New Curricula
e-Learning and Smart Pupils: The Model of Management in Peruvian Major Schools
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maria Elena Esparza, Fatima Ponce, Maria E Sanchez Zambrano
In 2014, the Peruvian government created the Network of High Performance Schools, based on the experience of the Presidential Major School of Peru. In a framework of an equal opportunities policy, this school system allows access for outstanding low-income students to a comprehensive education with high international quality standards in the last three years of secondary education. Due to its experimental nature, the network currently comprises only 26 schools in urban areas, which is not enough to cover all of the students with these skills. The objective of this paper is to propose a learning management model that incorporates the use of technological tools to reach the unattended population. For this purpose, the factors of success and weaknesses of the current model will be analyzed and identified. The research method will be mixed, including quantitative and qualitative analysis. Information will be collected form teachers, students and program managers, through primary sources such as in-depth interviews, surveys and observations.
Cognitive Sensitivity in Early Childhood Practice
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Zeenat Janmohamed
There is a growing interest in creating quality early childhood environments that support the social-emotional, language and cognitive development of young children. As public investment grows, exploring the impact of professional practice on the quality of early childhood programs is warranted. This study explores the impact of training in cognitive sensitivity through group and individual coaching sessions on educators in licensed early childhood programs. It pays particular attention to how responsive educators are to children's cues to promote cognitive and language development.
Research on Blended Learning Mode of College English: Mobile Learning as an Auxiliary Means
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Wei Cui
The integration of information technology and curriculum does not mean that information technology is merely a tool that aids in teaching or learning. Instead, it emphasizes the use of information technology to create a new type of learning environment, and supports the teaching and learning methods that could realize situational creation, thinking inspiration, information acquisition, resource sharing, multiple interactions, independent inquiry, collaborative learning and other requirements. Therefore, this study defines the blended learning mode as the learning mode that integrates the advantages of traditional face-to-face teaching and learning and digital learning, and makes full use of micro-course resources (all micro-courses online and self-made micro-courses available) and WeChat platform and other learning resources. In this study, a blended learning mode of college English listening and speaking is established, with a popular social media software in China--WeChat as the main mobile auxiliary learning carrier. This mode is testified to be applicable to science and engineering colleges and universities and could realize the effective formal learning and informal learning, systematic learning and fragmented learning, autonomous learning and collaborative learning, based on the combination of traditional classroom learning and WeChat-based mobile learning.
Constructive and Cooperative Learning in the Education of Teachers at University
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alicia Nudler, Micaela Franzé
In this paper, we describe aspects of our practice in teaching future secondary school teachers of various disciplines at the university level. The main goals and challenges of the task are discussed, along with the strategies we have developed over the years, and an account of some of the results and feedback from students. The theoretical frameworks that inform our practice are also presented: ideas by Lev Vygotsky, Juan Ignacio Pozo, Carl Rogers, and Telma Barreiro, among others, are briefly outlined as a context for the discussion. The main problems we present are related to the promotion, at the university level, of truly constructive learning processes and cooperative groups. These purposes, although generally highly valued in the psychology of learning and education literature, become real challenges in actual practice. And even though the pursuit of these aspects is important in higher education in general, they are especially relevant in the context we describe, since this course should contribute to the construction of a positive future teacher´s role by our students. We present some of the techniques and tools we have developed and, finally, we make a reference to the challenge of teaching psychology, in one combined course, to students pursuing teaching education careers in different disciplines. This final topic brings into focus the old debate in psychology of learning about generality vs. specificity of domains, which is also briefly discussed in the context of the strategies we use.
