Category Archives: 3. Prof. Skills & Abilities

Should schools promote Scottish tradition and culture?

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Having been in different primary schools, I believe that although Scottish history is taught in primary school often Scottish tradition is not thoroughly explored. Scottish Culture lies at the centre of life in Scotland (Scottish Government, p.3). Scottish culture is very well known about and respected in other countries and is why Scotland is an extremely popular tourist destination (Scottish Government, p.3).

Whilst I was in Canada, I volunteered for a week in a local elementary school. I observed the strong sense of national pride. Every morning, the national anthem was played and the children were made to stand whilst it was played. The school also had the Canadian Flag flying prominently in its grounds. The children took great pride in their country and spoke very openly about being Canadian, even though Canada is a relatively new country and many of its occupants migrated just a few generations ago.

Many families in Scotland have lived here for generations and this in turn means that many children’s ancestors have been involved in historic battles. However, often this is not portrayed to children and they are unable to see how events of the past shape their lives today.

I believe that although children are often taught “O Flower of Scotland”, Scotland’s unofficial national anthem, they are not taught the meaning of the song. The songs explores the strength of Scots in the Wars of Independence (BBC News, 2015). Therefore, often children are unable to make a connection between the importance of the wars of independence and how different their lives would be now had the outcome been different. Instead they can recite the song off by heart but have no true understanding of the words that they sing.

It is important when teaching social studies that you start in the present and relate all learning to the lives of the individual child making it relevant to them. It is important to teach local geography and history and relate learning to culture and tradition which is still in place today.

There are examples of attempts to reintroduce the importance of Scottish culture and tradition to children today. Scottish Opera have announced that they are currently touring with the play “The Tale o’ Tam o’ Shanter” which is based on ‘Tam O’Shanter’, a traditional Scottish poem by Robert Burns.  They aim to re-introduce the works of the famous poet to children in Scotland in a fun and productive way (Scottish Opera, 2016, p.1). They hope this will allow children to explore the Scottish culture, identity and language (Scottish Opera, 2016, p.1).

The Burns’ Supper is also often celebrated in schools to introduce Scottish traditions. Often children are made to memorise and recite poems with no understanding of what the poem means or what it is about. Instead online resources, such as the one created by Carol Magee (nd) expresses different ways in which teachers can teach children about Scottish culture and tradition in a way which allows children to explore and identify the changes in Scottish culture. This also allows teachers to integrate literacy within social studies as the children learn to analyse and interpret the poem.

 

References

BBC News (2015) Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-31927575 (accessed on 15/10/17).

Magee, C (nd) A Burns supper with Liz Lochhead Scottish Book Trust. Available at: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/files/liz_lochhead_resource.pdf (last accessed on 14/10/17).

Scottish Opera (2016) Scottish Opera’s Primary Schools Tour Explores Robert Burns’ Classic Available at: https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/media/1563/tale-o-tam-press-release.pdf (last accessed on 14/10/17).

Room on the Broom

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During one of our Early Years Mathematics lectures, we were asked to share with an activity which included the use of a picture book that could be used in an early years classroom. The activity I have come up with would help children learn ordinal numbers. It includes the children remembering the order of which the animals got on the broom. The teacher would promote the idea of the witch being first on the broom. The cat being second and so on.

This activity could be tackled in many ways:

–          As a class – the teacher could have print outs of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th and pictures of the witch and the animals for the children to match up.

–          Individually/In pairs – the same idea except on one piece of paper and to be matched up either by drawing lines or colouring the boxes the same colour. Doing this activity in pairs would encourage the children to communicate using the words first, second, third, etc.

The activity can be made more interactive by making a broom and finger puppets (Parker, no date) but I feel that this would be difficult to control and be challenging to support each child individually. Instead a previously made broom and finger puppets would be effective for the teacher to use and explain. If possible one for each table would be beneficial as it could be used as a prop if children are struggling.

By placing the finger puppets on the broom, it would give the teachers the opportunity to assess the children’s understanding of the order. She could ask individual children which animal is 3rd on the broom. By doing it this way, the children are not simply repeating the animals in the same order and will help with recognition.

 

Reference

Parker, C. (no date) Room on the Broom – Learning Ordinal Numbers. Available at: http://rainydaymum.co.uk/room-on-the-broom-learning-ordinal-numbers/

Why use Nursery Rhymes

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5 currant buns in a baker’s shop

Round and fat with a cherry on the top

Along came (choose a child)

With a penny one day

Bought a currant bun and took it away

4 currant buns in a baker’s shop

And so on

There is a large amount of mathematical language used in this nursery rhyme

Five – introduced numbers and counting. The idea of subtraction is introduced when one is taken away and it becomes four currant buns.

Round – Introduces the idea of shape, the currant bun is circular.

Penny – introduces the idea of money.

Took it away – reinforces the idea that the number will get smaller as one has been removed.

Being able to include the children into the song will increase motivation and involvement. It will also introduce a visual element. The teacher could have money for the child to collect and give to her in return for an item. Having the other four items on the table would help children understand the concept of 5-1=4

Before this lecture, I hadn’t thought about the use of nursery rhymes in early years. I can’t remember singing nursery rhymes in Primary 1 but I remember singing them in Primary 2. My teacher made a point of having us sing, she taught us some common nursery rhymes but also some older more unusual nursery rhymes which I still remember to this day.

While doing work experience in a Canadian school over the summer, I volunteered with early years. I spend most of my time with an ASN class with children in Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten. In the morning, when the children came in they were given some tasks to do which were the same every day. One was to listen to a song, all of which were nursery rhymes. The children all sang or moved along to them and now that I think back to it, many of them included a mathematical element to them.

Nursery rhyme introduces the idea of sequences to children. They include numbers, counting and other maths words such as size and weight all of which children have to learn (KBYU Eleven, 2010). It allows children to learn to count both forwards and backwards.

I feel that it is important to sing nursery rhymes with children in the early years as it helps with their mathematical, language and cognitive development. Some children will not have parents who sing with them so it is important that they are given this opportunity to learn as well. Nursery rhymes is an easy way to get all children involved and learning without them even realising it.

 

References

KBYU Eleven (2010) Rhymes are readers: The importance of Nursery Rhymes. Available at: http://www.kbyutv.org/kidsandfamily/readytolearn/file.axd?file=2011%2F3%2F2+Rhymers+are+Readers-Why+Important.pdf

 

 

Science Experiment – Reflection

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We conducted a science experiment to see if the height of which an object was dropped would affect the speed of which it would fall.

The dependent variable was the height and the independent variable was the type, weight and material of the ball, the force of which it was being dropped at, and the surface it was being dropped on.

To select our dependent and independent variable, we used planning sheets which I found very effective as it ensured you that all aspects were covered to make the experiment as controlled as possible. I feel that this would be beneficial for children as it allows them to recognise the elements which need to be considered. This would help clear any confusion the children may have on the experiment which would ensure that the experiment runs as smoothly as possible.

We then predicted what would happen in the experiment. By having the children predict what will happen during the experiment will create a discussion between the children as to why they believe this will happen. This is a key time for teachers to ask open questions as to why the child believes this.

Once we completed the experiment and looked at the results, we instantly noticed a trend that the higher the ball was held the longer it took to hit the ground, this is what we predicted. We portrayed our results in a graph and a table. It is important for children to record their data so that they can begin to develop the skill of recording data and being able to interpret it. It is essential at this stage that the children have recently completed graph work in mathematics or children may not know or remember how to draw a graph. This is where the link between mathematics and science becomes most apparent.

We concluded that the higher the object is dropped at, the longer it takes to hit the surface. By making children conclude their experiment, it will show if they have been able to stay on task and see if their results match their predictions.

Learn Languages Earlier

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When I was 3 years old, my parents got me involved in many activities. I went to swimming lessons, dancing and French lessons. I understood why I went swimming, for safety, and then I went to dancing because my older cousins were in it and it interested me but I always wondered why I went to French lessons. After speaking to my parents, I found out it was because my mum was aware of all the benefits that learning a second language at such a young age brings to a child such as it broadens their knowledge of different cultures, improves creativity and sharpens the brain.

I remember being very shy at French lessons and I barely spoke but I took in everything they said. I used to do the homework they set us in the living room with my dad on a Sunday night with the cassette player. I only went to French lessons till I was 7 and then had to stop as I became more involved in dancing. However, I still feel that what I learnt benefitted me when I started learning languages in Primary 5 as I could still remember the basics.

As well as going to French lessons, my grandparents also spoke basic French. We were taught French songs such as “Sur le pont d’avignon” and the well known “Frere Jacques”.  Still to this day, anytime I walk into my granddad’s house, the first thing he says to me is “Bonjour, Comment ca va?” and we are expected to reply in French and ask him back. It might be basic but it has kept the French language fresh in my brain and even though I stopped learning French after Standard Grade 2 years ago, I can still reply to simply questions and answers.

Therefore, due to my early experiences in learning a language, I feel that children as young as Primary 1 and nursery should be learning another language. It doesn’t have to be a lot, just a couple of songs and a couple of questions but the soon the language and, in particular, the accent in programmed into their brains the easier it is for them to pick it up again.

My reflection on Feedback

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Personally, I feel that feedback is very beneficial. Feedback is given to improve you as a person and ensure that you can do the job to the best of your ability. I am a dancer and a horse rider and both these sports involve a lot of feedback. You should not feel embarrassed by negative feedback as it is only being given to make you better. Both in horse riding and dancing, I have had private lessons during which I was given a lot of feedback and criticism to take on board. I have learnt not to be offended by it as my teacher only wants me to be the best that I can. Also in group lessons and classes, we learnt to give feedback to each other to ensure that we were all kept safe and that our group could come out on top and win competitions.

The benefits of feedback is that it helps you grow as a group. It makes you feel that you can rely on others and that they will help you when needed. It also helps you to improve your skills and allows you to identify where more work is needed. Also sometimes, having another person’s perspective changes your view on something and allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the topic. However, a disadvantage of peer feedback is that it could be used incorrectly. Sometimes, people respond harshly when they originally didn’t intend to which can led to disagreements and frustration.

I have found that receiving postive feedback makes me feel more confident in my work. Any negative feedback I receive makes me even more determined to work harder to ensure that I do not make the same mistake again. I feel that when you are given feedback, it encourages you to work harder due to the confidence boost and also because you want to prove to the person that you have taken their views on board and have improved.

When given feedback, I find it easy to give positive feedback but I find it more difficult to express the negative feedback. I have learnt that if you word it in a certain way it comes across better. For example – maybe next time, you should think more about…

Feedback is something which is used throughout life and as a teacher it is important to give feedback to pupils and fellow teachers. As a student teacher, I will be receiving a lot of feedback from lectures and teachers on my placement and I understand that not all of it is going to be positive but I know that it will make me even more determined to succeed and try harder.

 

Virtues of a Teacher

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Patience

Patience is a very good virtue for a teacher to have as they have to understand that not all children will manage to grasp something instantly. They are learning this for the first time and it needs to go through to their long term memory. Things that we find easy like the alphabet isn’t easy for them. They have just been thrown 26 letters and suddenly there is an order to them. Having patience allows you to take a deep breath and try again. You also have to have patience within the school with fellow teachers and parents. Just because you have asked for something doesn’t mean that they are going to do it straight away. Also not all parents understand the curriculum and what you are trying to teach their children. This means you have to have patience and let parents think about what you are doing and why.

Fairness

“I am strict, but fair” was my Primary 3 teacher’s favourite saying and it was true. Many people were scared of her but our class loved her. She was strict when she needed to be but was also fair in what she said. She didn’t make assumptions and was willing to listen to your side of the story. She was aware of us as individuals and treated us all fairly.

Respect

Teachers should be respected by children but, in return, teacher’s should respect children. They should be treated as individuals and listened too. If you do not respect the children then they are less likely to respect you back. Children will come into the classroom with completely different views and they should all be respected.

Honesty

Being honest helps you to set a good example to children. It helps a trust to develop between the children and the teacher as they feel that they value them by telling them the truth. It helps them feel secure and comfortable with the teacher

Kindness

It is important for teachers to be kind as they act as a role model for children. By being kind, it relaxes the atmosphere and creates a more relaxed environment for the children to learn in.

Reflective Writing

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Ever since I started Intermediate 2 English in S3, I have enjoyed doing reflective writing. I feel that it is a great way to reflect on past experiences and the affect they had on you. It allows you to evaluate how the experience has changed you as a person and how it helped other people. I feel that some people find reflective writing difficult because you have to evaluate yourself and it is your own personal thoughts. This makes everyone’s reflective writing completely different.

During 6th year, I did PDA in Youth work. Our final assessment was a reflective portfolio on activities that we conducted. Many people found the reflective part difficult while I was naturally able to write the essays. Through the reflective essays, I was able to see clearly what worked and what I would have done different.

Therefore, I feel that reflective writing is a vital part of the learning process. Through reflective writing, you are able to see what went well and how to improve. Nothing is ever perfect, so there is always things you can do to make the activity better.

Working Co-operatively

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Benefits

I think working co-operatively means that people work together in order to reach the best decision. Benefits of this is they can share ideas. They can develop different skills from others and improve their knowledge. By working with others you can ensure that the best decision is reached by having people from different expertise available. It helps develop communication skills and helps build relationships with other members.

Challenges

Challenges of working co-operatively is that conflicts can arise. This can be due to barriers to communications such as different backgrounds and personalities. Due to these barriers meetings can become difficult to control and can lead to frustration and arguments. It can also lead to some people’s views not being heard. Another challenge is some people being more committed than others, this again can lead to disagreements. It can be difficult to arrange meetings so that everyone can turn up.