Reflect: Signature Pedagogies

Urs Fisher
Challenging the ideas of surface

I have been thinking about the surface structures of pedagogies. The operational acts of teaching and learning.

With teaching writing one couldn't follow the principles of a maths or science based course, these fields demands accurate, erudite knowledge, particular in engineering and medicine, and even the non-maths based law course.

Tutors teach by means of selecting singular students and opening with a question that the students has to answer to the fullest of their ability, and then the teacher carries out follow up questions. This line of enquiry expires when the tutor is satisfied. These techniques would be a disservice when operating in the field of the arts.

As I am three years in to my own course it has become visibly clear that a creative could not, or should not, have this kind of technique applied as most areas of discussion are subjective and dependent upon who's viewing or reading them. And so nothing is black nor white. Furthermore, practises vary too, there is no standard a writer can abide by, it's a personal craft dependent and unique to whom is creating it. Some people micro manage, others plan everything out in full detail on post-it notes all over their walls before they even start a sentence.

I do think the current system we have encountered of group-based work is the best structure for teaching writing, however, I think I would have the teacher interject further and prop up workshopping with particular elements students should pay attention to, like sentence construction, word choice, metaphors, how one achieves their voice. I think these techniques need to have a better understanding and focus in teaching.

--ST

Lesson: Teaching An Introduction to Scriptwriting

I am the vice-president of the Bath Spa Film Society and I run the subsidiary Film Club, a weekly workshop dedicated to film making.

We have mostly first years participating and many of them are new to the field, many have not handled a camera nor attempted at writing a script. We decided the first few sessions should focus on scriptwriting as then the members can work away on them while we start the camera and editing tutorials in later weeks.

For the inaugural session I prepared a presentation using clips from films I've made and other student films too, and then progressing through story structures, characters, format on the page and knowing what a script does and does not do.

I spoke with some fluidity but felt limited in desired movement by the constraints of the teaching equipment. I had to remain standing behind a desk the entire time because I had to control the presentation in hand with speaking.

Next week we hope to have more members participate as this week's only had seven members, however that may have been due to the little promotion we gave that first session.

Critical Thinking in Young Minds by Victor Quinn

This week I was unable to find the book I exactly wanted in the library, and so after rooting around, this book by Victor Quinn proved to be an interesting choice. It's focus is on children learning but the techniques explained and reasons why are worth looking into.


Chapter 12: Climate and Pedagogy (a focus on teaching children)

 1. Humour - brings together the relationship between teacher and student, captivates and is useful for extended periods of deep speaking

 2. Provocation-in-role - use of provocation, abuse, derision, is to help them develop confidence and to counter edginess, not by matching irritation and aggression, but by reason and argument proper.

 3. Listening - systematically disorientate with paralanguage so they don't rely on teacher's clues and respond with the expected answer. Provoked into saying their real views.

 4. Challenge - classroom should challenge their ideas, beliefs, attitudes, and aspirations. And develop giving and receiving criticism.

 5. Intelligence - academic: deals with the conventions and routine of the subject. The intellectual has to do with exercise, development, exploration, and articulation of intelligence.

 6. Pedagogy for judgement - being prompted appropriately by the circumstances of the task , the engagement, the life - not the teacher. It is to see thinking skills as requiring repeated, developmental practise before they become educational attainments, that is before they become judgement or critical thinking.

 7. Common sense - to avoid sterility of a subject  it is necessary to make it a development out of common sense, rather than a superimposition upon existing understanding.   If the learning is mere academic learning, and does not affect their common sense grasp of the world, then the teaching is failing.

 8. Acceptance - allow challenges and foolishness because students want to venture and explore and that it is important to listen to the dismissive adult, to resist him, and to counter his dismissal.

A lot of these ideas deal with young children and the importance of the climate of learning. Some of these points are transferable across all ages.

--ST

The Key Models to Teach Creative Writing

Richard Serra in the Grand Palais, Paris

There are six key approaches to teaching creative writing:

Atelier Approach - Apprentice to a master
Great Works Approach - imitation of great works
Inspiration Approach - improvisation
 Techniques Approach - studies methodologies of successful writers
Workshop Approach - critique by other writers
Embryonic Feminist Approach - no one really knows!

The most common of these is the workshop approach as it promotes analytical thinking and critiquing while working as a group which enables a more comfortable environment. 

My preferred way of learning is the techniques approach as it advances my knowledge of the tools available at hand to the writer. The understanding of different techniques develop our appreciation of great writers and acknowledge the mechanics of their work, but it can also inject great strength into the construction of our own writing. We'll know the type of build we want and we'll the materials at hand help us construct.

The Teaching Writing Learning Journal of Sean Thomas

3/10/2012 - Teaching Writing Week 1

Introduction to the course with the handbook processed and understood. 

Were asked what capacity of teaching we want to enter after university and I felt I would like to teach creative writing at degree level. 

Homework: buy them books.