|
Title:
|
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT IN PRACTICAL PROBLEM SOLVING |
|
Author(s):
|
Øystein Lund, Jarle Sjøvoll |
|
ISBN:
|
978-972-8939-36-6 |
|
Editors:
|
Gunilla Bradley, Diane Whitehouse and Gurmit Singh |
|
Year:
|
2011 |
|
Edition:
|
Single |
|
Keywords:
|
Online learning, problem solving, knowledge building, professional support. |
|
Type:
|
Full Paper |
|
First Page:
|
161 |
|
Last Page:
|
168 |
|
Language:
|
English |
|
Cover:
|
|
|
Full Contents:
|
click to dowload 
|
|
Paper Abstract:
|
Teachers Forum is now an integrated part of a blended counselling and learning system at the University of Nordland. This forum is a contribution towards developing the school as a learning organisation. The Teachers Forum offers teachers the opportunity to work in professional and collaborative learning communities without having to reveal their identity. This gives the chance to admit to difficulties, to ask questions anonymously and to experience the social support and personal advantages in a learning community. They will realise that others have had to face the same or similar problems and maybe they have learned how to solve their problems. This may help to ease the pressure on the involved teacher, thereby enabling him to deal with his problem in a more professional manner. Our intentions are to explore possibilities and restrictions of web-based problem solving. What are web-based counsellors doing? The psychological and philosophical concepts that have informed the development of the three major theoretical approaches to counselling - constructivism, person-centred and problem-based theories - will be used in this paper. In this paper we reflect on exploring text-based blended counselling. The paper is an opportunity to clarify experiences about online counselling, the strengths it brings to the teachers work and the need for personal support that has to be addressed in problematic situations. Based on reading, experiences and counselling texts, this discussion relates to theory and assumptions about problem solving, teachers needs and issues. The purpose of the paper is also to provide a forum from which we can begin to articulate particular approaches to counselling. Assuming that we grow and change, the paper provides a starting point for what we hold to be important, what we are like as people and how we might see ourselves as counsellors. In this context they assist teachers in relation to knowledge building, personal and practical problem solutions, interpersonal relationships, the workplace and even health problems. They are also trained to assist teachers and schools experiencing both more acute and chronic conflicts and crises. Web-based counsellors may use a wide variety of techniques and support approaches - even therapeutic ones. These will vary and will be tailored to meet the personal needs of the client. In the context of our study, therapeutic approaches have not been heavily used and are not emphasised |
|
|
|
|
|
|
