How times have changed.

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Recently I went to Manchester to visit my family. My two cousins, Barney aged nine and Ollie aged eight, are both very knowledgeable and confident with technology, each owning an iPod and Kindle Fire. With what I’ve learned so far about the development of technology in the classroom in the back of my mind, I saw what an excellent opportunity I had at learning more, first hand from children.

Barney, the eldest, is at the stage where he is desperate to be a teenager. He acts years beyond his age, and is easily lead and influenced by his peers. I was fortunate enough to overhear part of an ongoing argument between he and his parents over social media.

“But all of my friends have Instagram, and three of the girls at my table do as well, and this one girl, right, has 109 followers!” (When talking to him about it later, he didn’t even understand the concept of followers.)

Luckily for Barney, his parents are fully aware of the dangers of the internet, and have forbidden all forms of social media until they deem it appropriate. I found it quite overwhelming that children in his class, aged 8 and 9, have accounts on social media. Not only is it dangerous, and they’re at risk of viewing things that they should be protected from until an older age, but I couldn’t get my head round what they found so interesting and compelling? Without sounding like a ‘technophobe’, I did find it difficult to understand how this was happening, how children of such a young age were drawn to social media, and why parents were allowing their children access to such websites. Are parents simply unaware of the dangers of social media and the consequences of not being safe online?

On the last night of my stay, I’d been sat with Ollie, who was sat watching me on my phone. Up until he got his first iPod, he’d be stuck to me like glue, watching carefully what I was doing on my phone. I would just be waiting for the question that would normally pop up, “have you got any games on your phone that I can play?” No Ollie, just boring adult apps (Facebook, Twitter etc) However, now he asked me a different question. He’s recently been pestering his parents for a Snapchat account, but knows that it’ll be a long time before he is allowed to have it. Understandably, he feels as though he’s missing out. I’ve tried telling him that his time will come, but by then there’ll probably be something even better.

“Leah, what was the coolest app when you were my age?”

Answering this question made me feel very old. I had to explain to him, that when I was his age, the closest thing I had to technology was a Tamagotchi (if anyone can even remember what they were.) Ollie certainly didn’t. He couldn’t get his head round the fact that I didn’t have an iPad/tablet when I was younger, and didn’t have access to all these games and apps, that he’d obviously assumed, had always been around. At that age, you don’t think about how things have progressed over time, as children live in the moment, taking each day as it comes. I think this really just made me understand quite how much we have developed, with regards to technology and the internet.

Bilingual as young as five?

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After studying Spanish for three years at high school, I thought it would be a good idea to choose the Spanish elective module. This year, I hope to develop my understanding of the language, and become more fluent.

I decided to read more on how teaching languages in the classroom from a young age would benefit pupils and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. A common thought is that children may become confused by learning two languages at the same time, which perhaps could have a detrimental impact on the child’s development. However, it’s quite the opposite. It’s been proven that exposing a second language to children at a young age, broadens their knowledge of different cultures, different people and points of view, improves creativity, and sharpens their brain, helping them enormously through their education, and in later life.

I began to wonder how much more beneficial it would have been had I started learning this language from a younger age. Our brains can absorb so much more, and adapt when we’re younger. It is similar to that of learning a musical instrument. At the age of five, I began having piano lessons, and progressed at such a fast pace, my mum, who at the time was learning too, couldn’t keep up.

The ideal time for a child to learn a second language is while they’re learning and developing their mother tongue language. Primary aged children are able to learn and mimic the often complex sounds and pronounciations of a new language, without the self-consciousness of older pupils. Children also gain that sense of accomplishment when they can say something new in a foreign language, which builds confidence and encourages performance. I think it would make an enormous difference in today’s education if children were introduced to a second language as early as primary one, and it was enforced and built upon throughout their time at primary school.

The Virtues of Teaching

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Integrity

Our job as teachers is to act as role models, from whom the children will acquire these morals and values from. Children are not born with integrity, it’s something they learn, and learning it in the classroom will benefit the children greatly throughout their lives.

Patience

When a teacher displays patience, it allows the children to see how to behave it sometimes difficult or compromising circumstances. In a primary school classroom, things can go wrong, or test us, so being patient and calm will enable us to think straight, clearly and teach and control the class efficiently.

Respect

It’s important that while teaching the children the importance of respecting their teacher, that we also respect every child, despite any factors that may effect your relationship with them. Remaining professional and taking the time to listen to the pupils and consider their thoughts and feelings.

Fairness

Equality in the classroom is key to a healthy, happy learning environment. This is probably the most important virtue to me. I believe all children should be made to feel special, and no one above anybody else. The detrimental impact this can have on pupils, lessons and learning overall can be devastating to the progress of the class. I have seen it happen in my time at school, where pupils have lacked the same preferential treatment others had, and therefore behaviour and work ethic has deteriorated. As I teacher, I aim to never put any child in that situation.

Honesty

Honesty works hand in hand with trust. Through experience, I have seen that if you gain your pupils’ trust, they will open up to you. Teaching children that ‘honesty is the best policy’ from a young age will help them enormously throughout their time in school, and life. It’s an invaluable life lesson.

Online unit- Personal and Interpersonal Skills and Abilities

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A) Identifying Skills and Abilities

Activity 1

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

Skills and Abilities	1	2	3
Self confidence		x
Set personal goals			x
Team work			x
Make presentations	x
Take notes			x
Be creative			x
Problem solve	x

Activity 2

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills already developed	How I will use these	How do I know (evidence)**
Setting personal goals	I intend on setting reasonable goals that I aim to achieve. My plan is to push myself to work hard in order to succeed.	In the past, I’ve given myself goals, and targets to reach. With my competitive nature, I’ve always tried to be the best that I can be. I worked very hard to obtain the grades I wanted in school, high grades in piano and violin, and also dancing and sport.
Team work	These skills I’ve picked up from other experience will benefit me greatly when working in groups with other students, and when I’m on placement, and eventually become a teacher.	I’ve spent the past six years in various orchestras in Fife, not only learning how to perfect my violin playing, but how to work well with others, share my knowledge and learn from others.
Take notes	In lectures, it’s important to take notes of what the lecturer is saying, and important information that I know I’ll want to read over later and potentially use in future presentations or assignments.	In school, in Higher Modern Studies, my teacher taught the class at an extremely fast pace, leaving no time to really take in what was being said. The best way I found to learn was by taking the most important things she said, scribbling them down and then later on going back and consolidating all the information.
Being creative	Being creative will be invaluable in teaching children, as it’ll give me many opportunities and avenues to inspire the children. I’ll be able find different ways to engage and stimulate children of different abilities, depending on what interests them.	I have always been a very creative person. I enjoy imaginative writing, all types of art, music and drama. When thinking about what I wanted to do when I left school, I considered being an art teacher and music teacher. I couldn’t teach one and not the other and much preferred the idea of being able to teach all my skills and passions.

Recognition	Reflection	Action
Skills to be developed	How I will develop these	How do I know (evidence) **
Self confidence	I’d say there’s always room for improvement when it comes to my confidence. I need to work on believing in myself a bit more. This can be achieved by participating more in lectures when asked questions or our opinions.	This was particularly highlighted when studying maths in school. I would get the right answer, but not believe it was correct until I’d be shown the answer and the working out. I’d always be convinced it was wrong, and had no faith in my own ability.
Make presentations	Practice. Practicing speaking in front of others, pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Making sure I know everything about the topic I’m talking about.	I have struggled in the past with speaking in public. I’ve been told I have a natural ability for it , however I would often get myself very worked up at the thought of giving a talk or presentation.
Problem solving	Practice thinking systematically, and start trying to think outside the box and realise not everything is black and white.	I’ve struggled with problem solving, in relation to maths and science. I’d say I’m improving in thinking rationally and that in its self is helping.

Personal vs Professional Presence on Social Media

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Challenges will naturally arise from having social media accounts whilst on placement in schools, and eventually when we become teachers. It is essential that as we progress through this course, and as teachers, we remain professional when on any form of social media, as there is a very detailed GTCS code of conduct for teaching.

As most of us are aware, it is so easy to post or tweet anything online, from our political beliefs, values or religion, to what we’re having for lunch. It is all too tempting to publish our thoughts, that would once have been written in a diary, to now the whole world. Even if it’s later deleted, it can be found out there somewhere. As trainee teachers, it’s vital that we filter what we write, and question whether it’s would be considered appropriate if read by others in the work place, parents or indeed pupils.

I personally believe that our personal and professional presence on social media should be kept separate. With the increasing amount of primary school aged children on social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, it’s easier than ever for them to find our accounts/profiles or in fact ‘stumble across them’.

There have been too many stories of inappropriate behaviour and conduct online, by teachers, who have gone on to lose their jobs, are unable to work in any establishment involving children, and in some cases, criminal convictions and prison sentences. These are examples and warnings of what can happen if the code of conduct is not taken seriously. We are not being restrained by the guidelines of the code of conduct, just instructed how to remain professional. Privacy settings on social media are evidently important and recommended for teachers, allowing us to still have a place to write, blog, share photos without the prying eyes of pupils and parents. Despite the advantage of privacy settings, it’s still extremely important that we follow the code of conduct.

Having a separate account on social media, specifically for professional views relating education, can be exceptionally beneficial for the pupils and teacher. With the landscape of teaching continually changing, the old established boundaries and relationships between teachers and pupils are not just classroom based. When I attended primary school, the only time I saw my teacher, or was able to ask questions was in the classroom, during lessons. Now, with the advancements in technology many pupils are able to get in contact with their teachers and enquire about homework, get extra support, and consolidate information they have learned, through websites like Glow, Edmodo etc.

Communication with pupils outside of the classroom will be so beneficial in the development of their learning, however it’s important to remember as teachers that we need to keep a professional stance. When the children walk back into the classroom, there still needs to be the consistent level of respect from the pupils, and discipline from the teachers. The pupils need the teacher in you predominantly, before the friendship.

How did your gender affect you as a child?

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In the classroom I never felt particularly limited by my gender, but when the bell rang for break time, it was a different story. Being a competitive child, I would naturally get frustrated when the boys wouldn’t pass the ball in football or include us while playing basketball in the playground. It would leave myself, and other girls feeling excluded and not as worthy because we weren’t boys. We weren’t taken seriously. However with time it became accepted that the boys had control when it came to sports and that was that. Nothing more said about it.

In Primary six, my family moved house, so I had to attend a different school that was in the catchment area. I was taken aback to find out that the massive football pitch at the front of my new school was reserved by primary six and seven boys only, at break time and lunch time. Meanwhile, the girls could be seen doing hand stands and cartwheels on the grass at the side, not daring to step on the forbidden land. These stereotypically ‘girly’ activities appealed to a lot of the girls, but many were desperate for some time on the football pitch. Looking back now, I can appreciate how unfair this was, and question why the teachers didn’t have more to say about these playground ‘rules’.

The problem that is gender inequality wasn’t addressed or taken seriously by the professionals in either of the primary schools I attended. After thinking deeper into how gender can impact learning, I’d say that it is crucial we take this issue, that is becoming ever more relevant, and bring it into the classroom, to educate children on the importance of being open minded, and not always to follow social constructs. It’s okay to do things ‘differently’ to the way we are used to.

‘The Study Skills Book’

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Reading pages 3 to 33 of The Study Skills Book, highlighted the monumental differences between High School and University.

Preparing for University

Goal Setting. It got me thinking, and trying to visualise myself in five, or ten years time. It is fairly straight forward to think about what you’ll be doing i.e graduating, becoming a teacher, shaping the lives of children. However, it’s impossible to know what kind of person you’ll be then. I’m certainly not the same person I was five years ago, at thirteen. I’ve developed and changed so much as a student, friend, sister etc. So I hope in the next four years I continue to develop into the kind of person and teacher I hope to become.

I also started to think about the knowledge I already have, and how much I have yet to learn. It’s given me a much a better understanding of ways to improve my academic skill levels while being at University.

Starting Out

This section of the book was extremely useful in preparing me for freshers week, with invaluable advice about University for new students. It not only gave me tips on what to attend and to read prior matriculation, but also guidance on spending money wisely, and making friends.

General Expectations

This particular chapter, I found emphasised the importance of being organised, planning ahead and doing what’s best for you. It suggested different resources in which I can go to if I need further advice or help during the course. It’s vital that student feel supported throughout their studies, especially around exams when stress levels increase.

What Makes University Different

Various tables and charts were included in this chapter, making it easier to see the differences between High School and University. There are so many aspects of life and University that are entirely different from that of school, and for me it was slightly overwhelming! However, the “Practical tips for adjusting to university teaching approaches” made me feel a lot more at ease.

Graduate Skills and Attributes

After reading this, I feel excited knowing I won’t just be leaving university with a degree, but with skills that will aid me in all aspects of life. These range from interpersonal and communication skills, to technical and intellectual skills. I hope to enhance the skills and knowledge I have coming into University.

My decision to become a teacher.

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When reflecting on my years at primary school, I remember myself, an eager little five year old, desperate to be noticed by the teacher, to answer a question and to be recognised and praised for my work. My first teacher, Mrs Fox, was somebody I really looked up to, and always wanted to impress. I admired the way she captivated the class with her stories, the way she wrote on the blackboard and the control she had over every single child, even the poorly behaved. I’d say at that very young age, it may have even been a subconscious decision, I knew that one day it would be me, the teacher.

As I progressed through school, I was taught by teachers who inspired and encouraged me, and others that weren’t as supportive. These particular teachers, despite being not as influential, showed me how much of an impact the nature of the teacher can have on the learning environment and the long term effect they can have on the pupils. To me, I believe it’s crucial that teachers are role models, and display equality among the pupils and are fair. Teachers that are seen to have a preference towards certain pupils, can have a detrimental impact on the lessons, other pupils’ self belief, and confidence.

I aim to become a successful teacher, and to achieve this I feel I have to give everything I can. The more you put into teaching, the harder you work to plan, and deliver lessons so that the children learn effectively, the more you will gain and the outcome will be so much more rewarding. I want to be a teacher that children will look up to. Teaching is a whole world away from what it used to be, with so many resources at our fingertips. I hope to be able to teach my pupils not only what’s in their curriculum, but inspire them with the knowledge I have obtained through life experiences and shape them into well rounded individuals.