GCSE Biology, Groby

I’ve been provided with a cable to attach my laptop to the projector. However, there was no remote control, and the only way to access the unit was to stand on a table. Once the projector was switched on it did not recognise the input from the laptop. This was frustrating, but I worked round it by using the whiteboard, and asking groups of learners to look at the laptop, whilst not ideal it did work. Admin have said that next time I am in they will get the IT support staff to come and see if they can help with the problem. If the projector fails to work for the long term I will have to look at producing OHPs.

I have used the learning styles quiz to assess learners’ different learning styles.

Used exam style questions to formatively assess learning from the previous week. All learners did well; the lowest mark was 11/16 which is 69%.

I am unable to teach next week so I have set an assignment on the work of Alexander Fleming. This will serve the purpose of encouraging the learners to research and learn new information with limited input from me. Once they have completed the assignments I will be able to see if they are able to research to an appropriate level and guide them where necessary.

Biology Planning

I have been looking at various ways to formatively assess the food chains and food webs topic that I covered this week. After consulting various resources (textbooks and internet) I decided on using past papers to create exam style questions for formative assessment of a topic. The past papers are available on the AQA website along with the marking schemes. This also enables me to introduce exam style questions in a non-threatening environment.

Biology planning

Reviewing answers in skills booklets has highlighted two learners, apart from the dyslexic learner who may need extra support with written work and reading. I have used a Need for Action Form to find out how the information on a statemented dyslexic is passed to the examining body to provide them with the support they need.

GCSE Biology, Groby

First week of thirty. Met learners, eight attending of the expected ten. Confusion over course times as it was planned to run from 1830 to 2100, however some advertising went out with a 1900 start. Some learners were told 1830 over the phone by admin staff; however ALM was supposed to be making sure that admin staff contacted all learners to let them know that the course started at 1830 but this did not happen. Negotiated with learners the extra half hour, we agreed to start at 1830 next week. I would find out what times other courses ran to and consider an 1845 to 2115 session. Not all learners were happy with any of the times as some find arriving for 1900 difficult, yet others struggled remaining beyond 2100.

No cable available to attach pc to projector so I was unable to use the PPT presentation. Instead I used the handouts of the presentation and diagrams on the whiteboard. The admin staff will get a cable for next week. Any other equipment, including for practical sessions, can be ordered through admin.

No PLS in course folder, to look at next week. Informally spoke to all learners to find out why they chose GCSE biology and where they hope to progress. Some learners are returning after only achieving a D at GCSE previously.

One learner is a statemented dyslexic; however, she did not declare this information on her enrolment form.

Low Point

I seem to have hit a real low point and have lost all my enthusiasm for any learning. The workload created by the PCE means that I am no longer enjoying my singing lessons. It is also affecting my general mood. Whilst this has obvious implications for me as a learner, what about as a tutor? As I hit this low it has left me extremely de-motivated and wondering if I really wish to pursue the path I am currently following. Also it has made me wonder how my potential learners will be feeling. My feelings arose out an increasing workload and the feeling that as learners we are not being dealt an accurate representation of what has been expected of us from the outset. Originally we were told that on completion of the first 10 weeks we would be given our ILPs and that previous knowledge and skills would be taken into consideration and will determine how many sessions we will have to attend. Whilst I accept that as I only have a C&G 7307 Stage 1 and it is probable that I will need to attend most sessions there is still no appearance of this mythical ILP. In the first module we were informed that all of the work required of us could easily be fitted into the workshop sessions and that there would be no essays to write. Whilst these did not sound like plausible statements to make for a degree course it did disappoint me that once we are established in module two we find to that there is a substantial essay to write and that the module outline does not seem to allow extra time to complete the work expected of us. When I studied at university before I had no other commitments and was able to concentrate on the job at hand; this time round I am struggling to juggle a family, household, teaching and studying and the family are losing out.

How this applies to my own teaching I am not entirely sure. It would seem that honesty is the best policy when it comes to the expected workload. How do I avoid being too brutal and scaring the learners off? I sincerely hope that my own course does not have the drop-out rate that the PCE seems to be suffering from.

PCE, Longslade

Discussing ideas on testing basic and key skills, Dawn mentioned a skills booklet that the childminding practice tutors use. She shared this booklet with a small group of us: with my biology group in mind I decided that something very similar would be constructive. Good example of sharing resources.

Skills Plus Curriculum Meeting, Longslade

This was my first Skills Plus curriculum meeting and although I didn’t get to meet the other biology tutor I did get to meet some new faces. Apart from general service news we also looked at two weaknesses in the Skills Plus area; an inconsistent approach to tutor course reviews, in particular them not being handed in, and a lack of consistency in personal learning goals. As Skills Plus incorporates a wide range of subjects I was put in the academic group: Family History, A Level Law and Psychology. As a group we all completed tutor course reviews and were happy with the statistics and content involved. We agreed that the narrative content can often help to explain statistics that may otherwise look poor. By using the narrative you can explain retention rates and the causes behind them. Also anecdotal evidence is a useful way of cataloguing soft learning outcomes that have been achieved during the course.

As the majority of the group have a set syllabus it is hard to avoid almost generic outcomes for the personal learning statements before a course starts. We did agree that identical courses should at least start with the same generic outcomes which the tutor can add to with the group and individuals once the course has started.

Sharon also popped in to encourage everyone to use SMART learning outcomes, although after my work this summer I am feeling much more confident about producing SMART outcomes.

GCSE Results out

I felt quite nervous today that eh GCSE results were out. This time next year it will be my learners who will be eagerly anticipating their A*, I hope!

Writing SMART Learning Outcomes

I reviewed the training document that my husband had written. His learning outcomes and aims for each module were virtually identical and very generic. There were also no assessment criteria. I asked him how the people delivering the training know that the training has been effective and he pointed out that they don’t. The company has no qualified trainers, none of the engineers consider learning outcomes and assessment and there is no acknowledgement of participation in training. The company also do not keep any records of which customers have been trained and what level of training they are receiving. This has lead to the training department of the VIP customer to question the need for more training as most of the people who are to attend have been released for similar training with the same company and the training has proven ineffective as the participants are still unsure about the product and its capabilities.

By writing SMART learning outcomes and including assessment criteria within the document it is hoped that the training department will recognise that the company has improved the training procedures. Also it will support the engineers delivering the training as they will know how to assess the specific outcomes.

However writing a large number of outcomes and making sure they were all SMART needed a wide variety of verbs. I found the following list useful:

For Knowledge: Arrange, order, define, recognise, duplicate, label, identify, recognise, recall, list, repeat, memorise, name, state, relate, reproduce, record.

For Comprehension/understanding: Classify, locate, describe, observe, recognise, discuss, report, explain, restate, express, review, select, indicate, and translate.

For Application: Apply, operate, choose, practice, demonstrate, schedule, dramatise, sketch, employ, solve, illustrate, use, interpret, write.

For Analysis: Analyse, differentiate, plan, appraise, discriminate, calculate, distinguish, categorise, examine, compare, experiment, contrast, question, criticise, and test.

For Synthesis: Arrange, organise, initiate, formulate, assemble, manage, collect, compose, plan, construct, prepare, create, propose, write, conceptualise, elaborate, distil, synthesise, associate, connect, develop, and produce.

For creativity: Create, imagine, visualise, hypothesise, generate ideas, associate, connect, design, consider possibilities, adapt.

For evaluation Evaluate, estimate, measure, assess, judge, criticise, compare, appraise, discriminate.

For problem working – Solve, resolve, identify, recognise, apply, propose, chose, implement, assess, formulate, select, define, provide options, plan, and describe a course of action.

For communication – communicate, examine, debate, respond, defend, demonstrate, express, question, explain, advocate, articulate, formulate, justify, illustrate, summarise, present.

Taken from http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:rmOBLZ22iu4J:www.lancs.ac.uk/palatine/guide_writing%2520_learning_outcomes.doc+verbs+writing+learning+outcomes+lancs&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a

Again various FENTO standards apply to this business situation as much as they would to an educational setting:

• A2a – consider and apply a range of assessment techniques
• B1b – produce learning outcomes from programmes of study
• B1c – establish precise learning objectives and content
• C1g – evaluate the effectiveness of learning
• F2b – use assessment information to assess how far learning objectives have been achieved

The company would also benefit from applying the FENTO standard G1j – use evaluations to improve their own and their team’s effectiveness!

Helping Husband

My husband has to write a training document, for a very important customer, from scratch and has asked for my help. I helped him to identify the purpose and aims of the training exercise (other than to make money) so that the customers’ training department would know exactly what to expect. This also clarified the individual needs of the participants and helped my husband to pinpoint who needed to be involved in what training as it transpired that all the participants did not need to complete all the training. Whilst this document is being prepared for business needs it does highlight the helpfulness of some FENTO standards as we have been working to achieve:

• A1f – identify and confirm any exemptions to which learners are entitled
• A2e – establish with learners the requirements and limitations of the programme
• A2i – direct the individual learner to the most appropriate programme

Whilst these standards have an impact for the teaching that will be taking place they also have an impact on the business requirements. Once you have identified any exemptions that a learner is entitled to, and directed them to the most appropriate programme they will not need to attend training unnecessarily and it will be catered to their individual business needs. The company and the training department will have established the requirements and limitations of the programme and will be assured that it reaches the needs of both businesses.