Monthly Archives: September 2015

Active learning and co-operative working

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The Oxford English Dictionary defines active learning as, ” an educational approach in which students are encouraged to engage with the material to be studied through activities, such as experimentation, group discussion, and role-play.”

One of the benefits I find from active learning is that I am more engaged with what I am doing. Instead of just copying out a topic and not really thinking about what I am writing, I am constantly asking questions, creating links between topics and properly reflecting on what has been taught. This helps me to reinforce my memory of that topic and enabled me to spot if there is anything I don’t understand. Group work and discussions have many advantages, as I will explain later. I hope that when I become a teacher I can encourage my pupils to engage with their learning and to enjoy it.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines co-operative working as, “Involving mutual assistance in working towards a common goal.”

There are so many advantages to working co-operatively with others. In university, having group discussions can help you to figure out topics you may not have understood before; sometimes simply hearing something explained from another person’s point of view is all we need for it to ‘click’ in our brains. Engaging in group projects is important as you will develop teamwork and maybe even leadership skills. These skills are very useful in teaching, as you will need to work co-operatively with other members of staff. Group projects can also develop your communication skills, creativity and motivation to complete the task.

 

Unit 1 Personal and Interpersonal Skills and Abilities

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

Skills and Abilities 1 2 3
* Flexibility* Self confidence

* Self discipline

* Work under pressure

* Set personal goals

* Take risks

* Share opinions confidently

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 X 

X

 

 

 

X

 

  

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

X
* Team work* Take responsibility

* Build social networks

* Manage Time

* Act as a leader

* Negotiation

  

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

 

X

 X 

X

 

X

 

 

 
* Make presentations* Listen to others

* Debate formally and informally

* Contribute to discussions

* Converse confidently

* Take notes

* Write for academic purposes

  

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

X

 X 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

X
* Computing Skills* Be creative

* Use technology

 X 

 

 

X

  

X
* Problem solve* Generate new ideas

* Work on own initiative

* Organise and plan

* Think critically

* Evaluate information

 X 

X

 

X

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

  

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

Activity 2

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

 

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills already developed How I will use these How do I know (evidence)**
Self DisciplineSet personal goals I will be able to focus on my work at university and motivate myself to achieve the best I can. I will inspire my future classes to set their own personal goals, whether it is to be a doctor or simply to learn their spellings and encourage them to work towards these goals
Team workTake responsibility

Build social networks

 Team work is essential in working in a school with the other staff and getting along with them to make the school a happy, encouraging environment. I will also use these skills to work with other people from other professions.
Make presentationsListen to others

Take notes

Write for academic purposes

 I will be making presentations as part of my course assessments and also in the future I will make presentations to show to my classes in order to e.g. introduce them to a topic. I am a good listener which is a good quality to have in order to develop/ maintain trusting relationships with my students and other staff members so they feel they can tell me if they have any problems. I will be taking notes in university in order to help me focus and remember points from lectures which I can then research and back-up with what I learn from my reading.
Be creative Creativity is another great quality to have in order to think of different ways to engage pupils and to inspire them to be imaginative and creative
Organise and plan I will be organising my work at university and planning effectively so I can have assignments etc completed in good time of the deadline. It helps me to not waste time and in the future will be helpful when organising class lesson plans and trips etc.

 

 

Recognition Reflection Action
Skills to be developed How I will develop these How do I know (evidence) **
FlexibilitySelf Confidence

Work Under Pressure

Take Risks

Sharing opinion confidently

 I think these skills will develop more as I go through my course. On placement I will take more risks and develop flexibility by being more open minded and aware that I may have to make last-minute changes to a plan. My self confidence will develop as I give presentations as part of my assignments and teach at the front of class on placement. This will enable me to share my opinion more confidently. I will learn to work better under pressure as exam time starts and as I will have assignments to complete before a deadline.
Manage timeAct as a leader

Negotiate

 My time management skills will increase as I organise lesson plans and start working outside of my lectures. I will develop my leadership skills as I go into placement and look after the class. As my confidence develops my leadership and negotiating skills will develop.
Debate formally and informallyContribute to discussions

Converse confidently

 My debating and conversing skills will develop as my confidence develops. Also as part of my online unit I have to participate in discussions so this will develop these skills.
Computing skillsUse technology My technology/computing skills will develop as I start to update my eportfolio and also as i explore more into the world of using technology in teaching
Problem solvingGenerating new ideas

Work on own initiative

Think critically

Evaluate information

 These skills will develop as my confidence develops and as I think reflectively as part of my eportfolio.

How did gender affect my time in school?

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As part of my Sociology module, I have been looking at the different factors which affect education, most recently gender. This has led me to reflect on how gender affected my time at school.

If I’m honest, I can’t think of a time in my childhood where I really felt I was being treated unfairly because I am a girl. Not playing football, being in separate races on sports day and having to wear skirts to school was just something I grew up with and didn’t question. However, I probably never felt personally discriminated against because I am quite a ‘girly girl’; I preferred playing with barbies over Pokémon and I enjoyed dressing up in skirts and dresses.

Upon reflection, there are some things now that I have picked up on which maybe didn’t hugely affect me but I see that they are examples of how my class were indirectly taught to follow our stereotypes. I remember every time the teacher needed something heavy carried somewhere they would say “Now I need some very strong boys to carry this for me”, immediately excluding us girls from even volunteering to help. I would also agree with the belief that girls get away with more than boys; there were countless times when boys were called out for being rough or distracting each other in class, however, there were also countless times that I would gossip quietly with my friends in class and it would go unnoticed. I remember growing up with the idea that the reason boys and girls were split up into different races on Sport’s Day was because boys are a lot stronger than girls, and so it is only fair to the girls to let them have a separate race, as there was no way that they could beat a boy.

Gender stereotypes has been something that I grown up with without even noticing the impact it has had in my life or how much it has been imposed on me. As a teacher in training, it is something that I will have to try to conquer, to not treat any of my class differently because they are a boy or a girl and to inspire my class to treat every one else the same regardless of their gender.

Managing My Learning Part 2

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Recognition/Reflection Action
What hinders my learning? How can I address this factor?
Distractions ·         Study in a place where distractions are minimal e.g. library

·         Read lecture notes before the lecture and then take notes lectures to keep me focused

·         Turn off electronic devices whilst studying

·         Set goals and take short breaks
Having to read lots and lots-staying focused on what I am reading ·         Taking notes on what I’m reading

·         Doing the reading whilst I’m most alert

·         Lists of what I have to read so I feel organised
Procrastination ·         Timetables

·         Set goals to work towards

·         Lock out any distractions

Managing My Learning Part 1

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Recognition/ Reflection Action
What helps my learning? How can I utilise this?
Discussing the topic with others ·         Set up a study group of like-minded peers·         Talk to people on my course about what we are learning

·         “Study Buddies”

·         Engage with the online community
Integrating creativity/art into my work ·         Mind Maps·         Using different coloured pens for note taking

·         Wall Calendars to stay on top of assignments
Working on one thing at a time- avoiding feeling like I have too much to do at once ·         Make lists·         Timetables
 Studying when I am most alert
  •  Waking up in good time

Why did I decide to do teaching?

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Probably like many other people, there are a number of reasons why I decided to do teaching. I remember wanting to become a teacher from a young age, although at this age it was mainly due to my admiration of my own primary teachers and the respect I had for them. As I got older, this aspiration grew.

When I was 14 I started to volunteer at the weekly children’s club at my Church (for children aged between Primary 1 and Primary 3). I really enjoyed volunteering there, I loved getting to know the kids and seeing their personalities develop from being shy little 4 year olds to energetic 7 year olds. I was amazed at the enthusiasm the children had and how eager they were to listen and to learn. Over time as my confidence developed I started to teach the children Bible stories up at the front and lead games, helping me gain some insights into what life would be like as a teacher.

It was because of my time at the children’s club at my Church that I decided to go to a local Primary school for my work experience when I was in Year 13 (I would have been 16 years old). I was only on the placement for three days, but by the end of these three days I was more determined than ever to become a teacher. From the first day I saw the respect the children had for their teacher, and the influence that she had over them. Every day I was amused by the random, yet funny stories the children would come in and tell me and I really felt like every day was different. I really liked getting to lead reading groups in the class and going round assisting those who needed extra help. One highlight from it was the sense of achievement I felt when one girl was struggling with alphabetical order. I told her to cover up the last part of the word with her hands and only look at the first letters, or second letters, and so on. She caught on to this technique really quickly and the next day when the class were doing alphabetical order tasks again, I saw the same girl and even some of her friends using the method that I had taught her to do the work. I was thrilled at the fact that I had been able to help a struggling pupil understand a topic that she didn’t before and so I knew that I wanted to choose a career where I had the privilege to teach children things that they will use for the rest of their life. I remember at the end of my work experience the teacher I was shadowing said to me, “I’ve been doing this for 30 years now and I still think it is the best job in the world.” And that comment has stayed with me ever since and inspired me even more to become a teacher.

Another reason why I wanted to do teaching was because in my final year of High School (Year 14), I had the absolute pleasure of being a ‘buddy’ to Year 8 pupils. I got to see a more pastoral side of teaching, as I went into their class every morning, got to chat and joke around with them, but also be there for them if they were having any problems. I really liked my time as a buddy, no day was ever the same and no moment was ever boring.

Reflecting on what I have just talked about, my next question is; what kind of teacher do I want to become?

I want to be a teacher who is a role model for her class. I want to be an enthusiastic teacher who loves her job, just like the teacher I shadowed on my work experience. I want to be well respected but also some one the kids know they can trust and tell their problems to. I want to be knowledgeable and patient, caring and kind, hard-working and focused. Most importantly though, I want to be a teacher that doesn’t just teach the class the curriculum subjects like geography etc., I want to help them develop positive characteristics that they will need in life like team work, open-mindedness, tolerance. I want to inspire my class to be the best that they can and to get the best out of them.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at both Primary and Secondary school, and I want to make sure that the classes I teach in the future also have happy experiences at school.

I conclusion, I believe that education is such a privilege to have as it, as the saying goes, ‘opens doors’ for opportunities and jobs and so I am so eager to help the future generations get an education so that they can get the most out of their lives.