Week 13 - 07/01/14 - Let's talk...

It was a really useful week for me. I appreciate that for some of the more experienced members of the group recapping may be a little dull, but for the truly "green" one among the group it was not.

Having a lively discussion over some of the key areas not only reinforced key principles, but actually drew some new ideas out too. So we gave consideration to the following.

• Active learning strategies.
• Learning outcomes.
• Alignment of learning. 
• Behaviour management.

Active learning strategies

Petty,G. (2009). The learner's practical and emotional needs. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 58.

Simply put... Give the responsibility of learning to the student. 

Using activities that engage will speed up this process. Seeing your self as a facilitator of learning rather than a commander and chief will bring it's own rewards - Increased self belief, gives evidence that you respect them, they work more independently becoming more resourceful. These attributes are critical when the student eventually finds themselves in the "big wide world", less of a dependent more of a self motivator. As was said in class, "we don't want a class of clones."

Of course, moving away from classes dominated by "teacher talk" and into the realm of fun and stimulating activities, is going to increase the work load initially. But I am a strong believer in the adage " you reap what you sow". taking the time in the early days to build a class of engaged, eager and focused students will surely eradicate many of the negatives and subsequent hard work that would come later from a group of disinterested students that believe they are useless or that the tutor is.

Learning outcomes and alignment of learning

        Aims may point you in the right direction, but they don't tell you how to get there. 

It keeps being referred to - SMART - especially the M. It is vital that all outcomes are MEASURABLE. I found it fascinating that the need for specifically tailored outcomes and then knowing these well, was the first stage in the alignment of learning that results in the students taking ownership of the learning - see previous section. It's very satisfying to see the pieces fall into place and actually understand the relevance of it all.

Behaviour management

" The rock of shame" was probably the liveliest of our debates. Much of what was reviewed has been mulled over by me in a previous blog - Discipline... Is it really a good clip around the ear?

So what was this rock of shame? Well, Gareth told us of a colleague that made people when they arrived late hold a squat position with this rock in their hands - with the words " rock of shame" emblazoned across it.

It made some laugh, others gasp, is that really the way we work these days? Well, Richard then stirred up the fires of debate further by telling us of a college that has had glowing OFSTED reports, partly down to initiating a scheme that makes latecomers queue up with a "late card". Initially the queues went around the college, now the numbers have significantly dropped. 

Great! I thought... It works well, but how is it any different to the rock of shame? The conclusion we collectively came to was that it isn't really any different. Sometimes feeling inconvenienced or a little shamed can work in bringing some students back into line.