Skills Analysis Paper
Instructor: Manuel Johnican
Cheanel Nolden
November 10, 2019
Skills Analysis Paper
Specific Skills
Ability to Create Favorable Learning Environment
My master’s program in education has improved my ability to create a better learning environment for students. For instance, I have gained the competencies that are needed to allow students to utilize or create constructive social environments and physical environments for learning science and mathematics. In the process, the students have been helped with respect to asking for assistance from their instructors or peers. While self-regulated learning is basically an independent area of study, the independent study is not isolated and alone-learning completely. Therefore, offering self-regulated learning provides students with knowledge that is specific to their needs.
Communication Competency
As an instructor with postgraduate level qualifications, I am equipped with the communication skills and competencies that are needed to interact with students in a productive and collaborative way. Examples of such communication skills include: language proficiency, listening skills, speaking skills, as well as non-verbal proficiency. The key communication competencies that have enabled me to improve learning outcomes include: instructional competency, classroom management and control, as well as human relations competency.
Subject Matter Competency
Having knowledge in the disciplines that I teach has made it possible for me to provide customized contents that meet learners’ needs. My core academic areas include: mathematics, physics, biology, and general sciences. I have a master’s level of qualification in the areas that I teach. Subject matter refers to the branch of knowledge and competencies that the instructor teaches within a specific course. Within the context of teaching, subject matter refers to the main conceptual knowledge in the daily lessons that a teacher discusses with the learners to promote and encourage learning of the targeted skills, methodologies, as well as social competencies. Therefore, the subject matter outlines the logical coverage of the major points or concepts in each module. Such points highlighted in each module can be treated as the subject matter for successive daily lesson presentations.
Cross-Cultural Competencies
The American classroom environment is increasingly becoming diverse. Modern classes are comprised of students from different cultural, ethnic, language, and religious backgrounds. As such, I have developed cross-cultural competencies that are essential to the provision of learning for students from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds (Renshaw & Tooth, 2017). The key cross-cultural skills that I have gained include: cross-cultural capabilities associated with teaching and learning, as well as culturally responsive learning strategies. As significant fraction of pre-service postgraduate level educators without intercultural competences needed to teach and lead students from a global perspective often face challenge of student engagement in classroom environments.
Student Engagement Skills
An engaged classroom environment increases students’ positive learning outcomes in terms of academic performance. As such, I have mastered the art of improving students’ cognitive involvement in, active participation in, as well as emotional commitment to their learning. I also have the ability to engage in interactional activities that are geared towards promoting activities that can improve students’ access and academic attainment. By promoting interactive programs that use both technological and participative models, I have managed to successfully boost my learners’ level of engagement.
Key Aspects of My Coursework that Improved my Specific Skills
There are various elements of my coursework that have enabled me to gain these skills and competencies. They include knowledge on: learner-centered strategies, classroom management approaches, instructional strategies, as well as self-directed learning strategies. Learner-centered teaching is a strategy of teaching that is widely being promoted in education. Learner-centered approaches place emphases on a wide range of different forms of methods that emphasize on what the students are learning. It shifts the role of the teacher from a provider of information to the facilitator of student learning. Through self-directed learning, students shift from being mere passive receivers of learning contents to active participants.
Coursework knowledge on classroom management strategies also improved my skills and competencies. Classroom management models increased my insights into different classroom management styles that can help to trigger engagement. Indeed, classroom management plays an important role in promoting student accountability, boosting and improving appropriate relationships with students, and enhancing productive interactions between students to optimize learning outcomes. By gaining knowledge on classroom management styles, I was able to understand how to effectively communicate goals and expectations to students.
Gaining knowledge on self-directed learning also improved my understanding on how students can be encouraged to be self-driven to improve their academic performance. Directed independent learning encourages learners to stop overlying on their teacher as the sources of knowledge (Rana, Ardichvili & Polesello, 2016). As such, students can develop effective search and fact-finding skills. Instead of promoting complete autonomy from the start, instructors should work to offer support to students through the whole process.
Further, coursework on instructional strategies increased my understanding on how to interact with students in a productive way. Classroom is a dynamic environment that is comprised of students with different learning needs. As such, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Therefore, the traditional teacher-student directed instructions can be improved by mixing them with other delivery models such as: visualization, providing practical experiences, experimentation, use of technologies such as multimedia computer tools, as well as requiring learners to participate by raising their hands.
Multimedia Presentation
There are various ways in which the multimedia presentation offers knowledge on my future application of knowledge and teaching. For instance, the presentation encourages learners to promote self-directed and independent learning, which will be a future trend. Current models of learning often reduce the student to passive recipients of knowledge. One theory that is critical to the presentation is the humanism theory (Schunk, 2012). The humanism theory is in line with learner-centered perspectives, because it asserts that learning is a natural process that enables an individual to attain self-actualization.
Research-Based Techniques
The main research-based techniques that I plan to use for my future learning experience include: giving students opportunities for self-assessment, and allowing learners top provide examples using their cultural experiences (Schunk, 2012). When students are given opportunities for self-assessment, they are able to identify their areas of weaknesses that the teacher can focus on to improve their performance. Furthermore, giving learners opportunities to provide examples using their background experiences can be relevant when dealing with culturally diverse learning environments.
References
Renshaw, P., & Tooth, R. (Eds.). (2017). Diverse pedagogies of place: Educating students in and
for local and global environments. New York: Routledge.
Rana, S., Ardichvili, A., & Polesello, D. (2016). Promoting self-directed learning in a learning
organization: tools and practices. European Journal of Training and Development, 40(7),
470-489.
Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: an educational perspective 6th ed. Terjemahan
Hamdiah & Rahmat Fajar). Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar.