3.1 Teaching and Learning – Page 2

Placement Day 1

Thursday 23rd January Today was my first day of placement in primary 1/2. Whilst in the class I found it very interesting and exciting to see all of my knowledge and understanding in practice as the children worked on their literacy and numeracy skills. Interesting observations When explaining the learning intentions and success criteria the … Continue reading Placement Day 1

Thursday 23rd January

Today was my first day of placement in primary 1/2. Whilst in the class I found it very interesting and exciting to see all of my knowledge and understanding in practice as the children worked on their literacy and numeracy skills.

Interesting observations

When explaining the learning intentions and success criteria the teacher used toys called “learning ladybug” and “successful snake” to engage the children and keep them focused on what is expected from them.
In the morning when the children arrived, the teacher reinforces the days of the week, months of the year and asks the children the date.
In maths, when looking at number patterns/sequins the teacher used a washing line and gloves to teach the children how to count in patterns of 5. The gloves with 5 fingers were a great visual for the children as they could easily count the fingers if they needed to.
When completing the writing task the children used number lines to help them identify missing numbers in the sequence.
One successful method that I noticed the teacher using to ‘chunk’ up the lesson was to use interactive videos on https://app.gonoodle.com/discover . I noticed that the teacher used this strategy to help the children when they were becoming restless or beginning to lose focus. This not only improved the children health and wellbeing by getting them up and moving as all the children were very keen to join in and dance along. In addition the videos developed their understanding as they were related to the task i.e. patterns.

Communicating in Other Environments

During an input for the Situated Communication module, we were asked to build a den. We were placed in groups, and although I have already had the opportunity to interact with all the members it was my first time working in a group with some. We worked well as a team and experimented with everyone’s … Continue reading “Communicating in Other Environments”

We worked well as a team and experimented with everyone’s ideas to help solve problems, for example ways to secure our roof without using tape.

After reflection, and reading about Hargie’s purposes of explaining I have been able to identify strengths that the group we visited displayed in their explanation of their den (2011). The group explained their den well, with added comedy and also responded to our questioning positively. It was interesting to hear their descriptions of their den as without this input we would have missed some of the creative design features. It was also nice to hear some of the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.

Being outside of a usual classroom or lecture environment pushed me out of my comfort zone but encouraged me to take a more fun approach to the task. I think that the environment made a more informal feeling which reflected in my communication. I communicated with the whole group and with individuals, which I often think is harder to do when doing group work at a table. Being outside meant that we were more spread out and could solve problems in smaller sections as well as with the whole group.

We were in a sheltered area which meant that the wind and other noises did not affect our communication. In other areas outside, the volume used may have to be louder if there are other noises to “compete” with or quieter if you are sharing spaces with other members of the public. I sometimes found myself distracted by other noises, and at the start I was distracted by trying to scout out good materials! This could be overcome by explaining in a different environment, to keep instructional communication outdoors limited or by finding an area with less distractions, like the clearing we stood in.

We were unsuccessful in our negotiations, although we did try to trick another group into swapping materials with us. I think this was due to other groups also negotiating for other tasks and being distracted by the poem we were creating for the presentation!

It was challenging to consider what other groups may like in return, in order for the negotiation to seem fair.

Overall, it was enjoyable to challenge my communication skills in a different environment and with a new combination of people to work with in my group. This input has highlighted the importance of active outdoor learning in order to challenge learners in new contexts.

Reference

Hargie, O. (2011) Skilled Interpersonal Communication. 5^th Edition. London: Routledge

Communication in Other Environments

In today’s workshop we were put into groups of 5 and set the task of building a den using some materials provided such as poles and cardboard and other materials that we found i.e. leaves and sticks. Within my group there was a leader, however, this leader was informally chosen and naturally stepped up to … Continue reading Communication in Other Environments

Within my group there was a leader, however, this leader was informally chosen and naturally stepped up to this role and she had experience in building dens. The leader had a vision for out den and explained to us how she thought would be the best to build the den based on the materials that our group had. I was happy for someone who had more experience than me to step up and share her ideas with the group. In my personal opinion the most challenging part of working in my group was having to work and communicate with people that I normally wouldn’t and discussing different ideas until we found one that suited our group and materials.

When talking to other groups about how they built their den, they used the ‘5 P’s of explaining’ as a way of communicating with us about how they built it. The group discussed how they planned and prepared their den and then listed some key points and features of their den and why they built it the way that they did.

As we were outside our communication was not only verbal, when explaining to others within my group, I used hand gestures to communicate instructions and sometimes had to raise my voice to communicate with other group members if they were far away. Throughout the task we were constantly listening to other people’s ideas and giving feedback based on our own opinions. In my personal opinion I didn’t find that I was having to speak above the sounds in the environment as all my group members were actively engaged and listening. I understand that when completing this task with children that they may become distracted by the environment, I feel that one way of overcoming this is to not talk at the children for a long period of time and get them actively engaged in the task such as finding materials and building the den quickly.

Protected: Story time!

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Communicating in Other Environments- Reflective Task

Group and leadership Was there a group leader? Not really, we all led at some points! How did this impact on the rest of the group e.g. was there some underlying resentment/ did anyone feel excluded? No one in our … Continue reading →

Group and leadership
Was there a group leader?

Not really, we all led at some points!

How did this impact on the rest of the group e.g. was there some underlying resentment/ did anyone feel excluded?

No one in our group felt excluded. This was because we worked well together as we didn’t feel the need for a “leader” as such.
What was most challenging for you about working in this group? (personal reflection)

The most challenging aspect was splitting up the tasks that needed done and completing them in the time frame.

Explaining
How clearly did you think the group explained to you?

The group explained clearly how they split up the tasks, collected the materials, structured the den and then made the final touches to it to make it more homely.
What made this clear or unclear?

When communicating this they used an informal tone which was clear and could be easily understood. They spoke proudly about their structured and conveyed this in a confident but friendly manner.

What stage of the 5Ps might have been missed out?

The team we spoke to hadn’t missed any stages out.

Environment

What was the impact of the environment on your communication?

When communicating outdoors a louder, clearer and unobstructed voice is required to ensure success. Without this, listening and responding to question would be particularly challenging.

What changes did you make when explaining to others that you might not have considered in a typical classroom?

The tone used was more informal and colloquial. This may not necessarily be suited to the regular classroom environment.

How challenging was it so speak above the sounds in the environment? How can we make this communication easier on both speaker and listener?

Communicating above the sounds of the environment such as, traffic noise, rustling trees, voices etc was quite challenging at first. After adjusting my vocalism according to it I was able to overcome this.

When listening, did the environment distract you? How can we overcome this?

The natural environment provides an element of exploration which should be encouraged. Personally, the environment didn’t distract me as I am outdoors regularly. With children, a central focus point would be necessary to ensure complete concentration.

Negotiation

Were your negotiations successful? Why/Why not?

No, we did not manage to gain any extra team members.
What was most challenging about these?

People had become very attached to the structure they had made and took great pride in talking about it. This meant that they wanted to stay with it and not join another team.

Reading Review Task – Chapter Five – Hargie (2011)

The ultimate aim of this chapter is to inform people of all the different approaches to and ways of questioning. This chapter has many key themes. Some of these are: the effects of questioning on the questioner and respondent and the feelings and emotions that can be conveyed and the ways of answering questions. The chapter claims that the use of open ended questions are more effective than closed questions. This is because the encouragement of social interaction is increased when there is not one specific answer, or a choice of answers. An open ended question allows for the respondent to portray their opinion more freely because they are not as restricted. The chapter states that leading questions can often lead to children feeling under pressure. Therefore, closed question may be better for children to remain within their comfort zone. Despite this, children also need to have experiences out of their comfort zone as well.

The chapter was very informative and his helped to increase my understanding of questioning. It also showed me just how influential and powerful a teachers’ words can be on the children as learners.

Early Level Communication

https://glowscotland.sharepoint.com/sites/WestLothianCouncil/wlliteracy/SitePages/West-Lothian-Literacy-Progression—Early-Level.aspx

Community Project: Rainbows

I have been volunteering with a Rainbow unit in Ayr since the start of the term. Before that I have volunteered with a Rainbow unit and a Guide unit in Livingston and have been involved in Girlguiding since I was five years old. Rainbows are the first section in Girlguiding. It is for girls aged …

Continue reading “Community Project: Rainbows”

I have been volunteering with a Rainbow unit in Ayr since the start of the term. Before that I have volunteered with a Rainbow unit and a
Guide unit in Livingston and have been involved in Girlguiding since I was five years old.

Rainbows are the first section in Girlguiding. It is for girls aged five to seven. They take part in different activities, trips and overnight adventures all based around the Girlguiding program and our promise:

“I promise that I will do my best, to be true to myself and develop my beliefs, to serve the Queen and my community, to help other people and to keep the Guide law.”

This is simplified for the Rainbows to:

“I promise that I will do my best to think about my beliefs and to be kind and helpful.”

(Girlguiding, 2019)

The most surprising thing I found at this unit was how big it was. The unit has been split into two and has up to 20 girls in each sections. The sections run back to back so we can have up to 40 girls in a night. We run this with two leaders and two young leaders. This also presents several challenges as we have a very small space in which to work and controlling girls who like to run around screaming can be very challenging. We try to overcome this by working with the girls in small groups when doing the activities.

Another challenge I have faced is learning about the new program that has been implemented in Girlguiding. I took a year out from Guiding when I came to university so did not receive any training for the new program, therefore I am having to learn how the program works and the new way in which the girls are earning badges and awards.

Despite these challenges I absolutely love working with the girls. It is one of the reasons I decided to become a primary teacher. I love being able to work with them and teach them new skills. To be able to see girls walk out with a smile on their faces that they didn’t come in with is really amazing to see.

The girls all come from different schools and different backgrounds but they all come together once a week to work and play together. In doing this they are able to create their own community within Rainbows. Rainbows also take part in wider community events. Recently the rainbows took part in the Remembrance day service at the church we meet in. Rainbow units could also look after community flower or vegetable plots, help with toy appeals or visit care homes.

Girlguiding within itself is a community made up of “50,000 young members” and “11,500” volunteers in Scotland alone (Girlguiding Scotland, n.d.). This, however, is just one country if we look at our worldwide community – who all come together under the name of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) – we have 150 countries and 10 million members all over the globe ( World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, n.d. and Girlguiding Scotland, n.d.). This is something that I find amazing that 10 million girls and women can be connected by one single organisation which has commons goals and outlooks. Being part of girlguiding has allowed me to meet and become friends with people from across the country and around the world. It is through this community that I was able to start up with another Rainbow unit in another town.

Within Rainbows I have been able to build my confidence when controlling a group of children. I have also developed my communication skills with parents, children and with other volunteers. These are essential skills in teaching as communication and control are paramount in the classroom. I’ve also been able to develop my confidence in being able to keep this age group focussed on tasks – another thing that is vital in the classroom. As I continue to volunteer I feel that my skills in communicating and engaging children will improve. I also feel that I will be able to transfer the experiences of learning through play from Rainbows into the classroom.

Many of the activities that are in the Rainbow program have to be adapted to suit the venue, resources and the type of girls we have. This would be similar to the differentiation that has to be done in a classroom. This sometimes has to be done very quickly with no prior planning because of changing circumstances. This skill will help in my development as a teacher in a ever changing environment.

Volunteering with the Rainbows links with Sustainable Development through the badges that focus on looking after the planet and looking after the community. Girlguiding’s (2019) “#PlasticPromise” that is a pledge to reduce single-use plastic.

Rainbows also links to Interprofessional Working because as a Rainbow leader I need to work with other leaders and young leaders, district commissioners, county commissioners, parents, other organisations and the church minister. This requires good communication skills and the ability to work well as a team.

References

Girlguiding (2019) Girlguiding launches #PlasticPromise, the biggest ever girl-led campaign to tackle plastic pollution [Online] Available: https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/what-we-do/our-stories-and-news/news/girlguiding-launches-plastic-promise/ [Accessed: 25 November 2019]

Girlguiding (2019) The Promise [Online] Available: https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/about-us/what-makes-guiding-special/the-promise/ [Accessed: 25 November 2019]

Girlguiding Scotland (n.d.) Facts and Figures [Online] Available: http://www.girlguidingscotland.org.uk/what-we-say/press-and-media/facts-and-figures/ [Accessed: 25 November 2019]

Girlguiding Scotland (n.d.) Rainbows (age 5 – 7) [Online] Available: http://www.girlguidingscotland.org.uk/who-we-are/what-girls-can-do/rainbows/ [Accessed 25 November 2019]

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (n.d.) Membership [Online] Available: https://www.wagggs.org/en/about-us/membership/ [Accessed: 25 November 2019]

Disasters

“A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources. Though often caused by nature, disasters can have human origins” (IRFC, 2019) Disasters are split into …

Continue reading “Disasters”

“A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources. Though often caused by nature, disasters can have human origins”
- (IRFC, 2019)
Disasters are split into two main categories; man – made and natural.
- Man made disasters
  - “events that are caused by humans and occur in or close to human settlements.”
  - Examples are famine, industrial accidents, transport accidents, famine and other complex emergencies or conflicts.
    - (IRFC, 2019)
- Natural disasters
  - “naturally occurring physical phenomena caused either by rapid or slow onset events”
  - Examples are split into four categories
    - Geophysical: earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic activity
    - Hydrological: avalanches and floods
    - Meteorological: cyclones, tornadoes, storm/wave surges, and other extreme weather
    - Biological: disease epidemics and insect/animal plagues
      - (IRFC, 2019)
A countries capability to be able to deal with a disaster relies on three factors;
- Preparedness
- Response
- Recovery
This can be seen most clearly when comparing Japan’s 9.0 magnitude earthquake in March 2011 and Haiti’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake in January 2010.

	Japan	Haiti
Preparation	· Prepared for earthquake · People had hard hats and protective headgear · Not prepared for following tsunami	· Around 2 million Haitians live on land that they don’t own (In Port-au-Prince 67% of the 2.4 million population live in ‘Informal Areas’) · Buildings can be put up anywhere without proper foundations or planning · Only 30% had access to sanitation · Only 54% had access to clean water · History of corruption and violence within the political history · Badly prepared
Impact (numbers)	· 2,000 people confirmed dead (10,000 more expected to be dead) · 2,000 people injured · 530,000 people displaced · 2,500 evacuation centres to house those displaced · 2,400 people were isolated immediately after disaster · 1.2 million homes without power · 1.4 million homes without water · 4,700 destroyed houses (50,000 damaged) · 582 roads cut off · 32 bridges destroyed	· 3.5 million people living in the most damaged areas · Anywhere between 85,000 and 316,000 people dead (unconfirmed because of rapid body decomposition in the heat and humidity and overwhelmed morgues resulting in mass graves) · 30,000 injured · 1 million made homeless (10% of the population) · 250,000 dwellings destroyed or significantly damaged · 60% of government buildings destroyed · 80% of schools in capital and 60% in South and West provinces damaged or destroyed · UN headquarters in Haiti destroyed
Response	· Tsunami warning issued 3 minutes after the earthquake · Emergency cabinet meeting convened · News conference held · Military sent in to help · Task force and disaster control team set up · Asked for help with search and rescue · Used social media to bring updates on the situation	· Makeshift camps set up causing outbreaks of disease because of poor sanitation and proximity to decomposing bodies · Poor response from government · Problems with management of airports · 4-day delay of supplies to remote areas resulting in looting and violence · Haitian government called off search on 23^rd January (last survivor found on 8^th February) · Lots of international response · No long-term strategy so problems still continue over 9 years since earthquake

This shows how much a country’s readiness and response to a disaster can really affect the recovery of the country. Although Japan’s earthquake should of had more of an impact on the country, because of the greater magnitude, it is Haiti that is still suffering because Japan had the education, money and resources to prepare themselves for the earthquake but Haiti had none of this.

This topic has really made me reflect on how the UK would cope in a situation like this and how much countries such as Haiti really need our support and help even now. This is a topic I would look into with older classes to help them understand how the impact of such disasters differ from country to country. With younger classes I would approach this subject and make them aware that disasters do cause injury, death and destruction but would mainly keep to how these events happen or form; just like what was presented in the micro teaching done by the cohort.

The main skill I used was critical thinking skills when looking at the case studies on Japan and Haiti and being able to form an opinion on the situation and to be able to able to compare them. I used a variety of skills when it came to preparing and presenting the micro teaching such as; research skills, communication skills, critical thinking, decision making and communication skills.

The Dr Bionic videos is a resource I would use for younger classes when doing this topic:

(These can also be accessed as seperate videos)

Red cross resources link

References

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2019) About disasters [Online] Available: https://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/disaster-management/about-disasters/ [Accessed: 2 November 2019]

Sustainable Development (n.d.) Case Study: Haiti [Module resource] Available: Energy tab in Sustainable Development on Moodle [Accessed 2 November 2019]

Sustainable Development (n.d.) Case Study: Japan [Module resource] Available: Energy tab in Sustainable Development on Moodle [Accessed 2 November 2019]

Interdependence

Continue reading “Interdependence”

Over the last two weeks we have been looking at interdependence. Interdependence in its simplest form is the way in which two or more people or things depend on each other. Interdependence is split into three areas; economic, social and environmental. Economic interdependence is related to the global stock market and trading, and how we, as a country, are impacted by the value of other currencies, products and jobs in other countries. Social interdependence, because of technology and social media, is increasing. With most of the major media outlets being in the USA or Europe, American and European cultures and values are being spread throughout the world and impact on other cultures. It also means that the wants of those around the world are becoming increasingly similar and are allowing the economy to grow and feed on itself (Higgins, 2013). Environmental interdependence is something increasingly in the front of people’s minds with climate change invoking protests and political action. The biggest thing, in my opinion, that we need to be aware of is that pollution is not confined to one country or one area it is a worldwide issue. We also have to be aware that habitats and animals that are endangered in one place have an effect on the world as a whole. We can see the impact of all three of these areas if we look at them in terms of the farms we visited and the sustainable fishing infographic we created.

We visited two dairy farms; an organic farm and an intensive farm. Economically the intensive farm had a bigger impact as they sold to supermarkets, however, the organic farm may also have an impact as they sell their milk for a greater price but sell to a smaller consumer base. This also links to the social aspect of interdependence as more people are looking to eat organic food and drinks, and are against intensive farming. This is something that couple be seen within my peer group when we were at the farm as many people comment that they did not like how the cows and calves were being kept and were shocked when told that the cows were milked up to five times a day. The other thing impacting farming in general, from the social side, is the approximate 542,000 vegan that live in Great Britain (The Vegan Society, 2016 cited in BBC, 2018). This is decreasing the sales of milk and other dairy products which has an impact economically as well as socially. Dairy farming does have a huge environmental impact. According to WWF (2019) “Dairy cows and their manure produce greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change. Poor handling of manure and fertilizers can degrade local water resources.” Unsustainable farming, including the production of feed, can also impact the environment through the loss of habitats, such as prairies, wetlands and forests.

The organic farm:

The intensive farm:

Sustainable fishing also impacts these three areas of interdependence. As a group we researched these three areas and made an infographic.

When we went to the farms I was rather apprehensive as I did not know what to expect and what condition the cows would be kept in. I loved the way the organic farm was run and how they kept the cows and treated them. However, I, along with a number of my peers, had a couple issues with how the intensive farm was run. We found that the cows were hardly ever outside a difficult concept to grasp and that they were milked up to five times a day compared to the organic farms one. This experience though made me more aware of the importance of educating children about where there food comes from. Children need to be able to make informed decisions about what food they want to eat, where that foods comes from and how it is made.

When reviewing my visits to the farm I developed my critical thinking skills and worked on becoming more ethically-minded as I had to really but into perspective of how I want the farms to be run and how that impacts my choices and decisions, and how it impacts the choices and decisions of others. For example, I would love to be able to support organic farming but, as a full time student with a limited income, I can not afford to buy exclusively organic products. I also came to the opinion from these visits, from research and other experiences in the past, that if someone is becoming vegan or vegetarian to protect animals from cruelty, they should consider trying to support the farms that do rear animals the way they like instead of cutting off everything but I’m also aware that, for the same reasons as I have, that this is not possible for everyone. Through this I also believe I worked on “critically examining [my] personal and professional attitudes and beliefs and challenging assumptions and professional practice” which is one of the professional values under the GTCS Standards for Registration.

Resources

https://www.rhet.org.uk/teachers/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cjyykdwmw58t/uk-climate-change-protests

http://www.gtcs.org.uk/web/FILES/the-standards/standards-for-registration-1212.pdf

https://fishandkids.msc.org/en/teachers/teachers-pack-1

References

Higgins, K (2013) Economic Growth and Sustainability – are they mutually exclusive? [Online] Available: https://www.elsevier.com/connect/economic-growth-and-sustainability-are-they-mutually-exclusive [Accessed: 20 October 2019]

Jones, L (2018) Veganism: Why is it on the up? [ Online] Accessed: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-4448805/ [Accessed: 21 October 2019]

WWF (2019) Sustainable Agriculture: Dairy [Online] Accessed: https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/dairy [Accessed: 21 October 2019]