Category Archives: Professional Studies

Enhancing Digital Technology

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Would you accept children being failed to be educated on maths or language?  Although they are being brought up/growing up surrounded by it and to have a successful, positive experience within and out with school they must have developing knowledge and skills of these subjects.  I’m assuming your answers would be no, therefore, why do you sit back and accept the fact the majority of children are being failed to be educated on technology.  Why is this the case when children are completely surrounded by digital content whether that’s; television, mobile phones, games, tablets, kindles, laptops…etc.  These are all digital tools which children will see within their everyday life yet it gets pushed away within the classroom.  By doing so children are merely consuming the content of the TV, game, kindle etc. rather than learning about HOW the content is created, why do we not teach children these skills and promote the creation to allow children ownership of what they are growing up admiring.

When exploring the different website’s Derek shared with us my brother was sitting in his bedroom playing Minecraft in his own little bubble.  My brother is someone who loves to learn, as soon as he finds something he is interested in he researches it meaning he knows SO much about Minecraft where he has a number of books he’s read inside out, a huge youtube playlist with a number of videos of Minecraft and a notebook with a number of notes he’s taking when watching his friends play Minecraft.  My brother is 9 years old.  If someone this young is so interested in learning about this game it would make perfect sense if he was taught a little about it.  Therefore I sat with him and we went through the website  which explains how Minecraft is coded.  He was stunned at how HE could code and make the game work exactly like it does when he plays it.  He was so engrossed in the whole process that he completed all the challenges and watched every single video intently.  Seeing him so inspired and enthusiastic to create something which he and all his friends play every other day was very rewarding.  The next day I came downstairs to witness my brother sitting with 4 of his friends (of various ages and genders) going through the challenges learning how to code.  Honestly i was amazed and my eyes were opened to how much children are actually interested in the ‘behind the scenes’ of games they play.

After exploring coding and sharing it with my brother I showed him Mozilla and the features of X-Ray Goggles and Thimble.  We explored these together and learned how to use these together, it was a great experience as I realised he actually knew a lot more than me about digital tools  and he actually educated me on different factors as I was educating him.  During these activities I realised we were actually learning collaboratively as he and his friends were.  We were also sharing our; learning, knowledge and skills.  This highlighted to me that this could easily be adapted to a collegiate learning culture if it was introduced into schools.

In this video it is stated that learners are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities offered by technologies and by doing so it will help raise attainment, ambition and opportunities.  This is stated for digital learning week however from this video it is clear this should be the case for the whole year through and when looking at the principles and practice of technologies this is also the case.  Angela Constance also discusses the fact that schools should embrace digital technologies and I think that with most/if not all schools have access to digital tools therefore we should continuously embrace this fact and take advantage of it.

As a developing student teacher I feel it is essential to reflect on how we are embracing digital technology within the classroom.  I think this is something which is advancing and improving within schools however I think it is essential that we introduce different ways of using and developing digital technology in teaching and learning.  As I stated before children are growing up surrounded by digital technology therefore I believe their interest and enthusiasm for using and learning about digital technology is there embedded in them, it is up to us as teachers to enhance this and take advantage of the children’s interests to allow teaching and learning to be the best it can be within the classroom.  I think there are many possibilities and opportunities when looking at technology and I am very excited to be part of the growing/developing teaching and learning of technologies.

 

The website’s I used to form these opinions are;

https://teach.mozilla.org/tools/

https://code.org/learn

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/ICTinLearning/DLTStrategy

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/d/digitallearningweek.asp?strReferringChannel=educationscotland&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-615801-64&class=l1+d86716

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/curriculumareas/technologies/principlesandpractice/index.asp

 

 

Excited…

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In the technology workshop with Richard we discussed the crossing of curricular areas.  This was something that I hadn’t put much thought into in terms of lesson planning however after this workshop I can’t wait to try this more often.  We discussed food textiles and how one of the experiences and outcomes could be chosen and then applied with another of our choice.  For this task Danielle, Erin and myself all worked on picking two experiences and outcomes and designed a lesson which would fit these.  We chose a food textiles E&O and paired it with a mathematics E&O.  When looking at these we had multiple different ideas which we thought may work.  We decided that there would have been previous lesson which would have introduced the mathematics more and possibly a lesson after this one to discuss and go over what was actually learnt within this lesson.  This made me very excited as the school I’ll be in for my placement has a cooking room which I could book out for a whole afternoon to spend with the children therefore this may actually be possible depending on their stage of mathematics.  Here’s our lesson plan without the timing and assessment as we found some flaws with them and I’m working on improving them.

Individual Lesson Plan Format (Primary)

 

Class/Group: P3…………………      Lesson: …………………………        Date: ………..…

 

Previous Experience

 

Introduced to foods and be exposed to different foods, had their lessons on measuring before hand i.e been introduced to measuring different materials etc.  

 
Working towards outcomes of a Curriculum for Excellence

 

· I can estimate how long or heavy an object is, or what amount it holds, using everyday things as a guide, then measure or weigh it using appropriate instruments and units.

 

· I experience a sense of enjoyment and achievement when preparing simple healthy foods and drinks.

 

·        
Literacy/Numeracy/ICT/HWB (where appropriate):

 

Numeracy, HWB

Learning Intentions

Success Criteria

·       We are learning to use standard measure and non standard measure to investigate and compare the different cakes.
  • ·       I understand how to use non standard measure and standard measure
  • ·       I can follow instructions carefully and successfully
  • ·       I can compare the different cakes

 
Resources  

Flour, caster sugar, eggs, milk, butter, bowls, spoons, whisk, cake tins, oven, baking sheets, power point of each step on a separate slide

 

 

We Need More!

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Health and Wellbeing.

This is a subject which I strongly, strongly believe should be introduced more throughout every single year spent within school.  I understand that a lot will be covered within this as it is a main focus within the curriculum however personally I find that many teachers are too shy or uncomfortable with exploring some topics which arise in this area of the curriculum.  As a teacher I will ensure I’m a positive figure that children know they can approach when they have difficult questions or problems that they possibly don’t feel comfortable with taking to their friends or family.

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing is a subject I find isn’t explained as much as it should be in the primary school.  Children must understand that what they feel can take over their mental health if they don’t talk about it.  They must understand that it’s okay to feel a range of emotions but they should learn to overcome feelings which make them upset and unhappy to allow their mental health to stay strong.  They must be aware that support is available for them and that they are not alone!grass  Children must understand that building strong relationships impacts their mental health as I feel some children and even myself forget this/find this difficult to understand until things get tough.  Many children and adults think that being alone is what they need however it’s hard to understand how this affects your mental health until you experience it.  I think that this may be the case because it’s not explained enough by some teachers and parents which is why I’m excited to cover this area with the children in my classroom so I am able to make a change to their lives in the long run!

 

Social Wellbeing is something I wasn’t actually familiar with until this semester.  I think this is an area which is so important within the classroom as all pupils will be able to understand each other and communicate with each other and myself in respectful manners where they can explore opinions and views without causing distress to anyone.  This is so important for children to build and gain confidence within themselves which will strength their self worth.  Children will be able to gain a true sense of belonging as they will understand how important and special they are within their school and community.mind  I think this is one of the most important factors for young individuals as many of them won’t experience this in their home life where their confidence and self worth may be very low and due to this they will struggle to build strong relationships with others therefore it is essential they experience this and understand this through school.  I’m thrilled to be introducing/explaining this area within my own classroom as I will be making a huge change to each individual allowing them to feel good about themselves.

Physical Wellbeing is an area which I was so nervous to learn about as I felt it would be centred around physical exercise which I personally struggle with.  However learning and reading about physical wellbeing has made me more confident as there’s so much more to it than exercise.  It’s very important that children understand what is good/bad for their body and how this actually affects them.  When speaking to children and being surrounded by them I find that yes they understand what foods and drinks are good/bad however they don’t care.  I find that they don’t care because they don’t fully understand the consequences of them – which is why I’m looking forward to teaching them about this as it will inform them on areas which their family members or peers don’t know about.  It’s also so important for children to fully understand how to be safe and how to keep others safe when possible.

3 takes responsibility!

This is a prime example of why children need to understand how to be safe and what to do in a serious, unfortunate accident.  Most of the time children will be surrounded by one or more adults therefore if anything happens usually there’s someone to help.  However in the case of an extreme emergency where the responsibility falls upon the child they must have an understanding of what to do to allow their mental and emotional wellbeing remaining stable throughout the aftermath.

Overall I am looking forward to making a positive difference in many young individuals lives when teaching health and wellbeing.

Control, control, control…

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As a pupil and a sibling I feel as though it’s often portrayed that teachers must be in control of the classroom and the children.  I always remember being in certain classes where my peers would have commented on the fact the teacher couldn’t control them therefore they would play up and misbehave.  I also remember my parents commenting on how certain teachers just have no control because they have no discipline within their classroom.  However this semester has really opened my mind to all these comments which I’ve been surrounded by.  As a teacher I am not controlling children therefore I’m not controlling the class.  As a teacher I will be (from day one) building positive, strong relationships with all the pupils in my class where we will gain mutual respect.  Yes there will be set out rules within the classroom however they will not be set in stone by myself as the classroom isn’t mine, it’s ours – mine and the pupils.  Boundaries must be set my myself as I am the teacher however in my experience children understand this and they actually want the teacher to have those set boundaries so they have a clear understanding of their expectations within the classroom which sets a positive atmosphere.  Children/pupils need a certain level of strictness within the classroom to allow them to feel safe and secure, this will allow positive attitudes from both myself and the pupils which then leads to positive behaviour.  Being a teacher isn’t about controlling your classroom, it’s about setting fair rules and boundaries with the pupils to allow; clear understanding, mutual respect, positive attitudes and positive behaviours which ultimately leads to a fantastic running classroom with a brilliant classroom ethos set by everyone within it.

Deepening our understanding: Science Literacy

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Richard Holme organised; Lauren Summers, Amy Turner, Hannah Stillwell and myself into a group to work on a mini assignment exploring our knowledge of science literacy.  During this TDT I researched more into science literacy which deepened my knowledge of it, as did reading what the others had researched about it. Working together gave us the opportunity to hear different individuals opinions which may have led to discussions about the topic. Richard split up the work for this TDT into sections of which we then took the responsibility of one each:

  1. What is Scientific Literacy? – Lauren Summers
  2. An example of inaccurate media reporting. – Amy Turner
  3. Fair testing. – Myself
  4. Proof Reading and Referencing. – Hannah Stillwell

Scientific Literacy.

Scientific literacy is the theory of scientific approaches and developments which uses written, numerical and digital literacy in order to help people gain a better understanding of science. It has begun to be viewed as the primary goal of school science and can be described as ‘what the general public ought to know about science’ (Durant, 1993, p.129).

Jenkins (1994) talks about ‘Scientific Literacy’ as implying ‘an appreciation of the nature, aims and general limitations of science, coupled with some understanding of the more important scientific ideas” (p.5345). Through using scientific literacy people are now being able to question, discover and calculate the answers to queries that have come about as a result of people’s interest in everyday experiences.

‘A scientifically literate student is able to apply their knowledge of scientific concepts and processes to the evaluation of issues and problems that may arise and to the decisions that they make in their daily life, about the natural world and changes made to it through human activity’ (NSW Department of Education and Communities, 2011)

There have been many different news articles that have incorrectly reported ‘discoveries in scientific research’. One of the most recent examples is of a ‘new planet’ that was supposedly discovered in our solar system.

Amanda Watts (2016) reported that ‘Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have found evidence in the outer solar system of an object that could be a real ninth planet.’ This article strongly implied that a new planet had been discovered arousing much excitement in the scientific community.

A reporter for the Daily Mirror, Jasper Hamill (2016), then refuted this claim by quoting NASA’s director of planetary science, Jim Green, as having said that although this was ‘the start of a process that could lead to an exciting result it is not, however, the detection of a new planet.’

This goes to show that what we read in the media may not always be firmly backed up by scientific research. This once again highlights the importance of one’s own scientific literacy in being able to compare sources and not just belief the incorrectly reported scientific discoveries that the media portray as being fact.

As previously mentioned, scientific literacy is when an individual has the capacity to use their own scientific knowledge to identify queries which arise in everyday life and to relate these to their own experiences allowing them to come to a sound conclusion.

A fair test is when an experiment is carried out in a controlled manner with each variable being strictly monitored.  Within a fair test only one variable must change whilst everything else about the experiment stays the same.  In order to know which variable must change and which variables must be constant one requires a level of scientific literacy.

To know how and why the variables must be kept the same also requires a person to be scientifically literate as they must understand the theory behind the experiment.

Scientific literacy also allows an individual to form a hypothesis for their experiment by drawing on their own experience and by researching and problem solving for themselves.

References.

Dunne, M. and Peacock, A. (2011) Primary Science: A guide to Teaching Practice. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.

Durant, J.R, 1993. ‘What is Scientific Literacy?’  Science and culture in Europe, Edited by: Durant, J.R and Gregory, J. 129-137. London: Science Museum.

Hamill, Jasper. (2016) NASA speaks out about ‘Planet 9′ discovery – and it’s bad news for everyone. Available at: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/nasa-speaks-out-planet-9-7223625 (Accessed: 1/2/2016).

Jenekins, E.W. 1994. ‘Scientific Literacy.’ The International Encyclopaedia of Education, 2nd ed. Edited by: Hunsen, T. and Postlethwaite, T.N. Vol.9, 5345-5350. London: Pergamon.

National Science and Education Standards (1996) Scientific Literacy. Available at:http://www.literacynet.org/science/scientificliteracy.html (Accessed on: 11/02/2016)

NSW Department of Education and Communities. (2011) What is Scientific Literacy? Available at:http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/investigate/ (Accessed on: 11/02/2016)

Science Buddies (2016) Variables for Beginners. Available at:http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_experiment_fair_test.shtml(Accessed on: 11/02/2016)

Watts, Amanda. (2016) Ninth planet may have been discovered, researchers say. Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/20/us/possible-ninth-planet/ (Accessed: 1/2/2016).

Building Confidence and Competence…

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4 blog posts which are different and unique but fantastic in their own ways;

  1. https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/cebeportfolio/2016/01/06/180/
  2. https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/myunieportfoliorb/2015/11/18/children-are-the-real-teachers/
  3. https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/uodeportfoliommackie/2016/01/17/problematic-problems/
  4. https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/myuniversityeportfoliolayla/2015/11/03/fear-of-feedback/

These blogs have really inspired me to do some more work here on my blog and to allow my work to vary.  From reading these blogs it occurred to me that they aren’t all TDT’s but they’re posts about topics which have arose in lectures or posts on interesting topics which have came from social media.  Yes some are TDT’s but they’re not just answering the question which is proposed to us, they’re posts which explore the question linking wider reading and personal thoughts and feelings.  I have noticed when reflecting on my own blog posts that I do not do a lot of this.  I feel personally that I could put a lot more work into my blog I just need to alter the way I’m currently posting.  Personally it takes me a very long time when working on a post, time which I usually spend doing written work and reading, often I forget about my blog when doing other work.  As I am someone who writes with pen and paper, all my TDT’s are done in my notebook where I link the pages together with my notes I’ve written from books I’ve read.  However I’ve realised that my blog posts do not have to be big essay like posts which are all TDT’s.  I always new I could write about any news articles or videos I watch which link with anything in this course or if something arose which I found interesting and others may find interesting however I was never confident enough to post my opinions on topics which weren’t TDT’s.  I am now going to attempt to build my confidence with writing more posts on varying topics which I find interesting and important.  I have also realised that I do not have to wait until I’ve fully formed my view on a topic.  I can have multiple posts which link together showing my journey through the topic, this would ensure I’m reflecting on my progress as I can have an overall post which reflects back on my first thought and feeling of an area and where it has developed to.  I’m setting personal goals for myself and for this blog in my diary which I can work towards and ensure I’m taking the opportunity to use my blog to advance my overall confidence and competence.

Here is a video which I related to a lot and have given me a few ideas which I can use to help me with this blog.  Some of these tips don’t relate to this blog but others really do and have helped me greatly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO0g7YMyfio

3 actions for Social Studies

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To develop my knowledge and skills in social studies I will have at least 3 actions which I can work on this semester and throughout my time in this course.

  1. I will ensure I get into the habit of being up to date with current news and weathnews-woodn-dice-depicting-letters-bundle-small-newspapers-leaning-left-dice-34802664er disasters to make sure I am prepared for any questions children in my class may have on current news and weather disasters.  If anything arises which I don’t fully understand or know much background in I can do a little research on the subject so I am prepared for discussions within the classroom.
  2. I will focus-history-book-words-45473373do more research on past events which are important topics within school as there are many which I will have forgotten or have never touched on throughout my own time in school.  I can keep a log of topics and research I do in this semester which I can then continue throughout my years in this course and as a teacher.
  3. I will research and find out more about the climate changes and the environmental differences in different countries which will give me a good foundation to start my research and learning on the area of people, place and environment.

climate-change-word-cloud-12343620

http://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/news.html

SMART Science

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Developing confidence and competence in science will take time, however by starting now will help ensure I’m excited and enthusiastic when the time comes for me to teach it within the classroom.

stock-photo-smart-specific-measurable-attainable-relevant-time-bound-goal-setting-concept-sketch-on-a-61714297

Here is my action plan for this semester;

  • Specific – We (as a class) can carry out a topic on The Solar System where a visit to the Glasgow Science centre would be appropriate as we could visit the planetarium.
  • Measurable – I will develop a lesson plan which I can photo graph and blog about.  This will be done when I learn how to lesson plan effectively.
  • Achievable – I will research into this using; websites, books, talking to family, friends and the teacher I will be working with on placement.  Due to this being a topic I enjoyed in school I have good knowledge which I can use with this topic.
  • Relevant – This is relevant for the children as the CFE areas which it would cover are; Space, Topical Science, Forces and Electricity and Waves.
  • Timed – By the end of this semester I will have my planned lessons and trip on a poster which I will then blog about.

This is something which I am excited to do and I will continue to use this method with other subjects.

 

http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/school-visit/planetarium-education-programme.html

5 Attributes..

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These 5 attributes are some which I believe are very important in terms of being  teacher.

Integrity

Official definition; 1- The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

2- The state of being whole and undivided.

My view of this is:

 To be professional you must have integrity as it important to be open and honest with your class as they ask difficult questions or challenge your own person views.  It is being open to change with your techniques, attitudes and beliefs.  It is also being open and honest in terms of asking for help when it’s required or seeking advice on issues which you thought maybe didn’t go so well and there’s possibility for change.  It’s also using your own experiences to help within the school environment, whether it being in the classroom or in the staff room etc.  I think integrity is having the confidence and the courage to speak up when problems arise and support is essential.  It’s also having the confidence and courage to voice your views (appropriately and where necessary) on different topics which you teach with the children however doing it in a way in which you aren’t persuading the children to think the same way, making it clear that these thoughts are purely personal.

Patience

Official Definition: The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.

My view of this is:

To be a professional teacher you must have patience as it is important in all aspects of your job; within and out with the classroom.  Children will be very challenging with your patience as a teacher as some individuals will take longer to grasp certain aspects of the course where others will fly through certain work.  Also many children will challenge your patience as a teacher as they will become unmotivated and distracted easily where they won’t want to do their work therefore it is your responsibility to keep them on track.  However if a child continues to do this it will become very irritating and disruptive, being a professional with patience will allow you to deal with these situations appropriately.  Also within the staff room if a class with personalities occur patience is essential to avoid confrontation and allow a healthy, comfortable work environment.  Moving onto parents, having patience with parents is important as they should be comfortable with asking both simple and complex questions in which you have the patience to; answer, discuss and explain to them anything they may not understand.

Empathy

Official Definition: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

My view of this is:

To be a professional teacher it is important to have empathy as children will normally be more comfortable and work best when the teacher can relate to them.  It’s important when a child doesn’t understand the work given to them that you understand their struggle and you can relate to them as this will help you have the appropriate approach when discussing any issues with them.  Having empathy will also allow children to be more comfortable in exploring ideas where they’ll ask more questions and feel at ease when making mistakes that they can then learn from.  It is also important to have empathy when talking with parents if there has been an issue with their child.  It’s important to understand where the parent may be in terms of their emotions and their understanding of the issue which is of concern therefore it is essential to approach them with the appropriate manner.

Tolerance

Official definition; 1- The ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behaviour that one dislikes or disagrees with.

 

2- the capacity to endure continued subjection to something such as a drug or environmental conditions without adverse reaction.

My view of this is:

Tolerance is very beneficial to a professional teacher as they will be challenged very single day where their tolerance within the classroom will be pushed to the limit.  Being a teacher is often a challenge where children’s behaviours can be very unruly and it is difficult to get them back on track with the appropriate behaviour.  Children will also have opinions on certain work where it’s possibly even the opinion of ‘what’s the point in this I’m never going to need this… I’m not doing this’ which proves to be a struggle when keeping children on task.  Therefore having tolerance is very significant.  It is needed in order to deal with situations without ‘loosing it’ and shouting at the children as this has no real benefit.  Having tolerance within the classroom will help to provide a happy, controlled and relaxing environment where tempers are kept at a minimum and children don’t waste their time ‘winding up’ their teacher.

Fairness

Official Definition: is the quality of making judgments that are free from discrimination.

My view of this is:

 

To be a professional teacher fairness is one of the most important attribute’s as each and every child should be treated with equal opportunities within the classroom.  Education is something which should be provided to all children will the same level of quality whether it be in a deprived area or a very developed area.  Whether a child comes from a rough/working class background or a wealthy/middle class background their education and the attitude shown from the teacher should be no different.  This is also important in terms of gender and ethnicity where a child should never be treated any different due to something which is out with their own control.  This is essential  for children to experience during school and it is essential for teachers to provide this to each child throughout their school experience where they should reinforce this to the children and stop any behaviour which shows any form of discrimination.   

 

 

 

Sharing comments…

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Personally I found receiving feedback a very useful and positive experience which helped me reflect on my post in a different way from the way I had previously.  I enjoy receiving comments on my posts as it highlights to me whats going right and what I need to improve on in my next post.  It also gives me a variety of points which enhances/challenges my understanding of my opinions on different areas which allows me to explore them further therefore receiving a better understanding.  I like discussions about topics where I enjoy hearing other people opinions and reflecting on my own to see if they can be changed or not, this normally happens during comments.

Giving peer feedback I found great as well, however I have realised how difficult it is to read things critically as all blog posts I read I found only positive comments to make.  However I think with more practice of this I will soon be able to find a balance with giving compliments and development points.  I enjoy reading others blog posts as I find it very interesting to see what they’ve took from a certain area.

With my future studies I will be aware that peer review really benefits me in my own reflection and understanding of my own opinions or on work I have to understand.  I know in future I will find myself asking my peers to read over my comments or my work and get them to comment on the things which are and aren’t working as I do this already however I feel it’s necessary for me to remember and do this to others as well.

In the classroom I feel it is important to have other teachers review on; lessons i’ll carry out, work I will produce for the children, my marking on pupils work which I found difficult to mark and the way I deal with challenged within the classroom etc.  I feel peer review will be very important to support my learning as a teacher within the classroom.  I also feel it’s important to introduce peer review to the children i’ll be teaching and allowing them to this during their work throughout the year, I think it’s beneficial to children to have their peers review their work as a lot of the time peer comments are more meaningful to children than teacher comments are therefore I think it is important to allow the children to do this.

Overall I find peer review to be a very useful and positive experience which I will take into my classroom to help my development as a teacher and to support the children as they develop.