EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3: The Cultural Contexts of Education

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural
Contexts of Education
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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Welcome
• Introduction
• Course structure
• Pedagogic Process
• Assessment

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Course Structure
• I have tried to characterise the new idea as
  creating communities of learners. Indeed, on the
  basis of what we have learned in recent years
  about human learning that it is best when it is
  participatory, proactive, communal, collaborative
  and given over to constructing meanings rather
  than receiving them we even do better at
  teaching science, math and languages. Than in
  some more traditional (schools).
• Bruner, 199684

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Course Structure
• Course developed around weekly and fortnightly
  blocks
• One hour lecture (Tuesday 11.00 12.00) and two
  hour workshop
• Workshops considered compulsory, so come prepared

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Changing context of preservice teacher education
• Different demands on preservice teachers
• Construction of meaning
• Language
• Coming to understand self

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Pedagogic Process
• Traditional tertiary teaching approach abandoned
• Engagement of materials, concepts to create
  meaning
• Dialogue as a significant mechanism
• Reflection a critical approach to coming to
  understand

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Developmental learning processes
• Significance of language
• Dialogue, discourse, engagement and the
  development of thinking competencies
• Encouragement of creativity

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Assessment
• Reflective autobiographical journal
• Weekly task
• Not a diary
• Maintained as part of the folio
• Folio
• Weekly reviews of two readings
• Four (4) snapshots one of each genre
• Ungraded Pass (P)

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Education as an active political process
• Political ideologically located
• Historical, economic, socio-cultural
• Education as a State process
• Ideological democratic
• State schools/Private, secular schools
• Each/All of these dimensions constitute a
  particular cultureor micro-culture, within the
  macro-culture of contemporary Australia

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Stop the tape and take some time now to think
  about some of the other cultural groups with
  which you identify. These might include,
  religious, sporting, hobbies, interests,
  social,etc.
• Next, take some time to identify some cultural
  groups with which you definitely dont identify.
  List some reasons why you dont identify with
  these groups and try to explain your reasons for
  this position.

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• At this point you should read Pam Nilans article
  the first of the readings for this week.
• You will find that some of the language of the
  article and some of the concepts will be
  difficult to follow dont despair, make of it
  what you can, understanding that many of these
  issues run across the four years of your course.
  Use your groups in the workshops to discuss,
  explore and share, the various understandings you
  have of this article.

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• The Way Things Are!
• How many people are in a marriage and what sex
  are they?
• What is normal?
• How is it defined, by whom and with what
  authority?
• How does normality fit with notions of a
  democratic society?

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Cultural Habits or Immutable Truths?
• Much of what we believe is the product of
  cultural habit, not an immutable truth
• To challenge these beliefs can be akin to heresy
• Confusing facts and beliefs, also confuses what
  is with what must be, leading to blind acceptance
  of what is normality

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Culture is created
• Culture is equated to non-white physical
  characteristics, exotic behaviors, fantastic
  rituals, pagan spiritual beliefs, unusual attire,
  undecipherable language and quaint/barbaric
  customs
• For many white Australians, culture is something
  that only those who are different from them, have.

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Read the second article by Anahid Kassabian.
  This paper provides you with an easily readable
  discussion of the term popular culture.
• What elements of popular culture do you identify
  with?
• Be prepared to share with your workshop group,
  your understanding of this paper and your
  reaction to it

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Coming to Understand Yourself
• A significant part of this, and other units to
  come involves your own developing awareness of
  yourself as an individual and a preservice
  teacher.
• You cannot begin to understand others before you
  understand yourself.
• Popular Culture how it impacts our lives!

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EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS 3 The Cultural Contexts
of Education

• Tasks for the week
• Think about the material presented and the
  concepts raised
• Be prepared to discuss your understanding of the
  issues in your workshop group
• Decide your own level of agreement or
  disagreement with the concepts and read wider to
  establish where your truth might lie
• Be prepared to challenge and be challenged