My first offical job interview

WOW, I applied thinking "not a chance in hell" and I get shortlisted.....While I am proud and very pleased at being given this opportunity I am scared to death. I started prepping and I am a firm believer in the more prep you do the better chances you have, but how do I prep for something I have never had any experience off?

I start using the web, if in doubt ask google, It is very helpful and I start to collect my thoughts on things such as "what are my teaching methods "how will I ensure equality in my classroom" I am starting to panic, I will never feel confident in any of this stuff (I am certain) but all I can do is give it my best. I have to provide a lesson plan for 60 minutes and provide a 20 minute micro teach on a subject which is a little out of my league "health and safety in  a care environment" so I again researched the subject and became enlightened.

Seems I know more about the field than I thought, I mean I did work in a care environment for 10 years.  so lesson all prepped I just have to read up and learn enough to get me through, again I think it is nerves which are holding me back. I found a helpful site which has guided me in my preparation https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/teaching-and-education/330747-perform-your-best-in-your-teaching-interview and even if I don't get the position I am very grateful for having the opportunity to just attend the interview as it is all great practise.

But promise you wont let my secret out...... I know I can rely on you lot..

I must be mad!

Ok so we get to choose options for an assignment on the course and I go and select E-learning, now I feel there is so much more for me learn when it comes to technology but after a few sessions I am overwhelmed with how little I actually know. Terms such as Podcast, wiki's and Vle's (visual learning environments)  have thrown me of my high horse (so to speak) I thought I was rather techno savvy, turns out I am more like a techno toddler. Now I have hyperlinked those techno words just in case you would like to know more about these things (not sure what to call them), as I now know how little I actually did know.

So I have delved into the world of creating a web space or page to develop for my future or current learners, and I must admit I find it all very exciting (overwhelming, but I love a challenge), it gives me a chance to get creative, and for those who know me I am not very creative so find any means that gives me creative licence exciting. I looked at good few different sites but the one which I clicked with straight away was Word press. I found it easy to use and set up a VLE (very basic I may add) within hours, I felt accomplished and very clever. The techno toddler graduated.

 

 

Now the issue I face is I know a little but not a lot so here the hard work starts. I am snowed under actually trying to teach, create and deliver a blended learning programs and stay on top of my work life balance, but I can already see the value of me giving up my time to develop a resource which will  in the future assist me in my teaching.

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

I just made a new Voki. See it here: my first attempt at making an animation... i must admit i like it.... but only tried one app and to be honest i am finding it difficult to embed within my V L E on WordPress.

it is not the end untill the fact lady sings!

well assignment was handed in a good while ago, but I think I will keep blog going, as I sit here on a dark grey Sunday, lesson planning and dreaming of a day when I can enjoy my spare time, I decide to keep my blog running as a kind of dairy :). Firstly I am still loving the path I am walking and very much look forward to each and every day. The second thing is I have decided I wish to teach abroad and am now looking into moving, maybe over to the middle east for while with my children and husband. Teaching  has always been a part of my existence I love to teach everyone and everywhere I go so why not make a good living out of it and travel the world with my sons.

I want to take education and teaching to whoever and wherever I can.

So I am going to keep my blog going and just document what the next year is going to be like for me. Will I or Wont I ? I will keep u posted!

ICT & Teaching Practice

So part of my new teaching journey involves putting together a portfolio of my teaching practise, and the sheer fact that I have to use ICT to put it together I feel needs a mention. Not only does the use ICT mean that the portfolio is easy to navigate through and clear to understand but the whole of my teaching practise is underpinned through using ICT. In fact I think it is key to mention at this point, that this blog shall be transferred to my tutor using an online admission tool known as turnitin, which I am also currently using to grade some of my own students work on.

 

 

The whole system is a plagiarism checker, (which is another modern day phenomena, as it is so easy to copy and paste from one web page to another) but also a good teaching tool. This system allows draft copies of assignments to be uploaded and feedback to be given electronically. This enables real time marking for the teacher and faster turn around on receiving feedback which may improve the paper for the students. The system is simple in many aspects, for example it is a simple data base which cross references every word which has been submitted by the student to check for any similarities with  anything which is online. This system also enables the deadlines of assignments to be closed after a certain time, so any late entries are easy to point out.

 

A lot of the lessons plans which will be within the portfolio I am currently complying will evidence the use of PowerPoint, this application has become my greatest companion, and the clever use of ICT within the University means during my lectures I have access  to TWO monitors, The primary monitor enables me to see notes which I have made upon the topic I am lecturing on, while the other shows only the presentation mode of the PowerPoint slides. I must admit I love this facility and it has made my first few weeks of teaching so much easier. I have even done a few Quiz type sessions in the lecture theatre with the PowerPoint showing the questions and then when I hit enter the answer pops up on the big screen. The students all of which fed back they enjoyed.

 

I am also able to then transfer the original lecture into a blended learning program for the students who are doing the single honours distance learning course. The likes of which would not be available without the use of ICT. I am also able to translate the seminar classes I am taking which are rather experiential over to the blended learning. The simple use of voice recording over the PowerPoint and time delays on the slide show enable me as the educator to provide reflective exercises which can be done anywhere, anytime.

 

One of the  modules I am teaching on have a first assignment due in a few days and they must use ICT to provide a portfolio of research they have under taken. The whole module is regarding employability skills and so it is paramount that the students are able to use ICT effectively for a good chance of being employed after they graduate. It is clear to see how the use of ICT is not just about education, but also the key skills which are needed now just to get by in life.  I found some very interesting research which had been performed regarding ICT and employability as I was interested in making my students aware of the use of doing well in the module wasn't just about getting through the degree but actually more to do with key skills.  The research which has a link to it above had many findings but one I felt was more relevant was that users which were attending their workshops on "how to use ICT" were there for vocational rather than social or recreational reasons. I was sure to point my students in the same direction.

 

The university that I am based within doesn't have online registration or record keeping procedures which use  ICT at the ground level. The paper system is still used. But I am sure this will all be changed as soon as they move to the new campus (in a few years) as most institutes now do most record keeping using ICT.  The last point I would like to make within this post is that I am able to offer students online tutorials within a time frame that suits then. Logging on to an online forum, such as Todays Meet, or even using the system they have on their own VLE (moodule) make it easy to touch base with everyone both on the full time or blended learning course, this makes the teaching experience very technological but very enjoyable.  

 

References

Goodison, T ., Green, A., Owen, D., & Rooney, S. (2004). ICT and Employability. Available: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/publications/2004/goodison_et_al_2004_rr534.pdf. Last accessed 01/12/2014 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 5 minute lesson plan

 So being in H E is tough as far as lesson planning goes, the lecture is a straight forward chalk and talk really so easy to plan for but doesn't really show depth of teaching strategy or application of teaching knowledge.  I am roughly spending about an hour per plan and that's time consuming as taking 9 hours of teaching on just my second week. So I found some very useful tools which I could use to speed my lesson planning up. The 5 minute lesson plan is perfect for me, As I have to spend a lot of time brushing up on my knowledge. Those undergrads take no prisoners.  The 5 Minute lesson planis now a daily feature in daily work.

I also found a quick guide to lesson planning which I have now posted on to my office wall until it becomes like second nature to think of my lesson aims and objectives. What I found more useful here was the evaluation section, we all hear the buzz word "reflective" and I am trying to evaluate each of my lessons at the moment as a tool to enhance my teaching so this will only make that "reflective" practise easier for me.

Another useful tool I found in my research for quick lesson planning was a glossary of teaching strategies, this is perfect for seminar preparation when I am trying to think of ways to make learning experiential rather than just the normal boring look at a journal and discuss seminar work that I was victim too. All in All a few hours research has saved me hours of planning and thinking in the future.



 

Blended Learning becomes Real

So here I am scratching my head thinking how do I do a flipped class room lesson?

I have a cunning plan a little voice in my head says and off we go. You tube is first point of call for my cunning plan, I don't want to pester my mentor and feel I can work this out if I just dedicate a few hours to it. I have already at this point researched the topic I am covering so I know that's ready to go at least. I found a very useful little clip which enabled me to learn how to put audio on a power point with timings so the slides move as and when I want them too. It is at this point PANIC sets in. I haven't done a power point yet..... In my haste I overlooked the one thing I needed most. All I can do now is smile and start work on the power point presentation.

Qualitative research SMALL AUDIO pp from Sarah Rees

The power point was ready just a few hours later and hopefully you can see it here!  now I haven't worked out yet how to blog a Power Point with audio but I am sure I will no doubt work it. Anyway back to my story so after watching the You tube clip and finally completing my presentation I record my audio, It goes well and I am happy with it, but I can't get the darn thing to play back, nothing, not a word, so I record it again and then again and still nothing, panic and frustration set in. I walk away from the computer, stand back to take a deep breath, think, think, think, means I can't think.... eventually I check it is not on mute...bet you can't GUESS the issue... It was on MUTE... while I was happy and pleased, I felt so dumb, technology and me just don't seem to mix but I did learn a new skill and was super pleased sending the finished presentation to my mentor for uploading to the VLE.
It did make me think though about the pro's and cons of a blended learning program and I can across a good web page reagrding the Pro's and Cons of Blended learning.

 My own experience was overall a great one when I used a system designed by the Open University, but I can see how easy it would be for students to fall behind when registered upon a self-directed learning course. One of the benefits of seeing your students is that you remind them, encourage them and offer extra support, but when everything is done via email I think it may not have the same impact. Another issue would be how do you keep the students motivated if they are self-directed? It is a tough one for an educator to balance out but I am sure those are skills I will no doubt learn soon enough. The main pro for blended learning which makes me a great advocate for it is that Increases accessibility, which no doubt means individuals who may never get access to education surely have a better chance now.

References
Bright, S. (2014). Pros and Cons of Blended Learning. Available:http://www.digitalchalk.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-blended-learning . Last accessed 17/11/2014