 |
 |
On 4 Jan 2011, at 08:49, BRENDAN CRONIN wrote: > Dear All, > > I want to look at the field of educational influence but in the sense of how do I influence colleagues (if at all) and how do they influence me? What is the nature of this influence and how can it help me understand the idea of professional development and Inservice Training? Is Wenger's notion of the 'learning community' a valuable one here? Or has this concept been surpassed? How can one try to understand the social formation in which one works in terms of professional development and one's own learning? Has anyone any thoughts on this? > Cheers, > Brendan Dear Brendan (and all) - I'm looking forward to sharing ideas/explanations on educational influence as our enquiries continue into 2011. I know Wenger's notion of the 'learning community' and it could be very helpful if anyone could share how they have integrated insights from Wenger's ideas in their explanation of their educational influence in learning. You ask 'How can one try to understand the social formation in which one works in terms of professional development and one's own learning?' I think Jacqueline Delong answered a similar question in her doctoral enquiry into the development of a culture of inquiry: Jackie Delong's Ph.D. (2002) How Can I Improve My Practice As A Superintendent of Schools and Create My Own Living Educational Theory? at http://www.actionresearch.net/living/delong.shtml I included an explanation of my educational influence in the learning of Kevin Eames, a doctoral researcher, in the paper: Whitehead, J. (1999) Educative Relations in a New Era. Paper published in Pedagogy, Culture & Society, Vol. 7, No.1, pp. 73-90, 1999. at http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/CS4.htm I'm hopeful that contributors to the list will continue to submit explanations of their educational influences to the Educational Journal of Living Theories. Here are the contents of the latest issue, with a foreword by Maggie. Moira helped with the English translation of Anke Jauch's paper and I know would welcome responses. The original paper in German is included. Jacqueline Scholes-Rhodes, in her paper, develops her original idea of exquisite connectivity from her doctoral enquiry: Contents: December 2010, Volume 3, Issue 2 Foreword (pp.i-ii) Margaret Farren How can I improve my communication with my sister, so that I can lead a more loving, consistent and harmonious life with her? A personal action research inquiry into family-displacement in the former eastern zone and as a symbol of the reunification of Germany (pp. 119-169) Anke Jauch How do I enhance motivation to learn and higher order cognition among students of Science through the use of a virtual learning environment? (pp.170-192) Mary McMahon Exploring an extended role for coaching – through the eyes of an action researcher(pp.193-211) Jacqueline J. Scholes-Rhodes How to improve the society-service course: Early childhood education teacher-candidates’ experiences in the project “Do you want to be a child for one-day?” (pp.212-234) Hatice Zeynep Inan As I was writing the above response the following note from Brendan came through with a number of fascinating questions. I'll think carefully about these before responding. On 6 Jan 2011, at 12:56, BRENDAN CRONIN wrote: > Dear Aga, > Thanks very much for your reply concerning educational influence on colleagues and their influence on us. (have I the right to try to influence another adult?) I will think carefully about it and write a reply soon. You raise some really interesting points. I am thinking about how far should Inservice training/professional development be based on a model of learning rather than teaching and to what extent should it be collegiate rather than individual. Can one formulate values in relation to colleagues as one can for learners? How can one practice influence in a setting where the social formation is hostile to your own values. In my school I believe there is a tension between performativity and creativity. I have found it so in practice. But the head says publicly there is no such tension and that the creative curriculum will automatically lead to higher SATS results. What am I to do? > Has anyone else any thoughts? > Cheers, > Brendan Love Jack.