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)

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE SKILLS I HAD ON MY AUDIT, FULL VERSION IS ON MY BLOG.

Skills and Abilities	1	2	3
Self Discipline			*
Share opinions confidently		*
Team work			*
Acting as a leader		*
Contributing to discussions			*
Writing for academic purposes	*
Work on own initiative			*
Self Confidence		*
Be Creative	*

 

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)**
Team work	I will be using this in Working together workshops with my peer learning group to complete our agency visit and presentation. I could also use this when studying with other members of the course.	We have used teamwork to plan our visit to agency and prepare questions to ask for the visit.
Working on own initiative	I will have to be able to complete assignments and tasks without anyone prompting me. As a student I should be able to get things down independently.	I have done this by completing weekly tasks and by reading books of the reading lists. Reading week was a prime example of this as we had no teaching and had to get on with everything ourselves.
Self Discipline	Similar to working on my own initiative  I will use these skills when studying for exams and in general reading for modules or completing tasks independently.	I know I am disciplining myself as I am able to complete tasks and assignments in my own time without anyone reminding me and helping me.
Setting Personal Goals	Goals can be used in a number of ways but two ways a student can use them are: Setting goals to do each day such as work to get done. The other could be something more long term such as when to  get an assignment done.	I have set personal goals each day of what needs to be done by the end of that day and that week
Contributing to discussions.	I can contribute in lectures when questioned are posed to us or when in workshops and working as a team to complete tasks or solve problems. I will also be contributing to online discussions with people on my course and my peers.	I have contributed to discussions in workshops every week, conveying my ideas to the group in order for us to complete tasks.
Using Technology	Technology can be used many ways. Laptops and phones can be used to research and use online resources. It can be used effectively for me to keep in contact with class mates and lecturers. Laptops can also be used to complete assignments.	I have typed all of my lecture notes on my laptop. I have researched for my assignment and completed online tasks on my laptop as well.

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

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills to be developed	How will I develop these	How do I know (evidence)**
Share opinions confidently	Whenever I have an opinion on anything. Just be confident and believe its right. If it’s wrong, that’s how you learn.	I have now started to offer my opinions both in workshops with my group and online in discussions within the online units.
Self Confidence	Offer your opinions in lectures and workshops and talk to fellow classmates to share each other’s ideas and discuss	I have gone and talked to my advisor of studies about some of my worries and that has given me more confidence. I am planning on meeting with people from the academic skills centre to show them my values assignment planning. This will give me more reassurance and confidence in my ability.
Build Social networks	Try and get talking to as many people in your course, from the different disciplines. This will mean you can share ideas in the future and help each other.	I have different groups of people that I talk to in order to help us all be as successful as possible. I have my friend group, my flat mates, people from my education course, my Spanish class group and people from my working together peer group.
Converse confidently	Be confident in your voice and what you have to say when talking or debating anything with one of your peers.	I have been able to share my ideas confidently in our working together groups
Thinking Critically	These can be developed by looking at critical thinking exercises in books on reading lists. It can also be done by thinking of questions asked in lectures and developing the answers.	In my online tasks we have been given to do each week for values, they have made me think critically about different topics.
Evaluating Information	Use the skills that I hope to develop with my critical thinking and employ them in order to evaluate reliability of information and sources.	I have used these skills while researching for values assignment and picking out and evaluating information.

1. Managing My Learning

  Activity 1

Complete the table below to identify and reflect on those factors and plan actions for each.

Recognition/ Reflection	Action
What helps my learning?	How can I utilise this?
Example: “Discussing the topic with others”	·         Set up a study group of like-minded peers ·         Engage with the online community
Reading	·This must be a continual and ongoing activity. ·Reading materials must be appropriate literature for my course to enhance and develop.
Engage with online tasks and resources	·I will usually be guided to these by my lecturer. These will develop my understanding of lecture topics or prepare me for future lectures.
Revise	·This can be done by always reading over lecture notes straight after class. ·This can also be connected to engage in recommended reading for my module.
Guidance and support	·Many people will be available to help me, and it’s important that I utilise them fully when I am unsure. ·Lecturers, Advisor of studies, Academic Enquiry Centre.

 

 

Recognition/Reflection		Action
What hinders my learning?	How can I address this factor?
Example: “I’m easily distracted”	·         Study in a place where distractions are minimal ·         Read lecture notes before the lecture and then take notes lectures to keep me focused
Assignments – Not sure what I should be doing or not knowing if what I’m doing is correct.	·Seek reassurance from peers such as Lecturers, Advisors or staff at the Academic enquiry centre. ·Make plans and research the topic thoroughly. .Read over notes and appropriate literature to see if my ideas relate to the overall concept of what I have learned.
Confidence	·Seek reassurance that I can achieve what I’m aiming for and that I am on the right track.

 

Activity 2

• Make a timeline so that you are aware of all the potential busy periods and plan the year to ensure that you allocate sufficient time for each module to include reading time, writing time and any other aspects of the module where you need to allocate time.

 

• TIMELINE:
• Busy Periods:
• Agency Visit 31^st October
• EXAM DATE (WORKING TOGETHER MODULE) – 28^TH November
• Assignment Due (Values Module) – 5^th December
• January 31^st – First Observation day for placement
• February 27^th – March the 10^th – First Placement for 2 weeks
• April 17^th – May 12^th – 2^nd Placement for 4 weeks
• Modules weekly: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
• Wednesdays and Fridays – I have no lectures these days, so will be used to read appropriate literature and to consolidate my learning from the week.