Vivien Cross UWS ITE ePDP

Group and Leadership

As I was absent from the den building task I will be giving an im-put on what I feel like the task would have been from a collection of reports from a few of my fellow BA1 students. In some groups there was a group leader but few groups preferred to all work together collaboratively. The group leaders would naturally take charge and not be appointed by their groups. Whilst working in the group many people felt like they weren’t being listened to which made communication between the other members of the group.

Explaining 

As communication was thought to be a problem as many people were said to have been running around looking for materials and not taking into consideration other peoples thoughts and opinions then the task could have became very unclear very quickly.  A few people felt like the Planning stage of the 5Ps was missed out as they weren’t being listened to and that others had their own plan whilst not sharing them with the group.

Environment 

As the surrounding environment to the group would have been very busy and very noisy it made the communication very difficult however not impossible as many groups were successful in creating a den.  It was very challenging to both speak to and hear people but it was all about changing the tone in your voice and how you spoke to that specific person. It was not about something over the noise but it was about being able to make yourself heard in the noise which is a vital skill to have in a classroom environment. As the environment was very different to what BA students are used to so it made the communication more difficult but everyone adapted very well and were able to make themselves heard whilst not screaming and shouting at one another.

Negotiation 

Many groups were successful in their negotiations as they were able to swap and trade materials with others groups in order to make their dens more stable and practical. I can imagine that two different groups trying to agree on different materials to swap and trade would have been the most difficult part to agree on as both groups would have wanted the best materials for their den.

Prior to starting UWS, I was very nervous and anxious about the whole  experience as it was something very new and also very different to what I was used to. Hearing other peoples views on university added to my anxiety about starting as they had made it out to be something so great that i felt like, if I did not feel the same way they did when they started university then I should not be here. But this attitude of mines quickly changed. Although it was very different from high school, I felt like i needed the change. However even though the first few days were difficult and very intense, I know in the end it will all be worth it. Settling into BA1 has been over whelming and a little difficult to get used to but now being two weeks in to going to lectures, tutorials and workshops everyday, I now feel like I am used to it and by the end of BA4 it will all be second nature to me. As our first placement is quickly coming upon us, it as all became very real and that in a few short years I will finally be a qualified primary teacher.

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