Evaluation of the fourth VOC1 session on 29.10.2013
During this session Vygotsky group was a chair group. The session went well and what I found very interesting was the way we were able to analyse our group’s dynamics for example with the Belbin’s team role theory of effective groups.
Action Oriented Roles:
Shaper (SH) --Challenges the team to improve.
Implementer (IMP) --
Completer-Finisher (CF)--Ensures thorough, timely completion.
People Oriented Roles:
Coordinator (CO)--Acts as a chairperson.
Team Worker (TW)-- Encourages cooperation.
Resource Investigator (RI)--
Thought Oriented Roles:
Plant (PL)--
Monitor-Evaluator (ME)--
Specialist (SP)--Provides specialized skills.
I think I saw myself as an Implementer, Resource Investigator, Plant and Specialist.
In addition, we looked at another model by Bruce Tuckman (1965) called ‘Forming Storming Norming Performing’. This is a natural progression of a group.
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http://www.shift-it-coach.com/2012/12/the-joys-and-challenges-of-group-dynamics/
Video:
Collaborative or group work in schools and
education generally needs to be encouraged more. Educational psychologist
Vygotsky has emphasised that learning takes place in social situations and
later becomes individual.
The article: “Reflecting design learning in collaborative development – towards integrative teaching practices in Finnish teacher education” emphasises the need for a more creative approach in teaching, where most of the teaching “is too heavily based on instructionism, where knowledge is only a collection of static facts and procedures, which teachers should put into students’ heads. This type of school, which is still common today, was designed during the first half of the twentieth century as an answer to the challenges of the industrial economy.” (Sawyer, 2006, 1.) The sharing of knowledge in asocial situation is very important in a learning process as it triggers new insights and promotes creativity. Also integrative teaching would unify different knowledge over the subject areas. Collaboration between teachers and students is necessary and also collaboration between students as well. That means that teaching and learning are based on social activities in which interaction and communication are essential (cf. Kelley’s philosophy in IDEO). It has been shown that human beings learn best in interaction (e.g. Sawyer, 2006). Vocational Education. Vocational Education in Finland prepares students in manual and practical skills that are related to specific occupation or vocation. It comprises of upper secondary qualifications targeted to both young people and adults. Also further vocational qualifications and specialist vocational qualifications targeted to adults. Vocational upper secondary qualification consist of 120 credits, which can be completed in three years. After completing the vocational upper secondary qualification students can apply for admission to a polytechnic or university. Work experience is an important part of vocational education and this can be challenging in the fast developing world. Finnish polytechnics have been developed since 1992, this was also the time of economical recession in Finland; nowadays there are 32 Polytechnics in the country that serve the needs of innovative working life. This was particularly challenging for publicly funded polytechnics comped to development of private enterprises and high-tech companies. So the new emphasis in the education system is on individual choice, efficiency and evaluation. This new way of looking at developing high quality education that can compete in the globally changing market is also reflected in the neoliberalism a new internationally prevailing ideological paradigm. Although Finland has not embraced neoliberalism to that extent as there are only few private educational institutes and they are receiving state subsidies on the same grounds as municipal institutes. "The meaning of international cooperation to Finnish vocational education has increased due to the Copenhagen Process launched by European Union in 2002. The goal of the process is to enhance the quality of vocational education, increase the attractiveness of vocational education and training, and to promote internationalization i.e. mobility of students." (Vanttaja & Rinne 2008, 47). Despite the popularity of Vocational schools the drop out in upper secondary schools is still high according to some statistics from the last few years, approximately 11 percent of students in the country. The government has implemented some strategies such as vocational guidance and individual counselling. Also another important aspect of the way that vocational education has been made to be more competitive was by allowing for specialized schools that can offer more specialized courses than other schools in addition to which they receive additional state funding. These schools aim to attract talented students and so this has provoked some discussion on whether Finnish education system is undermining the values that it has set originally with reforms in the 70's related to equality. What is expected of a vocational teacher? The important question is how to build learning network and partnerships in the field of vocational education and also how is the new and changing role of the vocational teacher to be supported? The biggest challenge is to create possibilities within training organisations to be at least two steps ahead of the present working life.One way that this is done is through competence based qualification system that aims to build the system which is constantly developing. Having a practical experience is very much encouraged by the European view: "Problem-driven and experience-oriented education is essential to fostering entrepreneurial mindsets and abilities". "The most commonly used teaching methods are lectures, computer simulations and business games, student companies, project work and group work, company visits and work placements. Although a wide range of pedagogical tools are in place, there seems to be in general a gap however between the teaching methods considered to be most effective and those that are currently used". (Entrepreneurship in Vocational Education and Training, 2009 p.7-8) So a lot of critique is places on the competence of the teacher to be able to teach in an active way and their actual knowledge and experience of entrepreneurship. We could see entrepreneurship as internal entrepreneurship ( entrepreneurial operating methods of the community, i.e., how aspects of entrepreneurship are realized in the community) and external entrepreneurship ( starting, managing and owning a business). Both of these are to be encouraged through vocational education. The school-enterprise cooperation is important and I have seen this happen quite a lot in the gaming industry in Finland. For example Aalto University has a Media Factory where prospective entrepreneurs can try their ideas in a simulated business model and also meet like minded people to work on group projects. The Media Factory also facilitates lectures and talks with people from industry and business angels. Another important organisation in gaming industry is IGDA ( International Games Developers Association ) that facilitates meetings with experts from the gaming industry and potential investors, together with TEKES ( The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, a part of Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy). References: (1) http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_83.htm#sthash.4bbzbxMb.dpuf Sawyer, K. (2006). Educating for innovation. Thinking Skills and Creativity,1, 41–48. Article. ( 2012). Reflecting design learning in collaborative development – towards integrative teaching practices in Finnish teacher education. Retrieved from:http://www.lline.fi/en/article/research/sintonenfinal/reflecting-design-learning-in-collaborative-development-towards-integrative-teaching-practices-in-finnish-teacher-education http://www.opintoluotsi.fi/en-GB/Studies_in_English/Vocational_Education/ Rinne, R. & Järvinen, T. 2011. Completion and Dropout in Upper Secondary http://www.goete.eu/news/project-news/135-recent-trends-in-fnnish-education https://optima.oamk.fi/learning/id7/bin/doc_show?id=79155 Ministry of Education (2004a). Vocational Education and Training. Online: http://www.minedu.fi/minedu/education/vocational_edu.html (read 24.9.2004). Ministry of Education (2004b). Adult Education. Online: http://www.minedu.fi/minedu/education/adult_edu.html (read 24.9.2004) National Board of Education (2004). The Education system of Finland. Online: http://www.oph.fi/english/SubPage.asp?path=447,490,4699 (read 24.9.2004) |
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