As a learner I tend to learn best through practical application of tasks. I find high quality demonstrations and explanations have a strong impact on how well I am able to apply techniques or theories. I find that learning theoretical aspects is essential but needs to be structured in a manner that relates directly to practical application if it is to be most affective. As my first area is Industrial Technology, the effectiveness of my teaching depends directly on a strong appreciation for the fundamentals of high quality demonstration, accompanied by practical explanation.
I can remember my Manual arts teacher during year 10 teaching us how to make a dove tail box. This was particularly significant as the task was a new to me and the area was one that I was interested in. My teacher was very passionate about wood work and during demonstrations showed large amounts of enthusiasm, giving in-depth explanations. The learning was obviously an intentional learning and was well structured, requiring learners to successfully produce a preliminary job before moving onto better quality timber to begin making the assessment piece. The experience involved both the use of rote learning and constructing meaning in relation to terms and aspects that had significant impacts on success and particular outcomes.
During the construction of this job my motivation was mainly intrinsic, possibly due to competitiveness between myself and my peers but also just for the satisfaction of developing a product that was as flawless as possible. On reflection the fact that the teacher had a jewelry box premade as a demonstration of the finished product also helped with intrinsic motivation, giving learners a goal to work towards and something to use as a reference during construction.
On completion of my first dove tail I was particularly satisfied as it was of high quality and I was particularly enthralled with the aesthetic value it displayed. For me completing the task was like a bench mark as from there on I was motivated to strive to produce more complex and higher quality jobs. For me this would prove to be a beneficial learning as basically it was during the early sages of woodwork at this school level I developed a passion which would eventuate into pursuing it as a career choice.
