Learning Log
This week in the module, we were learning about energy and how we use energy. We also discussed issues such as, how long finite sources will last us as well as looking to the future when these sources run out or become scarce. We then looked at other forms of energy such as wind, solar, wave and nuclear.
As a class, we then moved on to the two workshops of the day. Firstly, we took part in a science workshop which showed different experiments and activities that we could use to teach children about energy in the future. This included experiments which related to all the different types of energy.
From this workshop, I feel that I have developed skills in relation to skills as a future teacher. Through this workshop, I feel that I have developed more in the skill of organisation and creativity. I feel this way because I feel that after today, I have a better understanding of how I would set these activities up and how I could ensure that they ran smoothly through stations instead of whole class activities. I also feel that I have developed in creativity because I now have a better understanding of activities I could not only use, but how to implement them into different areas of the curriculum and of how to change parts of them to suit learners needs and skills.
Secondly, we had the opportunity to take part in a workshop which involved debating. We had to look at different sources about wind energy and pick out the key points and the positives and negatives of it. The class the split into two teams to debate, a for and against team. This task developed my skills mostly as a learner. I found that I have developed my skill of critical thinking/critical literacy because I was reading a text that I would normally struggle with and was able to make connections between the key points and the positive and negatives of the subject. I feel that I have also developed in confidence from the input because I was able to talk in front of people and contribute to the group about a subject I was not familiar with at all. Before this, I normally wouldn’t have had the confidence to contribute much about something I didn’t really know about due to feeling that I would look stupid or that my points would be automatically invalid but I have realised that this is not the case and that even if information is not totally accurate, I should still contribute to a group because they will most likely help me and support me.
Week 2- directed study task
I was absent from the second week of them theme, however, my peers have informed me of the learning involved and also the task that was set. This week, the class were learning about STEM Teaching (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). This was delivered from a guest speaker from Onthank Primary School who is interested in STEM Teaching. The class informed me that the guest speaker talked about the importance and encouragement of making mistakes in order to build confidence in learning and in personal skills.
For the practical task, the class were challenged with making an anemometer and then delivering a lesson plan as though they had taught this lesson to a class. Although I did not take part in this task, I feel that the skills that could be developed through it could be initiative to read about STEM Teaching if not already known about, risk taking, lesson planning and a willingness to learn and resilience to and allowing mistakes.
