Blog Reflection

Developing a blog for the first time was quite the experience this term. It challenged me to publish my work publicly which I was unaccustomed to, and figuring out what and how to organize and present my work. That being said, it has been an enlightening and rewarding experience. Through my work, I have shown consideration for existing knowledge, and made connections with my own professional context as an English language instructor, contributing to my growth.

My posts provided an analysis of various academic literature looking at different perspectives regarding innovation in teaching and learning. The articles were analyzed with consideration of the content, from historical foundations, such as the progressive educational reform in the 1930s in Ontario analyzed by Christou (2012), to Indigenous perspectives to integrate Indigenous teaching methodologies offered by Louie et al. (2017). Each post presented my interpretations of the content and their contribution to my own development in understanding innovation in teaching and learning, while respecting the views and opinions of the original authors. Also, consideration of my peers’ comments, presenting their own interpretations of the readings, helped with my definitions in my final glossary (Parma, 2023a).

Furthermore, connections to my position as an English language instructor were drawn through my posts, and provided insight into how they have contributed to my growth. The Indigenous perspectives in Louie et al. (2017) and Toulouse (2008), and drawing connections to culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 2014), as well as Werner’s (2008) article on teaching for hope, from a philosophical perspective, offered several strategies connected to my own professional context. For instance, storytelling, to give representation to students, especially useful in the multi-cultural classrooms found in my field, and humility, where instructors consult subject-matter experts for assistance. In particular, humility has had the most impact on my own growth throughout this course, especially regarding the connections created in my own personal learning network (Parma, 2023b), that draw on several subject-matter sources to help develop my own knowledge and skills, while also contributing to the growth of my sources and resources. In addition, my view of the need to create a safe and inclusive learning environments to facilitate students learning to care and respect one another was further expanded to include love as a concept of moral education through my analysis of Martin’s (1987) articl. Also, my 2 originals posts regarding technology and teaching, building on the ideas presented in my analysis of Kurucay & Inan’s (2017) article about learner-learner interactions in an online course, and relating to my own online work, have influenced me to continue to develop and grow regarding the use of technology in education to be able to offer engaging and enriching learning journeys to all my students.                 

References

Christou, T. M. (2012). The complexity of intellectual currents: Duncan McArthur and Ontario’s progressivist curriculum reforms. Paedagogica Historica: International Journal of the History of Education, 49(5), 677-697. https://www-tandfonline-com.proxy.queensu.ca/doi/full/10.1080/00309230.2012.739181 

Kurucay, M. M., & Inan, F. F. (2017). Examining the effects of learner-learner interactions on satisfaction and learning in an online undergraduate course. Computers & Education, 115, 20-37. https://www-sciencedirect-com.proxy.queensu.ca/science/article/pii/S036013151730146X

Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Cultural Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84. 

Louie, D., Poitras-Pratt, Y., Hanson, A. & Ottmann, J. (2017). Applying Indigenizing Principles of Decolonizing Methodologies in University Classrooms. Canadian Journal of Higher Education / Revue Canadienne d'Enseignement Supérieur, 47(3), 16–33. https://doi.org/10.7202/1043236ar

Martin, J. R. (1987). Transforming moral education. Journal of Moral Education, 16(3), 204-213. https://www-tandfonline-com.proxy.queensu.ca/doi/abs/10.1080/0305724870160305

Parma, S. (2023a, November 19). Glossary and Reflection. Blog Spot. Perspectives on Innovations in Teaching and Learning: Glossary and Reflection (sparma-english-teaching-learning-refl.blogspot.com)

Parma, S. (2023b, November 21). PLN (Personal Learning Network). Blog Spot. Perspectives on Innovations in Teaching and Learning: PLN (sparma-english-teaching-learning-refl.blogspot.com)

Toulouse, P. R. (2008). Integrating Aboriginal teaching and values into the classroom. What Works? Research into Practice (Research monograph #11). 

Werner, W. (2008). Teaching for hope. In R. Case & P. Clark (Eds.), The anthology of social studies, Volume 2: Issues and strategies for secondary teachers, 193-197. Course Reserves | Viewer (exlibrisgroup.com)