The PAL Project Lens
The PAL Project Lens
PRIORITIES THAT INFORMED THE PROJECT LENS:
The intention of the PAL project is to meet people—be they practitioners or learners—where they are when it comes to lesson planning that encourages active learning which enriches learning, especially when through digital integration.
Through robust discussions, the PAL working group identified some key priorities for the co-created PAL project materials and those. In the course of more than 20 hours of working group discussions, enduring themes emerged and formed a multifocal lens through which all the resources were co-created. These are detailed below in the green block of content.
From the start of the PAL practitioner collaboration, what became clear was that each practitioner 's unique set of on-the-ground realities—i.e. delivery format, learner differences, program focus and administrative decisions—underscored the variability and diversity of experiences in the field.
APPRECIATING THE DIVERSE LBS CONTEXTS AND COMPLEXITIES:
In dialoguing with LBS practitioners in both phases of the PAL project, the tremendous variability across Ontario programs is a fact. As such, when it came to choosing our project lens, the working group acknowledged the multiple variables that LBS practitioners face day to day, and looked to co-create a resource that could be used across multifaceted realities and contexts.
It must be noted that, although we may be using the our project-specific lens to interrogate lesson planning, to share insights, and to co-create useful resources, the unique variability across programs and contexts is greatly appreciated—much like the uniquely angled mirrors in a kaleidoscope that produce different, yet lovely, patterns. This companion resource can hopefully address planning needs across the kaleidoscope of LBS realties.
TAKE A LOOK at the the project lens pieces below that informed the Planning a Lesson (PAL) project.
Do any of these resonate for you and how you approach your practice?
Do any of these resonate for you and how you approach your practice?
In considering what it takes to plan an engaging lesson, working group members chose the following tenets to guide the project:
A Learner-Centred Approach
As adult educators the notion of being learner-centred is not are constructivist theory and meaning making, a learner- centred approach puts the learner at the centre of the learning and at the centre of our planning for learning practices.
An approach that respects learner diversity—varying learner needs, differences in literacy levels, neurodiversity, diversity of experience, differences in readiness for learning (with and without digital tools),
A Strengths-Based Perspective
For our working group members, the learner- empowering stance of working from adult learners' strengths to hone their skills and address some gaps felt right when it comes to adult learners who are experienced and seasoned in the many adult challenges of life.
Purposeful Digital Integration
Digital integration is a pedagogical choice, not only a nice-to-have set of digital tools for teaching.
When considering teaching with technology, a practitioner's digital tool choices ca add to the learning and can often enhance the engagement and skills strengthening.
Tending to Learner Voices
Planning a lesson requires that we listen to our learners with respect to their needs, their learning challenges and insights, and with what and how they would like to cover to aid with real-world application that is meaningful. It is paramount to tend to learners' voices in order to enrich our lesson planning and make it more participatory.
Reflection for Teaching and Learning
For both adult educators and learners, reflection is key. Thinking about how we teach/facilitate , and helping our students to reflect on how they learn and use technology for learning and life is also a priority of the PAL project.
Guiding Skills Transfer Beyond the Lesson
Guiding and encouraging adult learners to take new skills and digital practices learned in class out into the world helps to solidify learning. Explicitly nudging learners to seeing applications beyond the class session is a key priority at the end of a lesson well delivered.