OPENING THE DOORS TO CHILDREN’S LEARNING IN LITERACY AND NUMERACY: EXPERIENCES FROM ICFP BAUCAU
Diamantino
de Assis, B-Teach, Med.
&
Agata Moreira Freitas, B-Teach
Language and Litetacy team
ICFP
Baucau, Timor-Leste
Abstract
Many schools throughout Timor Leste are extremely under resourced
in terms of concrete teaching materials for teaching various concepts of
literacy and numeracy. Part of the
teacher training program at ICFP Baucau in these areas is to provide future
teachers with the capacity and ability to produce their own teaching resources
to enhance classroom teaching and learning.
There are two units in Literacy and Language Development and two units
in Mathematics Education offered to the students in the Bachelor of Teaching
(Ensino Basico) program.
Each one of the units stresses both the theory and practice of
teaching and learning and provides opportunities for the students to make
resources that can be used once they leave Baucau and commence their teaching
career.
This presentation provides insights into the ways in which future
teachers learn about teaching literacy and numeracy and what they do to develop
resources that will provide hands on learning experiences for their future
students. The innovative creations made
by the students will be showcased as part of the presentation.
Introduction
The
curriculum of ICFP Baucau, (Catholic Teachers’ College) includes two units on
Language and Literacy and two on Mathematics Education, both of which have been
designed to prepare future teachers on how to teach literacy and numeracy in
their classes. Students not only learn
current theory of teaching language and literacy, but also are taught the
practical steps to ensuring literacy and numeracy skills in their classrooms. Lecturers provide modelling for how to teach
as well as use tutorial time for preparing teaching resources, discussing best
practice and giving time for students to practise their teaching skills in
these two areas.
Literacy and Numeracy concepts
Literacy
in these particular units is defined as containing listening, reading,
speaking, writing and seeing – all specific skills that enable children to
communicate successfully and effectively in their various contexts.
Numeracy
is the capacity, confidence and disposition to use mathematical concepts not
only within the schools context but also in students’ home, social and
community life in the present and future. With units based on the National
Curriculum of Timor-Leste, students are taught not only numeracy concepts but
practical applications for their use.
Thus,
literacy and numeracy are seen to be a continuous process, depending on the
child’s readiness for learning and applying what has been learned in a very
practical and useful way. At ICFP it is
firmly believed that acquiring literacy and numeracy enables the poor to move
out of their present situation to take on an education that will be relevant
and ongoing throughout their lives.
These skills create a stronger, more participative community and society
whereby all members are able to take on an active role.
At ICFP,
the two literacy units are taught in both semesters of Year 3 – the final year
of the program. This was deliberately
organised so that students would have a strong background across the curriculum
in which to place literacy skills. On the
other hand, numeracy is taught during the first year of the course. Originally the units crossed first and second
years, but pressure from schools for students to be able to teach mathematics
during practicum’s necessitated the change.
Often students come to the college with a very weak understanding of
mathematics, and during the teaching of these two units, are not only learning
how to teach mathematics but in some instances, are learning mathematical
concepts for themselves.
Each of
the units in literacy and numeracy is based on the principles of a learning
cycle that includes planning, implementation of the learning process,
strategies that will ensure both best practice as well as learning about
theories of literacy and numeracy. At
the end of every semester, formal evaluations are carried out before planning
for the next semester begins.
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Planning
Both
lecturers and tutors meet together to plan the units, choose the topics as well
as the way these topics will be taught.
There are thirteen weeks in each semester – the teaching sequence the
mathematics education units reflects the curriculum across the years of basic
schooling. Assessment tasks are devised that involve practical application of
what has been taught as well as opportunities for students to plan for their
classroom teaching in the future.
Learning Processes
The first
of the two mathematics education units includes an introduction to numeracy and
mathematics teaching and learning processes and evaluation of students’
learning. All topics are taught from a
child-centred approach to teaching and learning. The second unit considers strategies that can
be used not only for teaching but for engaging the students actively in their
own learning. Strategies developed from
discovery learning theory as well as social-cognitive and constructivism
theories about learning are part of the students’ lessons.
The two
literacy units begin with thinking about the use of language and children’s
learning and continue with ways in which children can observe, describe and
analyse language in a socio-cultural context.
The second unit develops the students’ ability to teach reading and
writing in order to facilitate participation in community life. They reflect and evaluate different teaching
methods as well as add to their teaching capacity and their ability to use and
teach critical thinking. Part of their
studies includes situations using communication skills of reading, writing,
listening and speaking and analysing different texts for language levels.
Time Management and Strategy
ICFP uses
a lecture/tutorial system for teaching.
For each of the thirteen weeks of a semester, there is a 50 minute
lecture, followed by a 100 minute tutorial.
Strategies used by the teaching staff include discovery learning,
question and answer sessions, discussion, student presentations, simulation
activities, debates and games that can be used for teaching different topics.
Evaluation and Assessment
Students
are expected to take responsibility for their own learning and to complete all
assessment tasks. Some of the
assessments used include writing academic articles, preparing exhibitions and
presentations of work that demonstrate teaching strategies, exams and peer
teaching activities.
At the end
of each semester, students complete a formal evaluation of each of the units
they have studied. Lecturing staff use
these evaluations to revise their lectures for the next time they are
taught. This is in addition to student
assessment results and their own reflections on their teaching.
Conclusion
The belief
of student centred teaching and learning pervades every unit taught at
ICFP. In the case of literacy and
numeracy teaching and learning, the unit endeavour to prepare future teachers
with the ability to provide experiences in the classroom that will engage every
student and engender a love of learning that will last throughout their lives.
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