Beth Stobo UWS ITE ePDP – Page 2 – Just another blogs.glowscotland.org.uk

Interdependence – Learning Log 3

During our theme of Interdependence we visited two different family-run dairy farms: Strandhead Farm in Tarbolton and Mossgiel Farm in Mauchline. Despite the final product produced being the same, it was interesting to compare the farms and how they vary both in their methods and ethos.

Overview of Strandhead Farm from the balcony

The first farm we visited was Strandhead Farm which relied heavily on technology. They use machines to milk the cows, gather and distribute their feed. It is one of the most technologically advanced farms in Scotland and I found it really interesting to see how they have developed the traditional farming

Baby calves housed in individual pens from birth

methods, especially when it comes to milking. At Strandhead, the cows are given the freedom to decide to be milked whenever and how often they liked. This process involved the cows queuing up and then being milked one at a time by a robot which also screened them for any potential infections or nutrients that the cow may be lacking in order for the farmer to determine whether they need to provide any changes to their diets.

Strandhead Farm kept its cows indoors all year and used shutters to shelter them from the varying weather conditions. This method concerned me as it raised many significant animals rights issues however, the farmer justified this decision by explaining that the harsh winter can have a huge impact on the farmland which can affect the cows health and therefore can be damaging to the farmers livelihood. This farm also raised concerns when they explained that they separate newly born calves from their mothers just hours after being born. This upset me as the calves were placed in single, solitary pens and many seemed very distressed to be in such a confined space by themselves.

The second of the two farms we visited was Mossgiel farm which is what I would typically expect a farm to look like. It is a much smaller, family run farm by owner Bryce Cunningham who decided to move to more organic methods in order to be as ethically and environmentally conscious as a farm can be. This also allowed Bryce to be able to ensure that the farm could still be financially viable as he explained to us that the drop of the wholesale price of milk over recent years resulted in him losing thousands of pounds in income per month. In order to be considered as an organic farm, Bryce has to ensure that there are no pesticides used and he is only able to use natural fertilisers.

Mossgiel Farm also prides itself in keeping its native breed of Ayrshire Cattle which means that the cows are better suited to the weather conditions and soil in this habitat. Therefore, unlike Strandhead Farm, Mossgiel allows its cows to roam freely outdoors as the grass is native to the area which is ideal for the cows and this consequently reduces the cost of having to buy any additives that many non-native breeds may require in order to survive. Unlike Strandhead Farm, Mossgiel does not use the artificial insemination process as often as they have 4 bulls housed within the farm. This process does increase the number of male calves born at Mossgiel however Bryce explained that he has now created Ethical Veal as he felt very uncomfortable using the popular method of killing these calves at birth. This veal allows the farm to continue with its ideology of ethical and organic sustainability.

In contrast to Strandhead Farm, Mossgiel Farm cows are milked twice a day by Bryce and he allows himself to take the time to check over every cow to ensure they are at their best health rather than Strandhead’s robotic system. The milk at Mossgiel is pasteurised onsite which takes several hours using a slow heating and cooling process before being packaged and sent off to the farms customers – which Bryce explained are mainly specialist coffee shops.

2 day old calf in ‘crib’ at Mossgiel Farm

Despite their differences, both farms also had various similarities. For example, both farms separated the newly-born calves from their mothers just hours after being born. Bryce expressed that when he first took over Mossgiel Farm he decided to keep the young calves with their mothers however this then caused a detrimental effect as within the first couple of days many of the young calves died due to contracting harmful bacteria from their mothers udders. Therefore, Bryce had to reconsider his options and he then placed the newborn calves into individual pens, however unlike Strandhead Farm where calves are placed in solitary pens, the pens at Mossgiel are structured to look more like a crib where they are able to still be within their mothers reach. This method appeared to be extremely effective as all of the calves, one as young as 2 days old, gave the impression of being comfortable in their pens.

Despite it being very impressing and informative to observe a more modern farm, I preferred the second farm at it was a more traditional farm. I believe that it would be very insightful to take pupils on a school trip to a farm as they would be able to fully participate and understand how products that they use – such as milk – are produced and get from the cow to their own fridge at home. I would be very inclined to arrange a trip to a farm through RHET as a teacher because they informed us that they are responsible for providing the risk assessment for the teacher which can take any pressure/initial doubts off the teacher and the school.

In conclusion, I have enjoyed exploring the topic of Interdependence. I believe that this has been achieved by taking part in a more practical setting by hearing from those who make a living from Interdependence. However, I do think that this would be a challenging topic to address with school pupils as I believe the best way for them to learn this topic is through experience of practical lessons such as visiting a farm much like us.

Climate Change – Directed Study Task

Climate change is a topic that is very current in our lives today as people are beginning to debate whether it is a natural occurring process of our planet or if it is a more man-made process due to effects such as the industrial revolution causing decades of greenhouse gas emissions. Having read the Climate Change Scotland Act (2009) I am now aware of the objective set my the Scottish Government to reduce the emissions in Scotland to below 80% of the baseline by 2050. In order to achieve this, they have implemented various strategies including the land use strategy and adding a charge to the single-use carrier bag. The land use strategy was first published in 2011 and is revised every 5 years. The strategy is a long-term goal of having a sustainable, well-integrated land use which will benefit society greatly in many ways. The second strategy put into effect is the introduction of a five-pence charge to carrier bags in October 2014. It was estimated that without the implementation of this charge, the seven main grocery retailers would have used over 800 million carrier bags in a year. This Act has therefore changed the way in which I shop as I am more likely to buy and re-use a ‘Bag for Life’ than a single-use carrier bag as it not only allowed me to be more aware of recycling but it has also saved me money in the long run as I am not having to constantly buy carrier bags when I am shopping.

As part of the study task we were asked to watch a documentary entitled ‘Antartica on the Edge’ which followed 55 scientists who took part in 22 experiments in Antartica to understand the significant changes in the region. This documentary shocked me as it allowed me to physically see and understand the effects of climate change. I had previously heard of the ‘ice caps melting’ through various mediums such as the news and social media, however, this documentary allowed me to understand how this ice melting would affect all of us out-with the region as it is predicted that sea levels could rise by up to 1 metre by the end of the century due to Antartica warming faster than anywhere else on the planet.

My Carbon Footprint calculated by the WWF

I was able to measure my own carbon footprint by using the WWF Measure Your Footprint activities. My carbon footprint was measured at around 290% and my total carbon emissions was measured a 28.3 tonnes which stunned me as it is considered good to be under 100%. My largest contribution to my carbon footprint was travel which was measured at 65%. I commute from Paisley to Ayr 4 days a week for University however, I do car share with 2 of my peers so had their been a question regarding car sharing I believe this figure may have been slightly lower. I could also reduce this by walking more and using the bus or train when travelling locally. I was also really surprised to see how much my diet could affect my carbon footprint. I discovered that the “live-stock industry is responsible for 14.5% of global emissions” (WWF, 2017) so by reducing my meat consumption and increasing my vegetable consumption I would further reduce my carbon footprint.

To conclude, it is extremely significant that Climate Change is an topic that children, as well as adults, are well-educated in and are aware of the changes that they can make in order to improve the future of planet Earth. Having taken part in these tasks I believe that I will be more conscious to make changes to my carbon footprint in order to help provide a small, yet useful, contribution to society and our future.

References

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2009/12/contents

http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/?_ga=1.176985891.745195644.1442412124

Climate Change – Learning Log 2

Before attending the lecture I was briefly aware of what Climate Change was due to it being such a relevant topic on the news nowadays. However, I had never really stopped to consider the affects of climate change to myself and how I contribute to these changes. In the lecture we discussed how climate change is affecting our world today with the increase in temperature and decrease in ice cover which I feel is an extremely relevant subject that should be discussed in schools. The Met Office defines climate change as “a large-scale, long-term shift in the planet’s weather patterns or average temperatures”. Therefore, if the climate does not stay the same over a period of time it can be defined as ‘Climate Change’.

During the lecture we were introduced to how the evidence for climate change is recorded and collected. Climate change experts collect various data and items such as weather recordings, fossils, ice cores and analyses of pollen and trees in order to determine the changes to our climate. Some of the main dangers to climate change include:

Sea level changes
Damage from flooding such as house or crops damage
Flooding of low lying coastal areas

The British farming industry is massively suffering from the affects of climate change due to the weather. Therefore, a poor quality of crops are being produced which are causing farmers problems in selling and in some areas masses of crops are being completely destroyed due to flooding which is causing a detrimental effect to many farmers and their livelihoods. Over the past couple of years the UK has experienced a lot of flooding due to climate change such as the 2015 flooding in Cumbria as well as the more recent floods once again in Cumbria in October this year.

Experiment 1 – Cold and Warm cups placed into tank of room-temperature water

The first workshop allowed us to be very interactive as it allowed us to participate in a number of experiments. One of these experiments involved us taking two plastic cups: one with cold water and blue food colouring and the other with warm water and red food colouring. Both cups had pebbles put in them and they were both placed into a large tank of room temperature water. I found this experiment to be very significant as is allowed us to see the warm, red water rise to the top of the tank whilst the cool, blue water sink to the bottom.

In the second experiment we made a tornado in a jar in order to understand how a real tornado is created. This involved filling a jar with water and adding washing-up liquid and food colouring. We then swirled the jar for around 60 seconds before stopping to see that we had produced a tornado by seeing the cold and warm air combining and spinning. I found both of these experiments to be very beneficial to my education as it allowed my to fully engage and understand how the topic of climate change could be taught in a primary education setting.

In the second worship we explored the impact of politics on global warning. Prior to this input I had never considered how much politics can have an impact on global warming. However, having researched how much the UK Government is involved in climate change and the ways in which we can strive to reduce it I have a better understanding of how to tackle climate change and the impact these changes in the climate has on me.

Through the inputs I participated in and the directed study task I can now see how global warming and climate change can be taught in schools and how to use a cross-curricular approach to link climate change and global warming to other subject areas. I have more confidence in being able educate children on how important it is to be aware of climate change and what we can do to reduce our carbon footprint to ultimately help to slow down global warming. Furthermore, I was able to identify various CfE experiences and outcomes which could link this teaching to the appropriate curriculum areas such as:

I can consider ways of looking after my school or community and can encourage others to care for their environment. SOC 1-08a

Having explored the ways journeys can be made, I can consider the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of transport, discussing their impact on the environment. SOC 2-09a

References

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-guide/climate-change

Let’s Get Creative – Week 3

MUSIC

In this weeks music input we were looking at finger notes and the benefits of using these when first learning to read and play music. During the workshop we were divided off into small groups and given a glockenspiel

with a couple of different music sheets featuring finger notes. Having not played an instrument or read any music in a very long time I was apprehensive when beginning this exercise, however I found the exercise very enjoyable and was able to fully co-operate with the task at hand. Drake Music Scotland (2017) stresses that we do not need to know how to read sheet music in order to play an instrument. I think that the implementation of finger notes would be highly beneficial within a classroom as it allows children to explore their musicality without being able to fully understand the meaning of the traditional music note.

ART

During the art portion of today’s inputs we were put to the challenge of creating our own paintbrushes. We achieved this by beginning with a

Initial Materials – Willow Tree stick, feathers, wool, thread and cotton wool

simple stick from a willow tree and decorating it by using a wide range of materials such as wool, thread, feathers and cotton wool. I found this activity to be very enjoyable and it allowed me to be creative in a way that I had never experienced before as during my own time at primary school we were only ever provided with generic paintbrushes during art lessons.

During the workshop we discussed that when children all use the exact same materials they are more likely to compare their artwork with their peers, therefore by allowing them to create their own tools using their own creativity they are less likely to compare.

Having completed the task of creating our own paintbrushes we were then

Painting Materials – Chose our own paper and were given 4 colours to use and mix.

read out a description of a piece of artwork and encouraged to paint our interpretation of this using only four colours -red, blue, yellow and white. I found this activity to be a great eye-opener as I realised that we do not need lots of resources in order to create our own art.

My mixing sheet having completed my painting.

The activities involved in todays art workshop linked to the “10 Lessons the Arts Teach” by Eisner (2002) as they demonstrated that the arts are all about accepting the unknowing and I believe that should these activities be implemented within a classroom that the children would very much enjoy them.

REFERENCES

Drakemusicscotland.org. (2017). Fingernotes – Drake Music Scotland. [online] Available at: https://drakemusicscotland.org/figurenotes/

Eisner, E. W. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. London: Yale University Press.

The Visual Arts – Week 2

In the lecture during week 2 we took part in analysing several sections of ‘The Arts in Education’ by Fleming (2012) through the media of drawing or doodling. This exercise allowed us to express ourselves and learn via a different mode rather than just simply reading a passage. I would like to apply this method of learning to the rest of my education as well as allowing prospective students to learn via this method as I found I was able to engage more with the reading and interpret it in my own way which furthered my learning. I believe this method would also be beneficial when teaching in a primary setting as it allows us to make cross curricular links with the expressive arts to help children understand areas that may be more challenging for them which could also, in turn, allow them to find enjoyment in understanding these challenging aspects. An example of this would be to allow children to express their literacy through art by giving them a story and asking them to draw pictures over the words which they find striking to engage them more in their learning and allow them to use their own imagination to understand these concepts.

During the workshop, I was able to view a Primary Art Archive which included various pieces of work produced by children within a primary classroom. This artwork varied from Early level to First and Second level. By having each level of artwork divided up amongst three tables, we were able to clearly distinguish between the different stages, in particular those identified by Lowenfeld and Brittain (1987). These consist of 4 stages which can help educational professionals to understand more about a child’s work. However, with the ever-changing times and the varied backgrounds each child can come from, it is more difficult to place children in a specific stage (McAuliffe, 2007).

Early Level (Pre-Schematic Stage)

When children are first introduced to art in the classroom they are seen to make marks through exploratory scribbling. Some children find it easier to communicate and express their feelings with others through their drawings at this stage. I, along with the majority of my peers when asked, would argue that this is the peak of a child’s creative ability as they can use their imagination to create their own artwork.

In the image to the right the child is seen to be within the Early years stage where he is able to develop his fine and gross motor skills through art as well as developing his understanding for shapes and develop his representational abilities.

First Level (Schematic Stage)

During the schematic stage, children begin to produce artwork which may be the result of a directed task by the class teacher. In this stage the children have the sense of creativity through their imagination, however it is noticed to be much less than seen during the Early level as the child will begin to become much more critical of their work and will start to compare their artwork with that of their peers.

In the artwork shown on the left the child’s understanding of shapes has significantly improved, however they have used their developing literacy skills to add detail to their work which may be a direct result of the class teacher integrating the arts with topic work. In this stage the child has still demonstrated a sense of creativity by experimenting with a variety of colours.

Second Level (Gang Stage)

The second level, known as the ‘gang’ stage is when a child’s work becomes significantly less expressive and creative as the child begins to doubt their artistic abilities. During this stage, we see that many children will begin to ‘copy’ art work created by famous artists as they begin to lose their own imagination and prefer to draw things that they can see rather than have to conceptualise.

The image to the right shows an example of a pupils work within the Gang stage. The child has become more increasingly aware of their surroundings and has chosen to create a piece of work by drawing on their own surroundings. I believe that the artwork the child has produced is remarkable and they have did very well to create this by looking at a picture.

In conclusion, I found this weeks classes to be very influential as they have given me an insight as to just how much a child’s artwork can develop through teaching habits within primary education. Having observed the Art Archive, I have been able to consider the ways in which I hope to be able to teach art to children in the future by being able to allow children to express the arts across the curriculum and to have the opportunity to use their imagination throughout their primary school education – not just in their early years.

References

Lowenfeld, V. & Brittain, W.L., (1970). Creative and mental growth: 5th ed, New York: Macmillan.

McAuliffe, D. (2007) Fondation and Primary Settings. In Teaching Art and Design 3-11. (Edited by Sue Cox, Robert Watts, Judy Grahame, Steve Herne and Diarmuid McAuliffe) London: Continuum.

The Creative Arts – Week 1

As a young child, I was encouraged by my parents to take part in various creative arts. This included taking both piano and trombone lessons, being selected to sing alongside a number of my school friends in the Scottish National Youth Choir as well as going to dancing classes from the age of 3 at a local dance school before moving onto a competitive team which I am fortunate to still be a part of now not only as a dancer but also as a coach. Therefore, from a very young age I have had a real passion for the arts.

In the first lecture of this session I very quickly felt myself returning to my younger self and reliving my memories and experiences of the arts and looking forward to taking part in this module alongside being able to integrate the arts into my lessons as a teacher. Throughout this module I hope to gain more skills and experience in becoming the creative teacher I aspire to be which, in turn, I hope would allow me to help children have a positive experience of the arts as I did myself.

TALLIS Habits Pedagogy Wheel – by Thomas Tallis School

During the lecture, we were introduced to the Tallis Habits Pedagogy Wheel (Thomas Tallis School,2017) which gives us insight into how to develop and implement the arts throughout the school curriculum. It was explained that the arts are overlooked within schools nowadays and seen as an activity only for those who ‘are good at it’ which I find upsetting as I would like to help in changing this view with the support of this wheel which can help me to gain confidence in teaching arts throughout the school curriculum by reflecting on my fortunate, positive experiences. Going ahead, I am looking forward to being able to get creative and further my knowledge on the arts within the classroom.

References:

Thomas Tallis School. (2017). The TALLIS Habits Pedagogy Wheel. [Online] Available: http://www.thomastallisschool.com/tallis-pedagogy-wheel-guide.html [Accessed 22 September 2017]

Environment – Learning Log 1

I was unsure of what to expect within the module of Sustainable Development before participating in the first input. When we were asked to define our understanding of the word ‘environment’ I was firstly unsure of my response as I’ve never really stopped to actually consider my own views on this topic but I’ve also mainly heard the term used within a negative context. However, after my involvement in the first session and engaging in further reading, I have learned that as a prospective future educator it is vital for me, especially in today’s society, to be knowledgable on the subject matter involved within this module.

Over the two weeks of ‘The Environment’ I have been able to learn about the natural environment as well as my own urban environment which have both allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the benefits of sustainability. These include not only the environmental benefits but also the health and social benefits such as promoting respect, creativity and culture. As a future teacher, I believe that these are largely relevant aspects to consider including when teaching children as it allows them to develop a more positive attitude about their environment.

Our first workshop on the Environment involved BA2 participating in various outdoor and indoor activities within the University grounds and Science lab in order for us to fully experience the surrounding environment. The activities I participated in throughout this workshop included dissecting a flower and taking tree and leaf rubbings. I got involved with many of these tasks and made sure to try to see them through the mind of a child to fully engage in the tasks.

The second workshop involved us taking part in a number of activities within the grounds of the University campus. I found the most effective activity to be the sensory walk. Within this walk we were permitted to split off into several groups where we engaged in hearing, seeing, feeling and smelling our surroundings and share our sensory experiences with the others within our groups. We discussed that this activity would be beneficial to primary education as it can help to educate them on their natural environment and also allows the children to work in teams and collaborate their ideas. We were also able to discuss how this activity could be adapted to suit in a primary school context by ensuring the children have a clear sense of their boundary limits. I also found this activity to be highly beneficial in my own learning as it allowed me to see how to integrate various other curriculum subjects into this task. For example, the children could be asked to find a stick that is roughly a metre long and find out the length of the school building which can incorporate their mathematical skills or they could be asked to pick out something from a specific area and develop a story involving that specific object which could develop their literacy and story-writing skills in an enjoyably practical way. The sensory walk activity helped to develop my skills as a teacher as I was able to experience effective communication, idea sharing and lesson planning within the one task.

The task we were assigned within the second week of ‘The Environment’ involved us finding out about and experiencing our own urban environments. As a student, this allowed me to develop on my research skills as I had to interact with and educate myself on my own environment and develop it into a piece of writing which I will find myself doing throughout the course of my University career. As a teacher, I was able to develop my skills on planning how I could incorporate my own findings into teaching a class of children about their own urban environment in a fun and enjoyable way.

Being able to research and find various resources and lesson planning on the Environment such as the Woodlands Trust has helped me to develop my own knowledge of the environment alongside the importance of the topic to the education of children.

Links:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/naturedetectives

http://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/keystage2-ks2/ks2-topics/ks2-the-environment

My Urban Environment

My urban environment is the largest town in Scotland, known as Paisley. It is situated in the western central lowlands of Scotland, around 7 miles from Glasgow. The population of Paisley is just under 77,000 and is currently in the bidding process for the 2021 UK City of Culture in order to help to regenerate the town.

Paisley was used primarily as a farming area before growing, in the 19th Century to a large source of producing textiles such as weaving, cotton threads and printing. The name ‘Paisley’ was given to the now famous Kashmiri pattern which can still be found on various fabrics and prints nowadays. (Paisley History, 2017)

The Paisley Abbey – by paisley online.co.uk

Paisley Town Hall – by Austin-Smith:Lord

Paisley is well known for its extensive range of historical buildings such as the Paisley Abbey, which dates back to the 12th Century, the Town Hall – opened in 1882, and the redevelopment of the Anchor Mill into apartments and business space which was opened by the Prince of Wales in 2005.

Paisley’s town centre was previously a busy, lively environment, however the accessibility of newer, nearby shopping centres has left Paisley’s high street feeling a little deserted. The Paisley Town Centre Action Plan shows

Paisley’s hopeful plans to bring life back into the town centre by connecting key sections of the town to the high street shopping district which can help to increase the number of pedestrians potentially visiting the retail units. (Paisley Town Centre Action Plan 2016-2026, p.11).

Paisley is the home to PACE Theatre Company which has produced various stars such as Paolo Nutini, James McAvoy and David Tennant. As well as being a fun activity for children and young people to get involved in, it is also a highly beneficial source of social education. PACE organised an online source which is targeted to educate P7-S6 pupils on the effects of drug use known as ‘Choices for Life’. As well as education, PACE runs various shows throughout the year in the Paisley Arts Centre with the most notable one being the annual pantomime. Although the Arts Centre is only a small studio theatre, is is a vital building in the town for bringing people together and allowing for the sense of community.

Paisley is connected by road to the motorway with the M8 running along the northern edge of the town. There are 4 train stations within the town with Paisley Gilmour Street being the largest of these. The train stations allow links to Glasgow, Inverclyde and Ayrshire as well as to ferry routes which allows people to travel further afield to places such as Dunoon and Northern Ireland. Glasgow International Airport is also located within the boundaries of Paisley, to the north, and is the Scotland’s largest airport.

The Gleniffer Braes – photo taken by author

The specific suburb in Paisley in which I live is known as Glenburn. Glenburn has a large area of green spaces, specifically the The Gleniffer Braes with its entrance located just a 2-minute walk from my house. The Braes boasts miles of walkways through various woodland areas and provides beautiful scenery, waterfalls, children’s playgrounds and, due to its vast area, it is somewhere for everyone in the community to enjoy.

The air quality in my area as of the 28th September was ranked at 3 which is regarded as low on the scale (Scottish Air Quality, 2017). There are 3 primary schools in Glenburn with the nearest high school being a 20-minute walk from my house in the suburb of Foxbar. Glenburn has a community centre as well as a library which is currently under renovation. The nearest sports centre is situated across from the Police Station in the town centre however, there is access to the Thornly Park Campus facilities which is located between Glenburn and Barrhead.

If I were to investigate the Urban Environment with a Primary 5 class I would start by getting the children to consider the history of their own urban environment (SOC 2-01a). This would allow them to find out more about their area’s previous history and recognise the comparison with their environment nowadays. I would then organise a walk for the children in order to let them explore their local area where I would lead a discussion on the effects of pollution emitted by transport (SOC 2-09a) and how we could lower these levels of pollution. This would also be beneficial in promoting a positive outlook on health and wellbeing by encouraging pupils to walk or cycle to school.

Reflections on Placement

Strength

I believe that one of my strengths on placement was my communication skills, in particular, my listening skills. I was able to listen well to the instructions from class teachers as well as any queries by the children in the class which allowed me to adapt quickly to any situation. I used positive body language such as maintaining eye contact, nodding in agreement and presenting a calm exterior in order to indicate to those speaking that I was engaged and interested in what they had to say.

Area of Most Progress

In my opinion, my area of most progress during my time on placement would be my communication with others. Prior to placement, I was nervous about the prospect of being within a class full of children and adults that I did not know, however I found that by presenting a positive body language I was able to quickly build connections and relationships with those within the school. By showing that I was confident and calm I was more easily approachable. This encouraged the children to ask questions and I found it easier to engage with conversation within the staffroom.

Area Requiring Progress

My area requiring progress would be my ability to speak effectively in front of large groups of others. When nervous, I tend to speak a lot quicker than I would in a more comfortable environment. I will work to improve this by practicing more on speaking aloud and getting used to my own voice by recording myself speaking. This will allow me to work on putting more effort into my vocal production and my tempo of speech. By doing this, I will eventually become more comfortable with speaking in a public context and be able to show not only confidence and clarity, but also to reflect my own personality in my speech.

Action Plan

As stated in the previous paragraph, I will work on my effective speaking skills by recording myself speaking in order to become more comfortable with hearing my own voice as well as identifying my areas of strength and weakness. As well as recording myself speaking, I will also seek to work on my presentation skills by practising in front of my family and my peers in order to be best prepared for my oral presentation.