Decree for Primary Education, Region of Murcia.

During the last weeks we've been working on  a decree called "Decreto n.º 198/2014", which regulates primary education in the Region of Murcia (Spain). This document is of the utmost importance, since it contains the foundation of the curriculum that is to be applied in the Region.

We have focused on the first 7 chapters of the decree, which include a number of articles (31, to be exact) that cover a wide range of topics regarding primary education. The first chapter includes some general aspects (like the age for this stage), the elements of the curriculum, the seven competences to be developed and the objectives for the whole stage. The second chapter (curricular organization) establishes the 8 areas ("subjects") and goes over topics like the weekly schedule, reading promotion, learning foreign languages and physical activity. In the third and fourth chapter, methodology and mentoring are respectively discussed.

The fifth chapter is about equity in education and addresses issues such as individualized attention, students with special needs and with superior intellectual abilities and learning difficulties. The sixth chapter talks about the autonomy of centres and the seventh about assessment.

It has been interesting to discuss these articles in class and extremely useful, since we will be working in the not so distant future with this decree.

What is PBL?

As for PBL (project-based learning), it is considered as a teaching method where students can obtain insight and abilities through working for a long amount of time to research and answer to an original, motivating and hard matter, challenge, or trouble.

We believe this method is rewarding for the following reasons:

1. It provides opportunities for students to use technology.
2. It promotes lifelong learning.
3. It connects students and schools with the real world.
4. It lends itself to formative and authentic assessment.
5. It builds skills for college, career and life.
6. It encourages imagination and creativity.

Some of the steps to follow in PBL and its key features are summarised in these diagrams:

Destruction of creativity in education

This past weekyet another interesting matter has been put to the table, andthatis the theme of creativity and imagination in our present society, ocncretly in education. Suh an important factor is presneted by non other than Ken Robinson. As he explains, creativity in general terms is very much lagging in the educational system given by a number of concepts such as all subjects worldwide being based upon mathematics and linguistics.


 Yet another mentioned problem is related to talented children being represed in order to be accepted into their educational context. In the mean term, as they grow up, they will eventually lose their interest in their capabilities in the fields, consequently wasting their skills in thinfgs they don´t whish to do. Htrough all this and much more, Ken declares that "schools are killing creatibity".

O Pelouro - inclusion and diversity

Every student is unique in it's own way with different personalities and individual needs.

Heterogeneity and diversity of learning are a reality in schools and colleges. The growing diversity poses challenges to educational institutions and teachers, but also provides opportunities for designing inclusive learning opportunities and environments. In order to take into account the different personal dispositions, learning approaches and learning needs, a culture of individual support with inclusion-oriented forms of learning is required for all learners, which enables equal and self-determined participation in the educational process. The task of the educational institutions is to support and promote all learners.

A good example therefor is the “O Pelouro”- school. The school's system is different from other schools.

Here there is no hour of mathematics or language, but of course these subjects and many others are learned. As well they work on social, relational and emotional expression.

Teresa Ubeira and her husband, Juan Llauder, founded this centre for the integration of children with psychological and emotional problems.

It enables all children to get to know each other and can contribute to natural and relaxed interaction. In that way children can learn from each other, understand each other and support each other.

Montessori's method.

During this week, our teacher has mentioned the Montessori Method of Education, which was developed by Maria Montessori. This method is a child-centered type of education which is based on the observation of children and it has been used for over 100 years in many parts of the world.

The Montessori method views the child as the one who takes the initiative for learning. It attempts to develop children physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.

This kind of education has surprised as, we think that it sums up all the aspects that a good education should have. During our research, we have found that The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS) cite these elements as essential for the children education:

• Mixed-age classrooms.
• Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options.
• Uninterrupted blocks of work time, ideally three hours.
• Students learn concepts from working with materials rather than by direct instruction.
• Specialized educational materials often made out of natural, aesthetic materials such as wood rather than plastic
• A thoughtfully prepared environment where materials are organized by subject area, and are appropriate in size for the child.
• Freedom within limits.
• A trained Montessori teacher who follows the child and is highly experienced in observing the individual child's characteristics, tendencies, talents, and abilities.

 

VOICES OF THE FIELD

VOICES OF THE FIELD: UNIT 3 ACCOUNTABILITY- TEACHING QUALITY EVALUATION:

  This video shows us a brief reflexion from different experts on the matter of teaching development and the different factors that influence it such as: the fact of diversity of teaching methods and their effectiveness in each education center, collaboration between personnel, a critical perspective on one self in order to improve our skills and influence, the wish for learning on educator and student alike, the different variables that influence our class´ flow, and so on.

   In general, it is shared between the many experts that teaching development is a matter of student and teacher putting their cards on the table and giving it their all in order to develop an optimal teaching environment, an environment which we are but scratching, meaning that there is much more than what meets the eye, a higher cloud of possibilities that we must take into account for the future education, for everyone's wellbeing.

COMMENT ON THE VIDEO "SMOKE"

Related to the video “Smoke”, we can extract different morals, being these

relevant in the teaching field.

Thus, analyzing rigorously each part of the video, we can notice all the meanings it hides.

But, first of all, we will describe the two key points of the video from our point of view:

First, when the man who is seeing the project notices that all the pictures are apparently the

same. It is because all the pictures were taken in the same place, at the same time and from

the same angle (from a corner).

However, as the author’s Project said, they are not the same. As sun rises each morning

everything is different from the rest of the days: the temperature is not the same, people are

not the same, people’s  clothes are not the same, the illumination is not the same….
Everyday we notice any change, however small it may be. Thus, a place that seems to have
no movement, no change it is totally the opposite, but unfortunately society doesn’t realize it.

Linked to this idea of change, we see primordial to mention the Heraclito's change theory. This greek philosopher established that everything is dynamic, everything becomes (stop being one thing to be another) so nothing is permanent in reality. He explains it with the following example: “nobody can bathe twice in the same river, because the second time we bathe in it the water is no longer the same", we can no longer call an object that is now different (the river) with the same name.

Then, another key point of the video is when the album’s creator told the other man to
pass the pages slowly and to look each photograph with attention, without dismissing
any detail.

                                    

What is the aim of creating the album? It is clear that what the man pursues is to reflect this idea: “the world is constantly changing and we reject any sort of change without valuing the details of our daily life apart from going too fast and thinking that we will live forever”.

                   

Afterwards, if we transfer this meaning to the teaching field we can conclude that as

everything is in constant change, as we said before, we have to observe slowly and carefully

each detail. We should pay attention to the several problems that students can present as well as

as noticing any change in their behavior and attitude. Sometimes we don’t take it into account

and when we are going to realize this kind of conducts it is too late (e.g. bullying).

        

In conclusion, we would say that in order to contribute to this change, as teachers we should
innovate in every lesson and, by this way, we will reach motivation in our students.