The single most popular criticism levelled towards the academic world is the Ivory Tower Argument: the academic world is said to be removed from the Real World. Since I do not really belong to the academic world, that is not my battle to fight. I can, however, emphasise that when it comes to teacher education, educational institutes do work hand in hand with the end users: real schools in the real world.
Student teachers at our college spend two days per week teaching under observation for their entire final year. I have not really been involved this Practicum course before. Now that my own theoretical base is expanding, I will be one of the observers in the coming semester. I have had one trip to the schools, simply as a chaperone (see the entry for 15 March 2008). Today I had another, to present a workshop for teachers at an open day arranged entirely by our college’s graduating students.
Of course, some things went wrong- they always do. Yet the students were so capable and competent, had such wonderful ideas and gave the teachers a lovely day off while inspiring the students about this new language they are learning. (One has to give them credit: out in the rocky hills where this particular school is located, there seems very little reason to learn this language- or anything much at all.) The staff gave us a warm welcome and the kids surrounded me (foreigner!) in a squealing throng, piping up in brave snatches of grammarless English spiced with rolling r’s.
When I think in terms of preparing my students for the real world, I think New York London Paris Shanghai Sydney. But in this context, the real world is Suwaiq, Sur, Salalah… little brown towns where nothing much happens- except for the revolution that is brewing in Oman’s schools.
And that is very real.
Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 7:28 PM
Showing posts with label Oman schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oman schools. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A Little Epiphany
Yesterday morning was the first time I actually accompanied trainee teachers to a secondary school in Oman to observe lessons being taught. What I saw in the school explained so much of what has been puzzling me in my work and studies.
The teachers we observed professional and polished, the classes ran smoothly and the students were astoundingly enthusiastic. What struck me most in the second class, was that despite the sharp receptiveness, ability and enthusiasm of the students, all that was required of them was one-word answers. “What do you eat for breakfast?” “Banana!” “Milk!” “Bread!” “Dates!”. The students obviously know their stuff and what to know more- why is this golden opportunity to develop and deepen language habits at a formative age missed?
Later asked a colleague about this, and she showed me that this is not, in fact, the procedure prescribed by the books. Although creative teaching is encouraged, certain procedures are required, to ensure that all Omani students reach a standard level when finishing school. Provided this goal is met, there is flexibility. However, many teachers do not successfully identify the objectives of the lessons, and hence do not meet them.
The legacy of this one-word-will-do teaching method is very clear in the language use of Omani tertiary students- and beyond. Even when these language learners are armed with abundant vocabulary, very basic grammar errors continue to crop up in speech and writing. When students self-edit their writing, I repeatedly see that they truly do not see these errors, even though they know the grammar rules governing them. Seeing that students’ language learning capabilities are so frightfully underutilised at an age where they have so much potential explains this phenomenon, and points out how unnecessary it is. What concerns me even more is that so many students develop the habit of not being stretched in their thinking, and it was terrifying to see this process in action.
National education does lay foundations for a nation, and this is one of the great reasons why it has played such an important part in Oman. The quality of those foundations play an inestimable part in the future. How do we ensure quality? This question is at the core of all the debate in education, and has no simple answer.
What I am sure of, though, is that it is not a one-word answer.
The teachers we observed professional and polished, the classes ran smoothly and the students were astoundingly enthusiastic. What struck me most in the second class, was that despite the sharp receptiveness, ability and enthusiasm of the students, all that was required of them was one-word answers. “What do you eat for breakfast?” “Banana!” “Milk!” “Bread!” “Dates!”. The students obviously know their stuff and what to know more- why is this golden opportunity to develop and deepen language habits at a formative age missed?
Later asked a colleague about this, and she showed me that this is not, in fact, the procedure prescribed by the books. Although creative teaching is encouraged, certain procedures are required, to ensure that all Omani students reach a standard level when finishing school. Provided this goal is met, there is flexibility. However, many teachers do not successfully identify the objectives of the lessons, and hence do not meet them.
The legacy of this one-word-will-do teaching method is very clear in the language use of Omani tertiary students- and beyond. Even when these language learners are armed with abundant vocabulary, very basic grammar errors continue to crop up in speech and writing. When students self-edit their writing, I repeatedly see that they truly do not see these errors, even though they know the grammar rules governing them. Seeing that students’ language learning capabilities are so frightfully underutilised at an age where they have so much potential explains this phenomenon, and points out how unnecessary it is. What concerns me even more is that so many students develop the habit of not being stretched in their thinking, and it was terrifying to see this process in action.
National education does lay foundations for a nation, and this is one of the great reasons why it has played such an important part in Oman. The quality of those foundations play an inestimable part in the future. How do we ensure quality? This question is at the core of all the debate in education, and has no simple answer.
What I am sure of, though, is that it is not a one-word answer.
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