Innovative teaching aims to explore practices that best support student learning and development. Learning is an active social process where students construct meanings within their zone of proximal development, the gap between their current knowledge and what they can learn with guidance. Innovative teaching supports diverse learners by adapting to their capacities and communicating in multiple ways. It also aims to develop independent learners through goal setting, planning, attention control, use of learning strategies, self-motivation, self-evaluation and challenging tasks using technology.

1. Innovative Teaching
By Kedmon Hungwe
Associate Professor
Teacher Education
Michigan Technological University

2. Innovative teaching
.
 The goal of innovative teaching is to
explore and use practices that best
support students’ learning and
development

3.  Learning is an active process where the mind is
engaged to construct meanings.
 This is true from the earliest foundations of child
development
 The process is social

4. Zone of Proximal Development
 The knowledge gap between the more
knowledgeable other, and the child is called the
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
(Vygotsky, 1981).
 Learning will occur whenever there is an active
gap between interacting persons. This is true
for all ages and experiences.

5. Learning may occur in one-on-situations

6. Mediated Learning Through Group
Functions
 Social groups: solidarity, friendships
Work groups: task oriented, pooling of
expertise
 Learning groups: acquiring new knowledge,
attitude or skills
Social
Work Learning

7. Social Contexts
 Learning dyads

8. Digital tools

9. Technology Mediated Relationship
Learner Teacher or any more
knowledgeable other
Technology

10. T

12. Prior knowledge
 All learners bring some conception of
knowledge.
 Some prior knowledge may be misconceptions.
 A misconception is based on faulty thinking or
understanding.
 Instruction must therefore create opportunities
to surface students thinking.

13. Challenging tasks for all learners
Technology may be used o engage students in:
 explorations, thinking, reading, writing
 researching, inventing, problem-solving, and
experiencing the world.

14. Innovative Teaching Supports Diverse Learners
• Adapts the learning demands to students
capacity within the Zone of Proximal
Development
• Communicates in multiple ways
• Varies the pace for different students
• Uses alternative delivery formats (e.g. dual
mode classes)

15. Innovative teaching should support the
development of independent learners.
Associated skills are:
Goal setting: I know what I want to accomplish
Planning (I determine ahead of time how to use
resources and time)
Attention control (I am able to focus on the task
at hand, and to clear my mind of distractions)

16. Application of learning strategies (Choice of
learning strategies that are appropriate to the task)
Self-motivational strategies (eg. Competing against
one’s own performance, finding ways to make
something more interesting or challenging)
Self-evaluation (able to determine if one has met
one’s learning goals. Ability to change learning
strategy)

17. Innovative Teaching supports HOTS

18.  Instructional goals associated with HOTS
 Inquiry: data modeling, spreadsheets, access to
online databases, access to online observatories
and microscopes, and hypertext
 communication: word processing, e-mail,
synchronous conferencing, graphics software,
simulations, and tutorials ,blogging etc
 Construction: robotics, computer-aided design,
and control systems.
 Expression: interactive video, animation
software, and music composition