Category Archives: 1.4 Prof. Commitment

Free your mind!

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After recently reading some of my peers’ blog posts on their ePortfolio, it is clear to see that some people have been putting in a great deal of effort and really engaging with the blog. They are reflecting on topics which weren’t even set as tutor directed tasks. This shows a strong commitment to their own professional development.

From writing these blogs posts, not only are my peers able to voice their opinions and invite us to respond to create a debate, but are they transforming and developing their ability to be critical. They are simply taking a statement or current topic and giving their thoughts and opinions on it.

I fully understand that a lot of people on our course may be quite apprehensive about posting on their blog. It can be quite a daunting process for some students and some will feel a bit nervous about voicing their opinions online in fear of receiving negative comments in return. These people should not be made to feel like this!

At first, when the idea of an ePortfolio was introduced to us, I admit I was a bit unsure of it. I had never done anything like this before. The more posts I started to write, the more I felt that it was a really good way to express yourself and your feelings. The ePortfolio is like a blank canvas to start with and gradually over time as we are adding to it, we are creating a masterpiece that reflects ourselves, our personalities and our lives. My favourite part of reading peers’ posts are when I come across a personal part in it. To me, this makes the post more memorable and relatable.

cohort definition (2)

I think it is really important for all of our cohort to be reading other people’s blogs often. Not only will it set the standard for blog writing but will it give people the chance to leave a comment for the author to perhaps suggest other ideas relating to the piece of writing. Like the definition states—our peers in our cohort are there to help and support us, not to put us down.

Free whatever it is that you are thinking, because in the end it may help someone else understand or encourage them to voice their opinion too.

 

Professionalism

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Video 1

At the basis of a good teacher is good education. A teacher must be able to deliver this to their pupils on a daily basis. A bad education may mean they lose some of the opportunities and chances in life they would’ve had, if only they’d been educated better. A teacher who delivers a good education to their pupils is a teacher who makes a difference. This means that they must have certain skills and abilities to be able to do so.

Throughout the video I agreed that all of the qualities mentioned were important for an exceptional teacher to have. One of many that was mentioned was that the teacher has to be reachable. The teacher comes into contact all the time with the pupils, often their parents and occasionally members of the public, such as the police. They have to be easy to talk to, and confident enough to speak to people they don’t know. Pupils should feel like they are able to come to the teacher with any problems they may have and know that they can trust him/her.

The most important point I took from this video is that to be a teacher who makes a difference, you must be willing to put the extra work in. I really enjoy art and am passionate about it, and would be willing to start an after school arts and crafts club for the children in a school. I used to love things like that in primary school and believe that they were beneficial to my creativity. Passion and commitment are qualities that a good teacher must have.

There are still many other qualities that a teacher who makes a difference has to have thought. Being professional is not just about dressing smart!

Video 2

In this video, the teachers say that professionalism is being a role model to your pupils. As the children grow up, their teachers have an effect on them. Their attitudes, language etc. rub off on them, therefore as teachers we must be a positive role model for them to look up to.

I agree that we, as teachers, are role models and need to be a good image. To be a good role model you must be able to present things well, speak well, and act appropriately in front of the kids. As mentioned in the video, it is also important how teachers react to the way the pupils speak to them. You cannot judge the children based on anything like background or class and must respond fairly and appropriately. You need to be an effective communicator and also be willing to keep up to date with ever-changing education.

Video 3

The message I got from video three was that there is an ongoing debate to whether or not teachers are professionals or workers. The male in this video thinks teachers should be highly appreciated and paid more money, because they are professionals. On the other hand, the female has the opinion that teachers are workers. She, who is a teacher, classes herself as ‘an educational worker’. The main thing about this video is that it makes you question yourself whether a teacher is a professional or a worker.

Social media is powerful!

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Using-the-Power-of-Social-Media-1

 

I was always brought up by my parents to be aware of the things that can go wrong on the internet, and how explosive it can be. Because of this, I have always been aware of what I posted on social media and made the decision myself, whether or not it was appropriate. Quite often something will come up on my Facebook news feed and I cannot believe what I am seeing, and can’t help but wonder why on earth some people post the things they do.

Social media is very dominant is the current generation. I bet nearly everybody you know has a Facebook account and probably half of them even have a Twitter account, without even mentioning all the other resources there are out there for people to socialise and connect on.

When it comes to the internet and you are in a professional career, you need to be very careful. You have to be mindful of what you post, who you are friends with and who can see your profile without you knowing. GTCS Scotland says, “Teachers therefore need to be alert to the risk that actions which might, on the face of it, seem quite innocent can be misunderstood and misconstrued by others.” Some people are unaware of how far something can go after innocently posting it on social media.

Take this group of women who wanted to have a night out and enjoy themselves, but couldn’t because of the power of social media… http://http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1389292/Disgrace-drinking-pole-dancing-primary-school-teachers-published-pictures-Facebook.html

This proves that as a teacher who uses social media, you must be aware that once it goes online, there is no way of getting it back. You have to think to yourself: do I want everyone to identify me by this photo, as the teacher who is not fit to teach?

After an eye-opening lecture with Derek on internet safety I was taken by surprise by what I saw after I logged in to Facebook and checked out my privacy settings. There was an option on whether you wanted other search engines to link to your timeline. This was automatically turned on, and doesn’t come off unless you are aware it is there, and turn it off yourself.  Instantly, your information and photographs are escaping from the Facebook world and without you knowing, your profile is connected with search engines such as Google. I think this is scary as anyone has access to Google, therefore anyone can see your posts. It is frightening how wide the internet can reach and it helps you understand why a lot of people don’t agree with the use of social media.

A lot of people agree with the use of social media and internet in schools, but others don’t. Many frame it as a destroying resource, which may be because we only ever see the negative effects of the internet. You hear lots of horror stories about young people online and this bends your view on social media to it being a complete waste of time and that it shouldn’t exist. People less often talk about how fantastic Facebook, Twitter etc. is, therefore people don’t get the chance to see that they can be useful for many different things.