Week 27: Inclusive Practice

Roles and Responsibilities relating to Inclusive Practice:

In week 18 we looked at personal, social and cultural factors that can impact on learning. Inclusive practice requires that you, as a teacher, recognise that every learner is different and should be considered as an individual, with specific needs, likes, dislikes, background, motivators and behaviours.

In week 19 we looked at cognitive, physical and sensory abilities that impact on learning. That we have a role to play. It may be, seeing the signs and then ensuring appropriate action is taken, in particular that a proper diagnosis be made. Then, in order to be inclusive, we need to consider the needs of each individual learner, this will mean working closely with other professionals and remembering too that the student understands their condition best.

In week 20 we reviewed week 19 and took part in a group discussion, which was part of our overall assessment and served to clarify our understanding of cognitive, physical and sensory abilities that impact on learning. 

In week 21 we looked at the existing legislation and had to write a report/summary  of policies that guide inclusive practice. This includes: The Equality Act, The Tomlinson Report, The Human Rights Act and Access for All. This further emphasised the on going nature of Inclusive Practice, we are always trying to improve and that it involves others, we are a contributory element that includes other professionals and regulatory bodies.

And perhaps week 22 offered one of the most telling statements: That Inclusive Practice is dependant on Differentiation. Differentiation requires we understand and work to apply Equality and Diversity legislation in our teaching. And week 24 looked at collaboration: Working with other professionals to ensure inclusion. And week 25 was a culmination of all the above, providing a mini teach session of how we have achieved inclusion in our teaching.

Audio Summary

Evaluating our Inclusive Practice:

This can be done in a number of ways. Evaluating self, requires blunt honesty if we are to truly improve in our inclusive approach. Truth is, we are probably not honest enough with ourselves, it's just human nature. But we can work at it. Certainly, on it's own, self evaluation wouldn't be sufficient. Fortunately, we don't have to rely on just one type of evaluation. Personally, I have found peer evaluation (feedback) to be very useful. We have practised that religiously during our classroom teacher education sessions, which has often included feedback from the tutor (acting as a peer in the lesson). Feedback from the assessment of my teaching practice has been possibly the most valuable as far as identifying areas for improvement, principally because the feedback is so accurate and identifying of the problem areas. 

From the outset, emphasis has always been on inclusion. Inclusion can't be won easily either, it requires diligent application of the methods discussed through this entire blog relating to the subject. Together with an effective liaison with other professionals. That might be as simple as being ready to share information about differentiation requirements of learners with other teachers, that process works both ways. We must work closely with other professionals who might be assisting learners with their learning differences and of course, most importantly, we should hear exactly how the learner feels about their needs.

I find I can look back too at the reflective practice I have used whilst teaching at Horticare and at Kendal College. We were encouraged to use this practice of reflection to improve our teaching by becoming more inclusive. I can see a pattern of improvement, very much helped not just by personal reflection but also by the more critical assessments of my teaching practice. It's actually a practice we encourage our students to use.

Geoff Petty. (2009). In: Nelson Thornes Teaching Today. 4th ed. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. 339.

Audio Summary

Week 27: Safeguarding

Safeguarding (Child Protection)

It's one of the sad facts of our human society that people abuse other people or even themselves. All educators such as ourselves, play an important role in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. It's important that we know our learners and take responsibility for them.

The legislation summary for Kendal College is this:

As part of the session this week, we divided the class in to groups based on Assessment for Learning Mixed Ability Groups. That resulted in at least one peer in each group with good confidence and or experience in safeguarding matters. The results was, it lead to some thorough and in depth discussion, in particular of the main categories of abuse, which can be seen listed in the above image.

The purpose of this blog isn't just to repeat verbatim what the legislation is, but rather to provide a summary of our classroom session and what we learned from it. I'll provide a video or audio summary too of the session.

As a group we discussed the categories of abuse section and each of us contributed to to the discussion with experiences and understanding. We were able to add to our understanding with a concluding discussion with the whole peer group and our tutor Tam. Some important points re as follows:

If Unsure:
It's true to say that evidence on it's own can be difficult to assess. If in doubt, it's better to report to the Safeguarding Team anyway. We are not the professionals in this area, they are. Of course, all Criminal acts must be reported.

Don't Delay:
That means not even waiting to the end of a class or other arrangement. Act immediately!

Be Available:
We mentioned earlier: Know your learners and be available for them. In earlier sessions we learned about Pastoral Care, which demonstrates a concern for the welfare of our students outside of the classroom. Whilst this might mean we become someone they can confide in, this is always done in a professional way.

It becomes clear, as you consider all the legislation that you can connect all the dots between all the various aspects of practice and legislation that affects teaching as a whole. With regard to some other aspects we touched on in discussing Safeguarding we considered that in any discussion with a potential victim of abuse, it's important to Listen, don't ask Leading Questions, seek Clarification especially of Times and Dates and Make Notes of them. Remember to inform them that whilst they might have decided to confide in you, where it might involve Abuse or Criminal acts, you cannot keep secrets of such activity. Make them aware that you would reveal such cases to the relevant authorities.

The subject of Self Abuse was discussed and some of my peer group could relate personal experiences. It was also revealed that, at a medical level, Self Abuse is a recommended course of action to deal with some cases of depression, anxiety etc. Clearly this is a complex topic and not one to be weighed by personal opinion. Thankfully, as is the case at Kendal College, there are those who are trained and expert in this field and I would be quite happy to have such matters handled by the relevant professional/s.

Audio Review:

Week 26: More Inclusive Practice Mini Teach Sessions (Empty Page)

This week just covered the peer assessment of students who missed the previous week.

Week 25: Mini Teach_3 : Inclusion, Equality and Diversity

The Brief:

To present a 10 minute teaching session that reviews the key features of an inclusive learning environment. Analysing ways to promote equality diversity and inclusion, with specific examples from your own teaching practice.  Try to make this session as interactive as possible and a culmination of your development as a teacher so far.

My Lesson Plan

My Lesson

Peer Assessment
As usual with our group and part of good practice, we did peer assessment. Click the above link to view the PDF. On reflection the comments are really useful. All students appreciated the comprehensive coverage of the assigned brief as well as it's clarity. Points to consider for development are: Involving the student group more and Stretching the learners especially when using questioning.

Video footage:

Week 24: Inclusive Practice - Collaboration

Collaboration to Meet Learner Needs:

This weeks Lesson was all about collaborating with others to ensure inclusion and so meet the needs of the learners. This associated with the work we have done on Inclusive Practice (you can read more about that in weeks 18, 19, 20, 21).

The Warm Up Activity:

Make some quick notes based on the following image:

Inclusive Practice:
To design lessons that include all learners requires collaboration and working with other professionals/experts and making referrals where necessary.

Meeting Learner Needs:
Works hand in hand with Inclusive Practice. It can't be achieved alone, we must use all the resources available to us, this would include other professionals and would demonstrate that we understand our professional boundaries.

Professional Boundaries:
Know our limitations. Work with and share information with other professionals to meet the two points above.

This practice just warmed us up for a more comprehensive activity and discussion of collaboration. Which started with a Post-It note activity. See next image:

We each wrote down a couple of examples and placed them on the white board and then selecting one that wasn't ours. The one I selected was 'Interpreter'. Rather than discuss just the one. I plan to list all the ones we discussed and include the discussed comments.

PDF of Collaboration - click to view

Pastoral Care:

We had a discussion of Pastoral Care followed by a review of some case studies to highlight where the line had to be drawn.

Pastoral care is about looking after students outside of lessons, being concerned for their well-being. As a teacher, you will also to some be a Personal Tutor. Our lesson quoted Carl Rogers who was a Humanistic Psychologist. He suggests that for a person to 'grow', they need an enviroment that provides them with 'genuineness' (openness and self disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard), and empathy (being listened to and understood). Rogers believed that every person can achieve their goals, wishes and desires in life.

"The organism has one basic tendency and striving - to actualize, maintain, and enhance the experiencing organism” (Rogers, 1951, p. 487).

Congruence:
The development of congruence is dependant on unconditional positive regard

Unconditional positive regard is where parents, significant others (and the humanist therapist) accepts and loves the person for what he or she is.  Positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong or makes a mistake.  The consequences of unconditional positive regard are that the person feels free to try things out and make mistakes, even though this may lead to getting it worse at times.  People who are able to self-actualize are more likely to have received unconditional positive regard from others, especially their parents in childhood.

"When I look at the world I'm pessimistic, but when I look at people I am optimistic."

"The very essence of the creative is its novelty, and hence we have no standard by which to judge it" (Rogers, 1961, p. 351).

"I have gradually come to one negative conclusion about the good life. It seems to me that the good life is not any fixed state. It is not, in my estimation, a state of virtue, or contentment, or nirvana, or happiness. It is not a condition in which the individual is adjusted or fulfilled or actualized. To use psychological terms, it is not a state of drive-reduction, or tension-reduction, or homeostasis" (Rogers, 1967, p. 185-186).

"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination" (Rogers, 1967, p. 187).

Case Studies - Where to draw the Line

Boundaries and Points of Referral

During the lesson we used some sample case studies to look at Boundaries and Points of Referral. There were 4 in total and we divided in to pairs and worked through each. We followed this with a class review/discussion.

The following is a record of each sample with annotations.

• Narsi.PDF
• Ian.PDF
• Jess.PDF
• Oliver.PDF 

Week 23 Mini Teach Prep

Prep work in the library......

Week 22: Meeting Learners Needs

25/03/2014

Meeting our Learners Needs: Differentiation

"Adopting strategies to ensure success in learning for all, by accommodating differences of any kind." Geoff Petty

After using the colour cards to assess our confidence with the topic/subject. We had a brief review of Equality and Diversity (E & D) and the legislation covered in the previous 3 sessions. We had a quick recap by use of two teams. Each had to write down questions for the other, based on the 4 main areas of legislation covered last week. We then swapped question sheets to answer the questions and swapped back to mark the work. This is how our group looked:

We then divided in to Mixed Ability Groups and had a Carousel Activity on the following:

1. Reasonable Adjustments
2. Stretch and Support
3. Active Learning
4. Equality and Diversity

We rotated around the Carousel, spending about 20 mins at each station. Each of the above 4 topics presented a situation/scenario to consider how we could as Geoff Petty puts it 'accommodate differences of any kind.' The whole lesson itself embodied the very principles that Tam was trying to teach, and part of the session was an evaluation of the methods used in the lesson: (Inclusion, E & D, Engagement, Support, Stretch)

We followed this up with a discussion of our findings. One person from each group was nominated to chair a topic to bring out the main point form their group and then draw more information from the whole class.








Reflections:
This lesson further embedded the principles and legislation that we have previously considered. I rather like the way Geoff Petty discusses his topics, he loves to illustrate a point. It makes for interesting reading.

"You won’t be surprised to hear that it is illegal for a teacher to sprinkle students
with sulphuric acid or hurl them through windows. Less obviously it is also illegal
to tell a student who uses a wheelchair that they can’t study art because the art
room is on the top floor, or to tell a student she shouldn't become an engineer
because she’s a girl."
Geoff Petty (2004). Teaching Today. 4th ed. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes. 91.

Week 21: Inclusive Practice - Legislation

This weeks lesson summarised the earlier weeks and took a deeper look at the existing legislation and we were tasked to write a report that summarises the policy and regulatory frameworks that guide inclusive practice.

This lesson formed the basis for the following summary. During the lesson we discussed and researched the main areas of the summary requirement. Four areas were under discussion:

1. The Equality Act
2. The Tomlinson Report
3. The Human Rights Act
4. Access for All

The Summary - To address criteria (2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

1. The Equality Act:

The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.

It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.

Before the Act came into force there were several pieces of legislation to cover discrimination, including:

• Sex Discrimination Act 1975
• Race Relations Act 1976
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995

The following characteristics are protected characteristics—
age;
disability;
gender reassignment;
marriage and civil partnership;
pregnancy and maternity;
race;
religion or belief;
sex;
sexual orientation. 

Discrimination can be Direct (Overt) or Indirect (Covert).

Example of Direct:
A person (A) discriminates against another (B).
ie: (A) discriminates against (B) because they are Woman. (A) may feel (B) as a woman is unable to carry out a given task as well as a man might and directly implies such.

Example of Indirect:
A person (A) discriminates against another (B) by applying a proviso or criteria. A potential employer might suggest that the successful candidate would ideally be: male, white.

This legislation has a huge influence on teaching practice and it's extremely important that we, as teachers are thoroughly familiar with the legislation and make it part of teaching practice. It has played a strong influencing factor in my teaching practice both at Horticare and more recently at Kendal College. We did some earlier work on this and other aspects of legislation, there is a small presentation there too.


2. The Tomlinson Report

The Tomlinson Report is designed to develop a more Inclusive Practice in FE. It found that there needs to be an adequately funded, nationally co-ordinated staff training initiative for inclusive learning to cover teacher training, management training and organisational development. To encourage the production of long term strategy and action plans on inclusive learning, along with inclusive learning managers. FE funding reviews and methodology should promote inclusive learning and participation, including the measuring of progress toward inclusive learning through self assessment. That there should be inspections of how colleges provide learning which is inclusive. A national framework will recognise all student achievements within a national framework which gives value to their learning.

The Tomlinson Committee's Report Inclusive Learning is based on evidence from providers, parents, carers, organisations and services and is strongly influenced by the views and experiences of students. It finds that while some colleges have made great strides towards an inclusive approach, overall the quality of learning for students with disabilities and/or difficulties is poorer than for other students, and many disabled people are not receiving any further education at all.

The report sees an individually-designed learning environment or 'learning eco-system' as the best way of securing this match between provision and individual learning styles and goals. An individual learning environment would have the following components:

• an individual learning programme
• a curriculum which promotes progress
• in learning
• effective teaching
• counselling, guidance and initial
• assessment
• opportunities for students to discuss
• and manage their own learning
• support for learning
• support for learners such as creche
• facilities
• procedures for assessing, recording and
• accrediting achievement
• learning materials and resources
• technical aids and equipment
• learning technology
• trained staff
• physical surroundings, for example
• teaching rooms, canteen and library

The Tomlinson Report (1996) promoted a student-centred approach that makes learners’ individual needs the starting point for developing a responsive, ‘tailor-made’ curriculum. Instead of the learner having to fit in with existing provision, Tomlinson makes the case for fitting the provision around the needs of the learner:
By inclusive learning we mean the greatest degree of match or  fit between how learners learn best, what they need and want to learn, and what is required from the sector, a college and teachers for successful learning to take place. Tomlinson 1996

This involves identifying learners’ specific and additional needs, providing resources and appropriate support, meeting their  preferred learning styles and giving them access to fair assessment. Although the report focused in particular on ways of helping students with learning difficulties or disabilities to succeed, it highlighted  the relevance of inclusive approaches to all adult learners. Equality and diversity in adult and community learning

This legislation is a very important foundation on which to build a learning program. Certainly during my practice at Horticare, did inclusive practice play a large part of lesson plans and teaching practice. Organisationally, Horticare is very much about Inclusive Practice. Teaching at Kendal College is influenced by this legislation too. Interestingly though, an earlier assessment we did during a lesson, established that Kendal College did not currently address Inclusive Practice for some: Eg; Deaf and Blind, we found would be particularly disadvantaged at Kendal - This is further addressed in the section 'Access for All'.

3. The Human Rights Act

Came in to force in the UK in October 2000. Is also known as The Act or the HRA. It is composed of a series of sections that bring the protections of the European Convention of Human Rights into UK law. All public bodies (The courts, Police, Government, Schools...) and other public bodies carrying out public functions have to comply with these rights.

The Act sets out fundamental rights and freedoms that individuals in the UK have access to:

• Right to Life
• Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment
• Right to liberty and security
• Freedom from slavery and forced labour
• Right to fair trial
• No punishment without law
• Respect for your private and family life, home and correspondence
• Freedom of thought, belief and religion
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of assembly and association
• Right to marry and start a family
• Protection from discrimination in respect of these rights and freedoms
• Right to peaceful enjoyment of your property
• Right to education
• Right to participate in free elections

An interesting enquiry can be seen here On page 7 of that document there are some positive and encourage comments made about the effects of the legislation in schools.

Some notes on education:
Everybody has the right to an effective education. Parents also have the right to ensure that their religious and philosophical beliefs are respected during education, though it is not an absolute right (an education authority can depart from them but only if there are good reasons for doing so and it has been done in an objective, critical and pluralistic way). The right to an education however, does not give you the right to learn whatever you want, whenever you want. The right to education relates to 'the education system' that already exists. It does not require the government to provide or subsidise any specific type of education. The government is allowed to regulate the way education is delivered.

During our classroom discussion we also watched this video:

The Human Rights Act and it's associated legislation is fundamentally one of the most important pieces of legislation currently in use in the UK and absolutely without question it has to be considered within teaching. It's principles should always influence our teaching practice. Whilst the law sets out rights for everyone, we do well to remember that with rights comes responsibility and accountability. For example, The Human Rights Act gives: Freedom of Expression, however that right has to be exercised in consideration of the other sections of the Law and indeed other form of legislation such as The Equality Act.


4. Access for All

Access for All and ESOL Access for All were developed to support teachers using the adult core curricula in literacy, numeracy and ESOL who had learners with learning difficulties or disabilities in their classes.

Learners with learning difficulties or disabilities have a wide range of
strengths and weaknesses, which may affect their learning in different
ways and to varying extents.
It is important to acknowledge that these differences exist and that
learners with the same disability may have very different needs.
It is important to address the individual strengths and weaknesses of
learners in planning learning and in determining teaching approaches.
When working with learners with a learning difficulty or disability, it is
important not to focus on the specific disability, but to follow certain
generic principles.

● Focus on what makes people individuals, not on their conditions.
● Don’t assume you know what the implications of a disability are; ask the
learners themselves, and listen to what they say – they are the experts on
the effects of their learning difficulty or disability.
● Understand the social dimension of disability – the implications of an
impairment are the effects it is allowed to have in current circumstances,
and these circumstances can change.
● Be aware of your own attitudes – it is often staff attitudes (eg patronising
behaviour, pity or embarrassment) rather than an individual’s disability
that can create barriers.

There is a world of difference between, on the one hand, offering
courses of education and training and then giving some students
who have learning difficulties some additional human or physical aids
to gain access to those courses, and, on the other hand, redesigning
the very process of learning, assessment and organisation so as to
fit the objectives and learning styles of the students. FEFC 1996, p4

Earlier we mentioned the 'Access for All' at Kendal College is far from ideal. During a practical session in one of our lessons (Level 4 Cert. in Education and Training) we experimented at being Blind and Deaf. Particularly for the Blind, would Kendal College be totally unsuitable. Some of us in the class (including myself) use BSL and are familiar with deaf culture. Whilst the situation for potential deaf students isn't as dangerous as in the case for the blind, nevertheless, there is little provision made for either case.

This legislation formed an important point for consideration at Horticare and it was important there to use differentiation in the development of lessons. To take on board any expressed difficulties expressed by the students and to make changes to meet those needs where appropriate.

Some key points of this legislation are:

• • Understand that you have a shared responsibility to contribute to the development
of an inclusive culture. Seek advice and information pro-actively about what you can
do to promote change through your role, using internal and external sources.

• • Recognise that working towards an inclusive culture is an incremental and
ongoing process of enhancement and as such the undertaking is never complete.

• • Ensure equality and widening participation is routinely considered as part of all
institutional functions, activities, processes and future plans.

• • Actively seek to engage students in developing inclusive practice and recognise
them as partners and key change agents in developing an inclusive culture.
Foster positive relationships with students in order to ensure your individual
practices and approaches are effective in promoting the success of all students.

• • Look for opportunities to enter into dialogue and discussion about the meaning
and implications of inclusion with colleagues.

• • Engage in a range of activities (such as continuing professional development;
events; advisory/action groups; research; self-assessment tool kits) to promote
your understanding and use of effective inclusive practice. Use such activities as
an opportunity to share effective practices and experiences with colleagues, as
well as to reflect on any personal prejudices or misassumptions you may have
about particular equality or student groups.



Lynn Machin, Duncan Hindmarch, Sandra Murray & Tina Richardson (2013). A Complete Guide to the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training. Nothwich: Critical Publishing.

Geoff Petty. (2009).  Nelson Thornes Teaching Today. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes

Week 20: Inclusive Practice (Part 3)

11/03/2014

This session started with a review of our understanding of the information covered in earlier lessons. This was achieved by the use of a Glossary of terms relating to Inclusive Practice and a corresponding definition field (left blank). The aim of this part of the lesson. To complete the missing definition fields. There was a choice of two different lists 1 and 2. The number 1 list being a little easier than number 2.

Here is an example of the Number 2 list:

Time and research was permitted and here is a completed list 2 that I did for homework.



On the evening of the lesson I chose to do List and here is the completed version:

In peer pairs we then assessed our findings/answers and that was followed by a class discussion. This process further deepened our appreciation and understanding of Inclusive Practice.

Visual Impairment

Basically it means walking around college blindfold (With safety assistant)
We paired up for this exercise.
Our findings:
Kendal College has basically made no accommodation for Visual Impairment. Quite literally it has hazards everywhere. No Braille or Audio in any shape or form, even at the Emergency information notices. A discussion with a member of staff in the LRC demonstrated that they could not point us to any efforts made to assist the Visually Impaired. We asked about Deaf too, seeing that we held a personal interest in the subject. Apparently one person who is deaf has a full time assistant (signer) with them at college. Overall, our impression of the facilities and accommodations made for such conditions is probably as bad as it can get.


Group Discussion
We were tasked to prepare for and contribute to a small group discussion on the impact of personal, social and cultural factors on learning. Reviewing the impact of different physical and cognitive and sensory impairments.

My source notes (incl. Images) were printed from:
Source 1
Source 2
Also research from: Petty 'Teaching Today Fourth Edition' Chapt 7

Our group including Myself, Karl, Trevor and Clive.

Following the discussion we each reviewed each others participation. Trevor reviewed me:

Week 19: Inclusive Practice (Part 2)

This session started with a 1 hour special visit by Amanda Redmayne. We had an earlier visit by Amanda. This session was focusing on 'Dyslexia'.

We conducted some interesting practical experiments to test our own skills. These were designed to help us see how dyslexic students view everyday events/tasks as complex.

You are likely to come across students who are much better at answering questions verbally than they are at writing and especially at reading. In some cases this can be extreme, and the student seems very bright, but is not able to read one sentence or one phrase at a time, and instead seems to labour over each word in turn. However, there are a number of possible causes of reading difficulties, so only a qualified person, often an educational psychologist, is able to diagnose dyslexia.

The following is a very interesting snip from Geoff Petty. It's really kind of odd how easy it is to read:

Amanda did stress the importance of proper diagnosis. Especially in Further Education as only then will the addition funding be available, which can aid learners in funding special needs.

Because a student who has dyslexia often finds it hard to read text or numbers, it may help if you:

• Keep information that must be read to a minimum. Keep it concise, clear and

very structured, with helpful headings and subheadings, for example.

• Introduce new words explicitly. Write them on the board and explain what

they mean with some concrete examples. Give students a glossary.

• Produce handouts that include a mind-map summary of the key points,

preferably at the beginning.

• Leave notes on the board for as long as you can.

• Use colour coding of handouts if there is a lot of material.

• Allow students to tape lessons.

• Don’t force students to read large amounts of text, and don’t require learners

to read out loud, as this will embarrass them in front of their peers.

In addition, you may be able to arrange for the students to have someone to read to them during exams, or for them to have extra time in exams, or both. Because writing and spelling may be difficult for a student who has dyslexia, it may help if you:

• Produce written handouts. If the students make their own notes, check that

they can read them.

• If you grade work, grade the content, not the spelling, handwriting and

grammar.

• Don’t judge understanding by writing; students may limit their writing to

words that they can spell, and they may use odd grammar.

• Allow students to present their ideas verbally where possible.

• Consider the amount of written work you set. A dyslexic student may take

four or five times longer to complete this than your other students – is the

workload fair?

• Allow students to use a laptop for written work so they can check spelling

and grammar and read their notes easily. They may need careful tuition in

how to type, though.

• Accept dictated homework.

• Allow students to use speech-recognition software. This reduces typing time,

and also checks spelling and grammar.

________________________________________________________

Following Amanda's discussion we moved on with the lesson, briefly recapping on the following 3 sections:

• Specific Learning Difficulties
• Inclusive Practice
• Learning Outcomes

This moved us on to a practical review of Mental Health. 20 minutes research to consider the impact of Mental Health on learning. We were grouped to cover the following areas:

• Self Harm

• Bi Polar

• Depression

Research was done mostly online via the 'Mind' website, also NHS Choices. The above information was then discussed via the Market Place technique and later through open classroom discussion.

This session formed an important part of developing our understanding of a wide range of learning difficulties and inclusive practice. It certainly heightened our awareness of these and stressed the importance of being alert to the signs. As teachers, we are not the experts and need to refer students to the Learning Services for proper assessment. We do though and would need to, differentiate our lessons to meet any new circumstances. 

______________________________________________________

Inclusive Practice Task 1
11/03/2014 Ref: (1.1, 1.2)

Prepare for and contribute to a recorded small group discussion on the impact of personal, social, and cultural factors on learning. Review the impact of different physical, cognitive and sensory impairments.


I have a review of the material we have covered here and in the previous post to this.
I will use this information in part of my discussion. And later include a summary of the above task.

Petty,G. (2009). The learner's practical and emotional needs. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 88-89.

Week 18: Inclusive Practice (Part 1 of 3)

Inclusive Practice 25/02/2014

This lesson covers the impact of personal, social and cultural factors on learning. We started the session with a practical. The peer group was divided in to groups of 3. The objective was to arrange in order of importance the provided factor squares. At this point it was simply our groups ideas as perceived by our current understanding and discussion. Our result was like this:

A subsequent discussion lead to an analysis of the top choice on the pyramid of each peer group.

An inclusive learning environment is one in which, as you would expect, every learner is included. If you cast your mind back a few generations, teachers used one approach to teach the whole class. There was no consideration of individual needs, and many learners fell by the wayside, having failed to match the way that they learn and their individuality to that of the teacher. Inclusivity requires that you, as a teacher, recognise that every learner is different and should be considered as an individual, with specific needs, likes, dislikes, background, motivators and behaviours.


Expectations:
These can be of self or from others. They can be gender related or even prejudice.

Few teachers intend to give unequal opportunities, yet most do. For example,
research has consistently shown that female students get less classroom attention than males, have less access to computers or other specialist equipment, and are marked down if they are very able; and that the offending teachers are unaware of such unequal treatment. Research has also continued to show that: Afro-Caribbeans, Asians, other ethnic minority students, and learners with disabilities or learning difficulties also get an unfair deal in the classroom from most teachers. So do students who are shy, working-class, less able or disruptive. Why is this? Few teachers are deliberately prejudiced; most of the discrimination is unintentional. For example, most of us behave most positively towards students who are able, pleasant or hard-working. This is understandable, but not professional.

Gender:
Research shows that many teachers have different expectations of males and
females; that males generally receive more teacher attention; and that males
dominate in the use of equipment in science, design, technology and computer
studies. Also, males and females leave school or college with different skills and
different expectations of their future lives; many females still set their sights lower than males. It is well known, too, that females are under-represented (especially post-16) in maths, physical sciences and technology.

Self Fulfilling Prophecy:
A study by Rosenthal and Jacobson claimed, then, that a teacher’s expectations affected the student’s performance in the direction of that expectation. In other words, if a teacher thinks a student is ‘good’, they get better – and conversely, if the teacher thinks the student is ‘bad’, they get worse. Other researchers have shown the self- fulfilling prophecy at work in almost every conceivable teaching situation, from nursery teaching to the teaching of adult professionals.
Can a low expectation be fulfilled? Indeed it can. Research shows that slow learners are given less time and less help when answering questions; they get less praise and more criticism, less teacher time overall and a less friendly approach – for example, they are smiled at less often. Less work is demanded of them, and their test papers are marked more severely.

Developmental Delay and Learning Difficulties:
Rather like Mental Health, there can be considerable variation in levels here. Inclusive Practice requires meeting the needs of ALL learners. See also earlier Learning Differences

We revisited the Experiential Learning Cycle
Completed a Learning Style Questionnaire - with the intention of learning more about this topic:

See images:

Group Practical: How these Factors Influence Learning

Group results Slideshow:

Direct links to individual images:

1. Economic
2. Ethnicity
3. Family
4. Gender

Petty, G. (2009)Teaching Today. 4th  Edition. Cheltenham. Nelson Thornes.

Week 17: Questioning Techniques

This week very much followed on from last weeks lesson on Assessment and Feedback. Questioning Techniques, our use of and the way we ask questions, can greatly influence our intended learning outcomes. Some of this weeks lesson was covered earlier too under Learning Outcomes.

Some of the recap this week covered Observation and Peer Feedback in Assessments:

Eg: Colour Card - Emotion Faces - Sliding Scale of Emotion

Through the art of thoughtful questioning teachers can extract not only factual information, but aid learners in: connecting concepts, making inferences, increasing awareness, encouraging creative and imaginative thought, aiding critical thinking processes, and generally helping learners explore deeper levels of knowing, thinking, and understanding. (Erickson 2007)

The Lesson contained some useful activities to engage us as learners, to see the value of questioning, as well as the wide range of techniques that we can employ. 

We started out trying to write examples of 9 different questioning techniques. The sheet looked like this:

This was the result of my sheet + annotations from the discussion after:

We then associated this with the Domains of learning:

• Cognitive
• Affective
• Psychomotor

Questioning Techniques in Practice

Using the iPads we viewed the following interactive poster which linked to video footage of question techniques:

Interesting, informative and a great use of IT in education!

Questioning Exercise:

We were given a question check-list and an exercise

Here is the question check-list:

And here is the Questioning Exercise. Which was some optional homework.

Week 16: Assessment and Feedback part 2 + Presentations

This week saw the results of our homework from Last Weeks Session.

Video footage here is a video based assessment of our understanding and use of assessment and feedback in teaching.

In Class Assessment and Feedback Work:
We were paired up. Each had to formulate a scenario for the other. My pair partner Nick, chose the following:

A student is practising hoeing in a line of nursery trees. He makes a good job, but in the process he has managed to catch the stem of the trees at the base during hoeing.

A video based assessment and feedback 'Praise Sandwich' of 1min:

Week 15: Assessment Methods and Evidence

This weeks Lesson can be seen here and a more detailed document of assessment methods can viewed Here.

The lesson started with a bit of fun really, drawing a desert island and then swapping drawings with the peer group and assessing the drawings. It just served to illustrate the assessment didn't have any criteria, any point of reference with which to make an assessment. Therefore, all assessment was subjective. This set the lesson off to a good start. We discussed the importance of clear goals, without which, assessment cannot be constructive, with a view to offering informative and helpful feedback:

Summative Assessment

 Sometimes called Final Assessment, this aims to make a final measure of a students progress. Usually Graded: Eg: 90% or A+. Typically this form of assessment is more for the benefit of a client. For example a prospective employer can easily see what standard of education you have reached/achieved. 10 years down the line, this assessment will likely be far from a true reflection of your sum of knowledge in a given topic.
The aim may be to sum up what the candidate can do (criterion referencing). This might be done with the aid of a checklist of skills or competences, and/or by reports
or profiles. Alternatively, the aim may be to grade candidates, or place them in a
rank order (norm referencing). This is usually done by means of an examination,
designed to differentiate between candidates on the basis of the breadth and depth
of their learning.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is informative feedback to learners while they are still
learning the topic. But to be truly formative, this information must be used by the
learner to improve. The teacher can provide the formative assessment, but the
learners can also formatively assess themselves and each other. Research shows
that this feedback while you learn has more effect on student achievement than
any other single factor, so it’s worth getting right! Formative Assessment prepares a student for the Summative or Final Assessment. Eg; Like a Mock exam prepares you for the real thing.  
Geoff Petty. (2009). Assessment. In: Nelson Thornes Teaching Today. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. 479.

_____________

The main use of assessment for teachers is the ongoing or formative assessment.
This is used throughout the course to form judgements on whether, and to what
extent, learning has been successful; and to pinpoint difficulties so that remedial
action can be taken. Initial and diagnostic assessment have similar ‘formative’
roles. They are carried out at the beginning of a course.  
Geoff Petty. (2009). Assessment. In: Nelson Thornes Teaching Today. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. 479.

Assessment is an essential part of the learning process. It serves several vital roles in an education system, such as:

• informing teacher and learner of progress and future development needs; 

• recognition of achievement; 

• providing accountability data on the performance of teachers, departments, education organisations and even international comparisons.

Both assessment for learning and assessment of learning. Assessment for learning provides information to learners and teachers about the learners’ current levels of ability and this information guides the teaching and learning strategies that are planned and prepared by the teacher. This is known as formative assessment. Assessment of learning provides information of learners’ achievement and is usually summative rather than formative. Both methods have purpose and both recognise learners’ achievement.

Lynn Machin, Duncan Hindmarch, Sandra Murray & Tina Richardson (2013). A Complete Guide to the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training. Nothwich: Critical Publishing. 59-73.

Norm Referencing:
As in summative assessment of GCSE, provides a graded result, compared to a peer group at a specific time. Yields an estimate of the position of the tested individual in a predefined population, with respect to the trait being measured. The estimate is derived from the analysis of test scores and possibly other relevant data.

Criterion Referencing:
A criterion-referenced test would report the student's performance strictly according to whether the individual student correctly answered set questions. A norm-referenced test would report primarily whether this student correctly answered more questions compared to other students in the group.

Student Referencing:
The advantages of self-directed learning are that it strongly encourages active
learning, develops student autonomy and gives the responsibility for learning to
the student. A self-directed learning approach is widely used when teaching adults,
especially adult professionals, where it underpins the idea of the ‘reflective practitioner’.


Homework:
Prepare a 5 min presentation on assessment and feedback based on your teaching practice: Preparation can be viewed: Here (PDE)

Week 14: Embedding the Minimum Core

The Minimum Core:

Teachers need to understand fully how low ability in the core subjects: Maths, English and ICT might impact on access, vocational achievement and progression. And that it is necessary that, as teachers, we have sufficient skills to assess and support learners. It doesn't mean, as teachers in FE we need to be experts in these core areas, but we should understand that such basic skills are intrinsic to good teaching.

This was Our lesson Outline for this week

I guess it brought to the fore the reason why we had our Maths and English skills assessed. Although it didn't matter if we were really good or bad, it served to highlight where we are, what level/standard we work at and then we can reflect on room for improvement.

Some more detail on the Minimum core can be read Here, which shows it be part of Inclusive Learning Practice.

ICT:

We discussed the importance of this and how confident we are in this area. Personally, I feel reasonably comfortable/confident, I know a little bit at least. Many of us in the peer group had used Presentations using Power Point when we did our first Micro Teach. I actually use Power Point to produce all my Lessons, even though they only get used in printed form.

Richard introduced me to a new piece of software called Prezi. It's a cloud based presentation software with ZUI, which makes for a flashy looking presentation. It's proprietary software and requires additional proprietary elements such as Adobe Flash so the free elements are somewhat restricted, which was disappointing to me, but fair enough, I understand their philosophy. And since we are seeing such a growing use of Mobile devices and yet a lack of support by Adobe for Mobile devices, personally I'd be inclined not to favour Prezi. Nevertheless, I knocked together a sample presentation:
My Prezi