Activity 1

1. Below are a list of skills and abilities. Complete an audit of where you are now. Record this in your learning journal/portfolio.

Rate yourself (1=Not very well developed; 3=very well developed)

Skills and Abilities	1	2	3
Self-confidence		✔
Take risks			✔
Organise and plan			✔
Manage Time			✔
Make presentations		✔
Act as a leader		✔
Listen to others			✔
Debate formally and informally			✔
Take notes			✔

Although it is important to identify where we are now, it is not enough to stop there. We need to reflect upon how we can develop the skills where we are less confident and how we can transfer the skills in which we are confident and competent.

Activity 2

Complete the audit below, using the information from the table above.

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills already developed	How will I use these	How do I know (evidence)**
Manage time	I will use time management a lot in University and also the professional world. I will need to adhere to deadlines and complete tasks in the given amount of time	I feel that my time management skills are well developed as I am used to meeting deadlines from school and college and I also have experienced the stress of not managing my time effectively. I believe that I have developed this skill well over a number of years
Organising and Planning	At University I will need to prioritise my course work as well as other commitments that I may have. I will need to find a balance that suits my learning style while also meeting the standards expected of me	I know that I can organise and plan effectively as I have been able to juggle my Education, Work and Social life. I am able to work out what takes priority and complete tasks in order of importance. I am confident speaking to others if I need support or advice when planning For example if it is University work, I am aware of who i can talk to and i know it is always best to just ask if I am unsure instead of letting an issue escalate.
Listening to others	I will need to listen carefully to what my lecturers and and tutors are saying during class so i am able to get the best from my time at University. It is also important that I will be listening to my peers and colleagues	I know that I listen well to others as I am able to take on board and follow instructions in class. Listening to others allows me to participate effectively in group work and it also means that I am able to see how other people can take different views of a situation. Listening to others gives me a chance to learn new things and look at situations differently.
Taking Risks	I will more than likely come across situations where I need to take risks and put my neck on the line. It is important to analyse the risk and weighing up the pros and cons before taking the next step	I feel the biggest risk that I have taken in my life so far was to change my career path. After finishing school I was focused on doing my computing course but deep down I knew that this wasn’t something i wanted to do for the rest of my life. I went to college after leaving University and then changed my course to Early Education and Childcare before applying for the MA Education course at The University of Dundee. The risk that I had here was the time that I spent doing my computing could be viewed as a waste of time and student funding however I knew that if I got my head down and really got stuck in and follow my passion then it’d be a risk worth taking.

** This section should be completed as you identify when/where/how you have used/developed these skills.

Part B – Activity 1

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills not yet developed	How will I develop these	How do I know (evidence)**
Acting as a leader	To develop my leadership skills I can take on more responsibility. Being a leader isn’t just about being in charge and telling people what do to. It is about finding the best possible way of working or learning as a team and using everybody’s strengths effectively and efficiently. Being a leader means that people are able to come to you with problems and even if you don’t know the answer you can certainly point them in the right direction.
Self-Confident	I feel that my confidence could be improved in several ways. I feel that in some cases particularly in discussions I will be less inclined to say what I think in case it is wrong when in reality I know getting things wrong is a part of the learning process and in some cases getting things wrong is a good way to learn.