Using the assignment criteria, write 250 words of your assignment, complete with references and bibliography. You will then write a self-assessment of your short piece of work and include this with your mini snapshot essay. You will then share this with your critical peer and give written feedback to each other on your work.
Evidence: Your written 250 word assessment. In addition you should add in your self-assessment feedback and your peer assessment feedback.
Personal Thoughts:
This was a difficult task to complete. I don’t often share any assignment work I have produced due to my lack of confidence and not wanting to pass on incorrect info or scare someone if they haven’t written about something I have or vice versa. Also, this task was a challenge to try and fit in. When it comes to writing an assignment, I like to lock myself away in my room and just get on with it!
In addition, sharing a piece of approx 250 words, that I felt happy with or that will even be used within the final assignment was a slight challenge. I was fully prepared for this and welcomed some feedback, positive/negative. I gave my justification for choosing this particular section and also what else I was hoping to discuss within the assignment.
I personally found this task very difficult to do – giving someone feedback on their academic work when I don’t feel like I am in a position to do so. For example, I don’t feel qualified enough to do this. I also believe everyone has different ways of writing an assignment, taking a different spin every time which also makes it a challenge to give some constructive criticism/feedback further than “looks good, keep going”. I feel we did manage to give each other something that we may want to look at and work on however this was quite an uncomfortable task to do.
My word count is slightly over due to in text references and not wanting to stop half way through a sentence.
A copy of the 250 words & self/peer feedback can be viewed as a word document –
So last night, I was being a very good friend and helping out some fellow teachers do one of their Science Elective module tasks. This involved a group of us debating the issue of: Animal testing for medical purposes. The group was composed of Teaching students, Law students, a Maths student & a Mental Health Nursing student.
Before the debate, myself and few others on the science elective were heading along to the CafeScience event on Space at Avery & Co. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to enter the event as the venue had reached capacity. This was quite annoying as it was pouring with rain, cold and we had an hour and a half to spare before we said we’d meet for the debate…
Not to worry DUSA to the rescue!!
We headed along to Liar and got dry. Whilst waiting for the others to arrive, I thought this would be a great opportunity to ask my fellow teachers how confident they feel about going out into their probation year and future teaching career in delivering lessons on all areas of HWB. This was very spur of the moment so nobody was prepared, including myself, but it was interesting to get their perspective – especially because they have not undertaken the HWB elective in uni.
Although this was not a task set for the portfolio, I thought it would be interesting to do. Also due to my kindness of taking time out of writing my assignment to help them out, Niall & Laura were up for returning the favour in some way.
The interview can be viewed here and don’t worry, Laura doesn’t always have evil eyes!
Thanks to Laura Glass & Niall Ridgway (budding future scientists & primary teachers) 😀
Learn to play ‘The Equality Game’ and organise a game with other members of the wider MA programme. Consider how you could use this in the classroom to promote fairness and build relationships. You will find more information about the game via the weblink below. Reflect on the appropriateness of this activity and decide how it links to HWB.
Evidence: Take some photos of your volunteer group and write a reflection on how this could be used in the classroom and impact it could have. Evaluate the enjoyment, effectiveness and impact of using this game using feedback from your volunteer group.
The Equality Game
This game is designed to ‘further critical discussion about the nature of equality, fair treatment, and who gets to define such standards.’
The attached video is just a short extract of the full game; later we also split the group into children & adults and added the concept of using money to pay for the sweets. Similar themes to those identified in the article by Arnold-Foster (2015) were raised in our discussion these included the idea that: equal happiness may not be the same as equal distribution. If you have earned your money you deserve to be rewarded for your hard work, however it might be hard to know whether a person has worked hard. Some people start off with more or less money depending on birth and this has nothing to do with hard work. Although our discussion did not reach this point, Arnold-Foster (2015) suggests that further discussion might lead to the idea that:
‘Smarties should still be shared out equally, irrespective of spending power.’ ‘Or perhaps there should be a minimum that everyone receives, with the lucky few being able to supplement his or her supply by buying extra?’
A lesson based around the game and the following experiences and outcomes could lead to further discussions, lessons and activities relating to money, poverty and social justice. For older children (upper school) current political topics such as the distribution of wealth or the cutting of tax credits and benefits could connect this game to a real-life context.
On reflection of our own experience of playing the game we felt that it could be an enjoyable and effective way to introduce topics such as fairness and wealth distribution. We felt that this activity could be used in a lesson built around the following experiences & outcomes from HWB:
Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community. HWB 0-13a / HWB 1-13a / HWB 2-13a / HWB 3-13a / HWB 4-13a
As I explore the rights to which I and others are entitled, I am able to exercise these rights appropriately and accept the responsibilities that go with them. I show respect for the rights of others. HWB 0-09a / HWB 1-09a / HWB 2-09a / HWB 3-09a / HWB 4-09a
Personal Thoughts:
This was an interesting activity to try out. Unfortunately due to time constraints, at the time of writing this post, I was unable to get a volunteer group together to test it out. This therefore had implications on the results of the activity however a few of us improvised and did it together to gain some experience of it. The smarties were also replaced with minstrels however I don’t believe this influenced the activity itself.
To familiarise myself with the nature of the activity, I read the article which was provided (link above). I found this quite an easy read as it was simple to understand and clearly set out – due to the way in which newspaper articles are produced. After reading the article, I discussed the activity with a peer of mine to ensure we had both understood it clearly.
Following a discussion with some others in the module class, we decided that we would give it a go to enable us to experience the activity, even though it was not a blind volunteer group. I feel that due to this we were all aware of what the aim of the activity was and therefore almost knew the type of thing to say/outcome – influencing the discussion/end result.
With this taken in to consideration, I believe that if ‘The Equality Game’ was implemented in a classroom environment, with children, the response would’ve been very different. I would anticipate that there would have been much more discussion and disputes among the group about what they believe is fair. In relation to the effectiveness, I believe this type of activity encourages the children to have a voice and argue their point of view. It would also enable children to develop an understanding of other people’s viewpoints and formulate their own ideas. Encouraging healthy debates, in a controlled manner, enables each individual to develop many skills including communication, reasoning and acknowledgement of different perspectives.
I believe that this type of activity would be effective with any age group whom you may be working with. For example, if done with younger children it may challenge them slightly more due to them still being quite egocentric in their thinking. However, if done with older children, or even adults, the discussion may go more in depth and raise points about why they believe they are more worthy of more – eg. their job, money, status etc.
Participating in this activity myself was quite fun! However, knowing it was being filmed took me out of my comfort zone and I feel if it had not been getting filmed, I may have gotten more involved in debating the issue. This is something I quite enjoy; expressing my own opinion whilst engaging in quality dialogue with others offering differing viewpoints. Considering the other participants I feel that they may have been in a similar position.
I am hoping that I will be able to carry this activity out again BUT with a group of individuals who are unaware of the activity and therefore give a better insight to the effectiveness/impact. If possible, I hope to do this before the assignment hand-in date, however it is definitely something I would like to try out in my future career or even whilst out on my upcoming practice if possible/appropriate.
A short, edited, video clip of the activity can be viewed. The sound quality is quite poor due to the iPad being placed quite far away from the group –
Evidence: Collect copies of your energisers and reflect on how you could use these effectively within the classroom
Personal Thoughts:
This activity was quite good fun to do as we were able to participate and try the activities out for ourselves. It provided us with an opportunity to have a wee break from just thinking and writing up tasks and actually have some ‘time-out’. There are a vast amount of activities which practitioners can use in order to engage children and young people. One activity came after going along to the ‘Chat Happy’ workshop and discussing different ways of aiding children & young people’s mental wellbeing – we felt this would be a good one to use as we all love a good laugh sometimes!
We decided on 3 activities and wrote them up, however came across some other ones which we thought were really good and active/engaging. Instead of writing these up we have attached links to them in the word document and also videoed one to show we gave it a go! This was quite a challenge for myself. I am very uncoordinated, have no sense of rhythm and struggle to do more than 1 thing at once BUT … I persevered and eventually managed to get the whole of it right (not caught on camera) but an almost perfect one was captioned! Whilst looking through the numerous videos, some of the expressions provided some humour; therefore a short clip has been produced to show the bumpy process we went through before finally feeling a huge sense of achievement in the activity! I think from the look on our faces at the end give an indication of how we felt …
‘Sacro’ were holding an open day at Dundee Voluntary Action – No.10 Constitution Road, Kirsty and myself decided to go along to it after being made aware of it through an email from the Education & Social Work Office at the University of Dundee. We had been reminded of the service after hearing about it back in 2nd year during our Interagency Module. We had also just had an input about ‘Restorative Approaches’ which is one aspect of Sacro’s service. This therefore reinforced our thoughts about attending the open day.
This is the Organiser Info which was provided on the Eventbrite page –
Sacro
“Sacro is a Scottish community justice organisation which works to create safer and more cohesive communities across Scotland. From providing conflict resolution that prevents disputes from escalating to supporting prisoners on release, Sacro works to reduce conflict and repair harm. All our services are designed to create safe and cohesive communities by reducing conflict and offending.
The organisation works with a broad range of people, including those harmed by crime and those responsible for that harm. As a Scotland-wide voluntary organisation, we are committed to providing services that contribute to positive transformational changes in the lives of our service users. We work independently and collaboratively within Scotland’s communities to provide support, prevent conflict and challenge offending behaviour wherever the need arises. Our services are based on research evidence, service user feedback, international standards of good practice and a commitment to development and innovation. Since its inception, Sacro has grown and developed new services for young people, bail, intensive supervision of high risk offenders and other priority categories. Sacro currently has almost 400 staff and volunteers, offering over 60 services in 22 locations across Scotland.”
The open day was between 10am and 4pm and we decided to go along during a break from other work. When we arrived we were handed a welcome pack and signed in before picking up a free pen and starting to go round the rooms. Each room had a different focus on the services provided by Sacro. 1 room focused on Youth Justice, 1 on Criminal Justice and 1 on Mediation.
The most likely service which I may come in contact with whilst working as a teacher may be Youth Justice Service. Here, we were informed that the Youth Justice workers will work with young offenders/at risk of offending through Restorative Approaches in order for them to acknowledge their behaviour and help change their ways. We were given the opportunity to ask questions about the resources that were laid out and the information provided was very helpful. We were very keen to know if practitioners had access to some of the modules which Sacro deliver, however we were told it was unfortunately not possible and only Sacro have access to them.
We were also told of some interesting findings that Sacro have found through delivering the work they do with young people – 72% of young people who go through the process do not re-offend & 100% of offenders/possible offenders offered the service have taken the opportunity up. This was quite surprising and enabled me to acknowledge that this a positive strategy with many benefits. The workers stated that they tend to work with individuals for about 6 weeks however this can be longer or shorter depending on the needs of that individual. The service itself is seen to be a short-term strategy which has long-term effects & benefits.
The second room displayed 4 services:
Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA): model of intervention that assists in the monitoring & community re-integration of certain high risk individuals who commit sexual offences.
Shine – The Women’s Mentoring Service: provides a mentor to help women to develop their independence & quality of life, improve their social skills, motivation and work towards addressing a life free of offending.
Veterans Mentoring Service: military veterans currently in or are on the periphery of the criminal justice system; aim of the service is to enable the service user to enjoy sustainable, independent living.
The Housing Support Service: support for ex-offenders who need assistance with re-settling into the community.
In this room we were given some information about the different services which other areas of Sacro provide. We spoke to a variety of representatives who were happy to answer any questions we had.
The final room focused on Mediation. Here we found out about how they work mainly with disputes between neighbours; peer mediation in schools and mediation in the workplace. This was interesting and we were also told about a project, ‘Fearless’, that they are away to start up to help those affected by domestic violence – particularly aiming it at those less likely to come forward; men and those from ethnic minority & LGBT communities.
Personal Thoughts:
I believe that taking the time out of doing work to go along to this event was very beneficial to my professional development. The information provided was of great help to me in understanding and gaining knowledge of what services Sacro can provide practitioners with. It was also appreciated that they were willing to answer questions and share some of their experiences with us. Informing us about how teachers can be supported and how to get in contact with them (even if not in Dundee City Council – offices all over) was also very valuable.
The day after making our lentil soup & bread we were heading through to St Andrews to take part in a cooking class in the Home Economics department with Maureen Kyle who delivered a lecture about ‘Food for Thought’ the previous week. Before getting to the school we were unaware of what we were going to be doing, however Maureen was providing all the resources that we would require.
The session lasted 2 hours between 4pm and 6pm. We were to make our own way to St Andrews but this was fine as a number of people drive on the course and with the sessions being split into 2 meant a lift was easily available! Having little knowledge of St Andrews except the centre, it was handy to be given a map to direct us to the school.
When we arrived, Kirsty & myself couldn’t believe what we saw…ingredients to make Lentil Soup & Bread!! But the good thing was it was a different way ie. lentil soup using vegetables & Irish soda bread. This therefore enabled us to try something new out again.
The session was quite fun as we had a nice little group who all got on and had a laugh, particularly at the 2 lost guys wandering around St Andrews before finally appearing! It did however feel a little like being back in school, having to wait and be shown how to do things however I understand that it was done this way to help make us think about if we were to ever carry out a similar activity with our class.
In relation to doing something similar in my own class, I have some doubts. Having opportunities to do cooking with a class can be very slim due to staffing numbers; class sizes; age/stage; behaviour etc. I therefore feel that it may be sometime, if ever, that I would be doing a serious cooking lesson where we’d make soup or something similar. Making bread may however be more achievable as you could pair the children up/simplify the activity etc. This is all dependent however on the school that you are working in and the children you are working with.
Some pictures from throughout the session minus the final bread product –
Have a go at learning to make bread (from scratch). You will find recipes online.
Evidence: Include a copy of your recipe and take a photo of the finished product (2 hour).
So the two K’s decided to try and make some bread…easy right? hmm, kind of!
We chose a recipe and bought in the ingredients we didn’t already have in our cupboards! Much to Kirsty’s surprise, the Co-op sell 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast! And there we had it, all set to go…
We followed each instruction step by step and eventually it started to come together; we did need a little more flour when mixing. Next came the cooking part…we thought ‘oh bread in an hour fab, we’ll choose this recipe’, only to find out it actually doesn’t take an hour as you need to let it rise for an hour after prepping and before cooking!! Oops, maybe should’ve read past the first instruction after all!
Another slight problem…we didn’t have a bread tin to cook it in so we improvised and used a round baking tin, after all we are students! So we let it sit for an hour then heated up the oven and popped it in.
During the time between prep & cooking we decided to make some lentil soup to go along with our bread; mum’s recipe obviously 😉 I’ve made it a few times however Kirsty was new to the soup making process. Chopped the onions, cooked the pancetta and threw in the rest of the ingredients then left it to cook away nicely. Now all we had to do was wait…
Sadly the bread wasn’t quite cooked enough to have with our soup before we ventured out the house to a meeting so we left it in the hands of my flatmate to turn the oven off after a short period of time (she remembered woo!). I then had some of the bread alongside the rest of the soup for my tea, a standard student dinner in 4th year!
I have created two short flipagram clips which show the process of both the bread & soup making – there are some pictures missing as we forgot to take some (eg. bread covered to rise) & we also used olive oil instead of sunflower oil which is pictured at the start of bread video.
Choose a team building activity that you could use to promote ‘building relationships’ in the classroom. Organise a group of volunteers from the MA course and try out the activity (Aim for a full class!)
Evidence: Include a copy of the team building activity, photographs or video of the event and reflect on the implications for using this within a full class.
Personal Thoughts:
Both of these activities were done using a full class and a small group during two outdoor learning lessons; one on campus, one in Dudhope Park. They were both rather entertaining to do, particularly the Shepherd & Sheep activity. However, during the activity (in the outdoors) I did begin to think about certain things which may have to be considered if done with a class of my own. This was because as an individual with a hearing impairment and who wears a hearing aid on a regular basis I did feel that being placed too far away from the shepherd may have implications; particularly due to my hearing aid being broken on this day (typical). However I did not have too much of a problem due to my peers being aware and making some adjustments (ie. louder banging on drum etc.). This therefore made me consider how I could ensure the activity is inclusive to all those participating if carried out in the future.
Each of the activities can be viewed as a word document –
Throughout the HWB module which I am currently undertaking I have worked alongside a number of my peers. Therefore, the tasks which have been completed and posted have been done in a variety of ways. These include working in small groups (3-5 people), paired and individual pieces of work. I believe that with the profession I am going into it is important to work collaboratively with others. This module has enabled this through both the lectures and tasks set. I feel that completing the different tasks in pairs/small groups has enabled me to develop many skills which will aid my future professional development.
In addition, I believe that through working with others, discussing different ideas and viewpoints has enabled some of the tasks to be completed more successfully than if I had done them completely solo. Having the opportunity to share our own knowledge of certain aspects of the module and ideas for activities & learning whilst working together to make decisions has broadened my understanding of different areas within HWB.
Finally, working with others to complete this portfolio has made the experience more enjoyable. We have been able to motivate and encourage each other when we are feeling a bit overwhelmed by the workload of 4th year. The module itself has been interesting (so far) and is developing my thinking of many different issues surrounding the teaching of HWB.
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