The various elements in the curriculum, such as context, resources, learner, etc. have a powerful impact on the approaches of lesson planning (John, 2006). What factors should the teacher consider in order to prepare an effective lesson plan?
According to John (2006), the dominant model of lesson planning implies a linear way of thinking that starts from formulating the objectives and ends with lesson evaluation. However, such an approach seems impractical because different aspects and factors of learning are interrelated and, thus, it is better to plan lessons by using a more dynamic, non-linear approach. At first, it is possible to outline the basics: aims, inputs, activities, feedback, and evaluation. Then, it is important to consider the elements of a broader context such as professional values, students’ backgrounds, classroom environment and cohesion, degree of task difficulty, et cetera. Only when both contextual and practical aspects match each other well, the planned lesson can become effective.
Learnings aims, outcomes, and objectives are sometimes used interchangeably (Wittmann-Price & Fasolka, 2010) but what do you understand as the difference between them, or different interpretations simply semantics?
Wittmann-Price and Fasolka (2010) state that objectives present a method to organize the teaching and learning process, while outcomes “reflect the students’ performance in relation to objectives” (p. 234). Additionally, McIntyre and Mirriahi (2018) and Harden (2002) note that objectives are more teacher-centered compared to outcomes, which are student-centered. It means that a teacher formulates objectives to clarify what will be covered during the course. In turn, outcomes are meant to help learners understand what they have accomplished by the end of the course. Thus, it is not correct to use the terms interchangeably as they are qualitatively different.
John discusses four different models of lesson planning: dominant (linear), naturalistic, interactional, and dialogical model (John, 2006). Which model(s) of lesson planning do you think are most relevant to your teaching practice (or your future teaching practice) and why?
The naturalistic model seems to be more relevant to my teaching practice. Such an approach suggests that a teacher should understand the complexity of the planning process to design excellent curricula (Brady & Kennedy, 2013). In the given model, the planning process occurs in three steps: platform, deliberation, and design. As Lunenburg (2011) states, the platform implies “the beliefs or principles that guide the curriculum developers” (p. 2). It means that professional values and attitudes will inform the decision-making (deliberation), which consequently will lead to the curriculum design. Thus, this model can help educators integrate ethical and professional standards with technological and practical lesson elements.
Differences in Position Statements
It seems there are no significant differences between the definitions of scholarship in nursing developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN). They both cover similar sets of skills needed to engage in the education and training practice: critical thinking, research writing, et cetera (AACN, 2018; CASN, 2011). However, I prefer the one published by AACN because it is more focused on the production of new knowledge and innovation.
In my opinion, the investigation of healthcare problems is one of the primary elements of scholarship in nursing. However, as stated by Crosby, Salazar, DiClemente, and Lang (2010), only those research findings that meet the principle of rigor can contribute to better outcomes in health promotion. Thus, in order to produce and publish high-quality research, a practitioner should first explore previous findings and write many papers. These activities can help the nurse understand scientific rigor and research methodology better.
I think that the nurse who completed a scholarship program in a college does not need to attend a specialized education course to become a teacher because the obtaining of a degree implies the acquisition of profound knowledge in multiple spheres of the professional practice including education methodology (“How to become a nursing teacher,” n.d.). Overall, a bachelor’s degree may be enough to educate others. However, obtaining Masters or Ph.D. qualifications provides advantages as it helps to delve into various issues in greater detail and to gain more competence and confidence needed to teach. Additionally, no matter which degree nurse educators have, it can be recommended for them to undertake practice updates to learn new educational methods because it will foster professional development and will help them meet education requirements and standards, as well as changing learner needs, better.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2018). Defining scholarship for the discipline of nursing. Web.
Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2013). Curriculum construction (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson.
Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. (2011). Position statement: Doctoral education in nursing in Canada. Web.
Crosby, R. A., Salazar, L. F., DiClemente, R. J., & Lang, D. L. (2010). Balancing rigor against the inherent limitations of investigating hard-to-reach populations. Health Education Research, 25(1), 1-5.
Harden R.M. (2002). Learning outcomes and instructional objectives: Is there a difference? Medical Teacher, 24(2), 151-155.
How to become a nursing teacher? (n.d.). Web.
John, P. D. (2006). Lesson planning and the student teacher: Re-thinking the dominant model. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 38(4), 483-498.
Lunenburg, F. C. (2011). Curriculum development: Inductive models. Schooling, 2(1), 1-8.
McIntyre, S., & Mirriahi, N. (2018). Is there a difference between learning outcomes and learning objectives? Web.
Wittmann-Price, R. A., & Fasolka, B. J. (2010). Objectives and outcomes: The fundamental difference. Nursing Education Perspectives (National League for Nursing), 31(4), 233-236.