Unit 5: Overview

In the previous units, we have focused primarily on how individuals learn and how to support an individual’s learning. Learning events involve a number of agents, including learners, learning environments, and teachers. In this unit, we shift our focus to explore how teachers can support individuals’ learning and to facilitate learners’ understanding by highlighting the importance of pedagogical content knowledge. Chapter 7 in How People Learn identifies exemplars for effective teaching in history, mathematics, and science. These exemplars illustrate ways to support and develop teachers’ use of pedagogical content knowledge as they facilitate learners’ conceptual change and support their learning experience. Additionally, to expand your repertoire of instructional strategies, which will further develop your pedagogical content knowledge, we will explore the following specific perspectives:

• Conceptual Change
• Experiential Learning
• I-Search
• Reading Recovery