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Crisis-response discourse of prospective teachers.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

Teachers need to be aware of the social dynamics that influence learning. Examination of classroom discourse informs both instructors and their students. Described here are writing by prospective teachers during international crises and subsequent discourse analysis. Through writing and reflection, teachers-in training and their instructors increased their awareness of the social context of teaching and learning during extreme social situations. Recognizable in students' writings were social-psychological factors that influenced perceptions of a crisis, which can affect responses to it and instruction about it. We suggest methods for using writing during crises as well as training for its avoidance.

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As students become more aware through rapid communication technology and the media of local to international conflicts, educators must respond to the psychological needs of their students. When conflicts reach crisis levels and distract students from their learning, responsive educators strive to relieve student anxiety, facilitate learning about the extreme situation, and help students understand their thinking as well as that of diverse others. With our backgrounds in teacher education and social psychology, we had instructional and research interests in our student's experiences during international crises that occurred in our societies. We facilitated student discourse for affective and instructional goals and began our study to analyze the elements of various perceptions of the crises that can be influenced by sociocultural contexts, especially by the messages of the mass media (Cortes, 2000). Hence, student discourse in our classes during extreme social situations helped us teach as well as study their instructional needs.

Learning Through Writing

Discourse, including writing and dialogue, is a popular instructional strategy for multiple reasons including enhancement of awareness and critical thinking that is facilitated by interactive writing of students and their instructor (Garmon, 1997; Hoover, 1994; Schmidt & Davison, 1983). Research on the use of writing in teacher education found benefits of improved communication with students and it enabled their instructors' closer examination of student learning (Hennings, 1992; Ducharme & Ducharme, 1996). Reflective writing can enhance students' self-understanding (Kelly, 1995; McMahon, 1997), as well as understanding others (MacIntyre, 1984). Learning occurs through an interactive process of constructing and expressing meaning, rather than a passive process of absorbing information (Vygotsky 1987). Learners construct their own understandings in response to new information and experiences (von Glaserfeld, 1995), and because they understand their own lives in terms of narratives (Lyons, & Kubler LaBoskey, 2002), the information that is not structured in a narrative form, can suffer loss in memory (Mandber, 1984). Stories and narratives give students a framework for imposing order on what otherwise would be random events; they unable learners to discern how diverse elements come together into meaningful experiences.

Especially valuable for learning are written reflections (Brooks & Brooks, 1993; Kroll & Black, 1993; Tudge, 1980; Shor, & Freire, 1987). Expressions of comprehension and affect recorded in written discourse enable broader understanding through a review of their contents. Reflections and narratives are valuable methods that stimulate students' higher levels of thinking and visions. Narratives are among heuristic devices that promote student discovery (Czarniawska, 1997).While reflecting about his/her own experiences and expressing it to others, a student acknowledges his/her own position, learns about another, and communicates tacit knowledge.

Shared narratives can augment awareness of self and others. While reflecting on a new topic, learners encounter own lived experiences that might contradict the dominant narratives, which do not address the lives of the underrepresented members of a society. Additionally, students can better understand conflicts expressed through narratives, such as disputes over who is responsible for a problem. As White (2003) argues, [narratives] "pave the way for persons to cooperate...

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