By Kedmon Hungwe

Associate Professor

Teacher Education

Michigan Technological University

Innovative Teaching

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The goal of innovative teaching is to explore and use practices that best support students’ learning and development

Innovative teaching

Learning is an active process where the mind is engaged to construct meanings.

This is true from the earliest foundations of child development

The process is social

The knowledge gap between the more knowledgeable other, and the child is called the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1981).

Learning will occur whenever there is an active gap between interacting persons. This is true for all ages and experiences.

Zone of Proximal Development

Learning may occur in one-on-situations

Social groups: solidarity, friendships

Work groups: task oriented, pooling of expertise

Learning groups: acquiring new knowledge, attitude or skills

Mediated Learning Through Group Functions

Social

Work Learning

Learning dyads

Social Contexts

Digital tools

Learner Teacher or any more knowledgeable other

Technology

Technology Mediated Relationship

T

All learners bring some conception of knowledge.

Some prior knowledge may be misconceptions.

A misconception is based on faulty thinking or understanding.

Instruction must therefore create opportunities to surface students thinking.

Prior knowledge

Technology may be used o engage students in:

explorations, thinking, reading, writing

researching, inventing, problem-solving, and

experiencing the world.

Challenging tasks for all learners

Innovative Teaching Supports Diverse Learners

• Adapts the learning demands to students capacity within the Zone of Proximal Development

• Communicates in multiple ways

• Varies the pace for different students

• Uses alternative delivery formats (e.g. dual mode classes)

Innovative teaching should support the development of independent learners. Associated skills are:

Goal setting: I know what I want to accomplish

Planning (I determine ahead of time how to use resources and time)

Attention control (I am able to focus on the task at hand, and to clear my mind of distractions)

Application of learning strategies (Choice of

learning strategies that are appropriate to the task)

Self-motivational strategies (eg. Competing against one’s own performance, finding ways to make something more interesting or challenging)

Self-evaluation (able to determine if one has met one’s learning goals. Ability to change learning strategy)

Innovative Teaching supports HOTS

Instructional goals associated with HOTS

Inquiry: data modeling, spreadsheets, access to online databases, access to online observatories and microscopes, and hypertext

communication: word processing, e-mail, synchronous conferencing, graphics software, simulations, and tutorials ,blogging etc

Construction: robotics, computer-aided design, and control systems.

Expression: interactive video, animation software, and music composition