Ptlls_Level_4

UNIT 1: Roles, responsibilities & relationships in lifelong learning 1.1Analyse and review your role and responsibilities as a teacher in lifelong learning 1.1.1 Summarise key aspects of legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice relating to your role and responsibilities As a teacher in the lifelong learning sector it is essential that you are fully aware of current legislation and codes of practise before beginning to teach students as it is your responsibility to ensure their physical and emotional safety/welfare throughout the duration of the course. Therefore, you need to be aware of the following legislations and codes of practise: • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: Addresses the health and safety of employees and employers within the working environment and outlines the legal responsibilities of individuals for the health and safety issues. It is the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees. It is also the duty of to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work. It is important that you are aware of your own responsibilities in relation to this act. It is also important that you spend time at the beginning of the course making the students aware of the facilities which are available e.g. toilets, refreshments, lighting, temperature control and furniture. Consideration also needs given to health and safety requirements such as the fire drill – exit and assembly points, first aid, smoking regulations, mobile phones use and what to do if you find a health and safety problem. • Equality Act (2010). The primary purpose of this Act was to bring together the numerous array of Acts and regulations which formed the basis of anti-discriminatory law in Great Britain e.g. Equal Pay Act 1970, Sex Discrimination Act 1975 etc. This act requires equal treatment in access to employment as well as private and public services, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. In the case of disability, employers and service providers are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to their workplaces to overcome barriers by disabled people. (Wikipedia 28.04.2013) It is your responsibility as a teacher to ensure that the environment in which the learning is to take place is fully accessible to everyone who wishes to undertake learning; you also have responsibility to ensure that all materials/learning aids used within sessions are not discriminatory to any of the areas listed above. During discussions/debates it is your responsibility to immediately quash and impose boundaries/sanctions in relation to any discriminatory/abusive outbursts during learning and to maintain both a physically and emotionally safe learning environment. • Date Protection Act (2003). The Act defines 8 data protection principles and requires companies and individuals to keep personal information to themselves. It is your responsibility as a teacher not to divulge any personal information that you may hold, or be aware of, about a student, to another person/agency etc. It is your responsibility to ensure that you appropriately store such information where it is inaccessible to the general public. You must be open and honest about how you intend to use data and give individuals privacy notices when collecting their data. 1.1.2 Analyse your responsibilities for promoting equality and valuing diversity In the light of ensuing legislations and for the purpose of promoting learning to take place, it is the responsibility of the me as the facilitator to make sure that there is absolute respect and also all people are treated equally and fairly in the class. Equality is about the right of students to have access to, attend, and participate in their chosen learning experience; this should be regardless of ability and/or circumstances (Gravells, 2012). On the other hand, Gravells (2012) opines that, Diversity is about valuing and respecting the differences in students, regardless of ability and/or circumstances, or any other individual characteristics they may have. The characteristics of equality and valuing diversity as explained by Gravells (2012), suggest that the teacher has the responsibility to ensure no form of discrimination to occur in the class. As a teacher, one of the key merit to measure no discrimination occurs in the class is to follow the standards as enshrined by the awarding bodies and the Institute for Learning codes of practices and also guided by the Equality Act (2010) to enhance the provision of appropriate access the participation, development and advancement of all individuals and groups. When thinking about ways to ensure equality and promote diversity a checklist may be helpful as a point of referral. The Hertfordshire Adult and Family Learning Centre (internet 28.04.2013) have devised one which is a useful tool as it takes into how to promote equality and diversity during all stages of the learning cycle. 1. “When resources are produced, consideration is taken to represent the diverse range of learners who access provision. 2. A variety of teaching methods are used following an assessment of different learning styles. 3. Assessment is fair and does not discriminate against any learner. 4. Language used by the tutor is non-discriminatory and appropriate. 5. Discussion and comments within the learning environment are managed to ensure learner language is appropriate and non-discriminatory. 6. Materials and topics are presented in a way that is sensitive to equality and diversity. 7. Resources are adapted to ensure that the learners can access information and to meet individual needs (large print, on tape, using symbols). 8. Learners have the opportunity to fully evaluate the course in an open and anonymous way”. In summary, it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that every learner is included in all aspects of the learning experience and is not excluded in any way. The teacher needs to create a safe and secure learning environment which is free from harassment or bullying and to immediately challenge any form of discrimination. The teacher should seek to promote equality by actively promoting good relations between diverse groups and from celebrating and learning from differences between students. When planning work/lessons it is important that the teacher makes sure that none of the material/information could be viewed as insulting or disrespectful. It is also important for teachers to attend relevant training for continuing professional development and they should be prepared to review and revise their own practice regularly. 1.1.3Evaluate your role and responsibilities in lifelong learning As a tutor in the fitness industry I need to ensure I am constantly following the teaching and learning cycle. Gravells(2012 pp.10) agrees that the cycle can start at any stage and keeps on going and that all stages must be observed for there to be an efficient teaching and learning process. I need to ensure that I know what the organisations, students and my own needs are. To find out what my student’s needs are I might do an initial assessment to ascertain the current level of skills and knowledge of my trainers. This could be in the form of asking open ended questions, a practical assessment of personal training skills or a written test. As a teacher in the fitness industry I need to keep current with the Register of Exercise Professionals (R.E.Ps) Continued Professional Development (CDP). This ensures I am staying up to date and current with industry standards and the Code of Professional Practice (2008). As an R.E.Ps member, you are required to achieve 24 CPD points every two years “Continued Professional Development (CPD) is simply a way for exercise professionals to demonstrate that they continue to learn and develop throughout their careers so they keep their skills and knowledge up to date and are able to work safely, legally and effectively.” At the beginning of any fitness course I deliver Gravels (2012 pp.11) recommends to carry out an initial assessment to ascertain current skills and knowledge of the students. It is important to do this to ensure the students are on the suitable course based on their current level of literacy, information and communication technology (ICT), language and maths. In the fitness industry, a personal trainer, needs to be able to write programmes for clients and present the program to their clients in a professional, well presented manner. This is often e-mailed to a client . This requires reading, writing, literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. An example of how I could assess this could be to send out a basic literacy, language and maths test via e-mail prior to the course beginning. This would assess the students individually to ensure the correct levels of literacy, language, maths and ICT are met. The results from the diagnostic will help me because once I have ascertained the ability of the students, where appropriate, I could team up the more advanced students with the students who could potentially struggle. Handoutsonline.com suggests to “Allow weaker students to work with (and be helped by) stronger students from time to time. This keeps the stronger students busy, assuming they have the right attitude, but doesn't bore them.” This way the more advanced student will learn from assisting the less knowledgeable student and the less knowledgeable student could learn from the more advanced student. 1.1.4 Review your role and responsibilities in identifying and meeting the needs of learners There are several responsibilities that needed to be maintained as a teacher, an example of this would be ensuring that the learners are learning. An example of practice for this would be testing the learner were you think is necessary, this could be with a short test or could just be some questions and answers. Ongoing assessments and course work is a good tool to used to check that what you are teaching is being learnt correctly and at the same speed at the other students. By monitoring student learning it can also help keep a record of student they could be struggling or lacking behind. Another responsibility for teachers is having realistic aims for session plans according to the syllabus. Whilst planning this it is a good time to check over the required units that need to be taught and plan session plans according to duration of the course. A teacher needs to spread the units over into realistic time sessions. This will help the course run smoothly and the students will gain all the information which is needed. Aims and objectives need to be placed out during teaching also a good way to remember this would be: S - Specific - The layout of things should be clear and relate to one thing at a time M - Measurable - Means how students will learn in the time given A - Achievable - To gain and succeed the qualification R - Realistic - Relevance to subject T - Time limited -A fixed time to order to gain good deliverance of the course The teacher training cycle maps out stages to follow, each of these stages help the need of the learner and as the teacher you can evaluate how effective you’re planning was to help the learner. Identify Needs: Stage 1 It is important to identify the needs of your learners; this is usually done through an initial assessment at the first stage of the course. It helps the teacher place the student at the correct level. This helps the teacher design the course structure to reflect the individual differences and learning styles. This is a continuing requirement throughout the learning journey and can be mapped out through an individual learning plan. The needs of your learner can vary. In all cases teachers have a responsibility throughout the teaching cycle to monitor their practice and ensure learner needs are met. Learners may not wish to disclose their needs with the teacher and as a teacher you have to respect their right of refusal. Learners should feel confident that all their personal details and information is kept at the strictest confidence, unless they have given permission or there are some concerns. Plan and design: Stage 2 All the information gained at stage 1 is helpful in this stage of the cycle. It is the responsibility of the teacher to plan and design a course that meets the needs and requirements of a learner. This includes the scheme of work, aims and objectives, delivery strategies, resources and assessment methods. These courses have to be planned out so that it is achievable in the time allocated. These plans can change as you might identify different ways to help your learner. Whilst planning the way you think is best as a teacher there are also some requirements from the awarding body and the organisation you work for. Deliver: Stage 3 The delivery of a course is the teacher’s responsibility, which is appropriate for the learner’s needs and outline clear aims and objectives. All resources and activities should be well prepared and enough for the amount of students you have. Following guidelines of VARK will help you cover the different learning methods of your learners in your class. At the beginning of a lesson you should outline the aims and objectives to your student in order for them to know what they have to achieve in this lesson. Like most things that are delivered or written it should have an introduction, content and inclusion. This helps to promote learning and also allows you as a teacher to know if what you are teaching is being taken in by your students. This is done by formative assessments. Assess: Stage 4 As a teacher it is your responsibility that you are checking the competency and progression of the learner regularly this is done by formative assessments throughout the course and summative assessments towards the end of the module or course. These are done by a range of assessment methods that have to be fair, valid and reliable for your student. At the end of each assessment it is your responsibility to give the student clear concise and accurate feedback. This helps the learner progress further and should be done in accordance to guidelines set out by either the awarding body or your organisation. This can be recorded using ILP’s or candidate tracker sheets. Evaluate: Stage 5 Evaluating the effectiveness of your strategies is the responsibility of the teacher. This includes assessment methods, delivery and content. Evaluation sheets should be given out at the end of each session, these can be as basic as you like, but should include what the student enjoyed the most, how you supported them In the lesson, and what could be improved more. 1.2Analyse and review the relationships between teachers and other professional in lifelong learning 1.2.1 Analyse the boundaries between the teaching role and other professional roles As a teacher it is important to understand the relationships between you and other professionals in the lifelong learning sector and be able to review points of referral to meet the needs of the students/learners. Although inclusion is about supporting learners needs, it is not always possible for teachers to do this themselves. It is important that you are aware of the limits of your responsibility and know when and where to access support both for yourself and your students/learners. Francis and Gould (2009) tell us that, professionalism requires us to maintain appropriate standards and fulfil our responsibilities to learners, institutions and colleagues. To achieve this you need to set both professional and personal boundaries which will enable you to be clear about what your limits are and what your professional role involves. Gravells (2010) p8 writes that “the role of the teacher is varied. Aside from teaching he or she may find oneself coaching, counselling, training, assessing, mentoring, encouraging and supporting learners as and when necessary”. Therefore, the role of a teacher is multi faceted. It not only requires you to be able in terms of teaching and educating but also to be competent in many other areas i.e. approachable, a good listener etc. It is your responsibility to identify areas outside of the professional boundaries either because of lack of necessary skills or expertise or because it is inappropriate for you to deal with it. It is at this point when either internal or external support from other professionals is required. It is important that you spend some time discussing the presenting issue/challenge so that you can correctly identify the appropriate colleague or external agency to make a referral. 1.2.2 Review some points of referral to meet the needs of learners Sometimes, the process of learning can be very challenging to some learners due to many factors e.g. work life balance, age, environment, lack of motivation, fear of technology, emotional problem. For these reasons, I will encourage my learner’s to take control of their learning and engage in both personal and Professional Continuous Development (CPD) in order to develop, enhance their performance and improve their practice. I inform them of various support and assistance available such as: • Literacy and Numeracy - Specialist Team • Learners with disability e.g. learners who are deaf are referred to seek help from Citizens Advice Bureau, Local Council, Signers, Translators • Buddy System – pair mentoring • Technological Assistance – Learn Direct, Local council, Citizens Advice • Learners with emotional Problems - Counselling will be recommended 1.2.3 Evaluate your responsibilities in relation to other professionals As a fitness tutor there are boundaries between my role and other professional roles. “These could include other teachers, technicians, support workers, administration staff and caretakers within the organisation.” Gravells (2012 pp16) as a fitness tutor there are also inspectors, Register of Exercise Professionals (R.E.P.s) representatives, employers, and assessors. It is important to know where the boundaries lie and not to cross them. If for example I could not access my company e-mails on the company computer server, I should not try adjusting the settings of the computer myself to get the e-mails working. I should contact the IT team via phone and request they fix it. This eliminates any risk of me doing further damage to the system. Another example would be that I would not internally verify my own work. “The primary role of an Internal Verifier (IV) is to monitor the work of all assessors involved with the qualification, to ensure that they are applying the assessment criteria for the competency of skills consistently throughout all assessment activities.” If I was to verify my own assessing I would be crossing the boundary of my roll. Crossing this boundary would compromise the integrity of the quality of assessing being delivered by the company. 1.3Explain your responsibility for maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment 1.3.1 Explain your responsibilities in maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment To maintain a safe and supportive learning environment in the classroom I would create a learning environment in which students feel safe, relaxed and willing to take risks, especially for students who may have had a negative experience in traditional classroom environments. To build a strong classroom community, I would use pair-work, as well as small-group and whole-class activities, beginning the first day of class to help students get acquainted, and provide ongoing opportunities for students to form connection with students they don’t interact with as frequently in the classroom. I would also provide students with opportunities to share about their backgrounds and cultures. I would ensure that students experience success so they will leave with positive experiences from their first class. It may be appropriate to start with material that is slightly below the student’s level. Adults can often take a longer time in the learning process because of various learning barriers, but this does not mean that they aren’t motivated to learn. Accept students as they are, and respect their values even if they differ from mine, if I believe in my student then they will begin to believe in themselves. Making good eye contact with students will open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth and credibility. By using facial expressions such as smiling - this will communicate friendliness and warmth to students. By using gestures – a lively and animated teaching style captures students’ attention, makes the material more interesting and facilitates learning. Head nods also communicate positive reinforcement to students and indicate that I am listening. Posture and body orientation, standing erect, but not rigid, and leaning slightly forward communicates to students that I am approachable, receptive and friendly. I would avoid speaking with my back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling, as it communicates disinterest. Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with students, and by looking for signals of discomfort caused by invading students’ space, which include rocking, leg swinging, crossed arms, tapping and gaze aversion. Developing the ability to laugh at myself and encourage students to do the same, as it can release stress and tension for both the teacher and student and create a friendly classroom environment that facilitates learning. Motivation is a key factor in student success, and whatever level of motivation students bring to the learning environment will be transformed, for better or worse, by what happens in the learning process. Involve students as active participants in learning as students learn by doing, making, writing, designing creating and solving. Ask questions; avoid telling students something when they can be asked. To be enthusiastic about what I am teaching as enthusiasm is a crucial factor in student motivation. Vary teaching methods as variety reawakens students’ involvement in the course and their motivation. By incorporating role play, debates, brainstorming, discussion, demonstrations, case studies, power point presentations, or small group work, and also relate new tasks to those students already know. 1.3.2 Explain ways to promote appropriate behaviour and respect for others Maslow identified five levels of human needs and his theory suggests that the individuals needs need to be met at each level to enable them to move up the pyramid through each level. The first level relates to physiological needs e.g. hunger, thirst, temperature etc. The second to safety needs e.g. the environment; physical and emotional safety and the third to a sense of belonging and love. As mentioned above, these needs can be met and addressed through the establishment of ‘ground rules’. Before establishing ground rules it is essential that you have a good understanding of the learners/student abilities and learning needs to be able to choose a suitable method. By creating the ground rules in partnership they are more likely to be adhered to through a sense of ownership. Group discussion, posters, post it notes, debates, spider graphs and confidential emails etc can all be methods when establishing ground rules. The ground rules will not only help to set boundaries in relation to physical and emotional safety but, if done as a group can help to form group cohesion and help the students to feel that they belong and are part of a caring group. The ground rules will also help clarify what is acceptable/unacceptable behaviour, and should promote respect and inclusion of all students/learners. It is important that each student/learner feels valued and respected and able to participate and share within group activities otherwise, the ability for them to attain their full potential and gain from the course is invariably compromised. There are numerous ways in which you, as a teacher, can promote respect within the learning environment other than the use of ground rules. Firstly respect can be promoted by role modelling, if you treat the learners with respect they are more likely to show their classmates and you respect in return. By challenging inappropriate behaviour and language you are giving a clear message that this is not acceptable behaviour. Make sure that the language you use is respectful and dress in a way which shows that you have respect for the organisation in which you work. Make sure that any resources you use are well presented, respect the teaching environment and ask permission to condense answers when recording group work onto flipchart paper. UNIT 2: Understanding inclusive learning & teaching in lifelong learning 2.1Analyse and evaluate learning and teaching strategies in lifelong learning 2.1.1 Analyse the methods employed by teachers to ensure that learning takes place and effective teaching is delivered in your field We all learn in different styles it’s just a case of finding out what style suits the individual learner to get the best results out of them, for example if you were to teach a learner that is best suited to Kinaesthetic learning, by giving them just handouts and talking, they will lose concentration much quicker and wont absorb any of the information you are giving them, whereas if you keep them engaged by maybe doing something as simple as giving out the handouts or give a little demonstration of what their learning they will keep engaged therefore absorbing the information for longer. There are three types of learning styles, Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic. Someone that requires a Visual learning style would prefer to learn using drawing, sketches, handouts, charts etc. An Auditory learner would prefer to learn with the aid of listening and then answering questions about what they have just heard, stories (maybe of past experiences), anecdotes, puns etc. Whereas someone that learns in a Kinaesthetic way would learn in a much more hands on way by building things, taking something apart and re-building to see how it works, using their hands, being able to move around etc. When setting up your lesson plan you will have to cater for all three learning types and maybe you could already have an idea on how to get the best out of your group of learners that use all three types, for example: if you have a few Kinaesthetic learners in a group or discussion session you could keep them engaged by asking them to come up and give a demonstration, or if you’re in a workshop environment you could give a demonstration for all, whilst verbally explaining what you’re doing and achieving, therefore also catering for Visual and Auditory learners. The main thing is to keep the learners engaged. (As Geoff petty says in Teaching Today) it is better to have 80 per cent concentration on a moderately effective method than 10per cent on a supposedly brilliant one. 2.1.2 Evaluate how the approaches to learning and teaching in your field meet the needs of learners My approach to learning in my field will be to follow the four stages of the teaching cycle which are: 1. Initial assessment and Identifying learners’ needs 2. The planning and designing of the course or session 3. The delivery of the course or session 4. The recorded evaluation of the course by the learner(s) and teacher The initial assessment and identifying learners need stage involves course induction, this is carried out at the start of the course process i.e. first day of meeting with candidate. I explain the Centres policies and procedures, grievance and complaints procedures, equality, diversity and inclusion policy. The Data Protection Act 1998 and the confidentiality policy are also explained. I inform them of the people involved in the Assessment process i.e. learners, assessor, internal verifier, external verifier and will inform them of the Awarding Body which could be any of these – Edexcel, City & Guilds etc. which issues the certificate for their qualification at the end of the process. The importance of their line manager’s involvement in the assessment process is also explained. My learners are given opportunity to ask questions, clarify issues during the explanation. The planning and designing of the course stage: I use all the above information gathered at induction to plan and design my teaching and syllabus. The planned teaching and syllabus will ensure needs are met, and will determine my teaching methods e.g. a two hour teaching session may consist of 15 minutes lecture, 15 minutes group discussion, 30 minutes physically doing activities, 5 minutes tea break, 15minutes presentation, 10 minutes questions and answers and 15 minutes to do a recap of the session and the evaluation. This will encourage participation and inclusion of all. This also respects their Human Rights as adults. The Human Rights Act 1998 accords them the right to be respected. My adult learners will appreciate and learn better when they do not see me as imposing myself on them. The delivery of the course or session stage- discussed above. The recorded evaluation of the course by the learner(s) and teacher/ Assessment stage: This is the stage for feedback from learners of my delivery and planning. Learners are given the opportunity to comment (usually in writing but sometimes it can be discussed) on the strength and weaknesses of the session, what I did well and what went wrong. The learner’s opinion of the course and how to improve my consequent sessions. At this point, the learning cycle is also assessed i.e. the effectiveness of the whole journey is reviewed. This gives me time to reflect and improve in future. My responsibility is to check for competence by assessing the knowledge of the learner. In the process I review learners work, discuss it with learner and provides and which feedback i.e. positive, negative and positive. This method of feedback encourages learning as it acknowledges learners input and addresses the areas of improvement. It ends up encouraging progression which leads to achievement. My assessments are set based on the unit requirements of the Awarding Bodies. This ensures fairness to all learners as they all have to meet same performance criteria to bring their learning to closure. 2.1.3 Evaluate some aspects of inclusive learning Inclusive learning means recognising and accommodating the needs of all your students. It means understanding that your students come from a range of backgrounds and have a range of different learning needs. When teaching any subject the use of inclusive learning is vital to engage the students and encourage them to learn. Taking an inclusive approach ensures that your teaching meets the needs of all the students and enables them to learn effectively. As a result of this the student will feel more at ease in the classroom, especially when dealing with adults who may need to remember how to ‘learn to learn’ again. They should feel like a valued member of the group whose comments and input is listened to and accepted. The teacher should create a supportive environment and promote equality and diversity. Through inclusion the learners will feel more able to contribute and will participate to a higher level and promotes attention and focus on the subject at hand. Methods of inclusion could be pre-planned into the lesson plan such as ice breakers, which are an excellent way of promoting inclusion. They encourage interaction between the group and teacher at the beginning of the session and can help to overcome the initial inertia which can exist when a group comes together for the first time. The use of general discussion also promotes inclusion; past experiences in the subject can be exchanged and in turn can help quieter members of the group to come forward. Being inclusive also involves ensuring that the environment and teaching aids are appropriate to all in the group; it requires the teacher to be proactive in promoting inclusion. It will require the teacher to research the group prior to the session and if necessary adapting the lesson plan, learning resources or environment to cater for the needs of all in the group. Teachers should create the best possible learning environment for their student’s needs, whatever those needs may be. Several different approaches may be required to ensure that the specific needs of an individual are met. Teachers should devise a dynamic lesson plan to tackle every aspect of an individual learner’s needs. 2.2Analyse and review how to create inclusive learning and teaching in lifelong learning 2.2.1 Analyse how to select inclusive learning and teaching techniques Inclusive learning is about making sure that every learner in the classroom has their needs identified and met. It is about realising that every learner will have specific individual needs and it is the job of the teacher to accommodate the needs of all of their learners. Booth et al. (2000) state ‘Inclusion is seen to involve the identification and minimising of barriers to learning and participation’ (Booth et al., 2000: 13). One approach to inclusive learning is having additional support for the learners with additional educational needs (AEN). This can be in the form of a teaching assistant or in some more severe cases a career. Additional support can be used to do several things. The support a teaching assistant provides is to enable the learner to either do the same work the rest of the class is doing but with extra support with ideas, writing or just a general confidence boost. Teaching assistants can also be used to take the pupils with AEN as a separate group and do work that has been differentiated by the teacher. This is a way of enabling the learner to feel they have achieved and not worry about what the rest of the class thinks. The use of the teaching assistant is vital for many learners. It enables the learner to achieve the academic levels they need and often exceed what they thought they could achieve. However, it could be argued that if a child is given too much individual support then they will learn to expect it and be reluctant to work without support. The other main area to focus on is differentiation. If a teacher is able to correctly identify the different levels and needs of their class members and then differentiate accordingly then this is going to be one of the most effective ways of creating inclusive learning. According to Dickinson and Wright (1993) Differentiation is ‘not a single event, it is a process. This process involves recognising the variety of individual needs within a class, planning to meet those needs, providing appropriate delivery and evaluating the effectiveness of the activities in order to maximise the achievements of individual students’ (Dickinson and Wright, 1993:3). 2.2.2 Analyse how to select resources that meet the needs of learners Selecting resources to meet the leaner’s needs will depend on the subject area, the level, the context and the learning environment. Resource can aid the learning process therefore it is important to choose resources that meet the needs of learners. Once the needs of the learners have been assessed and the right techniques have been selected it is vital to choose the correct resources to support and meet the needs of the learners. Failure to do so will create an environment that isn’t inclusive to all. Researching the group prior to the lesson will ensure that their needs will be met. The lesson plan should be examined to make sure that the information being taught is current and also relevant to the group’s needs and ability. Students with disabilities need to be catered for them to be included; the use of a hearing aid loop, larger fonts on presentations and hand outs could assist in this. Whiteboards and flips charts are a good way of encouraging group discussion and interaction between the students and the teacher; they can be used to note key points for future reference. The flipchart has an advantage over the whiteboard as it can be prepared prior to the lesson to reduce the amount of time the teacher has their back to the class, it also is more mobile so can be used for smaller group activities that involve giving feedback or explanation, this also encourages group interaction. PowerPoint presentations are a useful tool, but if used incorrectly can bog down students with information or bore them. The use of video clips and films in the presentation help to reduce this risk, they can introduce points of discussion or be used a form of demonstration. The content of the footage should be reviewed to ensure it is appropriate for the group; the length of the film should also be assessed. PowerPoint hand outs can be used in conjunction with the presentation, this can provide the student with a hard copy of the course material for when the lesson is over, it also can give them with opportunities for further research by providing relevant website addresses or bibliography. It is important that the resources used are accurate, well maintained and user friendly they should also encourage the student to develop their functional skills. 2.2.3 Explain how to create assessment opportunities that meet the needs of learners There are two ways to gain assessments and make sure learning has occurred. These are Formative and Summative. I would gain an Initial Assessment at the start of the course to assess the level of knowledge and understanding of the student. This could be done by asking the student to introduce themselves, including these details. Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. If the knowledge base isn’t at the required level for that stage of the course then I would have to go back over the session to reinforce the learning. Maybe it would require a change of teaching skills to accommodate the learning style of the student. It is important to carry out a formative assessment at an early stage and to repeat it during the middle of the session to ensure than any adjustments to the teaching can take place effectively. Summative Assessment is used at the end of a session in order to confirm that the desired levels of learning have been reached. I would summarise the learning points then assess the levels of knowledge using a variety of methods. The results of this final assessment must be given and doubts cleared immediately to motivate the student to progress further. In order to make these assessments I have a range of methods that I can use. I may use question and answer sessions, these are particularly useful to dyslexic learners. I may decide to hand out work sheets to be completed or ask the learners to participate in a quiz. During the period of instruction I would be making observational assessments. Any official assessment would need to be recorded. 2.2.4 Review how to provide opportunities for learners to practice their literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills Functional Skills which have been developed by the Government for 14-19 year olds are qualifications in English, Maths and ICT that can be studied from Entry Level 1 right up to Level 2 and are part of secondary education. They are an integral part of Diplomas, GCSE’s, Foundation Learning Tier and Apprenticeships. They have replaced what was formerly known as Key Skills. It is important to embed them into any training and they are designed to equip learners with the practical skills required for everyday life. In order to embed English, Maths & ICT elements into my programmes I would be able to do so in the following ways. English As this comprises of reading, writing, handouts, listening & speaking each participant would get the opportunity of using a variety of these throughout the session. For example they would need to read any handouts they were given along with workbooks which they would have to read and write in. Whilst watching power point presentations and media clips they would need to have the ability to listen and then speak afterwards during the question period, or whilst brainstorming with other group members. ICT In order to embed ICT this would be done by supplying each participant with their own laptop and getting them to carry out research using the web in order to look for possible job opportunities. They would also need to be computer literate in order to create their own personalised CV along with any covering letters needed to send to prospective employers. They would be able to use email in order to approach employers and also make good use of social networking sites as many opportunities are now advertised on places like Linked In, Facebook, Twitter etc. They would be shown how to upload their newly created CV’s to websites such as Reed or Monster. They could also have access to either a mobile phone or a landline in order to contact any employer with current vacancies. Maths To embed Maths into my programme would not be quite so simple as it is not an area which is covered in any great detail, but I would try to give them some problem solving handouts which could contain some form of working out or measurement. Also I could think about looking at different salaries that come with different career options and also get them to do a budget sheet showing their income and expenditure so they can then work out what they can or cannot afford with regards to how far they can travel and whether they can afford to run a vehicle. As all participants within the College would be required to undertake initial assessments and diagnostics in all the above areas this would also count as embedding Functional Skills into the programme. 2.3Explain and review ways to create a motivating learning environment 2.3.1 Explain some ways to engage and motivate learners in an inclusive learning environment It is important to know the motive for the learner’s attendance on the course. They might be attending because they have to or they might be really interested in first Aid and want to develop their knowledge base. Whatever their reason it is wise to point out the advantages of attending the course and how it can help them, their friends and other members of their family should an emergency situation arise. Ice breakers are useful tools to initially engage the learners and to put them at ease. It can also help them feel more part of the group. I could also use ‘David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory’ (ELT) see diagram at back. Kolb's model therefore works on two levels - a four-stage cycle: 1. Concrete Experience - (CE) – Having an experience 2. Reflective Observation - (RO) – Reviewing the experience 3. Abstract Conceptualization - (AC) – Conclusion from the experience 4. Active Experimentation - (AE) – Planning what is next from the experience The learners could be told that at the end of the session there will be a quiz and the winner will receive whatever is on the instructors desk…I make sure that there is a box of chocolates there as these are definite motivators. If there are dyslexic learners present I would may make the quiz a photo quiz. I could also ask the learners to work in small groups so that they could help each other out. If a learner with ADHD was present I would give regular encouragement and keep them informed how long a session was going to last. If necessary I would suggest that they stand and maybe walk around the classroom rather than staying in a static position if there are no practical demonstrations involved. 2.3.2 Explain some ways to establish ground rules with learners to promote respect for others Within a learning environment it is necessary to determine class and group rules early on, as setting ground rules provides the framework to promote respect and lay the basis for what will be expected during the course, “setting ground rules will help everyone know their limits” Gravells. A, (2008 pg 7) This also allows everyone within the class to maintain a responsible attitude and a suitable level of behaviour and enable both the learners and teacher to produce a good standard of work with less distraction, “without ground rules, disruption may occur and affect the learning of your group” Gravels. A, (2008 pg 7) There are three main ways of setting ground rules, which are: • The Teacher setting their own • The Learners setting their own • The Teachers and Learners setting them together There are advantages and disadvantages of rules created upon either the teacher or learner setting their own rules and can vary depending on the dynamics of the group, the main ones being, if the teacher sets the rules they maybe more favourable to the teacher than the learner and if the learner makes the rules it could achieve the opposite effect. However, the more successful strategy is opting for the teacher and learners to set the ground rules together and could be developed through a combination of group discussion, creating list and mind mapping and should also convey other factors of the group, such as; age, learning abilities, ethnic backgrounds, values. Mutually agreed rules take into account the expectations of both teacher and learners and provides an understanding of what is appropriate behaviour. Not only this, by allowing learners to have their own input into setting rules, they will feel they have contributed and feel the rules are there to benefit them and not enforced upon them. Therefore this should promote an understanding and encourage respect for others, and remind them of their limits. It is can also be said that rules created by this method of interaction are more likely to be upheld and less likely to be broken. “If the group takes ownership for their own rules, they are more likely to keep to them” Gravels. A, (2008, pg 7) However, as the teacher you should also have your own pre set ground rules from which to work from, such as, no mobile phones, course work to be handed in on time, health and safety, report absence, respect the views of others. These can of course then be adapted based upon the learners contribution, but also means you can guide the learners if needed. It could also be said that rules created by this method of interaction are less likely to be broken “rules and regimens will take time to establish and should be based on educational, safety and moral grounds, not personal idiosyncrasies” Petty. G, (2009, pg 86) Not only should these be made clear at the start of each session in order to remind everyone of their expectations, but also the consequences of breaking them should be discussed and agreed too. As although the rules laid down have been mutually set, does not mean they will not be broken or ignored, “whether or not you make your rules explicit, expect them to be tested, and be consistent in their enforcement” Petty. G, (2009, pg 86). Although this may appear time consuming, it will benefit everyone, if rules are broken it is essential to enforce them in order to provide continuity and continued respect amongst the group. However, this does not necessarily mean that sometimes, rules can have exceptions as creating new ones to resolve unforeseen problems that might arise, merit further discussion and renegotiation within the group in order to achieve fair balance, however, “if ground rules are broken, it is the other learners that will reprimand the offender, saving you the job” Gravels. A, (2008, pg 8). Ultimately by being firm but fair will further promote the learner that the ground rules were made by negotiation and to be beneficial to all. 2.3.3 Review some ways to give constructive feedback that motivates learners Giving feedback is an essential part of the learning process; feedback is a task that a tutor performs on a regular basis. Feedback can either be given immediately (during classroom lecture- Verbal feedback) or at a later period (marking a test script- Writing Feedback). A tutor’s objective in giving feedback is to provide guidance by supplying information in a useful manner, either to support effective behaviour or to guide the learner back on track towards successful performance, Feedback is a useful tool for indicating when things a going in the right direction or for redirecting problem performance. The process of providing learners with constructive feedback should be part of the overall interaction between teacher and learner, should include student's self-assessment and not be a one-way communication from teacher to learner. It is important that both staff and students are clear about a) the purpose(s) of feedback and b) the value of feedback. Lack of understanding of purpose can lead to feedback that is confused, confusing and ultimately ineffective for both parties. Lack of understanding of the value of feedback can result in teachers failing to meet students' developmental needs and in students failing to see the utility of feedback for their short term and long term development. Ultimately teaching staff want to see students apply feedback in subsequent work and students want to see applicability of feedback in the "content and timing of feedback provided." The surest way to achieve this is to have a developed relationship between teachers and students. As a tutor I can give learners constructive feedback in the following ways Directive feedback and Facilitate Feedback: • Directive Feedback describes specifically what I have observed. i.e. by describing a specific event or action and the result to a learner and what I have personally observed and not for others. E.g. ”this afternoon during the group work I noticed that you did not allow others to answer the question” • Facilitate Feedback involves providing comments and suggestions to support learners in self-correction. Facilitative feedback might consist of asking the student to review the steps in the procedure as opposed to telling the student what has been omitted. UNIT 3: Using inclusive learning and teaching approaches in lifelong learning PLEASE NOTE: This unit is evidenced through the delivery of your micro teach, session plan, scheme of work, peer observation and self-evaluation. Please ensure you have the following documents in your project file to evidence this unit: A copy of your session plan A copy of your scheme of work Any hand-outs and/or assessment material used during your micro teach A copy of all peer observations that you completed for your peers A copy of all peer observations that your peers completed for you A completed version of the self-evaluation form UNIT 4: Principles of assessment in lifelong learning 4.1Analyse the types and methods of assessment used in lifelong learning 4.1.1 Analyse some of the methods of assessment used in lifelong learning There are three different assessment methods which are: • Initial assessment • Formative assessment • Summative assessment Initial – Initial assessment should take place prior to the students starting a particular programme, course or subject. A simple initial assessment could be to ask the group a simple question at the start of the first session, for example “has anyone done this before'” This should give you an idea of what the learners already know on the subject. Relevant initial assessment will also give you information on the learners, for example, any specific assessment requirements or needs that they may have, their learning style and any further support that they may need. Formative – Formative assessment should take place continually throughout the learners’ time on the programme and allow for development and improvement to take place. Simply asking questions and observing can allow the tutor to give on-going feedback to enable the learner to develop further, before a final assessment can take place. By assessing the learners on a formative basis the tutor can see if they are ready to undertake a summative assessment. The tutor can use activities, quizzes and short tasks for the learners to carry out which will highlight areas that require further development. Summative – Summative assessment will usually occur at the end of the programme, topic, unit or full qualification. These assessments tend to be the most stressful for learners and can sometimes lead to a learner failing even though they are more than capable under other circumstances. It is important that when the tutor assesses the learners the tutor only assesses what needs to be assessed to meet the qualification requirements. Summative assessments can include exams, portfolios and assignments. 4.1.2 Analyse the use of such methods of assessment in lifelong learning 4.1.3 Evaluate the strengths and limitations of such assessment methods to meet individual learner needs Linda Wilson believes and states: “assessment is the term given to checking that learning has occurred. It may happen at any stage during the learner’s progress throughout their qualification.” (Wilson 2009:112) As too often, assessment is believed to take place at the end of learning; however it should take place at any stage of learning to enable the learner to move forward. A good assessment means clearly knowing what it is you want to assess and then choosing the best method to get the job done. Phil Race states: “assessing learners work is the single most important thing we ever do” (Phil Race 2007, P132) but will argue that we are not very good at getting it right when it comes to validity, reliability and transparency of assessment. Race also states, “We measure ghosts” he believes we measure what we are able to, that we do not always get the full picture, so is it always valid' Depending on the class size, this can possibly distinguish between whether the full picture is captured. In a large numbered class, this could be why some learners are overtaken by the more able and outspoken, however if you are incorporating differentiation and inclusion into your teaching practice and assessment methods. While making assessments in my course, I will like to see which mode of assessment is best suited for the course. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages of the said forms of Assessing. I am going to concentrate on just a few. The strengths of Initial assessment are that they can give the assessor a brief overview of the learner; they provide a starting point from where the learner should start from. Disadvantages are that it does not chart the learners’ improvement and sometimes they underestimate or overestimate the learners’ abilities. The Formative assessments holistically looks at the learners achievements and try and identify where a learner might be going wrong and correct it swiftly. One main disadvantage is that it might encourage the learner to rely more on the trainer/tutor. The summative Assessment shows that the learner has understood what was taught over a period of time and it is a clear way of judging the learners progress. A disadvantage is that the learner might not be able to show he/her abilities because of nervousness of doing an examination hence not reaching their full potentials. 4.2Analyse and evaluate ways to involve learners in the assessment process 4.2.1 Evaluate how to involve the learner in the assessment process Involving the learner is at the heart of the shift from assessment that measures learning to assessment that promotes learning. Learners can be involved in assessment in several ways. They can be provided with rubrics or checklists that clearly explain the standard against which their work will be evaluated. Students also can be shown work that is excellent and work that needs improvement and can be given help analyzing the differences between them. Stiggins envisions “environments in which students use assessments to understand what success looks like and how to do better next time” (2004, p. 25). Author Marilyn Burns (2005) advocates questioning as a formative assessment that involves students. Whether verbal or written, thoughtful questions can be used to probe student responses and elicit student reasoning. Flawed reasoning, she points out, can be found in both correct and incorrect student answers. Using assessment in the Classroom Creating and using classroom assessment effectively requires skill and practice; however, the following guidelines can help teachers explore the practice of using assessment to improve instruction. Offering professional development in the design of high-quality classroom assessments is one way that schools and districts can support the application of these practices. Provide High-Level Instructional Feedback Although teacher feedback can be observed in almost every classroom, its use does not always serve as an effective classroom assessment tool. “There are clearly recorded examples… in which teachers have, quite unconsciously, responded in ways that would inhibit the future learning of a pupil. What the examples have in common is that the teacher is looking for a particular response and lacks the flexibility or the confidence to deal with the unexpected. So the teacher tries to direct the pupil toward giving the expected answer” (Black & William, 1998, p. 143). In contrast, high-quality instructional feedback is timely, useful, and appropriate. Timely feedback—given as soon as possible after the assessment occurs—can influence the next steps in the learning process. Useful feedback, says author Thomas Guskey (2005), is “both diagnostic and prescriptive. It reinforces precisely what students were expected to learn, identifies what was learned well, and describes what needs to be learned better” (p. 6). Whether verbal or written, instructional feedback should go beyond indicating the degree of right and wrong to include advice on how the learner can improve next time. Teachers ask and answer questions, such as “Are all of my students making the same kind of error'”; “Do their mistakes show that they don’t have the background knowledge they need to understand this new content'”; or “Could my students demonstrate understanding if the question format were changed'” Constructing formative assessments so that “in a given set of items, the wrong-answer options reveal specific student misunderstandings” (Popham, 2006, p. 86) can yield precise indicators to guide teacher follow-up instruction. 4.2.2 Analyse the role of peer and self-assessment in the assessment process One of the ways in which students internalize the characteristics of quality work is by evaluating the work of their peers. However, if they are to offer helpful feedback, students must have a clear understanding of what they are to look for in their peers' work. The instructor must explain expectations clearly to them before they begin. One way to make sure students understand this type of evaluation is to give students a practice session with it. The instructor provides a sample writing or speaking assignment. As a group, students determine what should be assessed and how criteria for successful completion of the communication task should be defined. Then the instructor gives students a sample completed assignment. Students assess this using the criteria they have developed, and determine how to convey feedback clearly to the fictitious student. Students can also benefit from using rubrics or checklists to guide their assessments. At first these can be provided by the instructor; once the students have more experience, they can develop them themselves. An example of a peer editing checklist for a writing assignment is given in the popup window. Notice that the checklist asks the peer evaluator to comment primarily on the content and organization of the essay. It helps the peer evaluator focus on these areas by asking questions about specific points, such as the presence of examples to support the ideas discussed. For peer evaluation to work effectively, the learning environment in the classroom must be supportive. Students must feel comfortable and trust one another in order to provide honest and constructive feedback. Instructors who use group work and peer assessment frequently can help students develop trust by forming them into small groups early in the semester and having them work in the same groups throughout the term. This allows them to become more comfortable with each other and leads to them to understand the actual learning environment. 4.3 Explain the requirements for keeping records of assessment in lifelong learning 4.3.1 Explain the need for keeping records of assessment of learning Keeping records is a very important for both tutors and learners, accurate records taken throughout a course enables both teacher and learners to continually reassess the effectiveness of the teaching/learning relationship by giving an on-going measure against which to view learning objectives. Records indicate whether pupils have learnt what has been taught and are making sufficient progress with the course; who needs more help or is ready for more extensive work by assessing better or worse progress than expected; and whether teachers need to refine any aspects of their teaching by assessing successes or shortcomings where teaching needs to be strengthened. Monitoring student achievements, skills, abilities and progress through on-going assessment tracks their progress with feedback given to confirm that learning objectives have been met. Annotation of scheme of work and lesson plans allows for retrospective reflective practice concerning what happened during sessions and how I feel the session progressed. Critically recording my experiences in this way enables me to evaluate and continuously monitor where adjustments may be beneficial to subsequent teaching quality and performance. This form of record also aids any teacher to take over a session if I should be unable to attend. Making note of successful resource use, topics covered which need further attention and the potential level of understanding within the group of students serve as valuable information for the potential supply teacher. 4.3.2 Summarise the requirements for keeping records of assessment in an organisation Training in organisation is very important training and it is a legal requirement in many industries. Training managers and human resource personnel spend countless hours identifying, preparing, and delivering training. After training, we test to assess competency and mastery of information and skills. With any training program, there are the associated training records. Records document who was trained, when they were trained, and what skills they have mastered. Training records provide documentation for regulatory agencies, information for personnel evaluations, and support for promotion or salary increases. Training records can be used as a basis for goal setting or aid in selecting staff assignments by matching competencies with required skills. They also are useful for charting and reviewing personal progress toward annual goals. Records are objective. They provide the data needed to make decisions based on actual performance after specific training. Records provide an easy method to identify training gaps that direct future subject matter. As a reminder, this gap analysis assesses the needs of the organisation and the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities of the staff in relation to the jobs they perform. Paper records are the most common way to manage training records. Files can be created by person, by subject, or by date. Attendees sign a log sheet which is filed or they receive a certificate. Records can also be kept electronically on a database. The choice of record keeping can be very simple or complex also there is no one way to keep records, the choice of method will depend on the organisation and the cost they are willing to spend on record management. Organisations are required to keep assessment records and information confidential and adhere to the Data Protection Act2003 and the Confidentiality policy of the Codes of Practice of the Institute for learning (IFL).