of each class. The children then knew how they should request to voice their opinion i.e. put their hand up. An articulate classroom is a community of learners and teachers who share an understanding about the roles of talk in their learning(Goodwin, 2001). Speaking and listening can be enhanced through ICT with the use of tape recorders, digital cameras, recording to computers and much more. Some teachers prefer however, not to use classroom discussion because of fear of losing control through increased noise levels. Another issue with discussion is finding the time to allow learners to ask and seek their own answers. I personally found this difficult to resolve. I strongly believe that group work in Literacy is extremely beneficial to pupils. It certainly suits the shyer pupil who might not have the confidence to express an opinion within whole class interaction. It enables the perfect opportunity for teachers to develop scaffolding on a smaller scale which relates to Bruners theory. On my placement, guided reading was carried out every day after lunch which meant each group had one session each week. The National Literacy Strategy promotes this process where by one group works with the teacher and the other groups work independently (DfEE, 1998). The pupils were split into groups of similar ability which meant the less able children had more support at their level and the more able had more scope. Ofsted (2005) found guided group work to be a positive development in the classroom in terms of speaking and listening. Conclusion The new science of learning and thinning tells us that everybody has the capacity to become a better learner, and that there are conditions under which learning power develops (Pollard 2002). If children are having difficulty in understanding what you are teaching them, then you must reflect and ask yourself why? You as a teacher must reflect on lessons and ask yourself have I asked effective questions in my lesson? Questions can be used for a wide range of purposes and they can be seen as a vital tool for teaching and learning. It is a powerful way of scaffolding childrens understanding and raising their performance. The way in which teachers can use questions to improve the quality of childrens thinking and the extent of their participation (Pollard 2006). As stated above and trough out this essay I have looked at how questioning, effective questioning in particular contributes to a Childs learning through effective listening, speaking in particular through ICT and English. I have learnt in practice that these methods keep a child engaged, motivated and egger to learn. This not only applies to English and ICT but in all subjects on the National Curriculum. Reference List Adams, A., Brindley, S. (2002) Teaching Primary Literacy with ICT. Buckingham, Open University Press. Bennett, R. (2006) Learning ICT with English. Great Britain, David Fulton Publishers. Goodwin, P. (1999, 2005) 2nd edn. The Literate Classroom. Great Britain, David Fulton Publishers Ltd. DfES (2006) Primary National Strategy; Primary Framework for literacy and mathematics. London, DfES. Fisher, R., Williams, M. (2006) Unlocking Literacy. 2nd edn. Great Britain, David Fulton Publishers. Jones, R., Wyse, D. (2004) Creativity in the Primary Curriculum. Great Britain, David Fulton Publishers Ltd. Loveless, A. (2003) The Role of ICT. London, Continuum. Ofsted (2000, 2005) The Annual Report of Her Majestys Chief Inspector of Schools. HMSO, London. Rudd, A., Tyldesley, A. (2006) Literacy and ICT in the Primary School. Great Britain, David Fulton Publishers. Journal McFarlane, A. (2001) Perspectives on the relationships between ICT and assessment. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 17 (227-234). Website www.kingston.ac.uk/booksalive/ www.ofsted.gov.uk

Forced Reading :: Reading Writing

Forced Reading Before I entered kindergarten, my mother, who had been an elementary school teacher, had me read and do arithmetic every day while my brother, four years my elder, was in school. I remember the days sitting at the dining room table. I was only four and my body was still disproportional to the furniture. The chair was too low and the table too high. My easy reader was on the table, and I strained to view it properly from my position. I fidgeted a bit as I wondered why I had to do this. I could hear the dogs outside. I wanted to play with them. I spotted my kitchen set in the next room. I wanted to play with it. My mother was in the kitchen baking something that smelled much more appealing than reading. She must have been looking at me through the pass-through window, as she caught me in my daydream and reminded me that I was supposed to be reading my book. The cat ran away from the man. I made my own story up in my head. The girl ran away from the table. She played with the toys. She was happy. I suppose, for quite a few years, I was a big disappointment to my mother as far as reading went. It wasn’t that I couldn’t read, it was that I never wanted to, and compared to my older brother, who read a book everyday, I was quite a let down. It might not have been such a dilemma to any other parent, but to my mother who’d taught and encouraged kids to read for many years, it certainly was. Kindergarten was successfully useless, as between recess and nap time there was only time for coloring, and none for reading or learning of any type. I kept this fact hidden from my mother, though I’m certain she knew as my daily dining table ritual continued throughout the year. When I started first grade, I finally started to appreciate some of my mother’s work. At the beginning of the year, everyone had to take a reading level test, and I ranked the highest among my classmates. I flexed my reading skills before everyone. I volunteered to read during class. I read to my parents, to my grandparents, to my dog.

Founding Theorists of Management

Identify the founding theorists of management and then discuss the major schools of thought under which their theories can be classified. The founding theorists of management are Frederick Taylor, Max Weber, Henri Fayol and Mary Parker Follett. Taylor’s theory is classified under Scientific Management, and he was known as â€Å"the father of scientific management†. Scientific management can be defined as the scientific determination of changes in management practices as a means improving labour productivity.Taylor’s theory focuses on efficiency in the organization, improving the productivity of manual workers, and it demonstrates how providing workers with an incentive to perform can increase productivity. Taylor’s theory suggested four principles of scientific management. The first principle involves developing a science for each element of an individual’s work to replace the old rule of thumb methods. The second principle involves scientifically s electing, training and developing workers. Related article: Examples of Scientific Management in HealthcareThe third principle involves developing cooperation between workers and management to ensure that work is done in accordance with the scientifically devised procedures. The fourth and final principle of scientific management involves the equal division of work and responsibility among workers. While scientific management was praised for improving productivity, it was also criticized, because it ignored the individual differences among workers, and could not see that the most efficient way of working for one person may differ from that of another person.The application of scientific management is seen in today’s organizations when the best qualified applicants are hired for a job. Max Weber developed a theory of authority structures theory is classified under Bureaucratic Management, and it may be described as a formal system of organization based on clearly defined hierarchal levels and roles in order to maintain efficiency and effectiveness. Weber believed that organizations should be managed on an impersonal, rational basis, and that this type of organization would be more efficient and adaptable to change because stability is related to formal structure and positions rather than to a articular person who may leave or die. Weber identified six elements of bureaucratic management. This first element involves the division of labour with clear definitions of authority and responsibility. The second element involves the organization of positions in a hierarchy of authority, where each position is under the authority of a higher one, and subordinates follow the orders of their superiors. The third element involves the selection and promotion of personnel based on technical qualifications, or training and experience.The fourth element involves administrative acts and decisions which are governed by rules, and are recorded in permanent files to provide the organization with memory and continuity over time. The fifth element states that means of production or administration belong to the office, and that personal property is separate from office property. The sixth and final element of bureaucratic management states that rules are impersonal and applied to all employees. It also states that managers are subject to rules and procedures that will ensure predictable and reliable behavior.Bureaucratic procedures provide a standard way of dealing with employees. Everyone receives equal treatment and knows what the rules are, and this has enabled many organizations to be very efficient. The application of bureaucratic management is seen in today’s organizations with the Employee Code of Conduct. Henri Fayol’s theory can be classified under General Administrative Theory, and focuses on the one best way to run the organization. The general administrative theory focuses on how the entire organization should be organized, and the practices an effective manager should fol low.Fayol proposed a universal set of management functions, which are planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. Planning, involves anticipating the future and acting on it. Organizing requires developing the institution’s material and human resources. Commanding requires keeping the organization’s actions and processes running. Coordinating involves aligning and harmonizing the efforts of organizational members. The final management function controlling, involves performing the first four functions according o the appropriate rules and procedures of the organization. Fayol developed theories of what he believed constituted good management practices, known as the fourteen principles of management. The fourteen principles are; specialization of labour, authority, discipline, unity of command, unity of direction, subordination of individual interests, remuneration, centralization, scalar chain, order, equity, stability of staff, initiative, and spiri t de corps, which means harmony and cohesion among personnel.Specialization of labour is where managerial and technical work is amenable to specialization to produce more and better work with the same amount of effort. Authority refers to the right of superiors to give orders and to expect them to be followed. Discipline is where the members in any organization must respect the rules and agreements governing the organization. Unity of command is where each subordinate receives orders from one superior only. Unity of direction means similar activities in the organization should be grouped together under one manager.Subordination of individual interests means, the concerns of the organization should take precedence over the concerns of the individual. Remuneration refers to compensation for work done, and it should be fair to both the employee and the employer. Centralization refers to the degree to which decision making is concentrated at the top levels of the organization. Scalar ch ain refers to the chain of authority which extends from the top to the bottom levels of the organization.Order implies that all material and human resources within the organization have a prescribed place to be. Material resources must remain in the right place at the right time, and people should be in the jobs or positions they are suited to. Equity implies that everyone within the organization should be treated equally. Stability of staff implies that there should be a low employee turnover rate in order to facilitate the efficient functioning of the organization.Initiative means that subordinates should be given freedom to share their ideas and carry out their plans. Esprit de corps means creating team spirit through the use of verbal communication, to promote harmony and cohesion among personnel. Fayol also stressed the role of administrative management and stated that all activities that occur in business organizations could be divided into six main groups, which are, technica l, commercial, financial, security, accounting and managerial.For example, production and manufacturing activities can be grouped under technical; buying, selling and exchange activities can be grouped under commercial; activities obtaining and using capital can be grouped under finance; protection of property and persons can be grouped under security; balance sheet, stocktaking, statistics and costing activities can be grouped under accounting and; planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling activities can be grouped under managerial.Fayol then concluded that the six groups of activities are interdependent and that it is the role of management to ensure that all six activities work smoothly to achieve the goals of an organization. Mary Parker Follett was a major contributor to the administrative approach to management. However, she was also an advocate of a more humanistic perspective to management, which highlighted the importance of understanding human behavior s, needs and attitudes in the workplace, as well as social interactions and group processes.She emphasized worker participation and the importance of goals that cannot be reached by a single party for reducing conflicts in organizations. Follett explained that managerial dominance and compromising only produced temporary adjustments. She proposed a process in which parties involved in conflict would interact despite the existing facts, and allow a new solution to come into view that none of the conflicting parties had considered. She called this approach to resolving conflict an integrating process.Mary Parker Follett’s approach to leadership stressed the importance of people, rather than engineering techniques, and she addressed issues such as ethics, power, and how to lead in a way that encourages employees to give their best, as well as the concepts of delegation of power and authority to employees, rather than controlling them. Although Frederick Taylor, Max Weber, Henri Fayol and Mary Parker Follett are not the only theorists to make contributions to the schools of thought of management, they have all made significant contributions to management, many of which have been implemented and even modified, in today’s organizations.

Television A Vast Wasteland Essay - 2662 Words

The Cosby Show was the pinnacle of American television. Based on an affluent African-American family in Brooklyn, New York, The Cosby Show demonstrated how to effectively raise a family. The sitcom starred Phylicia Rashad as Clair Huxtable, a confident, assertive, and eloquent attorney. Alongside Rashad was Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable, an eccentric and whimsical obstetrician. Together, Clair and Cliff reared five children in the midst of several complex obstacles. When faced with Sondra’s decision not to go to law school, Denise’s decision to discontinue her education, Theo’s satisfaction with mediocre grades, and Vanessa’s rebellious behavior, the Huxtables never ceased to use humor and discipline to convey strong moral principles. The†¦show more content†¦On these shows, participants are thrown in volatile situations and are expected to compete with each for a monetary prize (Delisle 43). There may be several reality show genres but they tend t o follow the same formula: The shows seek extremes—contestants courting seeming danger, hostile to their competitors; strangers thrown together in situations sure to exacerbate their antagonisms; celebrities revealing their weaknesses, and actual families exposing their neuroses and addictions. Outrageous action has become the norm for what is called ‘Reality TV.’ (Cummings and Gordon 37) Though these reality shows are entertaining, they give viewers a false sense of reality. Reality shows portray competition as the sole way to achieve success. After viewing this mercenary behavior on a daily basis, viewers will inevitably develop an unhealthy need to succeed in all that they do. Since reality shows progressively eliminate the losers and glorify the winner(s), viewers will begin to base their self-worth on winning. 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