After spending time working on unit 2 of the online modules, it’s come to my attention that my knowledge and understanding of basic grammar is in particular need of developing. I’ve realised that although I feel confident in my writing abilities, I desperately need to address my understanding of the English language ‘rules’ when it comes to writing as well as furthering my knowledge of why things are the way they are. I found the Study Skills Book (pages 252-265) particularly useful when it came to defining common grammar terms and what they are used for.
As well as highlighting specific areas that I am in need of developing, I also found the exercises encouraging. For example, when reading the assigned pages of the Study Skills Book, I felt comfortable and confident with the information regarding sentences and paragraphs.
I think over all it was a useful exercise for me to systematically address my knowledge of the basics and I now feel more secure in my understanding of my own academic skills and abilities.
One of the most thought provoking podcasts I’ve listened to since coming to study Education at university was one by a Sir Ken Robinson, a man who along side other things acts as an international adviser of education. During a talk titled ‘changing educations paradigms’, he compares our current education system to that of a working ‘factory’. He comments on the idea that we are still using a system designed for a completely different era to that of which we’re experiencing now- the industrial revolution- and he asks the relevant question of ‘why is it we put our children through education by their age?’ In reference to this he states ‘it’s almost like the date of their manufacture is the most important thing we have to consider!’ and for me, it was this that sparked a personal revolution in the way I view our year groups in this country.
Although it seems natural to accept the fact that different children learn at different speeds and therefor achieve milestones at different points both academically and emotionally, I’ve never considered that our education system should model this truth. Up until recently, having only ever experienced the Scottish education system, it seemed only natural to me to go through school along side children my own age. However during my year teaching in west Africa, I was exposed to another style of ‘streaming’; each year group varied in size, ability and age. Initially this struck me as being disorganised and made it even harder to set appropriate work for the whole class. However upon reflection, and considering Sir Robinson’s comments, this idea of children being grouped together by something as meaningless as age seems more and more bizarre.
Perhaps it is time to shake up the way we educate our children. As Sir Robinson states, we’re no longer living in times of industrial revolution. Does that mean our whole education system is obsolete? However if we were to stop putting children through school with their peers, would that potentially create a void for social development…would it create a system where the ‘more able’ children excelled but the ‘less academic’ were left behind?
