So networking for me in my line of profession can play a major part in sharing ideas and experiances with one another.
I have recently joined a web site called TES
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6000208&navCode=285
This is a website for teachers what are either looking for new jobs, resources or to share things that they have done in their classrooms. They have a forum on the website that is very useful for people within education to share concerns, things that work, different techniques ect.
Everyday we are networking, wether it be by using the internet, talking to someone or sharing something with a friend.
My understanding of networking is all about "who you know, not what u know".
For example i was talking to one of the teachers about the play scheme that i do during the school holidays and that it is run by the Enfield councils Play developmet team. She mentioned that her husband teaches basket ball to children in the brough and was looking to do sessions with kids in the holidays but didnt no where to start. I told her that the council is always looking out for new things for the children to do, especially if it is at a reasonable price but still good quality teaching. I told her about the Play development and the sports development team within the council that may be interested in something like that so she sent them an email. So far i dont no if she has had a reply but what im explaining is that by this quick 5-10minute converstation could be the start of a whole network of connections for this teachers husband.
For many practitioners they use networking as a form to showing their creations of work, most of them being social networking. Many times i have seen people using facebook as a form of networking. People can invite people to a production that they have put on in their unvirsitys or college. Only today my friend who is studying graphics in southampton posted a picture of the magazine that she has to create for her final project on facebook. Within the hour she had over 20 comments and 43 likes.
It can take that one photo or one video to make someone successful in their chosen profession, like i have said in previous blogs about the likes of ed sheeran and justin bieber becoming world famous over night, is all because it took one person to see their video on YOUTUBE and for them to then tell a friend who tells a friend who then posted one of the videos on facebook, then for someone to comment about it on twitter which then leads to more follows and so on.
Its the same if someone was to take a workshop that they created into one school, more than likely someone from that school will tell someone a mum who tells a teacher, the teacher then passes this on then before you know it the person is being mentioned on a teaching forum for their workshop and they could end up taking it all over the country.
Again i go back to sayings that have been around for years, "word of mouth" can be so critical in making practitioners successful in their chosen profession. no matter how big or small, all sense of networking counts towards this.
Monday 30 April 2012
Task 2d Looking Inward
During this course and looking at the tasks, it has made me question alot about my professionl practise and look into my future about what kind of teacher i want to be. Thankfully my job has given me great insight into different teaching teachniques. I have been into quite a few schools in the enfield area, mostly in nursery or reception, which has enabled me to see how different classes are run, the teaching, the management, the resources, team work and different teachniques etc. Many people dont get to experiance this as they carry out there PGCE at university and by spending some time teaching in one school for 6 weeks. Or they do the GTP which is based in one school.
The questions in 2d have really made me think about about my everyday practice and what i take from it......
what in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
What makes me really enthusiastic at work is the children i work with. You can learn so much from children when it comes down to teaching them and allowing them the freedom to play to enable you to tap into their teaching. Like us as adults each child has an individual way of what is best for them to learn. With some children you can see when they are learning that some are just more accademic than others, some are visual learners and some of them are more sensory/environmental learners. Being able to step back at times to observe children to find out their interests and likes is the most key in their learning especially at a young age. This makes me extreamly enthusiastic as you build aa relationship with a child that is special to them as you are able to use all of your knowledge and resources to suit their needs and adapt.
As i work with children who have difficultises/needs it can be quite a challenge to tap into their learning as some are very closed off from the outside world and their minds work or imagen things in a different way. Like other children (society call them "mainstream") key is to tap into their interests, which can take longer and change quickly but when you do and you are able to share that experiance with them it makes all hard work worth while. And to feel that u have changed that childs life to some degree is extreamly special.
what gets you angry or makes you sad? who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found away to work around sadness or anger?
what makes me angry?? ummmm...... people that treat children with difficulties/needs differently to other "mainstream" children. I cant stand anything worse that these children being treated differently by society. I put this down to lack of experiance. Thankfully i would have been the same if i didnt get my experiance that i did from Chicken Shed. I can remember my first experiance of being exposed to people with needs and in all honesty, it scared the hell out of me and i put that down to never experiancing it or being exposed to it growing up. Spending my time at Chicken Shed enabled me to work with people i never thought i would and taught me to take people for their personalities and to never judge. This has helped me come far in life and taught me a valuable lession that i will cheerish forever, in all it has made me a better person and more excepting. So now working in Intervention has led me to work with children from 3-5 setting the foundations of their future lives, from helping them to build relationships with their peers to simple teaching them to go to the toilet just by singing their favourite song. But what also comes with my job is that i see how teachers treat these children differently, dont get me wrong some teachers are amazing with these children and take the time to understand them and adapt things for them. However some are not and it goes back to the saying of "some children should be seen and not heard". Again i put this down to lack of experiance, i dont blame individuals for this but the people that set up courses like the PGCE, mostly these are people that have been in teaching themselves and are sharing their great knowledge in teaching.... but when i have spoke to people on these courses they dont really know anything about SEN children, oh actually they have one lecture on it. The truth is that in most classes in mainstream schools these days their is at least 1 or 2 children that have some sort of need, so why on earth are new teachers not getting the experiance of spending time in a special needs school or experiance working with these children for a least a week to better their knowledge to enable them to adapt and meet the needs of these children!!
THIS IS A LINK ABOUT INCLUSION IN SCHOOLS
http://www.batod.org.uk/index.php?id=/articles/inclusion/inclusionofsted.htm
From BATOD.org.uk
What do you love about what you do? who do you admire who also seems to love this?
what i love about what i do, is making a difference to a childs life no matter how big or small.
As i work with children with difficulties/needs it can be very rewarding when they do something they never have that you have taught them.
For example i work with a child that has a condition that effects him/her in many different ways, one of them is being unable to communicate verbally. When i first met this child, they were unable to say many words and would make a noise for something they wanted. After modelling language, speaking clearly, using simple words/phrases, speaking to him/her everyday, using sign lanuage. Now over the course of 8 months, this child is now able to say 4 or 5 word sentances. I feel that with out the support of me being his/hers one to one for that time, this childs speach would not have improved and would set him/her even further back from his/hers peers and make it difficult for other professions to then understand him/her. I feel like i have set the foundations for his/her speach to keep improving as long as other professions that work with him/her continue this.
People who i admire who love what i do are all professionals that want to make change to a childs life and would go to the ends of the earth to improve a childs life.
I admire my mum who now is a lecturer in child care, from having her own children and working with children gave her the ability to pass on her knowledge to further peoples experiances and to better them in their professional area. Not only does she do this but she does it with love and care to all her pupils and will go to the ends of the earth to help them reach their goals and support all the people she works with through postive or negative.
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/CM5860
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
what do you feel you dont understand? who do you admire who does seem to understand it or has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
The questions in 2d have really made me think about about my everyday practice and what i take from it......
what in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? who do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?
What makes me really enthusiastic at work is the children i work with. You can learn so much from children when it comes down to teaching them and allowing them the freedom to play to enable you to tap into their teaching. Like us as adults each child has an individual way of what is best for them to learn. With some children you can see when they are learning that some are just more accademic than others, some are visual learners and some of them are more sensory/environmental learners. Being able to step back at times to observe children to find out their interests and likes is the most key in their learning especially at a young age. This makes me extreamly enthusiastic as you build aa relationship with a child that is special to them as you are able to use all of your knowledge and resources to suit their needs and adapt.
As i work with children who have difficultises/needs it can be quite a challenge to tap into their learning as some are very closed off from the outside world and their minds work or imagen things in a different way. Like other children (society call them "mainstream") key is to tap into their interests, which can take longer and change quickly but when you do and you are able to share that experiance with them it makes all hard work worth while. And to feel that u have changed that childs life to some degree is extreamly special.
what gets you angry or makes you sad? who do you admire who shares your feelings or has found away to work around sadness or anger?
what makes me angry?? ummmm...... people that treat children with difficulties/needs differently to other "mainstream" children. I cant stand anything worse that these children being treated differently by society. I put this down to lack of experiance. Thankfully i would have been the same if i didnt get my experiance that i did from Chicken Shed. I can remember my first experiance of being exposed to people with needs and in all honesty, it scared the hell out of me and i put that down to never experiancing it or being exposed to it growing up. Spending my time at Chicken Shed enabled me to work with people i never thought i would and taught me to take people for their personalities and to never judge. This has helped me come far in life and taught me a valuable lession that i will cheerish forever, in all it has made me a better person and more excepting. So now working in Intervention has led me to work with children from 3-5 setting the foundations of their future lives, from helping them to build relationships with their peers to simple teaching them to go to the toilet just by singing their favourite song. But what also comes with my job is that i see how teachers treat these children differently, dont get me wrong some teachers are amazing with these children and take the time to understand them and adapt things for them. However some are not and it goes back to the saying of "some children should be seen and not heard". Again i put this down to lack of experiance, i dont blame individuals for this but the people that set up courses like the PGCE, mostly these are people that have been in teaching themselves and are sharing their great knowledge in teaching.... but when i have spoke to people on these courses they dont really know anything about SEN children, oh actually they have one lecture on it. The truth is that in most classes in mainstream schools these days their is at least 1 or 2 children that have some sort of need, so why on earth are new teachers not getting the experiance of spending time in a special needs school or experiance working with these children for a least a week to better their knowledge to enable them to adapt and meet the needs of these children!!
THIS IS A LINK ABOUT INCLUSION IN SCHOOLS
http://www.batod.org.uk/index.php?id=/articles/inclusion/inclusionofsted.htm
From BATOD.org.uk
What do you love about what you do? who do you admire who also seems to love this?
what i love about what i do, is making a difference to a childs life no matter how big or small.
As i work with children with difficulties/needs it can be very rewarding when they do something they never have that you have taught them.
For example i work with a child that has a condition that effects him/her in many different ways, one of them is being unable to communicate verbally. When i first met this child, they were unable to say many words and would make a noise for something they wanted. After modelling language, speaking clearly, using simple words/phrases, speaking to him/her everyday, using sign lanuage. Now over the course of 8 months, this child is now able to say 4 or 5 word sentances. I feel that with out the support of me being his/hers one to one for that time, this childs speach would not have improved and would set him/her even further back from his/hers peers and make it difficult for other professions to then understand him/her. I feel like i have set the foundations for his/her speach to keep improving as long as other professions that work with him/her continue this.
People who i admire who love what i do are all professionals that want to make change to a childs life and would go to the ends of the earth to improve a childs life.
I admire my mum who now is a lecturer in child care, from having her own children and working with children gave her the ability to pass on her knowledge to further peoples experiances and to better them in their professional area. Not only does she do this but she does it with love and care to all her pupils and will go to the ends of the earth to help them reach their goals and support all the people she works with through postive or negative.
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/CM5860
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
what do you feel you dont understand? who do you admire who does seem to understand it or has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you?
Tuesday 24 April 2012
Task 2c reflective theory task
Since looking at this task it has made me think about my process when i 'reflect'. Normally this process is so automatic that it doesnt even cross my mind, it comes totally natural to me. Everday i reflect on how my day has gone, what could i have done to make it better? what will i do next time to further myself/child?
This is a diagram of how my thought process works of the top of my head
PLAN-what do i want to observe from this task? what will the chidren get from this task? does it need to be adapted to suit different groups of children?
THE TASK (be prepared to adapt if need be)
REVIEW-did the task work? did i get what i wanted from the task? how can i progress to the next step)
PLAN AGAIN-
I have been researching some practioners as this thought process has never really crossed my mind in such a formatted way and i have tried to link them in with the way my mind works when having to reflect.
John Dewey
Many times i have experianced and used the theories in my own work of John Dewey. I am a strong believer in using 'arts and experiance' as a process of learning and using them to reflect. I feel that sometimes it is the best way to teach something, no matter what our ability. I think arts and experiance is a way of reaching out to all of us as we can all relate to experiance and know that we have learnt from experiance. For example, i have always said that if a child climbs a tree and falls and breaks their arm, they will know not to do it again. (sounds harsh but im explaining that the child will automatically relate the pain that came with the experiance which will then teach the child not to do it again)
Like i have said above, i wouldnt reflect on my day with out having experianced it.
For instance, the first day i met my key child I knew i had to observe the child and take a step back as i did not know him or know his needs, abilties ect. That night i went home and reflected on the experiance of my day observing and wrote a list of things i would need to prepare over a few weeks. Everyday for a month and even to this very day the list changes as each day i experiance something knew about him that i didnt no.
It is the same when i have delivered workshops when i was at chicken shed. After every session we would gather the team and talk about what we had just experianced and how it went wrong then plan another session improving from the last one.
Donald Schon
Like the above, i use Donald Schon's theory on a day to day basis. Sometimes i say something, quickly reflect on it at that exact time then change it. For example, an autistic boy i work with responds to 'NO' instead of 'STOP'. But sometimes it is just human error that i say 'stop' instead of 'no', so my brain automatically thinks, 'why hasnt he climbed down from standing on the table, what did i say, oh i said stop' and before i know it 'NO' is coming out of my mouth.
Its the same for when i directed things in my end of year production. I would go into rehearsal with a plan in my head and within a matter of 5minutes i would realise something didnt work so have to 'think on my feet' and adapt and change it. This is a skill that i have learnt over time with different experiances and one that will continue to grow in the future.
Jenifer Moon
Jenifer Moon's theory is something that i have been doing since i started my job back in october, keeping a 'learning journal'. Part of my job is that i have to write a report and case study at the end of the academic year. It is not always possible to remember things that have happened during the day so by keeping this has enabled me to look back and see where things have changed, what has improved and what needs improving. I have done this by making important notes on a day to day basis or weekly basis on what my key child has done something different and if they are improving on something. For example when i first met one of my key children they did not know how to use the toilet, they would continually soil themselves and had no concept of using the toilet. Over time by logging strategies and keeping ote of the outcome it has enabled me each week to press on with another strategies that will take the child on to the next step. So now my child will use the toilet with just one prompt word. This for me makes me so proud, it shows that my hard work and detrmination has paid off. Also by keeping all the notes it enabled me each week to go back, think right what next and more the step on. I feel that this process is extreamly important in being successful in my profession of teaching.
This is a diagram of how my thought process works of the top of my head
PLAN-what do i want to observe from this task? what will the chidren get from this task? does it need to be adapted to suit different groups of children?
THE TASK (be prepared to adapt if need be)
REVIEW-did the task work? did i get what i wanted from the task? how can i progress to the next step)
PLAN AGAIN-
I have been researching some practioners as this thought process has never really crossed my mind in such a formatted way and i have tried to link them in with the way my mind works when having to reflect.
John Dewey
Many times i have experianced and used the theories in my own work of John Dewey. I am a strong believer in using 'arts and experiance' as a process of learning and using them to reflect. I feel that sometimes it is the best way to teach something, no matter what our ability. I think arts and experiance is a way of reaching out to all of us as we can all relate to experiance and know that we have learnt from experiance. For example, i have always said that if a child climbs a tree and falls and breaks their arm, they will know not to do it again. (sounds harsh but im explaining that the child will automatically relate the pain that came with the experiance which will then teach the child not to do it again)
Like i have said above, i wouldnt reflect on my day with out having experianced it.
For instance, the first day i met my key child I knew i had to observe the child and take a step back as i did not know him or know his needs, abilties ect. That night i went home and reflected on the experiance of my day observing and wrote a list of things i would need to prepare over a few weeks. Everyday for a month and even to this very day the list changes as each day i experiance something knew about him that i didnt no.
It is the same when i have delivered workshops when i was at chicken shed. After every session we would gather the team and talk about what we had just experianced and how it went wrong then plan another session improving from the last one.
Donald Schon
Like the above, i use Donald Schon's theory on a day to day basis. Sometimes i say something, quickly reflect on it at that exact time then change it. For example, an autistic boy i work with responds to 'NO' instead of 'STOP'. But sometimes it is just human error that i say 'stop' instead of 'no', so my brain automatically thinks, 'why hasnt he climbed down from standing on the table, what did i say, oh i said stop' and before i know it 'NO' is coming out of my mouth.
Its the same for when i directed things in my end of year production. I would go into rehearsal with a plan in my head and within a matter of 5minutes i would realise something didnt work so have to 'think on my feet' and adapt and change it. This is a skill that i have learnt over time with different experiances and one that will continue to grow in the future.
Jenifer Moon
Jenifer Moon's theory is something that i have been doing since i started my job back in october, keeping a 'learning journal'. Part of my job is that i have to write a report and case study at the end of the academic year. It is not always possible to remember things that have happened during the day so by keeping this has enabled me to look back and see where things have changed, what has improved and what needs improving. I have done this by making important notes on a day to day basis or weekly basis on what my key child has done something different and if they are improving on something. For example when i first met one of my key children they did not know how to use the toilet, they would continually soil themselves and had no concept of using the toilet. Over time by logging strategies and keeping ote of the outcome it has enabled me each week to press on with another strategies that will take the child on to the next step. So now my child will use the toilet with just one prompt word. This for me makes me so proud, it shows that my hard work and detrmination has paid off. Also by keeping all the notes it enabled me each week to go back, think right what next and more the step on. I feel that this process is extreamly important in being successful in my profession of teaching.
Task 2a Summery of reflective journal
Everyday i reflect on my day at work on the way home. I never really though to myself write this down so u can come back to it when need be to help support something else i may do or to see what i could have done to make something better or adapt it.
So i have started my journal for myself, as i already do a journal everyday for the two key children i work with this is a chance for me to reflect on my work and it will help to support me when i have to write a case study for my management team. I suppose in a way i am reflected in their daily logs as the tasks or work they carry out is supported by me.
As i want to become a teacher and am currently a teaching assistant i think that being able to reflect on my work and tasks i carry out is a major part of my day to day job. Im constantly questioning my ability to become a teacher after my studies, i question if i can carry a class of 30 through a year whilst meeting their individual needs, the curriculum, the expectations of the school, dealing with parents, adapting needs for sen children, making my lessons assesable for EAL children.
I hope that this will all grow over time with reflection and experiance.
So i have started my journal for myself, as i already do a journal everyday for the two key children i work with this is a chance for me to reflect on my work and it will help to support me when i have to write a case study for my management team. I suppose in a way i am reflected in their daily logs as the tasks or work they carry out is supported by me.
As i want to become a teacher and am currently a teaching assistant i think that being able to reflect on my work and tasks i carry out is a major part of my day to day job. Im constantly questioning my ability to become a teacher after my studies, i question if i can carry a class of 30 through a year whilst meeting their individual needs, the curriculum, the expectations of the school, dealing with parents, adapting needs for sen children, making my lessons assesable for EAL children.
I hope that this will all grow over time with reflection and experiance.
Task 1d: 2D images
As i work in school i am unable to upload many pictures of my work for child protection issues. I will upload some handouts from training i have done and pictures of worksheet and stratagies i use in a everday basis.
Task 1b web 2.0
Right, well, i have very mixed views and oppinions on web 2.0. Firsty back in september at the induction day i did not have a clue what this was, to me the internet is the internet, it doesnt have any kind of structure/formats.
Well how wrong was i. I had totally forgotten that anything that our humanselves do it srutinized down to the core. I understand that to some the internet is a part of there life in vast amounts, it is there job, a bit like a scientist, people look way to far into things. i mean why does there have to be a difference between 1.0 and 2.0, yes i understand that one is more advanced than the other but have we not go better things to be doing than labelling different types of internet and how it is used. (sorry rant over)
On a more positive note dont get me wrong 2.0 is a great platform for people. As many of us know the likes of Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber and may other people have become successful through these platforms. And im sure that if i was in the right line of work it would enable to me do so also. Its a great opportunity to advertise, for example on twitter everyday there is not a tweet that i dont see that has some advertisement from a celeb about where they have got there new hair extensions done. And beleive me it sells, especially to the younger generation that are being brought up with social networking sites.
i have recently joined a teachers website where i can speak to other teachers about their day to day work. It is a great way to share experiances and knowledge from other people in order to better your professional work.
The same for people that run business's across the country or around the world, 2.0 has enabled us to communicate further than we could have imagened possible. Now you are able to run your business if u are a million miles away through skpe. Thats a pretty special thing to do.
Like twitter, facebook and forum sites its a quick easy way to link up with the rest of the world when used in a positive way.
However i feel that by creating these magnificent master piece of the great web, we have put our lives at risk. It has created a dark side to the internet, even bigger than it was when the internet was first created. The likes of facebook, where you can tag yourselves in, twitter, where u tweet about your everyday life and any form of site where blogging is used, videos can be seen, pictures can be seen. YES! i no we CHOOSE to do this but tell me how many times have you actually stopped before you "tagged urself in at home, alone, lonely....or posted a picture of your niece at her first swimming lesson.." i can guarantee that most of us dont do that!!
At some point you have to question 'WHO CAN SEE THIS'.
Facebook now has an app that can tag people in the back ground.....if your privacy settings are not right, Strangers can see photos of your children.....When you type your name into google, pictures of yourself come up.
For example this course.... you can do everything online which is great, how amazing is it that u can now complete your degree, whilst working and by not having to go into university just by blogging but this site is completly open to anyone. ANYONE can do ANYTHING with the information we allow them to see.
SO i guess what im saying is personally i feel that we need to remember to protect oursleves when using these websites :-)
Well how wrong was i. I had totally forgotten that anything that our humanselves do it srutinized down to the core. I understand that to some the internet is a part of there life in vast amounts, it is there job, a bit like a scientist, people look way to far into things. i mean why does there have to be a difference between 1.0 and 2.0, yes i understand that one is more advanced than the other but have we not go better things to be doing than labelling different types of internet and how it is used. (sorry rant over)
On a more positive note dont get me wrong 2.0 is a great platform for people. As many of us know the likes of Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber and may other people have become successful through these platforms. And im sure that if i was in the right line of work it would enable to me do so also. Its a great opportunity to advertise, for example on twitter everyday there is not a tweet that i dont see that has some advertisement from a celeb about where they have got there new hair extensions done. And beleive me it sells, especially to the younger generation that are being brought up with social networking sites.
i have recently joined a teachers website where i can speak to other teachers about their day to day work. It is a great way to share experiances and knowledge from other people in order to better your professional work.
The same for people that run business's across the country or around the world, 2.0 has enabled us to communicate further than we could have imagened possible. Now you are able to run your business if u are a million miles away through skpe. Thats a pretty special thing to do.
Like twitter, facebook and forum sites its a quick easy way to link up with the rest of the world when used in a positive way.
However i feel that by creating these magnificent master piece of the great web, we have put our lives at risk. It has created a dark side to the internet, even bigger than it was when the internet was first created. The likes of facebook, where you can tag yourselves in, twitter, where u tweet about your everyday life and any form of site where blogging is used, videos can be seen, pictures can be seen. YES! i no we CHOOSE to do this but tell me how many times have you actually stopped before you "tagged urself in at home, alone, lonely....or posted a picture of your niece at her first swimming lesson.." i can guarantee that most of us dont do that!!
At some point you have to question 'WHO CAN SEE THIS'.
Facebook now has an app that can tag people in the back ground.....if your privacy settings are not right, Strangers can see photos of your children.....When you type your name into google, pictures of yourself come up.
For example this course.... you can do everything online which is great, how amazing is it that u can now complete your degree, whilst working and by not having to go into university just by blogging but this site is completly open to anyone. ANYONE can do ANYTHING with the information we allow them to see.
SO i guess what im saying is personally i feel that we need to remember to protect oursleves when using these websites :-)
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