Reflection 2.4.4: Importance Of Experience In My Own Learning And Teaching

Question:

• If you are a traditionalist in your educational practice, and would like to adopt more progressive approaches, what are the hurdles and roadblocks in your way? What can you do to overcome these?

• I studied in Uganda all through in my elementary and High school. By now I am a High school teacher and a CCTI student; I went through a traditional way of learning and teaching even though a blend of methods of teaching was taught to me while at the university which included the progressive way of teaching; but the traditional way was much more discouraged.To my dismay, the same tutors who discouraged the traditional methods of teaching were also using the same method while lecturing to us (their students). 
• The traditional method included;
• Arranging students in rows and columns with their desks/benches 
• Use of the Chalk and talk method
• lecture method
• I stand before them and unfold the topic of study, then I start the dictating of notes while explaining.
• Drawing maps on the chalk board as students copy the same (some times inaccurate)

I have been also using both methods unknowingly.

How I use the progressive method

 Since I am  Geography and History teacher:

•  I group up students and then as a whole class we design a fieldwork topic for investigation together with our study objectives. We decide upon which methods to use in the field.
• Each group is given two (2) objectives of the study which they are to use to collect data-they ask respondents questions in the field as they record down the answers on paper.
• I even allow them to come with cameras for recording videos or still photographs.
• After the field trip we come back to class and each group presents its findings from the field, as I guide them on how to arrange it meaningfully.

How I use the traditional method still

• I usually use this method when teaching History or some topics in Geography.
• I organize up students in a class (desks in raws and columns)
• Students get their note books and write down notes as I read to them. 
• After a given depth of paragraphs written, then I explain to the students as they also rest from the speedy non-stop writing.
• I usually refer them to the library for their further reading about a topic that I unfolded to them already.

The hurdles I find to fully adapt to the progressive method.

• The syllabus is too heavy/big to be covered in a short time of the study term.
• The school is result oriented since it is a private school and therefore mounts a lot of pressure on me to complete the syllabus earlier
• There is a multiplicity of students with varying experiences and capabilities; some only wait for a command from the teacher and operate only on command.
• The nature of our examinations is structured to test how best a student can recall facts and be able to write it on paper.
• Technology resources are not enough.Even the newly published text books are not enough.

What I can do to solve the problem

• Grouping up students according to test score in my class
• Use of analogies when giving explanations far a covered topic or a topic to be covered.
• Giving them topics to read about together with the titles of  textbooks which wrote about a given topic from the school library.
• Give regular assignments which I can check on from their note books.
• Use of a projector to cast simulated videos gathered from various site like National Geographic Channels.

Note: In the mean time I blend both to my learners and History teaching mainly makes me go for the traditional method