Planning_Enabling_Learning

Planning and Enabling Learning Unit 2 Precis Negotiating With Learners The possible advantages to agreeing goals and actions with learners: “A supportive and respectful relationship between your learners and yourself will ensure that realistic goals and targets are agreed, and how their progress will be assessed and recorded” (Gravells and Simpson 2011) Inclusivity The use of differing delivery methods (Inclusive Learning Methods): Macolm Knowles (1913-1997) developed the notion that adults learn differently to children and introduced the term “andragogy”: the art and science of helping adults learn. He suggested that adult’s prior experience can be influential and a valuable resource in their continued learning. John Dewey (1859-1952) promoted that authoritarian learning was failing children and suggested an approach facilitating various activities. The above two theories is reinforced by Neil Fleming’s work developing his VARK theory which works out how an individual learns best, as we are all different in the way we learn. The VARK method asks a series of questions to determine whether the learner responds best to Visual, Audio, Read/Write or Kinaesthetic stimuli. The above 3 methodologies in context to my work suggest that I need to have a blend of different teaching styles to involve all my learners. With the majority of my learning taking place on a 3 day course it is essential that I pre-assess my learners to ensure that I understand their needs prior to the beginning of the course as it will be too late to make wholesale changes once begun, however minor on the fly changes such as extending one activity when it is promoting group discussion will be achievable. Functional Skills Whether I can/need to incorporate functional skills (integrating Function Skills): While the information from Gravells and Simpson (2011) is very useful and I fully understand why in an FE environment there needs to be effort concentrated onto it, in my office environment all the users are fully IT literate, they use computers every day, they are literate in that they log faults in the service desk and often write reports and they are numerate too. Therefore this is of little use in my environment. However, in a post 16 years old environment I can understand how Functional Skills are very important as you may have people returning to education who didn’t achieve what they would have liked at school and want to further their career and educational prospects. Literacy, language, numeracy and ICT are all skills that learners need to work confidently, effectively and independently in life and work. Communication Communication, e.g. verbal/non-verbal and possible barriers: When Performing micro-teaches during this course I have noticed I have come across as quite nervous, this is not my normal behaviour when delivering lessons I feel I am very proficient in, however when delivering micro teaches out of my working comfort zone I have found it quite disconcerting. Therefore upon investigating Communication skills I have centred upon tips for overcoming my nervousness. Gravells and Simpson (2011) suggested that one of the key skills is projecting confidence and to do this you may like to think of yourself as an actor playing a role, and: * Keep relaxed * Stay calm * Stay composed * Stay focused * Be organised and plan in advance Gravells and Simpson (2011) went on to suggest that speaking too quickly or giving too much factual information will not allow your listeners to assimilate their new knowledge, and also try to speak a little more loudly and slowly than normal. Non-verbal communication tips from Gravells and Simpson (2011) suggested the following tips: * Dress appropriately * Be aware of posture * Use eye contact * Don’t fiddle * Don’t folds arms or put hands in pockets Berne’s (1973) Transactional Theory analyses communication between people and groups them into 3 personality states, and states that people usually exist in a mixture of these states. Berne’s (1973) went on to expand upon this: * Child (Felt concept) * This is the seeing, hearing, feeling, and emotional body of data within each of us. When anger or despair dominates reason, the Child is in control. Like our Parent we can change it, but it is no easier. * Parent (Taught concept) * This is our ingrained voice of authority, absorbed conditioning, learning and attitudes from when we were young. Typically embodied by phrases and attitudes starting with 'how to', 'under no circumstances', 'always' and 'never forget', 'don't lie, cheat, steal', etc, etc.. * Adult (Thought concept) * Our 'Adult' is our ability to think and determine action for ourselves, based on received data. This theory relates to my teaching in my overcoming my nervousness that I encounter at times, particularly as described earlier when I’m out of my comfort zone of IT and databases. When teaching I should be mainly in the Adult role, (projecting confidence and empathy), occasionally in the Parent role (projecting authority), but I need to rectify my delivery and body language if I recognise that I am dropping into the Child state which I feel happening when I’m not fully comfortable in what I am delivering. By understanding when I am dropping into the Child State I can rectify my behaviour and deliver confidently. Conclusion This assignment was very helpful in referencing my teaching to what I have learnt in the Planning and Enabling Learning module of the course. Some of the concepts I have learnt have allowed me to understand why I get nervous in delivering teaching and how I can recognise when I am ‘dropping’ into the nervous state (see Berne’s theory discussion above) and thus take corrective measures to ensure a confident delivery. (word count 1059) Referencing: Books: Berne, E, (1973) “Games People Play: The psychology of Human Relationships” London: Penguin Books Gravells, A, & Simpson, S (2011) “Planning and Enabling in the Lifelong Sector” Second Edition, Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd Knowles, M, S., (1990) “The adult learner: a neglected species”. Houston: Golf Publishing Internet: Chapman, A., 2010 http://www.businessballs.com/transact.htm [Accessed: 20/02/2011] Smith, K, M., (2001) ”John Dewey” Available from: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-dewey.htm [Accessed: 23/02/2011]