[Gannah Ahmed]

This is an example of my understanding on the differences between teaching approach, methods, techniques, and strategies:
Teaching approach: Set of principles, beliefs, or ideas about the nature of learning for example students learn more when they are part of the process so your teaching approach is active learning.
Teaching methods: Since your approach is active learning, then your method could be problem-based or project-based.
Teaching techniques: Modelling first to make sure the teaching stays organized and also teaching students attention grabbers like ‘Class, Class – Yes, Yes’ to keep the session under control.
Teaching strategies: Hands-on activities and peer evaluation would be the strategies used in the session to achieve your approach of active learning.

[Gannah Ahmed]

Kindly, find in the link below my mind map as per the texts and also with my own additions.

Mind Map – Work Ethics of a Teacher

• This reply was modified 9 months, 3 weeks ago by Gannah Ahmed.

[Gannah Ahmed]

1- Freedom
2- Justice
3- Equality
4- Privacy
5- Loyalty

[Gannah Ahmed]

Sandra, your essay is very extensive yet simplifies all the theories to be easier to understand. I don’t think I really understand the second point in the similarities and would appreciate if you’re able to paraphrase it to me. I totally agree with you that a teacher’s role is dynamic. We are no longer just the holder and provider of knowledge and we need to embrace that our students are able to reach the knowledge easily if they want to. This brings me to an important conclusion which is that maybe our role now is to get them to want to learn even if by themselves. I agree that knowledge is more about the ability to apply it in real-life situations. I also liked how you mentioned the importance of approaching technology with thoughtfulness and caution.

[Gannah Ahmed]

The Five Learning Theories

“No two students are alike, and the way every person learns will vary. Our brains are all unique, and our experiences all contribute to the different ways we learn.” (Western Governors University, 2020) The five main learning theories that attempt to explain how people acquire their knowledge and skills and the similarities or differences between them will be discussed in this essay.
Behaviourism believes that experience is an important cause of learning.(‘Behaviorism Learning Theory’, 2019) Behaviourism’s main focus is the observed behaviour of individuals and it believes that behaviour is altered through conditioning. Classical conditioning depends mainly on the association of two stimuli together, and operant conditioning is a form of learning in which the consequences of behaviour change the probability of this behaviour reoccurring. While behaviourism provided important tools like reinforcement and punishment, it failed to take into consideration the mind and the student as active parts of the learning process.
Cognitivism came as a response to pre-dominant behaviourism and focuses “on the internal processes surrounding information and memory.” (Educational Learning Theories | University of Phoenix, 2024) According to cognitivism, “…learning involves the transformation of information in the environment into knowledge that is stored in the mind.” (‘Cognitivism Learning theory’, 2019) Cognitivism took into consideration the student’s active participation in learning which is a main difference between it and behaviorism. According to Feder, teachers who emphasize connections between past concepts and new ones are using cognitivism theory.
Constructivism is similar because it also emphasizes on the active participation of students to construct new foundations upon prior knowledge and their own experiences. (Educational Learning Theories | University of Phoenix, 2024) Therefore, when the teacher activates prior knowledge, uses hands-on activities or open-ended questions it is considered a constructive approach.
Another theory that emphasizes the importance of the individual is humanism; however, it focuses on the needs and uniqueness of students. It focuses on the hierarchy of needs that a student needs to fulfill in order to be able to learn. “In doing so, learners’ needs are met and learners themselves are then free to determine their own goals while the teacher assists them in meeting those learning goals.” (Educational Learning Theories | University of Phoenix, 2024)
The final theory, connectivism, shifts the focus from the student to the sources of information reacting to the modern digital world. “It posits that knowledge and learning reside in diverse sources and experiences. That includes understanding how to navigate and source further information via digital means.” (Educational Learning Theories | University of Phoenix, 2024)
In conclusion, the five learning theories have all brought up crucial parts of the learning process and provided teachers with different approaches to help them in this critical process. A combination of the five approaches is usually used by teachers in their classrooms.

Personal Learning Theory
– Role of teacher:
The teacher should be a knowledgeable facilitator for the students in their own learning experience. Teachers should be guides for the students without ignoring the need for them to have an active role in their learning. Moreover, the teachers should make sure their students’ basic needs are met to be ready to learn. Choices should be provided to the students while they are being taught. Teachers should always have a student-centered classroom. Teachers should always remember to encourage students to apply the content to real-life experiences or experiments.

– Role of students:
Students should always be an active participant in the learning process and connect prior knowledge with newer knowledge. In this age, students should be digital, lifelong, self-learners so the teacher is able to provide them with tasks related to the gathering of information by themselves through digital tools. Also, students must be both feedback giver and receiver, as they may receive feedback from peers/teachers and provide feedback to peers. Students should be active, central agents of their own education.

– Nature of knowledge and learning:

Learning is a lifelong process that is dependent on personal experiences, various sources and social interactions. Knowledge is dynamic and continues to evolve with new discoveries. Learning is not a process where one side is an active provider and the other is a passive receiver, but the opposite. Teachers and students are always in a co-learning process that evolves and develops. The learning is not just about the acquisition of new knowledge but also the retention and application of learned knowledge and skills.

– Role of technology:
Technology in this time and age is a necessary part of learning that cannot be ignored or overlooked. Teachers and students both should use technology in the learning process to facilitate and make it richer. Technology has enhanced the reachability of information globally and transformed the learning process. It allows the student to be an independent, active self-learner who is able to find the information online and learn it at their own pace. Moreover, technology is important for teachers as it provides a lot of useful tools like online applications, games, and even e-books that can assist in the learning process and personalize it to students. Most importantly, learning using technology is very important as it equips students with 21st century skills and digital literacy.

– Assessment Practices:
Assessments should be both formative and summative to provide ongoing support and feedback to students and also check their full understanding. However, what I believe should take more focus in the learning process is technology-enhanced assessments that are computer-based, gamified or simulated which I believe is an important step in learning to follow the development of the technology in our modern world. Moreover, performance-based assessment is a crucial part of learning as it assesses the students’ ability to be innovative, creative, collaborative, and skillful.

[Gannah Ahmed]

Heba, your mind map tackles all points and also I liked your final part. Unfortunately, I was unable to access the provided link.

[Gannah Ahmed]

Shaza, I love how organized and to the point your mind map is. It is very easy on the eyes and the visual additions were great. Also, I love that you added professional development as a work ethic because a lot of people forget that through professional development you are showing commitment to both your personal growth and the growth of the workplace as a whole.

[Gannah Ahmed]

Nourhan I loved your prioritization and it reminded me of the importance of bond creation. When you create a bond, you are able to manage the classroom more, get your students’ attention and most importantly affect your students positively.

[Gannah Ahmed]

Shaza, I liked how you explained the communication skills and their importance to a teacher. It reminded me that knowing the matter is not enough for you to be able to explain and teach it to people, definitely.

[Gannah Ahmed]

My prioritization of qualities that make up a good educator is as follows:

1- Passionate: Teaching is not an easy job and it demands a lot from its employees; therefore, I believe that you cannot be an effective educator if you are not passionate about it. That’s why I believe passion is the first quality you need to become a successful, effective educator.

2- Knowledgeable: This comes a close second, and that explains itself. You cannot transfer information that you are not fully knowledgeable about. Your knowledge allows students to either trust you or not.

3- Up-to-date/Life-long learner: If you are not a life-long learner who keeps himself/herself up-to-date, you will not be as effective. Generations evolve that’s why you must evolve as well. An effective teacher is up-to-date with new teaching approaches and generation needs. Teaching develops as fast as generations and currently generations are changing quickly; therefore, I believe that this comes third in the list of qualities.

4- Proactive: This is not the job where an employee should ignore something just because its not really in their ‘job description’. A professional educator would be ready to teach his/her students from how to tie their shoes to how to write a powerful essay both with the same feeling of responsibility. This shows your care for the full well-being of the student. You are a teacher first, then a subject-matter teacher.

5- Flexibility: I placed this last not because its not as important, but because I believe that your passion, knowledge, and learning will already entail your flexibility. When you are passionate, you would keep trying different approaches to reach your students and a perfect, harmonious session.

Therefore, the three top traits would entail the educator to be passionate, knowledgeable, and life-long learner. I’ve seen a lot of teachers who are too drained and exhausted with the teaching field and their first statement to me is “Why do this to myself?”. This shows that they were never really passionate about teaching; they may’ve become teachers because that’s the available option or the most convenient. Unfortunately, their feelings reflect directly in their planning, and implementation in the classroom. Being passionate is a big part of achieving a lot as a teacher and even creating a successful bond with your students. Students are way more perceptive than adults may believe, and they ‘feel’ your passion, enthusiasm and your boredom and exhaustion. “Possessing knowledge on a topic means being equipped, at all times, to answer any questions that come your way – and as a teacher there will be questions, you can be sure of that!” Your knowledge is what gets you the students’ respect and trust. Finally, I personally know a teacher who is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter and transferring the information to her students but at the same time is too rigid, holding on to a certain way of teaching. Unfortunately, this created a major gap between her and the students who were unable to adapt and learn through those certain approaches. The problem is not in the approach, but the insistence that this is the only approach available without trying to learn different new approaches that may’ve worked better with her students.

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