My Three Artefacts Essay
ETP101 Assessment 1
My Three Artefacts
Jian Luo
Student ID: 214153434
My first artefact is an award that I got in my last year of primary school in 1984.
It says, Student, Jian Luo, is named Changsha City - Three-good Student. ‘Three-good’ means good morality, good studying and good health. I grew up in a middle-sized city in mainland China. My schooling was in such an extraordinary time that I feel that I was both lucky and unlucky at the same time. In the 1980’s, China had just opened to the world. People had just got through the Cultural Revolution, which was a big disaster for society and the education system. People were hungry for good education. The whole society was showing huge enthusiasm for education, because, academic …show more content…
achievements are always highly admired in Chinese culture except during the Cultural Revolution.
Culture influences the knowledge and experiences people bring to the classroom, the ways in which they communicate, the expectations that have for learning will occur, and the ideas they have about what is worth learning. (Hammond et al. 2001, p.11)
So, under that special circumstance, the ‘Three-good Student’ awards were given mainly according to high marks in study. As a learner, it stimulated me to learn, to behave better. Every time when I achieved something, I felt very satisfied, and always wanted to do more. Obviously, awards are great positive reinforcements to learners. ‘Positive reinforcement is the most important and most widely applied principle of behaviour analysis’ (Cited in Cosgrave, G 2014)
But, Chinese always pay too much attention to academic achievements. I remember we had exams for every subject in every trimester, our school always showed the ranking of all students in same level by exam marks to everyone. Being driven by that, students were forced to put most of their efforts into academic performance, such as math, literature, and science. Lots of students who were ranked low lost their interests in study. Even in nowadays, this is still a big problem in the Chinese education system. ‘[s]tudents who are fearful, anxious, depressed, or distracted cannot focus to process information.’ (Hammond et al. 2001, p.12) The ranking is such a negative reinforcement that is easy to cause learner’s anxiety and resistance to learning. Just as Vӓlijӓrvi and Sahlberg (cited in Kangas 2010, p.206) pointed out, ‘educational excellence is about more than statistical averages of student achievement: it also requires that students enjoy learning in school. This is a significant challenge’.
While there is another problem, per UNESCO’s definition of education for twenty-first century through four pillars: learning to know; learning to do; learning to live together; and learning to be (cited in Kangas 2010, p.206). Those students who have achieved very good academic performances may not have learnt to do, to live together and to be.
Recently I read an article on the internet. It was research about those Chinese students who got the highest marks in college entrance examinations. Most of them became just ordinary people without high achievements in the industry they are working in. This proves that ‘alongside the acquisition of academic knowledge and skills, schools have to consider the development and well-being of the whole person (cognitive, emotional, social, physical and cultural)’ (Kangas 2010, p.206).
My second artefact is our graduation photo of my class when we finished year 9. The 7th from the left in the 2nd row, that’s me. The photo was taken just in front of our teaching building. On the photo, it says, Graduation photo of Junior Class #843, Changsha No.1 Middle School, 1987.5.
It’s easy to see 2 different things in this photo if you compare it with Australian schools.
Firstly, there were more than 50 students in our class, and 6 classes in our level. It sounds a lot, but because of the big population of China, it’s actually the normal size for classes.
When you have more than 50 students in a class, how could the teacher handle it? It would be really hard in modern Australia, because normally Australian students can choose any seats to sit down, and they are free to ask questions and discuss them in class. Also the teachers often arrange group activities and teachers also talk like friends with students. But in China in the 1980s, students had to sit in fixed seats and the teachers were the absolute authorities in the classes. Students were not allowed to ask questions or have discussions with each other unless the teacher asked them to . I still remember we were mainly listening and taking notes in class. This is a very traditional teaching method. Andrew Stables (2003, p.2) pointed out that ‘Teaching involves communication; whether its purpose is to enable students to gain access to inalienable truths, or to promote intellectual or social exploration for its own sake’. The lack of communication between teachers and students was one of the features of traditional teaching. While ‘Contemporary learning theory recognizes the role that both experience and reflection play in the development of ideas and skills.’ (Hammond et al. 2001, p.9)
The second difference is that we didn’t wear uniforms while nowadays most students do. Uniforms were one of the best inventions for schools. Not just because students look nice and neat in them. It makes it easy for teachers to manage the groups, but also because it delivers team spirit and school culture. The most important thing about it is that it creates equality. No matter that the students are from a rich family or a poor family, they wear the same uniform, which implies everyone is equal in school. School implicitly conveyed such great values into every student’s mind simply by the rule of wearing uniforms.
In Australia, it is even more important to have uniforms in schools, because Australia is a big immigration country, the diversity is an obvious issue to deal with when it comes to education. To avoid any inequality or culture bias, schools should create an equal and cooperative environment for learning.
My third artefact is my high school’s badge.
It’s the name of our school, Changsha No.1 Middle School. Our school has got more than 100 years history. She fostered a big group of high achievers in different area, such as the first Chinese Chairman Maozedong ,previous Chinese Prime Minister Zhurongji, famous musician Tandun who composed for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,… I’m so proud of my school. I still remember our school’s motto is: Fair, Courageous, Diligent, Honest.
Schools organise the environment for learning.
Learning is less a repetition of what is already known and more the production of something new, interesting and relevant (Säljö 2004b). In this respect, schools are under increasing pressure to focus, not just on delivering academic curricula, but also on establishing and maintaining school cultures and learning environments that best foster students’ proficiency as future citizens. Claxton (cited in Kangas 2010, p.206) describes it.
That is actually why my school was relatively successful. Historically, she had established a unique culture, which was a good combination of academic atmosphere and a socially practical environment. Every student is influenced by this school culture. They are more active than other schools’ students in science, sports, politics, arts… because of that, our school was the first choice for most of the families in the city when they were choosing school for their daughters and
sons.
Michael Haberman (2013) described such situation in his blog, ‘Culture is intangible, but it 's essential: you can walk into a school and know immediately whether you want to be there or not. The same thing goes for the students, and the staff.’ That’s why there are so many siblings, different generations in the same family are from the same school.
I went back my school in 2012, when there was a big celebration of her 100’s birthday. I met lots of my old school mates. They came back from all over the world. It was interesting to see that even though we were separated for more than 20 years, we still talked and thought in the same way. Just as Pierre Bourdieu (1976, p. 196) mentioned, ‘[T]he school does not merely provide reference marks: it also maps out itineraries, that is to say methods (in the etymological sense) or programmes of thought’.
And also, it’s great to feel that I belonged to such a school in some way, seeing so many mates actively working in different industries, contributing to the society, just as John Dewey declared (1897, p.78),
I believe that the school is primarily a social institution. Education being a social process, the school is simply that form of community life in which all those agencies are concentrated that will be most effective in bringing the child to share in the inherited resources of the race, and to use his own powers for social ends.
References
Bourdieu, P 1976, 'Systems of education and systems of thought ' in Dale, R, Esland, G & MacDonald, M (eds.), Schooling and capitalism: a sociological reader, Routledge and Kegan Paul for the Open University, London, pp. 192-200.
Cosgrave, G 2014, Positive Reinforcement, Educate Autism, retrieved 5 April 2014,
Dewey, J 1897, My Pedagogic Creed, The School Journal, Volume LIV, No. 3, pp 77-80.
Faulkner, J 2011, ‘Teacher identities’, in Latham, G, Balise, M, Dole, S, Faulkner, J & Malone, K Learning to teach: new times, new practices, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, pp. 65-81.
Haberman, M 2013, Why School Culture Matters, and How to Improve It, The Huffington Post, retrieved 5 April 2014, .
Hammond, L, Austin, K, Orcutt, S, & Rosso, J . (2001). How People Learn: Introduction To Learning Theories. In: The Learning Classroom: Theory Into Practice, Stanford University School of Education, Standford p.11
Kangas, M 2010, ‘Finnish children’s views on the ideal school and learning’, Environment Learning Environ Res, vol 13, pp. 205–223, DOI 10.1007/s10984-010-9075-6
Stables, A 2003, ‘Learning, identity and classroom dialogue’, Journal of Educational Enquiry, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp.1-18
My Three Artefacts
Jian Luo
Student ID: 214153434
My first artefact is an award that I got in my last year of primary school in 1984.
It says, Student, Jian Luo, is named Changsha City - Three-good Student. ‘Three-good’ means good morality, good studying and good health. I grew up in a middle-sized city in mainland China. My schooling was in such an extraordinary time that I feel that I was both lucky and unlucky at the same time. In the 1980’s, China had just opened to the world. People had just got through the Cultural Revolution, which was a big disaster for society and the education system. People were hungry for good education. The whole society was showing huge enthusiasm for education, because, academic …show more content…
achievements are always highly admired in Chinese culture except during the Cultural Revolution.
Culture influences the knowledge and experiences people bring to the classroom, the ways in which they communicate, the expectations that have for learning will occur, and the ideas they have about what is worth learning. (Hammond et al. 2001, p.11)
So, under that special circumstance, the ‘Three-good Student’ awards were given mainly according to high marks in study. As a learner, it stimulated me to learn, to behave better. Every time when I achieved something, I felt very satisfied, and always wanted to do more. Obviously, awards are great positive reinforcements to learners. ‘Positive reinforcement is the most important and most widely applied principle of behaviour analysis’ (Cited in Cosgrave, G 2014)
But, Chinese always pay too much attention to academic achievements. I remember we had exams for every subject in every trimester, our school always showed the ranking of all students in same level by exam marks to everyone. Being driven by that, students were forced to put most of their efforts into academic performance, such as math, literature, and science. Lots of students who were ranked low lost their interests in study. Even in nowadays, this is still a big problem in the Chinese education system. ‘[s]tudents who are fearful, anxious, depressed, or distracted cannot focus to process information.’ (Hammond et al. 2001, p.12) The ranking is such a negative reinforcement that is easy to cause learner’s anxiety and resistance to learning. Just as Vӓlijӓrvi and Sahlberg (cited in Kangas 2010, p.206) pointed out, ‘educational excellence is about more than statistical averages of student achievement: it also requires that students enjoy learning in school. This is a significant challenge’.
While there is another problem, per UNESCO’s definition of education for twenty-first century through four pillars: learning to know; learning to do; learning to live together; and learning to be (cited in Kangas 2010, p.206). Those students who have achieved very good academic performances may not have learnt to do, to live together and to be.
Recently I read an article on the internet. It was research about those Chinese students who got the highest marks in college entrance examinations. Most of them became just ordinary people without high achievements in the industry they are working in. This proves that ‘alongside the acquisition of academic knowledge and skills, schools have to consider the development and well-being of the whole person (cognitive, emotional, social, physical and cultural)’ (Kangas 2010, p.206).
My second artefact is our graduation photo of my class when we finished year 9. The 7th from the left in the 2nd row, that’s me. The photo was taken just in front of our teaching building. On the photo, it says, Graduation photo of Junior Class #843, Changsha No.1 Middle School, 1987.5.
It’s easy to see 2 different things in this photo if you compare it with Australian schools.
Firstly, there were more than 50 students in our class, and 6 classes in our level. It sounds a lot, but because of the big population of China, it’s actually the normal size for classes.
When you have more than 50 students in a class, how could the teacher handle it? It would be really hard in modern Australia, because normally Australian students can choose any seats to sit down, and they are free to ask questions and discuss them in class. Also the teachers often arrange group activities and teachers also talk like friends with students. But in China in the 1980s, students had to sit in fixed seats and the teachers were the absolute authorities in the classes. Students were not allowed to ask questions or have discussions with each other unless the teacher asked them to . I still remember we were mainly listening and taking notes in class. This is a very traditional teaching method. Andrew Stables (2003, p.2) pointed out that ‘Teaching involves communication; whether its purpose is to enable students to gain access to inalienable truths, or to promote intellectual or social exploration for its own sake’. The lack of communication between teachers and students was one of the features of traditional teaching. While ‘Contemporary learning theory recognizes the role that both experience and reflection play in the development of ideas and skills.’ (Hammond et al. 2001, p.9)
The second difference is that we didn’t wear uniforms while nowadays most students do. Uniforms were one of the best inventions for schools. Not just because students look nice and neat in them. It makes it easy for teachers to manage the groups, but also because it delivers team spirit and school culture. The most important thing about it is that it creates equality. No matter that the students are from a rich family or a poor family, they wear the same uniform, which implies everyone is equal in school. School implicitly conveyed such great values into every student’s mind simply by the rule of wearing uniforms.
In Australia, it is even more important to have uniforms in schools, because Australia is a big immigration country, the diversity is an obvious issue to deal with when it comes to education. To avoid any inequality or culture bias, schools should create an equal and cooperative environment for learning.
My third artefact is my high school’s badge.
It’s the name of our school, Changsha No.1 Middle School. Our school has got more than 100 years history. She fostered a big group of high achievers in different area, such as the first Chinese Chairman Maozedong ,previous Chinese Prime Minister Zhurongji, famous musician Tandun who composed for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,… I’m so proud of my school. I still remember our school’s motto is: Fair, Courageous, Diligent, Honest.
Schools organise the environment for learning.
Learning is less a repetition of what is already known and more the production of something new, interesting and relevant (Säljö 2004b). In this respect, schools are under increasing pressure to focus, not just on delivering academic curricula, but also on establishing and maintaining school cultures and learning environments that best foster students’ proficiency as future citizens. Claxton (cited in Kangas 2010, p.206) describes it.
That is actually why my school was relatively successful. Historically, she had established a unique culture, which was a good combination of academic atmosphere and a socially practical environment. Every student is influenced by this school culture. They are more active than other schools’ students in science, sports, politics, arts… because of that, our school was the first choice for most of the families in the city when they were choosing school for their daughters and
sons.
Michael Haberman (2013) described such situation in his blog, ‘Culture is intangible, but it 's essential: you can walk into a school and know immediately whether you want to be there or not. The same thing goes for the students, and the staff.’ That’s why there are so many siblings, different generations in the same family are from the same school.
I went back my school in 2012, when there was a big celebration of her 100’s birthday. I met lots of my old school mates. They came back from all over the world. It was interesting to see that even though we were separated for more than 20 years, we still talked and thought in the same way. Just as Pierre Bourdieu (1976, p. 196) mentioned, ‘[T]he school does not merely provide reference marks: it also maps out itineraries, that is to say methods (in the etymological sense) or programmes of thought’.
And also, it’s great to feel that I belonged to such a school in some way, seeing so many mates actively working in different industries, contributing to the society, just as John Dewey declared (1897, p.78),
I believe that the school is primarily a social institution. Education being a social process, the school is simply that form of community life in which all those agencies are concentrated that will be most effective in bringing the child to share in the inherited resources of the race, and to use his own powers for social ends.
References
Bourdieu, P 1976, 'Systems of education and systems of thought ' in Dale, R, Esland, G & MacDonald, M (eds.), Schooling and capitalism: a sociological reader, Routledge and Kegan Paul for the Open University, London, pp. 192-200.
Cosgrave, G 2014, Positive Reinforcement, Educate Autism, retrieved 5 April 2014,
Dewey, J 1897, My Pedagogic Creed, The School Journal, Volume LIV, No. 3, pp 77-80.
Faulkner, J 2011, ‘Teacher identities’, in Latham, G, Balise, M, Dole, S, Faulkner, J & Malone, K Learning to teach: new times, new practices, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, pp. 65-81.
Haberman, M 2013, Why School Culture Matters, and How to Improve It, The Huffington Post, retrieved 5 April 2014, .
Hammond, L, Austin, K, Orcutt, S, & Rosso, J . (2001). How People Learn: Introduction To Learning Theories. In: The Learning Classroom: Theory Into Practice, Stanford University School of Education, Standford p.11
Kangas, M 2010, ‘Finnish children’s views on the ideal school and learning’, Environment Learning Environ Res, vol 13, pp. 205–223, DOI 10.1007/s10984-010-9075-6
Stables, A 2003, ‘Learning, identity and classroom dialogue’, Journal of Educational Enquiry, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp.1-18