Stardate 29 November 08
I was discussing the assignment with a member of the group but not my group. Their view on it was interesting and well reflects mine. I like I’m sure many others was sceptical about the point of working as a group to produce the curriculum, but as it progressed I have a few times reached the point of thinking it looks done, but the continual input feedback and discussion provided by the others in the team have refined and improved it continually. So from that front I’m pleasantly suppressed the down side is a member of my team is contemplating quitting the course due to her fears of writing the assignment up. Speaking to her in our discussions she shouldn’t have a problem answering the questions as she does understand it, just I think she questions her own literacy. This is also my fear, as I sat to begin writing the assignment my mind went blank. I had to follow through my notes so carefully to begin to put all I learned together in a contingent manner. It’s strange talking to my course tutor it all makes sense and I can answer the questions, sat at home I can’t think of the questions, I should record the tutorial as an aid to memory being there isn’t enough I need to take something useful from it.
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Friday, 21 November 2008
Alll quiet on the teaching front
Stardate 21 November
All quiet on the teaching front.
The teaching sessions were both indicative of a midterm session. All the learners were engaged with producing projects and on the whole seemed motivated, I spent the session monitoring learning and assisting in trouble shooting, where required. I always question if I should break up such a session with a demonstration or let the learners progress their work. I decided to let them get on. It’s interesting to watch how the newest learners progress the subject of natural ability is fascinating. Some learners take to the skills so naturally and some really have to apply themselves to progress. But it’s notable that some of the less naturally talented learners appear to derive more pleasure from basic achievements than the naturals. The more talented learners see more problems in their own work ironically and question every detail and flaw. The level of course I feel is suitable to both kinds and this diversity and differentiation I feel benefits everyone. I still question how to best record and reconcile this type of learning in my paperwork, especially in the production of the scheme of work and lesson plans. From discussions with a peer they inform me they produce 2 different schemes of work beginners and advanced which is a solution but my learners are more ramped than a or b, and I do like to feel I encourage them to maximise their potential and regardless of the level the course is set at I don’t want to hold anyone back, and frankly the skill level of some of my students is astonishing and whilst other learners skill level is low, the sense of achievement and satisfaction from their work is no less great. I partly feel a detailed individual tracking sheet combined with the workshop lesson plans would be a better snapshot of the session than a scheme of work and a lesson plan.
All quiet on the teaching front.
The teaching sessions were both indicative of a midterm session. All the learners were engaged with producing projects and on the whole seemed motivated, I spent the session monitoring learning and assisting in trouble shooting, where required. I always question if I should break up such a session with a demonstration or let the learners progress their work. I decided to let them get on. It’s interesting to watch how the newest learners progress the subject of natural ability is fascinating. Some learners take to the skills so naturally and some really have to apply themselves to progress. But it’s notable that some of the less naturally talented learners appear to derive more pleasure from basic achievements than the naturals. The more talented learners see more problems in their own work ironically and question every detail and flaw. The level of course I feel is suitable to both kinds and this diversity and differentiation I feel benefits everyone. I still question how to best record and reconcile this type of learning in my paperwork, especially in the production of the scheme of work and lesson plans. From discussions with a peer they inform me they produce 2 different schemes of work beginners and advanced which is a solution but my learners are more ramped than a or b, and I do like to feel I encourage them to maximise their potential and regardless of the level the course is set at I don’t want to hold anyone back, and frankly the skill level of some of my students is astonishing and whilst other learners skill level is low, the sense of achievement and satisfaction from their work is no less great. I partly feel a detailed individual tracking sheet combined with the workshop lesson plans would be a better snapshot of the session than a scheme of work and a lesson plan.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Form follows dysfunctional
Stardate 17th November
I had one of those bad lessons administratively speaking. Let me explain, firstly we have to withdraw a learner after four weeks, so this is what I did this learner I felt it in my water they weren’t going to return. But at my evenings lesson up they pop “sorry iv been away we had an ofsted inspection””on and their friends baby died” what am I suppose to say so i need to find out if I’m able to reinstate them. The other problem was worse, a learner who has been attending since the beginning of the course, I just noticed isn’t on the register, they enrolled but just aren’t on the printed register, I know cock-up huh. At the beginning of the term she had some difficulty enrolling. They did manage it eventually but she must have missed the printout. I didn’t notice till now, I have written to my boss to ask for advice on what to do as I can’t really amend the register to add her retrospectively. I do the register casually; I read down the list and add a mark as I’ve seen them, perhaps at least for the first few weeks I should do it like in school “Jenkins- yes sir”. I will have to wait for her to write back to see what will happen....
I had one of those bad lessons administratively speaking. Let me explain, firstly we have to withdraw a learner after four weeks, so this is what I did this learner I felt it in my water they weren’t going to return. But at my evenings lesson up they pop “sorry iv been away we had an ofsted inspection””on and their friends baby died” what am I suppose to say so i need to find out if I’m able to reinstate them. The other problem was worse, a learner who has been attending since the beginning of the course, I just noticed isn’t on the register, they enrolled but just aren’t on the printed register, I know cock-up huh. At the beginning of the term she had some difficulty enrolling. They did manage it eventually but she must have missed the printout. I didn’t notice till now, I have written to my boss to ask for advice on what to do as I can’t really amend the register to add her retrospectively. I do the register casually; I read down the list and add a mark as I’ve seen them, perhaps at least for the first few weeks I should do it like in school “Jenkins- yes sir”. I will have to wait for her to write back to see what will happen....
Friday, 7 November 2008
Destiny destiny no escaping death for meeee
Stardate 7th November
Today I started to write my assignment, and I became aware just how unprepared I am to write a piece of this length. Unfocused and distractible for one and apparently void of all the information we are supposed to have been taught. I think if I can work out how to do it I’ll start to make audio recordings of the sessions. During the session the assignment all makes sense, just when I sit back down here my mind goes blank for example, I was trying to talk a little about the learning styles. I remember the session remember us all discussing the individual styles as little groups then presenting back the group. But as I sat here I could recall none of it including my own ,I remember the discussions ,how to explain it, but I can’t imagine how the discussion can be used to write the assignment in any cohesive way. I’m writing this in an attempt to unlock my mind enough to continue with the project. My second problem this week is the attitude of oh well we will have plenty of time to complete the tasks within the sessions speech has been replaced with the other groups are all having all night study sessions and we should already have it finished “who has started?” I hadn’t because I was working to this now evidently mythological schedule that now seems to have vanished one of the other learners chose to undertake the assignment alone, I wish I had done that, I would feel more in control of my own destiny....
Today I started to write my assignment, and I became aware just how unprepared I am to write a piece of this length. Unfocused and distractible for one and apparently void of all the information we are supposed to have been taught. I think if I can work out how to do it I’ll start to make audio recordings of the sessions. During the session the assignment all makes sense, just when I sit back down here my mind goes blank for example, I was trying to talk a little about the learning styles. I remember the session remember us all discussing the individual styles as little groups then presenting back the group. But as I sat here I could recall none of it including my own ,I remember the discussions ,how to explain it, but I can’t imagine how the discussion can be used to write the assignment in any cohesive way. I’m writing this in an attempt to unlock my mind enough to continue with the project. My second problem this week is the attitude of oh well we will have plenty of time to complete the tasks within the sessions speech has been replaced with the other groups are all having all night study sessions and we should already have it finished “who has started?” I hadn’t because I was working to this now evidently mythological schedule that now seems to have vanished one of the other learners chose to undertake the assignment alone, I wish I had done that, I would feel more in control of my own destiny....
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Incoming transmission from the great giant head..
Stardate October 29
Last week before half term or reading week depending how motivated were feeling. This week we had the training day. This kicked off with a inspirational speech from the head inspiring us with fear and making us sweat about the things well I personally can’t control. I may have written about this before but the college is building a new campus and the existing main site is being demolished and sold off. Whilst the existing build is old and not especially pretty, it’s functional and large. The new build I fear is an operation of style over content, whist its corridors and lobby areas are light and filled with those trees they seem to populate all architectural models with, there appears to be considerably less space than we currently have. Secondly they don’t appear to be providing adequate car parking space. I know dear reader that in these ecologically troubled times where the ecosystem is on the verge of collapse I shouldn’t be wanting a car park, but be honest how did you get to work. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, if you build it and there’s nowhere to park they won’t come. After the meeting we all went off to our separate training sessions. I had decided to attend a session on the VLE Moodle. I was relieved to find it at a higher level than previous sessions; actually I was relieved to find it at all. The session was held in a room with in a room the outer room required a combination lock to be accessed and the inner room to be discovered, a notice on the outer door would have been helpful .The session getting back to the point was useful as it suggested practical uses for the VLE and then provided us with the instruction to implement them. As learning tool it’s really developing nicely and the statistical usage data it produces think will prove invaluable. If I only had an interactive white board in my room I could really use and exploit its possibilities. The idea or a forum relating to my sessions would be a great way to gain actual heat of the moment feedback on my sessions and the possibility to do session evaluations and end of term evaluations electronically would be marvellous. Removing a huge pile of paper , correlating the data and providing me information that would aid in the development and improvement of my teaching abilities.
Last week before half term or reading week depending how motivated were feeling. This week we had the training day. This kicked off with a inspirational speech from the head inspiring us with fear and making us sweat about the things well I personally can’t control. I may have written about this before but the college is building a new campus and the existing main site is being demolished and sold off. Whilst the existing build is old and not especially pretty, it’s functional and large. The new build I fear is an operation of style over content, whist its corridors and lobby areas are light and filled with those trees they seem to populate all architectural models with, there appears to be considerably less space than we currently have. Secondly they don’t appear to be providing adequate car parking space. I know dear reader that in these ecologically troubled times where the ecosystem is on the verge of collapse I shouldn’t be wanting a car park, but be honest how did you get to work. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, if you build it and there’s nowhere to park they won’t come. After the meeting we all went off to our separate training sessions. I had decided to attend a session on the VLE Moodle. I was relieved to find it at a higher level than previous sessions; actually I was relieved to find it at all. The session was held in a room with in a room the outer room required a combination lock to be accessed and the inner room to be discovered, a notice on the outer door would have been helpful .The session getting back to the point was useful as it suggested practical uses for the VLE and then provided us with the instruction to implement them. As learning tool it’s really developing nicely and the statistical usage data it produces think will prove invaluable. If I only had an interactive white board in my room I could really use and exploit its possibilities. The idea or a forum relating to my sessions would be a great way to gain actual heat of the moment feedback on my sessions and the possibility to do session evaluations and end of term evaluations electronically would be marvellous. Removing a huge pile of paper , correlating the data and providing me information that would aid in the development and improvement of my teaching abilities.
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