MODULE 1 ACTIVITY 2: INFORMATION PROCESSING

It is impossible to teach students everything that they need to know for life in school.  It is therefore important to ensure that they acquire the wide range of competencies that they need in order to function effectively in a complex world.  Information processing, which focuses on exactly how the mind works in thinking, remembering and problem solving, is therefore crucial.  Information processing can be aided by teaching learners how to think creatively, critically and by guiding them in their efforts at reasoning, inquiring, evaluating and decision making.  Clearly, all of this requires careful planning.

The skills of thinking, remembering, problem solving are acquired through the manipulation of information which is gathered through our senses.  They can also be constructed from interaction with past experiences, also known as prior knowledge.  Learners can be assisted in making connections to their prior knowledge through scaffolding, differentiation, teaching them how to self monitor and reflect, to name a few.

Metacognition, which is the ability to think about one's own thinking, is necessary, since it empowers the learner to strategically plan for his or her own learning.  This ultimately leads to self direction, which means that the learner is able to take the initiative in diagnosing his learning needs, setting learning goals, working to achieve them, understanding when they are, or are not achieved, and knowing where to find help if necessary.

In a practical sense, all of this can and should be facilitated in the classroom.  Integrating ICT into the curriculum is one excellent way of teaching and enhancing these thinking skills. 

THE MOST POWERFUL LESSONS THAT I LEARNED DURING ACTIVITY ONE

The question posed in Activity One, though not difficulty, was thought-provoking.  Attempting to identify the single most influential moment in my development as a teacher from a career that has spanned twenty six years, was definitely challenging. The exercise therefore resulted in me reflecting and reminiscing on some special moments that occurred both in and outside of the classroom, from interactions with students, colleagues and parents, to encountering past students who are now contributing members of society.  Indeed, it was interesting to note that those that stand out most in my mind, are the ones that are related to students' learning and development.  

The group discussion was quite interesting, and I noted some commonalities in responding to the second part of the activity.  Many of my colleagues agreed that the principles of collaboration, staying current and relevant, listening and being open-minded can help us in our efforts at being more receptive to the influences that help us to develop as teachers.  

There is no doubt that I have learned quite a lot from both the readings and the group interaction for the activity.  I was reminded in Whitaker's article that my students are not empty vessels to be filled by me, but that through active engagement and voluntary participation, the students in my class can have maximum benefit from classroom interactions.