November 3, 2014 Monday ZWOLLE Sunny
It’s the second week of the eight-week teacher training program entitledProject Teaching Implementation Feedback and Enhancement.Today is the first day in the city of Zwolle. We arrived at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences where the training would be held at nine in the morning.
Being regarded as a major contributor to the advancement of knowledge based on research, education and entrepreneurship, Windesheim is a university of applied sciences with 20,200 students and 1,900 members of staff. The university has 5 divisions and 5 research centres on its two campuses.
Through introduction this morning, the training group members were informed that they would have sessions, internships, company visits and work shops in the program. The five sessions include adaptive education and the roles of a teacher, effective learning and direct instruction, testing and rubrics, the 5 dimensions of Marzano, round-up with examples from Blended learning at Windesheim.
Lex Stomp, one of our three trainers, explained clearly what are involved in the learning and teaching process through a very interactive activity called Data Memorizing.We came to better understand that learning is promoted when existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge.Lex then emphasized that reflection plays a great roll in both learning and teaching because learners learn by doing. Students build up their competancies by integratinga group of skills, professional attitudes and elements of knowledge.
After a quick lunch, we came across a counselor and started a very lively interview with the kind and energetic lady. She told us about the roles and tasks as a counselor. You need to attend special training program to qualify yourself as a counselor. With your passion and good communication skills, you should talk with your students once every seven week about learning methods, learning objectives, ways of dealing with team project, selection of thsesis topics, etc. Students can also make appointments with the counselor if they are in difficulties. For freshmen, they have to obtain 54 credits (one credit from counseling included), which is quite demanding, so a counselor plays a very important part in giving timely guidance to the students.
Though it’s getting late, we continued with a heated discussion about our action research assignment, with two topics on role of mentors in projects and bilingual teaching.
A tiring but fruitful working day...
(Translated by Hou Fang & Zhou Jing)
