Month: May 2016

#becomingeducational W30 – so you’re still worried about the essay?

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Becomingeducational: Essay Tips

The essay is 1500 words – this probably means ONE introduction – about 200 words – THREE paragraphs – about 300 words each – and ONE conclusion about 400 words…

Essay 1500 words – week 30 (40%)

‘To what extent has the module ‘Becoming an Educationalist’ prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? Justify your answer with reference to at least three aspects of or activities on the course.’

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN PREPARING THE ESSAY:

FIRST – notice that the question is asking you about the module – so say something about Becoming: what was it trying to achieve? How was it trying to do that? What theories or beliefs underpin the module Becoming an Educationalist?

What is an educationalist? What do they do? What characteristics or attributes would it be helpful for an educationalist to have? What should they DO? What should they NOT DO? What theory or theorists would you refer to, to explain the sort of educationalist that you want to be?

Tips: Mention these in the INTRODUCTION – saying which THREE aspects of the course you are then going to focus upon.

WHAT WE THINK WE HAVE COVERED ON THE MODULE – CHOOSE THREE:

Simulations & role play – for critical thinking – belonging – learning through discussion – active learning

Rich pictures – when you drew your new world after the apocalypse – thinking though images…

SLOW reading – in groups – with collage and presentations – to help you crack the code of academic reading – and learn how to enjoy it.

IMD; Collage; TMD – all used to get you thinking differently – and usually talking with each other – dialogic engagement – learning in action that learning itself is socially constructed (Burr) – ALSO – each of these also a qualitative research method/

Exploring formal and informal learning spaces – to SEE learning, teaching and assessment differently – to start to critique taken for granted practices – and come to your own understanding of education.

Multimodal exhibition/Exhibitions & showcases – show case YOUR creativity and learning – self-efficacy developed – pride and joy?

REAL Research – modelling what all good teaching is – and discovering something new from your own actions – also preparing you for second year when you have to have a Dissertation proposal.

Free writing & peer review – overcoming writing blocks – discovering new ways to APPROACH writing – and discovering the value of peer review and feedback – towards taking ownership of your own writing rather than being over dependent on the tutor.

Music w/shop – enjoying a new process – help to prepare your own performances – but also learning a new way of thinking and expressing ourselves – music also has its own grammar/logic/rhetoric – that is – its own way of communicating ideas. What can you take form that into your own development?

Performance weeks – to showcase your learning – what you think aboyt good classroom practice – what you wanted to teach other people – and HOW you wanted to teach it…

Group work – all the time in all sorts of ways – but hopefully also with space to work individually… The value of making friends and finding collaborators!

Digital stuff – making brilliant digital things – to show you and everybody else that you do not come into education empty – but with skills and talents and just waiting to b stretched! Different to THE ESSAY – which can be very disempowering as so formal and rewards already existing cultural capital…

Blogging to learn – reflecting in own voice and space – to take op=wnership of the learning – to make the final essay writing easier…

Active learning; Question-based learning; Object-based learning; Project-based learning; Inquiry-based learning; Research-based learning; “Student as Producer”; Creativity in learning; and Critical thinking – all designed to develop Belonging; Self-efficacy/Self-esteem!!!

AS SAID – CHOOSE THREE – AND WRITE ABOUT THEM:

What activities have you enjoyed the most from the module? Why? How has any one particular one prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? What theory or theorists would you refer to, to argue for that activity?

What aspects of the module have you felt were useful or important for someone who is becoming an educationalist? Why? How has any one particular one prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? What theory or theorists would you refer to, to argue for that aspect?

What other activity or aspect do you want to write about? Why? How has that particular one prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? What theory or theorists would you refer to, to argue for that activity or aspect?

WRITE A CONCLUSION

Remember to CONCLUDE your essay! Revisit the WHOLE question and prove that you have answered it: to what extent has the module ‘Becoming an Educationalist’ prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? How do your three aspects of/or activities on the course demonstrate that?

TIP: BE CREATIVE? As you should have gathered by now, we hope that #becomingeducational has helped you to think more creatively about teaching, learning and assessment – so – if you want to attempt something more creative than a traditional written essay – we would be interested to hear from you – and see what you want to o and whether it could work!!

PEOPLE TO READ:

DEWEY – for a democratic approach

Freire – on education that is designed for justice and action

hooks – for a critical pedagogy approach

Holt – on the problems with education/schooling

Illich – for the need to ‘de-school’ society

Robinson – on the problems with schooling

Rogers – on the need for unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence.

HAVE YOU CHECKED THE READING LIST:

#becomingeducational: https://becomingeducational.wordpress.com/

Buckets and fires – teachers’ blog http://bucketsandfires.blogspot.co.uk/

Burns, T & Sinfield, S (2012) Essential study skills: the complete guide to success at university, London; Sage

Burns and Sinfield resources (also see the Journal articles that accompany each chapter) http://www.uk.sagepub.com/burnsandsinfield3e/study/default.htm

Buzan, B. & Buzan, T. (1995) The Mind Map Book BBC

Creativity – The Curious Creative:  https://flipboard.com/section/the-curious-creative-b5vmw7

Chloe’s blog: https://noblechloe.wordpress.com/

Develop a Digital Me:

Jeffers, S. (1997) Feel the Fear and do it Anyway London; Century

Hybrid Pedagogy blog – see especially this post on classroom design: http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/journal/discovering-natural-classrooms-hybrid-collective-learning-spaces/

Isaacs, S, Blundell, D, Foley, A, Ginsburg, N, McDonough, B, Silverstone D & Young, T (2014) Social Problems in the UK: an introduction London; Routledge

Last Refuge Blogspot: http://lastrefugelmu.blogspot.co.uk/ Academic blog and essential reading for all Becoming students.

McIntosh, P (2010) Action Research and Reflective Practice: Creative and visual methods to facilitate reflection and learning London; Routledge

McIntosh, P Postgraduate nursing students – drawing-only reflective log: http://qmul.academia.edu/paulmcintosh/Papers/731108/Creativity_and_reflection_An_approach_to_reflexivity_in_practice

Malone, G The Choir episodes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008y125/episodes/guide

Play in HE: http://www.creativeacademic.uk/uploads/1/3/5/4/13542890/cam2__part_a.pdf and

http://www.creativeacademic.uk/uploads/1/3/5/4/13542890/cam2_part_b.pdf

Robinson, K. (2006) Ken Robinson says ‘Schools kill creativity’ (speech) ONLINE: http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html accessed 10.12.10

Robinson, K. (2009) ‘Changing Education Paradigms’ (speech) ONLINE:

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms

Sentimental education? The school that Tilda built: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/13/education-school-tilda-swinton-scotland Schmidt, Laurel. ‘Great Teachers Don’t Take No (or Yes) for an Answer: Teaching by Asking Instead of Telling’ in Classroom Confidential: The 12 Secrets of Great Teachers . Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2004. 

Shuh, John Hennigar. ‘Teaching Yourself to Teach With Objects’ in The Educational Role of the Museum: Second Edition . New York: Routledge, 2001, pgs. 80-91.

Study Chat:  – https://www.facebook.com/LondonMetStudyChat   *Like* and follow #studychat for tips, trix and study ideas

Study Hub: www.londonmet.ac.uk/studyhub – for study tips and tricks – and calendar of study support events including Writing Clinics

Teach Thought blog: http://www.teachthought.com/

Thornburg D (2007) http://tcpd.org/Thornburg/Handouts/Campfires.pdf Tracey – journal: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/aed/staff-research/research-groups/drawing-visualisation-tracey/

Victor, B https://vialogues.com/vialogues/play/23929/ – 1-hr video on representations…

Visual Directions – sketchbook site: http://cltad-web2.arts.ac.uk/cetl/visual-directions/index.htm

Visual practices in learning and research: http://www.utpteachingculture.com/unflattening-scholarship-with-comics/

http://www.utpteachingculture.com/youve-got-to-draw-it-if-you-want-to-see-it-drawing-as-an-ethnographic-method/

Wheeler, S Educational Theory blog: http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.co.uk/

Workshops – preparing them: http://youthwebonline.com/teachers/activities/culture/index.html

Good luck – and enjoy the assignments – Sandra & Tom

 

W29 so this week you hand in your projects portfolio!!

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In Becoming we wanted you to engage in at least THREE Projects with an educational twist – we wanted you to get something from EACH PROJECT – something that would help you as an Education Studies student now – and as an educationalist in the future.

 For EACH project that you submit – think about:

What you did – what project did you undertake and why? What did you get from doing it? How has the process helped you learn things that are useful to you as a student now – and that you will remember and use as an educationalist in the future?

 We asked you to choose three from our suggestions or devise your own – here’s what and how:

Blogging Project: Write to learn

We argued that weekly blogging would help you to learn the course material and write better essays – so we asked you to set up your own personal blog – and to write something each week about the course. IF YOU DID THAT – then ONE of your projects could be BLOGGING!!

FOR THE PORTFOLIO:  Did you blog? Did it help? What tips would you pass on to other students about blogging and writing?

Multimodal Exhibition

We asked you to investigate the university’s formal and informal learning spaces – and to present your findings in an interesting way:  as a poem or a jigsaw puzzle – as knitting or a 3D object – as a Cabinet of Curiosity or a collage… and then we asked you all to put on a MULTIMODAL EXHIBITION in W7 of the course… to showcase your creativity and your learning.

FOR THE PORTFOLIO:  Did you do something for this exhibition? Did it help build your understanding of learning and learning spaces? What did you learn – what will you do about it when a teacher yourself?

Develop a Digital Me

The whole world is digital, it is multi-modal – it is text + image + sound + movement… We asked you all to prepare a Digital Me – an animation or a video or a comic book – and to REFLECT ON WHAT YOU LEARNED BY DOING THAT – then we had another Exhibition.

FOR THE PORTFOLIO:  Did you do something for this exhibition? Did it help build your understanding of making a digital thing – of being a student in a digital world – of learning and virtual learning spaces? What did you learn – what will you do about it when a teacher yourself?

 End of year Performance

For the last few weeks of the course – we asked you to take over the class – and do something a bit creative and a bit educational. It was fantastic!! BUT – what did you do – and what did you get from it all?

FOR THE PORTFOLIO:  Did you do a PERFORMANCE in these last few weeks? Did it help build your understanding of learning, teaching and assessment? Did it help you to better understand learning and learning spaces? What did you learn – what will you do about it when a teacher yourself?

Screenshot 2016-02-10 at 15.02.48OTHER PROJECTS YOU MAY HAVE DONE

Big Reading Project – Make it fun

Art and  Artists

Writers and writing

Learning project

You could choose from the projects above – but we also invited you to set your own learning project for the year: “I’m asking my students to take 25-50 hours and learn something new…, I want my students to explore a few things.

  1. Learn a skill, concept or idea you know very little or nothing about but that you’re interested in learning
  2. Document the learning. Write about it, video tape, audio record, whatever.
  3. Consider all the sources you use to learn. Collect those resources.
  4. Take an early baseline snapshot of your understand at the beginning and another one at the end. Compare and analyze.”

This site tells how – and shares some cool learning journeys: http://ideasandthoughts.org/2011/09/13/the-learning-project/ “

GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY!!

Tom & Sandra

#becomingeducational W28 part two:

/ @Danceswithcloud / 2 Comments

The Essay… additional points and resources

We had an excellent session on the final essay this week – and we are hoping that you are all feeling confident about BOTH the final assignments!

A reminder:

PORTFOLIO: due in NEXT WEEK – W29 – Thursday 19th May – hand in to the Student Hub

ESSAY: due in W30 – Thursday 26th May – hand in to the Student Hub.

 READ ON – we are offering advice below about different things that you could be addressing in your essay – with reference to useful research or reading that you could do to substantiate your arguments… There are many live links – so you can just click and follow.

VISUAL STUFF

Some hints if you are writing about visual practices: collage, drawing, making:

“Drawings can both evoke and record insight into a situation, and different visualization techniques such as visual brainstorming, imagery manipulation and creative dreaming have been developed …” (Garfield, 1976; McKim, 1980; Shone, 1984; Parker, 1990).

“The idea of using drawings or pictures to think about issues is common to several problem solving or creative thinking methods (including therapy) because our intuitive consciousness communicates more easily in impressions and symbols than in words. (Garfield, 1976; McKim, 1980; Shone, 1984; Parker, 1990).”

Pictures can help you think: http://systems.open.ac.uk/materials/t552/pages/rich/richAppendix.html

And can be used in RESEARCH: “ … initially stimulates non-verbal activity and then via a probing of what images mean to research participants and why those images were chosen, it goes on to stimulate verbal responses that would otherwise not have been accessible to verbalisation.” (Boddy, 2007)

“Using visual stimuli calls for right-brain activation and bypasses more rational evaluation procedures, thus allowing the researcher to get at the more sub-conscious aspects of respondent’s minds.”  (Boddy, 2007)

Collage in focus group discussions – participants given a selection of magazines, newspapers or other pictorial materials to select a range of images which represent the [issue] being researched.

Resources

Explore links and information available from Pauline Ridley’s Drawing to Learn site:  http://www.brighton.ac.uk/visuallearning/drawing/

…  and ideas on visual learning strategies :
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/visuallearning/files/2412/8048/4894/D2L_ST_LOW.pdf

Observational skills for geoscience fieldwork : http://www.kingston.ac.uk/esg/fieldwork_tutorial/

Techniques for drawing botanical subjects under the microscope
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artfeb03/cbdrawing.html

Looking vs. Seeing: 15’Tutorial: Getting the most out of Microscope Viewing
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/looksee.htm

Picturing to Learn <http://www.picturingtolearn.org/>  This is part of the Harvard Envisioning Science Program. It enables undergraduate students to clarify their own understanding of scientific concepts and processes by making freehand drawings to explain these concepts to non-experts. These drawings are also used as assessment tools.

KEY MODULE ASPECTS

With CREATIVITY – you want to be using the NORMAN JACKSON article that we shared – and search online for articles by CHRISSI NERANTZI and/or ALISON JAMES.

If looking at creating SPACES for learning – obviously THORNBURG – you might want to find research on SOCIAL LEARNING SPACES – and if you want to get really clever – see if you can find and understand (!) stuff on THIRD SPACE.

GROUP WORK is written about a lot – and a simple web search will find you lots of material – but I think we focussed particularly on its potential for developing BELONGING and DIALOGUE – perhaps look for or reference BAKHTIN – and/or FREIRE.

Resources

DEWEY – for a democratic approach

Freire – on education that is designed for justice and action

hooks – for a critical pedagogy approach

Holt – on the problems with education/schooling

Illich – for the need to ‘de-school’ society

Robinson – on the problems with schooling

Rogers – on the need for unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence.

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE MODULE READING LIST?

#becomingeducational: https://becomingeducational.wordpress.com/

Buckets and fires – teachers’ blog http://bucketsandfires.blogspot.co.uk/

Burns, T & Sinfield, S (2016) Essential study skills: the complete guide to success at university, London; Sage

Buzan, B. & Buzan, T. (1995) The Mind Map Book BBC

Creativity – The Curious Creative:  https://flipboard.com/section/the-curious-creative-b5vmw7

Develop a Digital Me:

Jeffers, S. (1997) Feel the Fear and do it Anyway London; Century

Hybrid Pedagogy blog – see especially this post on classroom design: http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/journal/discovering-natural-classrooms-hybrid-collective-learning-spaces/

Isaacs, S, Blundell, D, Foley, A, Ginsburg, N, McDonough, B, Silverstone D & Young, T (2014) Social Problems in the UK: an introduction London; Routledge

Last Refuge Blogspot: http://lastrefugelmu.blogspot.co.uk/ Academic blog and essential reading for all Becoming students.

McIntosh, P Postgraduate nursing students – drawing-only reflective log: http://qmul.academia.edu/paulmcintosh/Papers/731108/Creativity_and_reflection_An_approach_to_reflexivity_in_practice

Malone, G The Choir episodes:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008y125/episodes/guide

Play in HE: http://www.creativeacademic.uk/uploads/1/3/5/4/13542890/cam2__part_a.pdf and

http://www.creativeacademic.uk/uploads/1/3/5/4/13542890/cam2_part_b.pdf

Robinson, K. (2006) Ken Robinson says ‘Schools kill creativity’ (speech) ONLINE: http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html accessed 10.12.10

Robinson, K. (2009) ‘Changing Education Paradigms’ (speech) ONLINE:

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms

Sentimental education? The school that Tilda built: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/13/education-school-tilda-swinton-scotland

Schmidt, Laurel. ‘Great Teachers Don’t Take No (or Yes) for an Answer: Teaching by Asking Instead of Telling’ in Classroom Confidential: The 12 Secrets of Great Teachers . Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2004. 

Shuh, John Hennigar. ‘Teaching Yourself to Teach With Objects’ in The Educational Role of the Museum: Second Edition . New York: Routledge, 2001, pgs. 80-91.

Study Chat:  – https://www.facebook.com/LondonMetStudyChat   *Like* and follow #studychat for tips, trix and study ideas

Study Hub: www.londonmet.ac.uk/studyhub – for study tips and tricks – and calendar of study support events including Writing Clinics

Teach Thought blog: http://www.teachthought.com/

Thornburg D (2007) http://tcpd.org/Thornburg/Handouts/Campfires.pdf Tracey – journal: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/aed/staff-research/research-groups/drawing-visualisation-tracey/

Victor, B https://vialogues.com/vialogues/play/23929/ – 1-hr video on representations…

Visual Directions – sketchbook site: http://cltad-web2.arts.ac.uk/cetl/visual-directions/index.htm

Visual practices in learning and research: http://www.utpteachingculture.com/unflattening-scholarship-with-comics/

http://www.utpteachingculture.com/youve-got-to-draw-it-if-you-want-to-see-it-drawing-as-an-ethnographic-method/

Wheeler, S Educational Theory blog: http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.co.uk/

Workshops – preparing them: http://youthwebonline.com/teachers/activities/culture/index.html

THANK YOU!!

Thank you for being a wonderful class – a wonderful group and sets of groups – we have really enjoyed having this year with you.

Good luck and best wishes,

Tom & Sandra

 

 

 

 

Becomingeducational_W28: The Essay

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This is the essay blog!

First, we take you through a brainstorm – looking at the question in more depth – then we quickly recap what we have covered on the module and why…

This Wednesday we will have a whole class on the essay!!

Essay 1500 words – week 30 (40%)

‘To what extent has the module ‘Becoming an Educationalist’ prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? Justify your answer with reference to at least three aspects of or activities on the course.’

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN PREPARING THE ESSAY:

What theories or beliefs underpin the module Becoming an Educationalist? Why? What is it trying to help you to become?

What is an educationalist? What do they do? What characteristics or attributes would it be helpful for an educationalist to have? What should they DO? What should they NOT DO? What theory or theorists would you refer to, to explain the sort of educationalist that you want to be?

What activities have you enjoyed the most from the module? Why? How has any one particular one prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? What theory or theorists would you refer to, to argue for that activity?

What aspects of the module have you felt were useful or important for someone who is becoming an educationalist? Why? How has any one particular one prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? What theory or theorists would you refer to, to argue for that aspect?

What other activity or aspect do you want to write about? Why? How has that particular one prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? What theory or theorists would you refer to, to argue for that activity or aspect?

In conclusion – to what extent has the module ‘Becoming an Educationalist’ prepared you for the reality of becoming an educationalist? How do your three aspects of/or activities on the course demonstrate that?

WHAT WE THINK WE HAVE COVERED ON THE MODULE

Simulations & role play; Rich pictures; SLOW reading; IMD; Collage; TMD; Exhibitions & showcases; REAL Research; Free writing & peer review; Music w/shop; and Performance weeks; Group work; Digital stuff; Drawing to learn; Blogging to learn; Active learning; Question-based learning; Object-based learning; Project-based learning; Inquiry-based learning; Research-based learning; “Student as Producer”; Creativity in learning; and Critical thinking – all designed to develop Belonging; Self-efficacy/Self-esteem; Academic reading/writing; Peer Learning; Digital literacies and confidence; Active learning; and Heutagogy. Referencing Freire, Giroux, Thornburg, Jackson, Rogers, Illich, Dewey…

WHAT DO YOU THINK???

BE CREATIVE?

As you should have gathered by now, we hope that #becomingeducational has helped you to think more creatively about teaching, learning and assessment – so – if you want to attempt something more creative than a traditional written essay – we would be interested to hear from you – and see what you want to o and whether it could work!!

Good luck – and enjoy the assignments – Sandra & Tom