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There is always a link between theory and practice. Without a theory, we will not have anything to practice and without practice, we will not learn how the theory will be able to assist us in our work.

However, before putting a theory into practice, we should be aware of the needs of the person as well as the results that we intend to see from the practice. If the theory does not match, we will have to change it

A theory that we can put into practice during our practicum or even when we are LBS will be the Bronfenbrenner theory. Bronfenbrenner believes that a single person has multiple systems in their life which affects them directly or indirectly. When we are communicating with our students, colleagues or even parents, it is important to take note of the different systems they have in life and the ways it affects them. By doing so, we will be able to work and understand them better.

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Interesting topic!!!

To be honest, every time I read some theory, I often find myself asking, "Why must we study what someone else thinks!! There are so many factors that can make this theory invalid!"

However, there are many different theories for a single subject so we can always select the one most agreeable to us to base our practice on. Theories can also inspire ideas to make our practices better. We need to keep our minds flexible and open and tweak things to suit our own contexts whenever necessary.

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A lot of critical thinking, reflection and studies has resulted in a good theory. As such, a good theory serves as a guide to a good practice.  However, as educators we must figure out how the theory provides value to the practice. A good educator is one who reflects on the practice and modifies accordingly after reflections.  That is the key to having a good practice.

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Teachers are reflective practitioners, and it is through lesson planning that teacher reflected, unlike the medical profession where the doctors are able to observe each other in practice. Teachers do not have the luxuries of time to enter each other classroom to observe lessons unless there is one in the timetable. A teacher starts with goals identification and outcome of learning, design the lesson experience starting with plan that is based on a theoretical model proven to be successful with the targeted student population, reflect in action of the past classroom practice that can interact with learning of  content , with the underlying principles behind the theory, to achieve the learning outcome of  diverse learners who can equally access into the content in learning , putting in accommodations planned for a few.  To critically reflect, one has to think of what can be done better if the practical teaching idea did not work out well, and if it has, how can learning be challenged with student demonstrating higher-thinking order.

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Based on my experience, theory and practice are inseparable. If you have a theory, you need to practice it, so that the theory becomes acceptable and proven.

With an educational approach together with the knowledge and experiences that we gained through this course. We are able to provide many aspects and overviews for different SEN individuals.

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Theory and practice are interwoven as you cannot do one without the other. Theories help guide educators to determine which instructional strategies will best serve different kinds of students with different learning styles. The theories learned allow educators to critically reflect on the classroom practices one chose to use and change accordingly to reach diverse learners. Putting theory to practice demonstrate our ability to understand the key concepts behind the theories, justifying our decision-making process. This allows us to think critically about what works and what not, the context in which the theory works and so on.

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Theories helps us understand the basis of why certain ways of doing things may be more effective than others. They can be used across many different situations, therefore they have a wide range of applicability. However, theories are general in nature and a theory can have many aspects to it that vary in its relevance to various situations and contexts. Across the many theories that we have learnt, each has its pros and cons and their effectiveness would depend on the type of student we work with and the unique context it is embedded in. Some of the theories also have limitations which other theories can make up for, hence it may be useful to combine them in practice. Importantly, we should tailor their practical usage according to our students' needs, preferences, and learning profile, and reflect on its effectiveness so as to decipher if it is helpful for them.

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Learning the various theories help us to acquire the necessary content knowledge and plan the appropriate resources and strategies to meet the needs and goals of our students. Putting them into actual practice require hours of planning and rehearsing. We must consider the learning environment, synergy of the class and be ready to think on our feet in case of meltdowns or tantrums. Reflecting on our AHA moments and areas for improvement will help us to be better reflective educators. We need to model the right attitude, be present and always believe in the potential of every child who comes into our hands, so that everyone can enjoy the joy of learning.

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While it is important to have theoretical knowledge, we need to be able to utilise this knowledge and modify it in an applicable way for our students.

Some things are good in theory but do not yield good practical outcome. Hence, we need to be flexible and resourceful to make it work out.

Using Bloom's Taxonomy to plan lessons that are of higher order thinking is one such strategy.

Being able to reflect-in-action is also an important contributing as it allows us to think on the spot thereby stretching our knowledge and skills. This is in contrast to what we are typically used to which is reflection-on-action where we gain insight but are no longer able to influence the teaching outcome.

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We, as educators, sometimes find ourselves stuck when it comes to coming up with teaching ideas, strategies or classroom management skills, to name a few. For this, we fall back to theories that can help us to find ideas to better help the students. The theories serve as a guide for us as they typically have success stories when it comes to their effectiveness. It is important to learn theories AND practice them appropriately as, more often than not, we learn as we do. Merely knowing something is not enough to justify what we have understood. At times, we find ourselves struggling when trying to apply what we have learnt. Practicing helps us to learn from our mistakes, reflect on them, and improve on our methods for the sake of both the students and ourselves.

As a trainee LBS, I feel that it is important for me to know the basics (i.e. theories) to allow me to venture more ideas (practice) to fit different student profiles. As we know, we should not use the "one size fits all" approach when it comes to teaching because different students have different needs.

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"You can't have theory without practice and you cannot have practice without theory."

As educators, theories helps us to not only validate the rationale behind our practices but understand deeper into the knowledge behind our practices.

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is."

It is important that one reflects and has an open mind to new techniques/strategies aka. changes and to adapt such theories/knowledge in our practices accordingly to better suit the differing needs of our students for there is no one-method-fits-all in education.

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Theories give us an understanding of what to work on, as well as how to select the right strategy based on student needs. In practice, the theory is implemented to achieve the desired outcome. In these roles, I will maximise my learning through observing, reflecting, sharing and applying during my upcoming practicum.

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In Semester One, as we had gone through each module reflecting on each segment that was taught, this was further coupled with the theories and the many role plays which we have indeed garnered a repertoire of examples supported by theoretical practices.

With the above, I feel that I am more confident as I am better supported and would be able to put what I have learnt into practice when I am in an actual classroom/ school setting.

I am certain that I will face challenges but I know that I will overcome these challenges and emerge stronger..

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As educators, it is important to understand the various theories that best meet our students' learning profiles and needs. Theories are necessary for us to determine the best strategies and put them into practice.

By putting theories into action, we critically reflect and continue to improve on our strategies as we go along. However, mistakes are bound to happen as it is not easy to put a theory into practice. In this process, we must not be afraid to make mistakes as this is how we become better educators as we contribute to society.

Theories without practice and practice without theories are empty and useless in our line of work. Therefore, we need to persevere and trust that if we marry theories and practice together, good outcomes will show, which is what we hoped for.

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Theories and practice comes in hand-in-hand. Without knowledge of theories, it is hard to determine what to apply and practice. And without practice, the theories becomes a ‘white elephant’ and forgotten.

In every aspects of our lives, we learnt many things. And with repeated practice, we understand what was learnt and even try to tweak them to make it better/more suitable for ourselves and others in different situations. This is only possible if we reflect upon our previous practices and applications.

Thus, these are important skills that educators should have in them. Theories set as the foundation of all practices, and the same applications can never suit every individual student. Improvisations is a must!

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Theories are developed by expert in the fields and they are evidenced based and so called proven. However some theories may be difficult to understand and/or implement (practice). It would be very helpful for those who can understand the theory to illustrate them with examples. Those who have implemented them can also provide tips to others in the form of writings or open classrooms. However, no matter how many examples out there, it would be unlikely to find one that fits your needs and environment exactly. One has to put in effort to reflect-in-action during lesson planning and even during implementation to meet the expected outcomes. Then after implementation, one has to look back and reflect on whether the desired outcomes has been achieved and what can be done better (reflection-on-action).

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Theories are important to help explain or predict certain phenomena. I realized that understanding the gist of theories is vital in creating successful practices. For example, Bloom’s Taxonomy theory on the stages of learning gives educators an organized structure to look into when planning a lesson. A skilful educator will understand the essence of the theory to formulate a lesson that most suit her students. To make a practice successful such theories are crucial.

Often theories form explanations and predictions after years of research and data collection. As educators, we cannot afford to spend time experimenting with ideas or predictions on our students with non-evidence-based practices. Hence, using theories to create practices gives educators the ability to use evidence-based information to make informed decisions to maximize the learning experience for students. Theories help to create successful practices. This added with educator's experience is a treasure to be passed on.

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An educator without theoretical knowledge would have to spend time observing and understanding why certain behaviours occurs. It will be a lengthy process of realizing how and why certain methods works and the basis for its occurrence. The journey of “practice” may allow educators to develop their own beliefs and effective pedagogies but will also confuse some along the way.

It is ideal for us to have adequate knowledge of theories and gain experience through “practice” to concur with the ideas. Through practical application, we are able to gain insightful feedback on when to apply the theories; which target audience; adaptations and limitations which makes us more effective educators.

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Theories and practices are vastly different, yet closely related. They both work recurrently. Their occurrences follow each other one after another. The theories are based on qualitative and scientific observations and practices. In practice, theories become the backbone of our work. We need to understand what motivates students and why they do what they do. It gives us a rough understanding on the 5W1H of an issue, whereas practice lets you determine whether the theory is accurate and to see if we have achieved the desired outcome.

These theories are applied in our work to test what we know. We may discover that the theory we applied did not yield the results we were expecting, or we discovered that a variable was not taken into consideration. Our next step is to go back to the theories we have derived and begin tweaking them so they reflect the nuanced differences present in our practice. Our theories develop as we gain experience and learn through practice. How we develop these theories and our practices in practice is dependent on how deeply we can reflect upon our observations.

It is important to understand what went right or wrong and then to understand why these things happened. Thus, the recurrent nature of theory to practice will not succeed if there is no continual reflection to improve and grow.

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It is important for us to constantly reflect so that there can be improvements in the ways we support the students with SEN. As we constantly reflect on what worked and what didn't as we work with students with SEN, we will become better practitioner. If a strategy worked, it also does not mean we should stick to it all the time. We should also reflect on it, and consider how else we can improve on it.

With the various theories in mind, we will be able to design evidence-based strategies and improve on the strategies as we reflect on them. The more we practice being a reflective practitioner, the more we will grow professionally and become proficient in our field.

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Theories and practices work together hand in hand. Before we could attempt the practical/practice, it is always important to know the theories beforehand. It acts as a foundation in our ground of work. Without theories, we would not know what and how to carry out the practice. However when comes to practice, as an educator, we need to be flexible to meet the needs of our students. Thus, we would be able to apply the relevant and most effective theory on them. One theory may not fit in all situations. Therefore, at times we need to improvise our practice in order to see the change in our students.

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With theories, it comes practical ideas for educators to apply into their classroom. Despite most educators find that theories sometimes are irrelevant to be used during their lesson. (This is my first thought too at the beginning of DISE). There is pros and cons to theories. Theories can be very complex and hard to understand at times but if they are clearly applicable to practise, they can give us a prime perception of why some practical procedures may work or fail. It may also give large numbers of practical ideas to educators. My learning on education theories is what your belief, you will practice, react, and behave towards it. Hence, it is of paramount importance to learn theories before we practise it. Just like Kurt Lewin says, “There is nothing so practical as a good theory”.

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A Theory is the evidence-based structure of beliefs, knowledge or methods that a Practice is built upon. It is often based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of more experienced practitioners meant to be shared and passed down to future practitioners and research.

A Practice is the applicative or consultative use of evidenced-based Theories, to guide a practitioner's actions towards a well reasoned purpose. In some situations the theory may not fit the purpose, therefore the theory needs revisiting.

A practice without the knowledge and wisdom derived from theoretical research will end up being an experiment. Even a well conducted experiment is based on a theory or at least a hypothesis. So Why Reinvent The Wheel?

I feel this is where Critical Reflection comes in. The relationship between Theory and Practice is a transactional journey between its application. There is no learning without mistakes and you need to understand the mistake to grow. You will not see new sights if you keep on the beaten path. The Practice needs The Theory to stay on the path, and The Theory needs The Practice to see if that path works.

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Theories enables us to identify a problem and plan appropriate interventions. Through theories, we can better understand human behavior and what is the motivating factors. When we are doing interventions, we can use these theories to understand, explain and predict behaviors. We can also use theories as a means of backup to our intervention plans.

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Theory and Practice are two entities which rely on each other. In a sense, these two, I feel, are cyclical in nature. They both bounce off each other but come one after the other. Theories come from qualitative and scientific observations and practices. As practitioners, theories become the foundation of our operations. Having concrete knowledge of how students behave and why they behave that way.

We apply these theories in our practice to test our understanding. In our practice, we may find that the theory we have applied might not bear the results we were expecting or a variable has surfaced that we didn’t consider. We then cycle back to the theories we have drawn up and work to tweak it and understand the nuanced differences that were present in our practice. In a sense, our theories evolve with our experience and what we learned in our practice. How we evolve these theories and our deliveries in practice comes down to how deep we can reflect upon our observations.

There lies a need to understand what went right or what went wrong and then we follow it up by understanding why these things happen. Therefore, the cyclical nature of theory to practice will not work if there is no deep reflection to constantly keep improving and growing.

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Practical is the application of theory.

Theory teaches the reasoning, knowledge, whereas practical are hands on. It is said that theoretical knowledge has no value until the learner can apply it for practical purposes. I believe both types of knowledge is as important and make you better at what you need to do. Theoretical education is less engaging than practical education. It entails more than just lecturing and educating, regardless of whether the student understands the principles or not. Educators who teach in a straightforward manner may or may not include interactive tasks are commonly used in theoretical education. Interactive sessions, experiments, and interactive exercises are all vital aspects of practical education that assure student engagement and help them learn and understand more. And since learning is the primary goal of school, it is necessary to raise one’s degree of learning.

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Theories help us to acquire the content knowledge and once we put it into practice, we will then know if the theory that we learned works on the student that we are supporting. It is not a “one theory fits all students approach”. Therefore, it is also important for us to firstly build rapport with our students and learn more about their profile, learning needs and styles before we come up with any lesson plans and strategies. When the activities or strategies that we planned for our students did not go well, it is crucial for us to put on our thinking cap and reflect on it again and find out what had happened and what went wrong. Ask ourself whether we have met our student’s learning goals and what are the areas that needs to improve.
We learned based on our experience and from the mistake that we have made. Yes, we might feel disappointed and upset but we must not be afraid of failures as this is how we will learn better and become a better practitioner. Tweak or modify our practice accordingly or develop new ideas to meet the needs of our students.

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Practical knowledge is the knowledge gained through daily practical experience. In other words, practical knowledge is gained by doing things. It is based on real effort and tasks. Theoretical knowledge, on the other hand, teaches the theory of thinking, technology and knowledge. Practical knowledge is gained by doing things, while theoretical knowledge is gained, for example, by reading instructions, manuals, thesis etc.

I have read many theories and understood the relevance to our jobs understanding our SEN students. Hence this is where being a good reflective educator will come into place and make us great educators. Without reflection, there will be no improvement and growth for us.

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Theories are useful in multiple aspects in the work of an AED (LBS). Firstly, they help us understand certain concepts, phenomenon, occurrences, etc. Oftentimes, there are multiple theories that seek to theorise the same concept/phenomenon/occurrence, and this is especially helpful for us to obtain additional perspectives beyond our own. This then allows us to have a more balanced perspective in our work as an AED (LBS). Furthermore, other theories serve as a framework or guideline as to how our action plan/intervention can be crafted. This allows our intervention to be more organised and systematic as a whole.

Practice is the real life application of the understanding we have obtained from theories. Practice differs from theory in that it involves adaptability, since every student that we work with have different strengths, preferences and weaknesses i.e. there is no one size fits all method. Additionally, due to the complex nature of real life application, evaluating and reflecting on our beliefs, actions and thoughts are also crucial during practice.

All in all, we do need a good understanding of theories to form the basis, coupled with adaptability and reflexivity during practice in order to become a more effective educator.

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Many theories were learnt last year and upon reflection of my 12 years as AED (T&L), I have applied some of them without actually reading about them.
And when I was writing my essay about Educating Peter, I would see overlaps of the theories and some that contradict with other theories.
As I reflect on what I have learnt about theory and practice, I believe it is good to be exposed to theories to widen our knowledge so that educators can mix and match what works for a child. In other words, we need to know the child so that we could use the tools we have learnt to help him. In our practice, sometimes things work, sometimes we need to tweak strategies, sometimes we need to look in another perspective to apply concepts.
The article on the Process of Reflection-In-Action tells that in the work we do, there is a lot of improvisation that can happen while we are helping our students. We are really reflecting on our feet as we practice the theories and this is not easy.
But I believe practice will make us better.

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We all have practical knowledge based on our personal experiences gained through doing things, observing others or just trying to solve real life problems. Most of the time we are unaware if there are any underpinning theories to support it and we follow blindly (monkey see, monkey do). However if it works and can make life easier, then why bother about theories? Well knowledge is wealth and if you understand why something happens theoretically, then we can show through practical knowledge how to use it to create change.

I am sure many successful discovery was based on practical knowledge and without the slightest clue of any theories. However as educators, we must support our practical knowledge with theoretical knowledge. These two are like two sides or the coin as both are important. What’s more important is we understand how both compliment each other. Theories gives us a deeper understanding of a concept but practical knowledge allows us to understand how it works through practice. Through practice we learn and understand theories better.

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To be honest, when it came to classroom management and intervention, I was never really convinced with the importance of theory. I frequently thought that theories were just fluffy ways of putting things into words and that practice and learning on the job should be the way to go. That was until I did my untrained stint and my mentor made me read up theories and have discussions. With her help and facilitation, I grew to appreciate how theories work and how we should base our work on it. I learnt that while a lot of considerations and contexts need to be applied to theories, it can help us to refine our focus and to concentrate on the essentials. Good knowledge of theories may also help us with troubleshooting complex cases, which might involve many moving parts.

That being said, it is important to understand that every student/case is unique, and that there will be factors which change how theories might work. Human beings are complex creatures after all, and sometimes it takes trial and error before we find the sweet spot of marrying theory and practice.

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"Jump into the water, alternate your arms and kick your legs" Guess what is this 'theory' driving at? Correct! Is teaching someone how to swim with words only. We all know too well, it is impossible to swim by merely learning the theory. Both knowledge and skills work hand-in-hand.

APIE gives me the framework to work with SEN students and the ecological framework is like a compass pointing me to the 5 factors to work with. However, for beginners like me, it is indeed challenging to plan the right intervention techniques and execute them effectively. There are many evidence-based techniques to choose from and affirms that there is really no single approach to supporting students. I will hold on to plan with the end in mind to help myself be purposeful and intentional in my words and actions during the practicum.

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Reflecting as an educator, I remembered being introduced to various theories and models during my training. I was not really able to see the significance of it when going through the theories. However when I was posted out to school, I realised that the theories provided me with the basic understanding and foundation of teaching. It also provided me with more ideas, especially when a strategy fails.

Theories and practice comes hand-in-hand. Theories provide evidenced based foundation which help to guide us to decide on the suitable strategies for our students. Without theories, we will not be able to advance further or improve our teaching.

Therefore, as reflective educator, we should support our lessons with theories and at the same time, be opened to reflect and learn from mistakes.

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The relationship between theory and practice are correlated in the sense that they are dependent on each other to achieve the best possible outcome. Theory provides the framework that consist of the foundation and fundamentals of an idea that will then be put into practice. It is through practice that we can experience the effectiveness of the idea and how further improvements can be made in the original theory to be applied in practice again for a better outcome.

This recurring process between theory and practice will involve critical reflection where we take a moment to reflect on what happened during the practice, the take-aways either from a mistake or an achievement and how to apply that learning in future. This is the phase where we may need to make some adjustments before our next practice.

For example, if we refer to our recent learning on “Active Listening” which is a crucial skill required in our roles as AED (LBS). We first understand the importance of active listening and learn the different skills involved in active listening. (e.g, body posture, eye contact, avoiding interruptions, withholding judgement). With these written guidance and theories in place, we then put them into practice in our daily interaction with others or even through role-play. Next we reflect on the outcome and improve upon the areas which we are weaker at. Keeping this example in mind and with the understanding of the relationship amongst theory, practice and critical reflection, it will definitely be useful during practicum.

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From personal experience, theory is helpful when it comes to working with parents and any other stakeholders who do not have prior knowledge about SEN students, as the depth of credible information assists in backing one's practices and approaches when working with SEN students. Knowing about research-based practices also gives us as educators a starting point. However, first-hand experiences will undoubtedly change what is it that we learnt via theory. It is important to be flexible and open to adapting ways of approaching things as well as perspectives.

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Practice is conviction for the practical effectiveness of theory, which is reinforced by academic research. It is a reciprocal and codependent relationship, to enable practitioners to experience and enhance good practices.

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As a student, I strongly believe that the best way to acquire knowledge and skills is to learn theories. Theories allow us to explain what we see and to predict how things will change in the future. It helps us identify problems and develop plans to solve them. On the other hand, practice is the application of theories. It is how knowledge is put to use in the real world.

Therefore, I find it important to link practice and theory, because it shows how I can take what I have learned and apply it to understand key concepts, make decisions, or to develop plans. Personally, I need theories in order to understand what I am doing and why I am doing it. Knowing the theory gives me a sense of confidence to practice it. It is only through practice that I can recognize my limitations and work on improving them. Hence in my opinion, as educators, it will always be beneficial if we incorporate evidence-based practices in our teachings.

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Speaking from experience, yes when I go for courses, I look forward to practical ideas which we can apply immediately to our lessons. Obvious reason is mental exhaustion (i.e. needs critical thinking to see the relation between theory and practice). However after watching the video, I understand why theory is crucial to backup the rationale for practice. Now I start to appreciate theories but I also appreciate practical examples for me to make it as reference/starting point on how I can create similar or better practical ideas which is more sustainable.

This is when i also realize APIE comes in..I need to evaluate the practical ideas. What works and what didn’t and refer back to the theory to generate alternative practical ideas… and the cycle goes on.. while we build our repository.. as there is no One Size Fits All. While theory is there to provide us the foundation knowledge, it is the practice that needs to be thought critically to suit the needs of a student.

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I feel that the quote, "There is nothing so practical as a good theory" by Kurt Lewin that was shared is rather applicable for me at this stage.

I like to have a lot of my actions based on theories as they have been researched / tested on. There are so many good theories that I want to really keep at my fingertips to allow me to be a better practitioner and support my students but I will only be narrowing it all down to only 3.

Reflect, Reflect, Reflect. May not sound so much a like a theory but reflection is a MUST. With every action that happens or is taken, always reflect. If it is good, reflect on what made it good and how to make it better. If it wasn't good, reflect on what happened and why then how to improve. Something so important but so underrated by many.

Urie Bronfrenbrenner's theory of bioecological system is one of the theories that I have been very intrigued by when I was introduced to it last semester and till now I still talk about it, share about it with friends and really look and understand how an individual is like with the influences from their bioecological system. This will help me further understand myself, people around me and most importantly, my students.

Assessments I would also consider something to keep within reach to be able to use to better understand my students which in turn would help to better support my student.

Theories, no matter how well researched, are just words based and understood by many. However, they are good basis to use as a foundation for practical use.

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Theory and practice will always link between one another. Before attempting a theory into practice, we need to understand the theories well, the needs of the students we have as well as the goal that we would want to achieve. These theories would guide us in knowing what and how to carry out the practice. When we have various theories in mind, we are able to create an evidence-based strategies that works best for our student. One theory will not fit in every situation, thus, it is advisable to look at multiple ones to compare and reflect. These practices needs to be improvise to see the change in our students and not stagnant.

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Reflecting on theory and practice, these 2 are like your left and right hands. Most of the time, you need to know the theory before you can practice a skill. However, you also need the practice to fully understand how the theory can help you complete a task better. Learning all the theory during the course makes us know what the necessary skills are we need in order to be a better educator, but it is the practice that we will do that help us put the theories into test and understand the meaning why we have these theories in the first place.

To help our students in the school to be better learners, we need to first teach ourselves to make full use of what theories we have learnt and practice them. Usually, we will not remember all, so vice versa, we practice and relearn the theories which is an ongoing learning journey for all of us.

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Theories are often thought as something complex, long-winded, and boring. However, it can be said that theories serve as a guide for developing our action plan - what we put into practice.

As an AED LBS, we need to understand our students before putting anything into practice. Learning about theories will help us understand certain human behaviours, which in turn will help us understand our students better. From there, we will be better equipped to work with our students.

One of the theories that resonate strongly with me would be Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning. I realised that my life revolves around classical conditioning, be it with my students at school or at home with my children and it even works on my husband :p

For someone who did not look further into this theory, they would merely associate classical conditioning with punishment or controversial experiments. However, when one delves deeper into this theory, one would soon realise that using classical conditioning at the very beginning can set the tone right. (Eg. Ensuring that the LBS room is a safe space for our students with SEN)

As we aim to be reflective educators, we must thus back our practice with theories while also being willing to reflect on and learn from our shortcomings.

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In my opinion, theory without practice is just knowledge. It is important to practice what had been thought in order to eventually gain mastery. Throughout the course however there will be errors, mistakes or something that needs tweaking. This is when critical thinking is important; we have to take a step back and analyse if the strategies that we have learnt and put in place, are in fact impactful. Failing to do so would result in stagnant progress and this would not be optimal for the students' learning.

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Theory and practice are together, its basically inseparable. If you follow a theory the only logically way is to practice it to prove that the theory works.

Theories are more giving us the insights and understanding on what is the best strategy is needed for the student's need. As a teacher, its best to understand the child's need first, understand what the child need and which theory suits the child best. from there, implement the practice to get the desired outcome.

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There are many theories that I have learnt last semester that I find very useful and I plan to implement some of them during practicum. One of them is the cognitive learning theories. The principles of the cognitive learning theories provide a kind of structure to help me plan, implement and assess my lessons.
The first principle in cognitive learning theories states that learning and development depends on experience. I believe that people learn best from direct experience coupled with guided reflection and analysis. Thus my lessons will include active learning that will comprise of activities for the hands-on component and discussion/reflection for the minds-on component. Activities need to be differentiated to cater for the different learning styles, interest and levels of learning.
Another principle of the cognitive learning theories is that knowledge that the learners construct depends on what they already know. So, before I begin teaching, I will check on my student's prior knowledge . As I am teaching, I will check on their understanding through proper questioning using the Bloom's taxonomy to guide me. I will also try to highlight and resolve any misconceptions on the topic. I will try to remember to use encoding strategies in my lessons such as activating the relevant prior knowledge, helping students connect the new information with their prior knowledge through the use of graphic organisers/discussion and to alleviate cognitive load by chunking information and using visuals. I also hope to use the UDL principles when designing my lessons so that I am able to disable barriers in learning.

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Knowledge Vs Ability
We teach students that getting an education is important, to learn, attain a job, be self-sufficient and survive. Some of the hidden importance of attaining a higher education is the development of reflective skills, of questioning, discovering new things, hunger for answers and the development of the growth mindset. It is only with a growth mindset that one can be empowered to take on any changes and apply/adapt the skills learnt to any circumstance. As an educator I hope to not only hold on to and teach students learnt theories but to challenge them to apply it and reflect on future adaptations.

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One can never have a practice without theory, for theory are a set of principles on which the practice of an activity is based.

Theories are known to be vague, complex and difficult to understand because these generated ideas are usually there to illustrate principles of the certain subject. Hence, when put into practice, can be clear and simple.

Theories are there to give us a general sense of understanding that will define how it will be carried out in practice. I see it as a continuum where one starts off with a theory and leads to practice during implementation. This process goes back and forth such that it develops it into practical and effective strategies.

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Having sufficient knowledge on various theories is very important. However, if we do not know how to apply those theories in a practical way, our knowledge of those theories will not be so useful after all. We need to make use of these knowledge well and ensure that our students will be able to benefit from it. Theories will act as a foundation for our work. We will also need to be flexible. One theory may not be suitable for a particular student/situation. We will definitely need to choose the right and effective theory for it, or even modifying and improvising or practice, in order to see positive results.

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Theories are evidence-based research done and proven. It is passed down through generations to allow us to learn and may even enhance the research of that theory. Different theories have their individual pros and cons. There is no one size fits all theory. I believe that theories and practice must work hand in hand. No matter how good the theory is on paper, if no one practices it, then it is just a piece of research.

For the theories to work, we must first believe in it. We gather information of our student and see what motivates them or hinders them when they are learning. Our role, as an Allied Educator, is to put the theories into practice and find the best (could even be a combination of theories) which suit the individual student under our charge. After the intervention, we allow them for reflection and see if there is a need to adapt our approach when supporting the student.

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I understand that theory and practice come hand in hand. Reading about a theory alone makes no sense because we need to practice it to see if it works and understand the rationale behind it fully. A theory allows us to make sense of the happenings and meanings behind them.
For instance, I really like Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of cognitive development. It provides an understanding of how language, culture and environment play a big role in a child's development.
Behaviourism theories explain the 'why' of behaviour. Thus, they allow us to find out the possible causes of problems. Moving forward, we can apply the motivational theories such as self-determination theory to help a child perform better in school.
Overall, I believe that theories help educators to critically reflect on classroom practices to ensure we can give the best to our students.

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Theory and practice is sort of a bridge that is connected to create outcome. Theory alone does not help to elaborate meaning without practice. However, theories are teaching methodologies which helps to guide teachers to find the rationale behind what they had to do or teach.

As educators, it's important to rely on evidence based strategies to implement practices and routines for SEN students. As these theoretical strategies have been researched and worked, it is imperative to place identified theories into practice as quickly as possible to support our students before they fall through the cracks.

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Whenever I learn theories, I always think that they are just fundamental ideas and are too general for application. There is no one theory that fits all. There can also be many theories that fit one. In the practical world, there are just too many variations/factors/reasons that one must consider in any given situation. There is a link between the two and I see theories as a guide for me to understand some why and how questions on my mind when things happened. I have learnt that as an educator, having good knowledge of theories is a must/ a bonus. And for the application of theories to be effective, we need to first, understand our students’ needs and carefully select, customize or combine theories and put them to practice. Both theory and practice work hand in hand.

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I believe, theories are the different/methods proven to help a child succeed in attaining knowledge. These theories are only proven useful when put into practice.  We must ensure that we always reflect on what worked and what did not in order for these theories to be effective. By reflecting, we are able to tweak the different strategies within the theories to suit our students’ needs.

There are many such useful theories that can be put into practice and one that particularly resonates with me is that of Vygotsky’s which is Scaffolding. To me, this is the fundamental of a child’s learning. The child learns through modelling and guidance by those with the knowledge. And in schools, they learn through us, educators.

Scaffolding is essential in developing our students’ confidence in being able to handle the tasks on their own with ease. Hence, I have to plan and pay close attention to my “I do” and “We do” components of teaching and be sure that my student is confident enough before getting him/her to move on to the “You Do” segment. In the event where the child is unable to still perform the tasks on his/her own, this will be an indication that he/she requires further and more intense scaffolding.

To sum it up, theories are useful if you put them into practice and have the believe that they will work on your student.

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I am sure we all will agree to this statement and have heard many say this “When you think positive, good things happen!!” That is exactly how I can relate in theory with Fredric Jones’ positive classroom management. His approach mainly focuses on the relationship between classroom processes and outcomes.

Fredric Jones’ has 4 fundamental skills in his theory. They are namely classroom structure, limit setting through body language, responsibility training through preferred activity time (PAT), and backup system.

I think it's very important to set the correct classroom structure for the student during practicum as well as in the future. I have been in secondary school for 12 years and thus adapting to a primary school will be a bit different. I think and feel that I must be very mindful of my expressions and body language to the younger students. I will highly encourage and motivate the younger students through bite-size activity and chart their progress eventually giving them a reward (PAT activity). Students of any age these days will be mischievous at some of their life, so I will educate them patiently on the consequences instead of using a top-down approach. I see many teachers in school using a very dominant and top-down approach then failing to completely end up losing control of the student’s behavior.

I am someone who believes there is a balance between work and play and thus will also encourage that behavior in my students allowing them to be more focused in lessons and also have better academic outcomes.

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Theory and practice have to go hand in hand. One can know so many theories, yet not actually have the skill sets to put them into action.

One of my favourite theories taught last semester is the confirmation bias. It is how humans have the tendency to search for or interpret practice in a way that confirms or supports their prior beliefs or values. This is something I uphold importantly as it is a reminder for me to stay open-minded, and always look out for other practical ways that do not necessarily support my personal beliefs. This can teach me various new practices that I previously did not expect could work.

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At the beginning of the course, I would often wonder why do I have to learn so many different types of theories and how would these theories benefit me during my journey as an AED LBS.

Theories help to provide a framework to understand human behavior, thoughts, and developments.  Theory can also be considered as a tool that enables us to identify a problem and to plan how to solve the problem.

Not all theories available will be relevant for us. It is paramount to understand the needs of our students and seek to understand which theory would be more appropriate for our students' intervention.

When we apply theories into practice, it will also enable us to reflect in action. It allows us to think about whether the theory that we have put into practice is effective, result-proven, and if not, how we can try to improvise or make amendments along the way.

Theories and practice are definitely inseparable. You cannot have one without the other.

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As educators, we are called to be "reflective practitioners". We often hear this term being thrown in all directions every time we attend a course or a workshop. But have we taken the time to ask ourselves what it truly means to us? This term is made up of two simple words,  "reflective" and "practitioners". I personally believe that the first word, reflective, is extremely important in our industry as without taking the time to think about what we are doing, what we are learning in the process of planning what we have to do, or even what others have been doing, we cannot be as effective as those who took the time to ponder, and try out various ways of doing things, before they come up with all these theories that are being taught to us. Only by reflecting on our own ways of delivering our lessons or our approaches, would we get better at what we do and that's when we may call ourselves reflective practitioners. Basically, we have to constantly reflect on what we are doing, ask ourselves whether what we are doing is producing the intended results we want to see, also whether there are better ways of doing what we are doing. And what do we do next. It is the constant "what, so what,  now what" approach that can help us be better educators, better problem solvers, better helpers to our students. There are multiple theories out there, we have been using many of them is our years as an AED (T&L) maybe without always doing so consciously. But now, the challenge is to actively refer to the theories and design our lesson plans accordingly, to consciously bring the theories to life, in our practice as educators for students with special needs. By being aware and clear, about what theory we are using, we are driven to the expected outcome and stay on track until we reach this goal. This would help us be in a better position to measure the child's progress and chart any modification should we notice any bump along the way. Of course, we must also approach every student as an individual and not expect that every single student will behave in the same way, just because we are using the same theory. Adaptability is key, it is exactly by reflecting on our practice that we will be able to know how to use the theories to our advantage, to have the desired outcomes from our students.

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Theories are models or frameworks that are developed to explain or predict certain phenomena and practices describe the application of knowledge in a given situation. By linking theory and practice together, we can increase our understanding the key concepts and how knowledge can be applied in the real world.

Therefore, practical tips acts as a bridge between practice and theory.

Example, the teaching tip “Do not give homework at the end of the lesson.” This is because teachers will not have enough time to explain clearly how to do the homework and students will not be able to ask questions.

For my lesson planning, I would apply the following Constructivist Principles:

1.     Learning should be an active process; learners will have the opportunities to explore, discover, create and make connections on the concepts, ideas and people. Examples, group work, role play, peer to peer teaching, etc.

2.     To assess and their stages of development and prior knowledge when designing activities and choosing content. Examples, quizzes, assessments, etc.

3.     To build schemas to enable learners to organize their experiences and knowledge into mental models using scaffolding and guided practice.

4.     To provide time for learners to reflect on their learning experiences through journals, Exit Card, etc.

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Theory = Words
Practice = Actions

As AED LBS, I feel this is the right time to apply one theory that I have learned during my DISE course. I believe theory will not work if it does not apply as practice. I believe those theories have evidence proven and worked.

In our job scope, we often support students with learning difficulties. Hence, scaffolding can be very beneficial to the child or student that we support. It can be done through "I do," "We do," and "You do."

Having a strong belief in this theory is important because it benefits both the student and as well as working adults such as myself as a student at NIE. We often hear this quote, "Not many people know how to swim when throw in the ocean. Helpless ones will drowned in the deep ocean."

Thus, with scaffolding, the student gets a sense of trying and getting started, which also help to boosts their confidence level too.

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Knowledge is only useful if you do something with it. -Jeffery Pfeffer

I find this quote so true. Theory if not put into practice, will be soon forgotten. However, practice without theory will be like trying to get to your destination in an unfamiliar place without a map. You might get there, but not without a huge amount of time spent detouring and trying to get your bearing.

To me, the most obvious example of linking up theory learnt last semester to practicum would be the use of APIE. In each of it’s A, P, I and E components itself has different theories linked to it, whether it would be the assessment tools you use, or the evidence-based strategies that you want to implement, all these require the theoretical knowledge – how to use the assessment tool, suitability of the tool, what does research say about a certain strategy, etc. the list goes on. Other than the assignments where we need to interview the students, most of our tutorials have been spent working on case studies. Hence practicum will be a good platform for us to finish (hopefully) one full cycle of the APIE framework, allowing us to tie in all the knowledge we have learn from the different modules. After all, these theories and knowledge will only stay as empty words, if there is no practice involved. At the same time, we need to practice the correct things, as unlearning the wrong things takes time and effort. Hence, both theory and practice are interconnected. One, cannot do without the other.

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As I embark on my practicum journey, I will have to continually reflect on my time in the school. The tools that I have been taught will be really helpful. Making sense of the school's culture, my colleagues working style, the students as well as my own personality is going to be a difficult task during my practicum. Reflecting on these factors will define how I develop as an AED(LBS) and how I support my future students. Reflection has always been something uncomfortable for me to do, but I think it's the perfect time for me to get started and ruminate on everything that I have learnt so far.

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Practice and theory work hand in hand as we usually put into practice what we learn in theory.
However, in reality there are many theories and it is not always possible to follow and apply all the theories.
Thus, it is important for me to pick the theories that suit my students' needs best.
Based on what I have picked, I can plan my strategies to help them the best way possible. This will also allow me to reflect on the effectiveness of the strategies and if there is a need to, modify it accordingly.

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Theories are models or frameworks that are developed to help explain or predict certain phenomena. Practice describes the application of knowledge or skills in a given situation. There is no one size fits all theory or practice in the real world.

The connection between theory and practice will depend on our ability to demonstrate our understanding of what we have learnt and apply to the real-world situation. Often, we have to use our critical thinking and decision-making skills to show our understanding of key concept during the practice. We may combine different theories and put into practice for one child or a situation.

This is not over yet. Not all theory is 100% applicable and relevant. We need to justify what theory to use, how to use it and reflect on the effectiveness. The experience and observation are important for our learning. After the practice, we have concrete examples on what is the best practice or how accurate is the theory for the child or situation. We may have to make adjustment accordingly. Constant reflection enables us to do it better for future experience.

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Theory is an explanation of the relationship between concepts or how/why a phenomenon occurs. Conversely, practice is the observation of these concepts or phenomenon that needs explanation.

In education, theory allows educators to critically reflect on their classroom practices, through examining their beliefs, assumptions and values which determine how they organize their classroom experiences and practices. In reflection, we can apply the reflection model developed by Rolfe et al (2001) that is based on three key questions: 1) What? 2) So what? 3) Now what? The theory in research can be used to generate hypotheses or explain phenomena. Through research, the results produced cause the theory to be revised, or rejected.

Vygotsky’s theory encapsulates the idea that cognitive development of learners occurs when they are provided support from more knowledgeable others, such as teachers in the classrooms and acquire the knowledge and skills that are unique to a particular culture through the use of social interaction and language. These more knowledgeable others will gauge the learners’ readiness for new tasks and provide necessary supports as scaffolding, and gradually withdraw support as learner has acquired the knowledge and skills over time. This theory can be applied in practice through the ‘I Do, We Do, You Do’ teaching process in a multi-cultural classroom whereby English is the medium of teaching. Through ‘I Do’, the more knowledgable others models the skill (for instance, writing a sentence with Subject, Verb, Object), followed by ‘We Do’as scaffolding by guided practice is provided by the more knowledgeable other through questions to perform the writing skill, followed by ‘You Do’ as scaffolding through questions is withdrawn and the learner is expected to perform the writing skill independently. Through this practice, the key questions of the reflection model could be asked: 1) What was good/bad of the experiences, 2) What conclusions can we draw from the experiences, 3) How will you apply what you learned from these experiences; What will you do differently from the experiences? Through these reflections, the practice can be refined to better suit each learner’s learning needs and have a revised understanding of the theory in relating to the practice.

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Theories are academics models or framework that are developed to help certain phenomena.

Practice describes the application of knowledge or skills and involve the experience you’ve had, explaining the way you have created something.

The activity is useful, when we are able to construct theories to explain it and are able to criticize and design other ideas and know when and why we use them. It also contributes to our critical thinking and growth.

Linking theory and practice shows that we understand the connections between what we are learning and how that knowledge is applied.

As an AED LBS we work closely with students with SEN to set learning and behaviour goals and apply strategies towards those goals. I will use scaffolding to help student learn progressively and become more confident learner through the I Do, We Do, You Do model. After I will reflect on something that happened and think how I might do it differently next time to motivate them to develop and achieve independence in their learning.

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The theories that we learn inform the teaching tips that can help us when it comes to practical applications in the classrooms. Academics develop theories from real life situations they come across in their research, which underpin the development of practical knowledge for what works and doesn’t work in classroom applications. This is why learning theory, such as in our educational psychology course, is important even though the connection to application may not seem immediately apparent. Having an understanding of theoretical underpinnings guides the choice of practical solutions - e.g., meeting the five basic needs (Glasser) in the classroom to achieve better classroom management.

The e-repository is definitely a useful resource that compiles not just teaching tips but also tools and information in a place that's easy to access. I do have my own collection of resources that I've accumulated but it’s not well organized, so organizing my resources and information better is one important thing I can take away from the e-repository!

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Theory and practice are two components that complement one another. Our ability to read and understand the different theories in terms of skills and strategies will be of assistance to us as AED(LBS) and as individuals in the school setting. It is crucial that we equip ourselves with a deep understanding of the various theories available to us. Following this, we would need to apply the information we have gained in a practical way; where we would practice the information we have acquired.

As an AED (LBS), I believe we need to constantly provide ourselves with readings and theories that will benefit us as we pursue our profession. We must also take the opportunity to put into practice what we have learnt so that we understand what works and what does not work.

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This discussion of theory and practice made me recall the 3-pronged approach to evidence-based practice, which includes client values/preferences, research evidence (~theory) and clinical expertise (~practice). Each aspect is important for us to consider, in order to ensure that we are delivering effective intervention.

As a beginning educator, I remember being more eager to learn practical skills on how to teach, rather than theories and concepts. After all, who doesn't love a great strategy/resource that helps make our teaching more effective and even fun for students? Over time though, I realised that good practical strategies are actually rooted in sound theory, so there is really no separating the two. A good grasp of theoretical knowledge would help us to think out of the box and adjust our teaching practice to best suit each unique student.

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Theory and practice should be intertwined, which is why it's helpful to think of the process as braiding a rope, with the two elements constantly connected. As an AED LBS, when we write our report, the paragraph may go from theory to practice, then back to theory, or vice versa. For example, by citing concrete instances from your own experience, practice, or observations. These should be specific to the reader and easily identified. Introduce the relevance of the connection by using clear transition phrases or linking words to connect theory and practice.

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Theory is important as it forms the basis of what we know and how it can be applied to our students and cases.

But ultimately I feel practical experience and practice will determine whether we can apply what we know well, and make it suitable for our students and cases.

In essence, we require the theory component to help us know how to manage and resolve issues faced by our students and assist them in facing the challenges they have in their learning and life or social settings. But our practice will help us to effective use this knowledge to tailor our approaches to our students and their problems which they face so that they can be better helped by us.

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Theory and practice are two separate domains linked by a process of abstraction and application. In essence, theory is abstracted practice while practice is applied theory. I believe that in order to understand how theory and practice are connected, one must find out what the theory says that is of benefit to those who practice it.

Theory makes many assumptions to explain the phenomenon and concepts. It provides us with information and explains how things work or should be done. However, to maximize our understanding of the theory and practice, we must fully understand the theory and try to apply those theories in practice.

From an educator's perspective, I think it is important that we remain adaptable. As the world changes, so do the theories and practices. Always try to understand a set of theories and have a willingness to apply them in practice and adapt them in a way that benefits both the students and us as educators.

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In psychology, theories are used to provide a model for understanding the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of humans. Theories often compromise both the description of a behaviour and a prediction on future behaviours. As a result, a practitioner can put these evidence-based theories into practice by applying them into varrying real-world situations.

I think that as an AED(LBS), we need to be extremly selective of the practices that we adopt as factors like time, resources and parental support may not be as readily available. I also feel that it is also important to remember that even the best of intervention plans fall through and not take 'failures' personally as such is the nature of working with fellow humans.

What we can do as educators is to make an effort to contantly reflect objectively and critically. While we cannot aim for perfection, we can definitely aim to improve ourselves and give our best for our students.

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Theories and Practice are go hand in hand. Without knowledge in theory, our practice has no direction, and without practice, our knowledge does not strengthen. Theory is knowledge and knowledge is powerful. As professionals, we should always keep in touch with research studies. Research studies are constantly updating us with new knowledge. With knowledge, we can stay updated and our practices can continue to evolve. Hence in order to grow, it is important to have theoretical knowledge. On a similar level of significance, practice enables us to hone our theoretical knowledge. Real life does not present us with cookie-cutter situations that are often presented in theoretical work. Hence, real world experience is the best time to put our knowledge to actual practice and modify them according to unique situations.

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Through this course, I have a better understanding on delivering and effective intervention which was previously exhibited in the 3-pronged approach to evidence-based practice.

I've always believed that theories and concepts will only be mastered through practice. Going by the book may be different than on the ground, which needs practical skills.