My Experience of Pedagogy

Below is a reflection of my experience with different pedagogical strategies.  At the moment, I have strengths in creating real-world contexts for learning content. I am also able to create activities and assessments that allow me to extrapolate students' responses to determine their understanding levels.  I definitely need to spend more time developing pedagogy that leaves room for higher order thinking.  I will also need to leave space for student's to direct their own learning.

Strategy	Focus questions	When have I experienced this in the past?	How have I used this strategy as a teacher?
Deep knowledge and higher order thinking	Are higher-order thinking and critical analysis occurring?	I am experiencing higher order thinking and critical analysis now, more than ever, in this education degree.	I have not had a lot of opportunity for this as yet
	Does the lesson sequence cover operational fields in any depth, detail or level of specificity?	I am finding that the sequencing in this unit is not what I am used to.  While there is depth and detail, I am used to a more straightforward assessment type and have allowed the different assessment to throw me "off my game"!	The sequence of my lesson plans are all very deliberate in their sequence delivering more depth and detail according to the level of learning so far accomplished
	Do the work and response of the students provide evidence of depth of understanding of concepts or ideas?	It is great to be able to see the responses of other students. It allows me to make value judgements on how we are all understanding the same concepts slightly differently	Some student's responses to my activities on prac showed considerably more depth of understanding than others.
Collaborative and social learning	Does classroom talk break out of the initiation/response/evaluation pattern and lead to sustained dialogue between students, and between teachers and students?	I have found that in class discussions it is often the same students who speak up.  I believe there needs to be awareness surrounding this that ensures an equitable discussion between all participants	On my first prac I utilised a number of different strategies (group work, brainstorming, paired discussion) for collaborative work between students and myself with some encouraging success.
Knowledge as complex and linked to interests and experience	Are students critiquing and second-guessing texts, ideas and knowledge?	This has only been on my radar since becoming a mature aged student.  I am so much more aware that opinions can very much be un-informed or inherited.	I mainly apply this to my own school aged children.  For example, when reading text I help them read between the lines and consider illustrations when deriving authors intentions.
	Does the lesson sequence range across diverse fields, disciplines and paradigms?	I experienced this in senior mathematics in a share trading activity. It incorporated sourcing information, carrying out calculations and an introduction to investment in a real life situation.	I was teaching a year 8 Geography class but my activities included processes and ideas from other subject areas such as art and maths.
	Is there an attempt to connect with students’ background knowledge?	I lived out of home in my last 3 years of secondary schooling.  Sometimes my experience did not match other students and this was not always considered	One of my activities was to survey the students.  This was a great way for them to share something about their lives with their peers and give context to the overall activity
Problems that are real and relevant to students	Do the lesson sequence and the assigned work have any resemblance or connection to real-life contexts?	The share trading maths assessment was very real life as was the learning about compound interest.	My activity was around changes to urban areas.  I framed it around their specific circumstances first and then applied this knowledge to wider geographical areas.
	Is there a focus on identifying and solving intellectual and/or real-world problems?	As a university student I have definitely found this but a  secondary student, not so much.	Students were made aware of real world problems (e.g.. Slums in cities) and explored the future of cities.
Student direction	Do students have any say in the pace, direction or outcomes of the lesson sequence?	I am a distance student and find managing my own pace individually of extreme benefit to my learning.	In my lessons so far, there was not a lot of student input but I anticipate this will change once I have my own class
Explicit quality performance criteria	Are the criteria for judging student performance made explicit?	Definitely in Uni and from what I recall, in Secondary as well.	I saw this on Prac with explanation of assessment criteria
Cultural knowledges	Are diverse cultural knowledges brought into play?	Minimally in my early and secondary schooling.	I did not witness this on prac but I certainly see it in my children's school by way of celebratory murals, signs on doors displaying different languages and messages of respect between cultures
Active citizenship	Are attempts made to foster active citizenship?	I found this more in Primary and Secondary schooling by way of leadership positions such as school or house captains and being part of team sports etc.	I witnessed this both on prac and my children's school with leadership rules, belonging to sports houses and a buddy system.