Theme 7: Individual
The unique person
This theme is about individual difference and uniqueness. It connects with learner–centred philosophy, to learn best the learner needs to feel as though they want the learning and that they are actively involved in it. It also implies that, because people are individuals and unique, the notion of one-size-fits-all education is questionable. With regard to this latter point, we do however have an education system that requires people to be educated in groups – in groups of several hundreds, in the case of some university classes.
Bearing this in mind, I believe it is important that teaching and learning experiences are designed to allow for individual differences and to facilitate learning at the level and pace of the individual. This is a considerable challenge but can be achieved to some extent by combining traditional group experiences with individual, exploratory activities and by making use of self-directed experiences (for which computer technology can be ideally suited).
Self knowledge
Another learning from my careers training was the importance of self-knowledge. In career development work it is a fundamental premise that clients need to build clear, accurate knowledge of their own abilities, personality, strengths, values and aspirations. Similarly, learners need this self-knowledge as a part of metacognition and meta-learning, i.e. learners need to know themselves in order to know how they learn and how to manage their learning.
In my teaching practice I provide opportunities for students to develop and improve on their self knowledge through self-assessment activities, reflective practice and journaling, peer supervision exercises and formal feedback on performance in practical activities such as role plays. I also encourage students to utilise situations such as the reviewing of marked assignments as opportunities to self-assess their academic progress - an important part of developing as professionals and of becoming independent learners.
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
Aristotle
The whole person and Te Whare Tapa Wha
Learning needs to relate to the whole person. In my 'waka of learning' photo, I have come from inside the house and am outside involved in a project.The external and the internal are equally important and interdependent. The external world of things and tangible results and the internal world of emotions, personality, thinking and spirituality.
In this regard, I need to consider emotional, cultural and spiritual aspects of learners. I need to know which of these will help and which will hinder learning.
A good example of how to do this in the Aotearoa/New Zealand context is given in Mason Durie’s Te Whare Tapa Wha model (Durie, 1998).
This model outlines the conditions that are necessary for people of Maori heritage to live and learn well, i.e. the four 'walls' of the house (person) that represent mental, physical, spiritual and family/whanau health. For a Maori person to be living and achieving well, these four dimensions must be considiered. In my view, this approach is just as effective with non-Maori people too.
It is important to remember that, to a large extent, education in New Zealand and many other countries is dominated by the practices and culture of the Western European traditions. As an educator with a commitment to bicultural education, working to enable the achievement of the tangata whenua is an important goal for me.