January 22, 2019
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Comments Off on Developing Enthusiasm For Dance
I have loved dancing from a young age. I started ballet classes at aged three and ended up completing my grade 8 ballet exam last year. It’s always been part of my life, so I was eager to get going with the dance input that we had. I got it in to my head that […] Continue reading
January 22, 2019
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Comments Off on Reflection – I Want to Better My Practice!
Personally, I find taking constructive criticism somewhat difficult. Throughout my high school years, I would tend to have the mindset to ‘give up’ if the slightest thing was wrong – a list of corrections in an essay, a failed test. The list can go on and on. It would put me off that particular area […] Continue reading
January 21, 2019
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Comments Off on Semester one, over and done.
So here we are, second week of January after surviving the first semester of my first year at university… and how do I feel? I feel pretty good to be honest. And following receiving my results I am feeling OK with my progression so far, although there is definitely plenty room for improvement. For the […] Continue reading
January 20, 2019
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Comments Off on Reflection- Fundamental to My Development as a Teacher
A key element to a teacher’s career is to reflect on the things that they do. Reflection is vital because you are able to evaluate yourself in all kinds of scenarios which helps you to discover your own strengths and weaknesses. These can be used to think of ways in which you can improve and […] Continue reading
January 19, 2019
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Comments Off on Teaching Across the Curriculum – Drama
Earlier this week I took part in a drama workshop which gave me more of an insight into how I could use drama when out on placement. We were set the task of watching a video on a drama workshop and reviewing aspects of this. The workshop was set up by two teachers to help […] Continue reading
January 11, 2019
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Comments Off on First week back
It’s the start of semester 2. There were a couple of timetable glitches which immediately sent me in to panic mode….”How will I work”, “when will I spend time with my own children?”. Luckily my employer has been accommodating and my husband has the flexibility in his working day that he can help with the […] Continue reading
January 9, 2019
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Comments Off on Teaching Across the Curriculum – Dance TDT
Today I had my first Dance workshop for the ‘Teaching Across the Curriculum’ module. At first I found it a bit uncomfortable as I wasn’t sure what we would be asked to do. However by the end of the session I found that I was more comfortable in the group and had a clearer understanding […] Continue reading
November 26, 2018
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Comments Off on Mathematics in Battleships… Hit or Miss?
Even upon just taking the lid off of the box, it is already clear that there are elements of Mathematics in the classic game ‘Battleships’, some of which would be fantastic in the classroom for facilitating learning if used effectively. The most obvious of these to me at first glance is the use co-ordinates. This […] Continue reading
November 9, 2018
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Comments Off on What Would Life be Like if we Lived in System 2?
Despite the fact I was aware that my brain is a house full of many rooms that do many different things, I was unaware that unconsciously my brain was making choices for me from either my system 1 or system 2. David Kahneman (2001) discusses the concept of system 1 and 2 and the fact […] Continue reading
November 7, 2018
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Comments Off on Stepping into the light of modern languages
I have always felt guilty whilst visiting other countries that most of the natives can speak conversational English, when I can barely speak a word of their language. I believe this has allowed English speakers to become lazy and too comfortable in their own culture. We should explore different languages and cultures to fully engage …
Continue reading “Stepping into the light of modern languages”
November 3, 2018
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Comments Off on “I’ve gotten this far… I may as well finish it”
With the amount of times it has happened already, I should not really be surprised that the next area covered in Discovering Mathematics is another one that not only astounds me, but applies to me directly – and yet, my jaw is once again left near-enough dropped as I began to uncover Counter Intuitive Mathematics. […] Continue reading
October 27, 2018
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Comments Off on Stick or Twist
Gambling – the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money (Dictionary.com). But are we really playing by chance? Let’s find out. First let’s discover what chance is; Chance is the possibility of something happening (oxford dictionary). It can also be described more mathematically as probability.Say you have a coin. It […] Continue reading
October 22, 2018
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Comments Off on Do we ‘Place Value’ on our understanding of Mathematics?
During my time on placement, the aim of one of my group lessons was to teach the children who were ‘struggling’ all they needed to know about place value in one 30-minute slot. Simple right?… Armed with white boards and place value blocks we headed to the group study area where I could begin my […] Continue reading
October 18, 2018
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Comments Off on Chance of Me Gaining an Appreciation for Maths – Extremely Likely
Probability – the next (and successful) leap in convincing me of how relevant mathematics actually is. This module has been effective in changing previously negative perceptions of maths, one of which in particular is that the terms ‘maths’ and ‘complex’ go together like bread and butter – this is not the case. Granted, parts of it […] Continue reading
October 10, 2018
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Comments Off on Doctor Who?
Time Travel – a Doctor Who-esque phenomenon that has been a fantasy to many for thousands of years. But it turns out that we have been doing it all along. How? You might ask. The answer is simply light, the five-letter word that we all take for granted. Light has been enabling us to see […] Continue reading
October 9, 2018
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Comments Off on Fibonacci Sequence – Significant Coincidence?
The Fibonacci Sequence is a fairly new concept to me, having only seen a flash of the term in a textbook during my MA1 school placement. The Discovering Maths module is responsible for properly introducing me to this concept, however it was a shock to learn that in reality, this peculiar set of numerals have […] Continue reading
September 29, 2018
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Comments Off on the maths and creativity sandwich.
Never would I have imagined that myself or anyone could sandwich together maths and creativity. Yet what a wonderful sandwich it is! Realistically, the majority of people would strongly argue against this opening statement, my self being one of them, however let me tell you that it is more than possible. Like most sandwiches it …
September 25, 2018
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Comments Off on Standing up for justice; standing up for our children.
I sit and write this blog after one of the most thought provoking discussions so far in my university journey. One in which we were discussing theories such as the Montessori, Owen and Frobel perspectives on education. Each being primarily child-centre focused and broadening on aspects of children thriving on their own initiative and creativity. […] Continue reading
September 25, 2018
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Comments Off on Skills and Abilities Week 2 Task
Skills and Abilities 1 Continue reading
September 24, 2018
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Comments Off on Positive, Fair and Consistent
The values task proved that a teacher who uses negative words and treats individuals different can cause an individual to feel upset, become disengaged and can begin to doubt their ability leading them to lack self-confidence. I experienced these feelings myself during this group task. The task involved 4 different groups within the room, 2 … Continue reading “Positive, Fair and Consistent” Continue reading
