Making Connections: teaching in the adult literacy and numeracy classroom

Jacquie WidinUniversity of Technology, Sydney

1. Introduction

• Background to the project:• What are the attributes of an effective adult language,

literacy and /or numeracy teacher?

• How do the teachers manage to integrate the vocational education course with the teaching of English?

• How do the teachers develop a strong group/cohort identity among the learners?

• What insights can we gain by seeing practices in terms

of a post-method pedagogy and the social capital outcomes of teaching?

• The Setting

• The learners

• The teachers

DVD Excerpt 1

‘a thoroughly relational practice’ Noddings (2003: 249)

• What do we mean by making connections?

• - connections amongst the learners

• - connections between the learners and teachers

• - connections between and within the the classroom and the social world

Post-method pedagogy

• Kumaravadivelu (2003) describes teaching as a relationship between three dimensions:

• Particularity

• Practicality

• Possibility

Social Capital Outcomes

• Balatti, Black and Falk (2006)

• Social Capital derives from:

• Networks with students• Networks with staff

• Formal class networks

DVD Excerpt 2.

• Evidence that teaching is a thoroughly relational activity,

• The teachers are working ‘beyond methods’,

• Students are accumulating social capital

In conclusion:

• What can we say about the attributes of an effective teacher?