Inquiry Components of Contextual Teaching and Learning a. Constructivism

How and where a person acquires and creates knowledge is therefore very important. CTL experiences are enriched when students learn skills in multiple contexts i.e. school, community, workplace, family. c. Drawing upon students diversity. On the whole, our students population is becoming more diverse, and with increased diversity comes differences can be the impetus for learning and can add complexity to the CTL experience. Team collaboration and group learning activities respect students diverse histories broaden perspectives, and build inter- personal skills. d. Supported self-regulated learning. Ultimately students must become life long learners, lifelong learners are able to seek out, analyze, and use information with little to no supervision. To do so, students must become more aware how they process information, employ problem-solving strategies, and use background knowledge. CTL experiences should allow for trial and error, provide and structure for reflection; and provide adequate support to assist to more from dependent to independent learning. e. Using interdependent learning groups. Students will be influenced by and will contribute to the knowledge and beliefs of others, learning groups or learning communities are established in workplaces and schools in an effort to share knowledge, focus on goals, and allow all to teach and learn from each other, when learning communities are established in school, educator act as coaches, facilitators and mentors. f. Employing authentic assessment. Contextual teaching a learning CTL is intended to build knowledge and skills in meaningful ways by engaging students in real life, or “authentic” context Assessment of learning should align with the methods and purposes of instruction. Authentic assessment shows among other things that learning has occurred; are blended into the teaching learning has process; and provide students with opportunities and direction for improvement. Authentic assessment is used to monitor student progress and inform teaching practices. Meanwhile, the center of occupational research and development CORD states that are five strategies for the teachers for applying the contextual learning, they are called REACT. a. Relating. Learning related with the real world experience context. b. Experiencing. Learning focused on the exploration, discovery, and invention. c. Applying. Learning should be presented into the context, togetherness, etc. d. Transferring. Learning by using the knowledge in the context or in the new situation Many of these strategies should be used by teacher using contextual teaching and learning approach. Activities such as team teaching, cooperative learning, integrated learning, work-based learning, service learning, problem based learning, and others support CTL approach and they are must by practiced in classroom properly.

5. Principles in Contextual Teaching and Learning CTL.

Related with the students individually needed, to apply the Contextual Teaching and Learning CTL a teacher must have these following principles: a. Planning a suitable learning for the students developmentally appropriate. Relationship between curriculum context and methodology that used to teach must be based on social condition, emotional and students intellectual development for example, what have learnt and done by junior high school students must be different with the senior high school have learnt and done. b. Making independent learning groups. Students can learn from each others in a little group and learn in a bigger team class. This ability is a cooperation that needed by an adult in a work place and in another context. However, the students are hoped to act actively.