The aim of the unit is for the learners to develop their employability and personal effectiveness skills through involvement in a group project. The group project is used as a vehicle for the development of employability and personal effectiveness skills. Leaners will reflect on the skills demonstrated and what they have achieved throughout the unit and plan ways to further their personal effectiveness and employability.
In order for the learners to pass this unit, the evidence that the leaners need to present for their assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The emphasise of this unit is on allowing the learners to be made aware of the importance of reflection on and evaluation of their participation in the project as a tool to develop generic employability skills. It is my role as the tutor to give the learners guidance on a variety of strategies that they could use to reflect on and evaluate.
For some of my learners reflection was something they were unfamiliar with, however, once this was recognised I was able to encourage the learners’ development through appropriate feedback. It is important to deliver the project for this unit in such a way that it will engage and motivate the leaners including inclusivity at all times and giving them the opportunity to improve their own individual strengths and working together with others.
When planning my sessions I think that it important that the learners understand that they will be assessed on employability skills through engaging with the project, to highlight this to the learners at the beginning of each session I always make sure that they are aware of which assessment criteria the work they are doing is working towards. I feel that a high quality project which successfully engages the learners is crucial in order to allow their employability skills the chance to develop. Assessment evidence is accumulated throughout the project.
This has to be viewed holistically as opportunities to cover a particular criterion may well be presented more than once, for example for a sporting event project assessment opportunities may occur at times such as, planning, group meetings and tutorial sessions. The learners have to be assessed against the assessment criteria, depending on the level of the learner, for some they may reach the criteria’s quickly whereas others several opportunities may be needed for the learner to develop sufficiently.
Therefore the number of formative assessments depends on the needs of the learners, a learner needing more development benefits from more formative assessments. When planning and preparing for this unit I have to plan in such a way that the project selected has a tangible end goal which allows the learners to try new approaches to task I find that building in opportunities for success early in the project will develop self-confidence and encourage learner engagement.
Such opportunities I include milestone for the completion of task or work-in-progression showings. Time is put aside at the end of each session for the learners to record their thoughts and use self-assessment / evaluation tools, I feel that the learners use a reflection that is best for them for some learners this is through group discussion which is recorded visually, though a witness statement by myself, a logbook or diary. As a tutor I always provide time for individual feedback and allow learners to verbalise their thoughts and identify goals.
This enables the learners to become more self-aware and conscious of their strengths and the areas where they need to develop to meet the assessment criteria and help them identify their distance travelled. …. Pask (1976) looks at the importance of developing versatile ways of learning and found that successful learners adapt the way they learn according to the situation and devise their own learning strategies. From this, it can be concluded that individual learners do not have one specific learning style that fits all tasks; instead, they use a variety of styles.
It could be further argued that to become effective at learning, teachers should strive to encourage all learners to develop a balance of learning styles. The learning style that I would consider my lesson to be instrumentalism as it is product driven at the end of the course the learners will have a skill to make them employable. The theory of knowledge is taught by developing useful skills and knowledge that the learners need to progress further and reach the vocational qualification and is assessment based with an exam in the form of a portfolio to reach the qualification.
Although I can clearly see that the subject I teach covers the instrumentalism theories and therefore is government funded I do think overall it puts a lot of pressure on the tutoar to teach by means of assessment and ticking the right boxes to keep the funding there and due to time frames it does not leave much scope to develop a person. I try, where possible, to bring this into lesson as the perenialist theories believe one should teach the things that one deems to be of everlasting importance to all people everywhere. I feel that the most important topics develop a person.
Since details of fact change constantly, these cannot be the most important. Therefore, one should teach principles, not facts as it is the principles of employability that will develop the learner further. The innovations in communication and information technologies have important effects on every field of life as well as education. Educational environments are changing with a great pace due to these innovations. Educational materials have to be renewed along with the developments in technology, so that given education can answer the needs of the new age. Going along with the technology is a must for educational institutions.
Technologies are rapidly evolving and although there is evidence to suggest education lags behind in its adoption of new technologies for teaching and learning emerging technologies will inevitably impact on education. “ It wasn’t the device that made the learner smarter. It was the teacher and student that improved attainment. The technology just serviced the journey. ” Therefore, it could be said that technology and bad teachers have no impact and little scale, whereas technology and great teachers have the ability to help the learner achieve their full potential.
Mobile phones continue to merit close attention as an emerging technology for teaching and learning. The devices available today are multi-functional and robust, they could be phones, iPads, or similar “ always-connected” devices — are doorways to the content and social tapestries of the network, and they open with just a touch. Cite Permalink: The number of mobile devices produced and purchased each year continues to grow, and the new devices like the iPad and its counterparts are expanding our notions of portability.
With increased screen real estate, battery life, and input options, these new mobile devices have rapidly become a viable alternative to heavier, more expensive laptop computers. As more people choose to reach for a mobile rather than sitting at a desk to access the Internet, our views and behaviors about that access are shifting. Mobiles allow very simple tools to be easily integrated into classroom activities with no need for involvement of IT or support staff. Cite Permalink: A resource is described as something which can be turned to for support or help, or an available supply of something to be drawn upon when needed. Grolier 1981) Resources are a valuable aid when teaching and will help teachers reach the differing. All resources used should meet the differing needs of learners, promote equality, support diversity and contribute to effective learning. Resource How to use? Strengths Limitations Power point Use as a focal/attention point for learners to follow.
Can be very interactive Use as a focal point for learners and a process that can be followed. Gives prompts for teachers and can include a number of interactive features. These can include clips from “ you tube” or other multi- media sources and these can be umorous, informative and can often give an example of what you are teaching. Can lead to “ chalk and Talk”, some interactive elements can detract from the purpose, does not meet need of all learning styles and can produce “ death by power point” for learners. If teacher read verbatim from the slides it can also give learners a negative experience. Different versions are sometimes not compatible with all computer systems. Need printed back up Video/DVD As part of a teaching session. Can bring subject or specific issues alive. Use of humour and celebrities can also help engage with learners. Entertaining offering visual stimulus.
Can get message across and reinforce more formal teaching methods. Planning and research done for the teacher and can be used to tackle difficult/sensitive issues As a teacher is not always possible for inclusive learning for individual learners without receiving additional support for the learners and it is my responsibility as the teacher to know when and where to access the support for the learner. I once had a learner in my lesson who use to always misbehaviour and distract the lesson when it came to them completing a task I noticed that the learner would do very little work and his handwriting was barely readable.
When I spent time with the learner and used other methods to explain the work he slowly got engaged in the lesson. I spoke to line manager regarding this as I had concerns that the learner was not the register as a SEN learner, however, I felt that he should have been. Providing a portfolio of evidence my line manager referred the learner to student services/other pastoral support within college. The learner was provided with additional support which kept him focused in lesson and it created an inclusive learning environment.
As the learners teacher I worked with the other professional it is important I make sure I understand and am aware of the information the professional has shared with the learner and what they are able to offer them. It is also important that I am aware what justification I can make to include the learner into the lesson at all times. It is my responsibility as a teacher to use the strategies that are set in place with the other professionals to engage the learners effectively and keeping the other professional update with the progress of the learners.
It is also important for myself to work closely with exam bodies and professionals to make sure any changes or updates are met and reflected on within my teaching, making sure the assessment criteria’s are not crossed over in another lesson, ad where possible use supporting evidence twice eliminating a double work load for the learners. In conclusion The Wizard of Oz is wonderful allegory for what I want my learners to learn.
An effective teacher is like the wizard who must help each individual appreciate the potential that resides within all of us – the potential to make the best use of our minds, our hearts, and those behaviours that can make the world a better place. However, realistically it is possible for me to be all things to all learners. It is healthy for the learners to see that I don’t have all the answers and that I must deal with contradictions about teaching and life just as they will. To embrace these contradictions and gaps in knowledge creates the opportunity for new understandings and ways of looking at the world.
Technology is an important part of my work because as an instructional tool it brings up contradictions for teachers regarding their conceptions of what it means to teach and learn in the information age. I believe that every learner can become an ‘ expert learner’ with the support and guidance of ‘ expert’ teachers. For my I would identify my strengths as being well organised and plan my lesson making sure there is a balance of learning styles and inclusivity planning for the learning to develop and practice using effective study skills that they will acquire.
I plan or monitoring and reviewing with the learners to take place making sure the learners are using high level thinking skills to rationalise their understanding and make sense of their learning. I am organised to detail and am able to be flexible where I am needed to be. I always model a professional manner when teaching and discussion work base experiences to introduce real life experiences to the learners. In my specialist subject I need to be up to date and familiar with the pedagogy of work-related learning.
I have to make sure I am termly updating my knowledge about current workplace practice and the employability skills required; Meeting annually with colleague to decide what learners need to learn and which employability skills they need to develop; how the new information relates to the old approach; which pedagogies are most likely to be effective to enable this new learning to happen; and planning new work related learning activities to help learners develop these skills. For my own personal development termly I like trying out new content and approaches, evaluating and reflecting on the impact on learners and learning.
