Lifelong Learning Essay

1. Understand learning and teaching strategies in lifelong learning. 1.1 Summarise learning and teaching strategies used in own specialism. It is very important that i know and understand the various learning styles of my students before I start my lesson. This will enable my students to get maximum benefit from my lessons. I could do this through an initial assessment or interview or if i plan my lessons correctly, i could do this on the first day of class. Therefore once i know my students style of learning i can plan my lessons to what style best suits them. Once I’ve established their learning style i could then plan my lessons to suit my students and i could also use assessments to gauge their progress during lessons, this will be in the form of the initial assessment, formative and summative assessments. I could explain my teaching plan to the class, the aim and objective of the lesson, this way the students will be clear what the session entails and what they have to kn ow at the end of the lesson. In making sure no student is left out i could use EDIP to get my lesson across, this way i will be covering all learning styles. The students should also know what is acceptable in their behaviour and what’s not; this can be done through a class contract. The layout, safety and temperature of the room is also of great importance as there will be some students in wheelchairs, thus the students will feel comfortable during lessons. If not my students will be concentrating on the cold, lack of ventilation, also they may not be able to see or hear on what’s going on, therefore i will have failed in my aim and objective as a teacher. As a tutor teaching about disability I’m governed by the Health and Safety at Work act 1974. My students should be made aware of these rules and in case of any accidents where to go, and where the fire escapes and meeting points are, and also which toilets are suitable for wheelchairs. I will need to give a brief outline of COSHH and what it means, and how we behave in the class. To ensure good teaching and learning i will make it exciting and informative for them as i possibly can. Depending on funding i will try and have as much equipment as possible to demonstrate with, this will give the clas s a good feeling of achievement and help them have an easier life, also it will give me a good feeling knowing I’m doing my job properly. 1:2 Explain how approaches to learning and teaching in own specialism meet the needs of learners. As a tutor i will be giving talks on disability acts, changes to benefits including Personal Independence payment (PIP). I will be using handouts talks and visitors from the Job Centre Plus (JCP) and other benefit agencies. I will use the students own experience and situation to highlight the affects that these new changes will have on them, this will be class involvement and participation. This type of instruction will also use acts, dates; benefit amounts – numeracy, demonstrations and handouts – visual explanation and aural. I will also be using the fire brigade, who will give advice on fire risks in the home and give advice in preventing fires, and also on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and most importantly what to do in the event of a fire, and disability adaption companies to give talks and demonstrations on what home and vehicle adaption’s that are available to them, these adaption’s will make them more independent, this will involve hands on sessions. In some cases may have to use power point. This will use kinaesthetic learning; all of the above will incorporate all learning styles and therefore will be fully inclusive. 1:3 Describe aspects of inclusive learning. Inclusive learning is all about involving all my students during the lesson, and treating them equally and fairly, and without directly or indirectly excluding anyone during a lesson. Some students may feel excluded if their particular needs are not met. Also i will need to take into account of any individual learning or support needs. Knowing what my students needs are in advance can be done through an initial assessment or the induction process. Inclusion is also about attitudes as well as behaviour; some students may be affected by the actions or words of others. Using student’s first names, having eye contact and speaking personally to the students when addressing them will incorporate inclusive learning. Creating learning conditions in the class setting can be based on respect for others, a group contract and ground rules will help with inclusive learning. Many ways for promoting inclusion are. Identifying needs, i need to find a way to overcome any barriers, flexible programmes for students with special needs, students taking medication, and having any appointments outside of the class. Also putting any sign posts for internal or external agencies which may be of use to them. Planning learning, by creating lesson plans and schemes of work will reflect on how i will be able to include all my students. Also by being able to plan a visit to an outside organisation so they can see what is available for them in making their life easier. Also agreeing any individual learning plans or actions plans they may need. Finding out if they’ve had any previous learning or experience. Facilitating learning, by encouraging group work where students can mix and participate with all students of the group. Making students feel comfortable to approach me with any questions they need to ask. Providing a safe and supportive environment where everyone’s contribution is valued. Encouraging respect and promoting and understanding of student differences. Assessing learning, this can be done by initial, formative and summative assessm ents. Adapting assessment activities where possible to meet any particular requirements or needs. Recognising and valuing individual’s achievements. Ensuring assessment planning is individual. Encouraging all students to reach their full potential. Quality assurance evaluation, communicating with other team members to ensure they are aware of any student requirements or issues, obtaining feedback from my students on mine and their performance in class, there are different ways in doing this.1: verbally, 2: electronically, 3: written. Evaluating my delivery to ensure I have included all the students fully in my lesson. Liaising with awarding organisation regarding any modifications required to the learning and assessment activities. As teaching about disability I will be using all aspects of inclusive learning, by using a mixture of different approaches in my class, this will ensure I meet all learning styles and retain student engagement and motivation. 2: Understand how to create inclusive learning and teaching in lifelong learning. 2.1 Explain how to select inclusive learning and teaching techniques. As a tutor it is important that i make my lessons inclusive, i can do this by using different learning and teaching styles during my lessons; choosing which style to use depends on what type of students i have in my class. Choosing inclusive learning and teaching techniques will allow the whole class to be involved making sure that my lesson is inclusive. It is also important that i discuss with my students what their support needs and requirements are, this can be done by an initial assessment and first interview. Once i know the needs and requirements i will be able to plan my lesson making sure that my lesson is inclusive. A tutor led demonstration is a teaching and learning method that may work well with hands on; this allows all students to participate regardless of ability levels of learning styles, it’s also useful for s tudents that learn visually, some students may have hearing difficulties therefore it is important for me to give instructions both verbally and visually, and written down. Therefore making sure that all learner and learning styles have been catered for. I could split the class into groups; by doing this it does not put any pressure on any individual student, this way they can discuss amongst themselves because each one will have individual views, this then will allow them to gather their own thoughts and discuss with the rest of their group. Ensuring my teaching and learning methods are inclusive and will meet the needs of my students and will help my students feel valued and supported. As i mentioned earlier it is important i find out if any students have any needs or need any support, as i will be able to choose the appropriate teaching and learning methods for the students and their learning styles. 2.2 Explain how to select resources that meet the need of learners. It is important to discuss with the students what their needs are and what extra support they need in order for the lesson to be inclusive. I can use many forms of resources it’s important that i make resources accessible to all students. Resources can help with their learning, therefore it is important to select resources that meet the needs of my learners. Some students may not disclose their additional needs for a variety of reasons; therefore there are a few steps which i can take to ensure that the students can still take part in their lessons. For example, making sure that all written text is large enough and plain font so as it makes it easier to read and different coloured paper can be useful for students with visual support needs. Students with visual impairment will also benefit from the larger text. Students with hearing difficulties its best to use power point with written handouts explaining what they will be doing and what i will be discussing during the lesson, this way the students will feel included in the lesson rather than wondering what’s going on. Also if using power point make sure the text is large enough for those not sitting close enough are able to see. By using these resources i am making sure my lessons are inclusive. I can also use external resources for example: * Local fire brigade, they can explain the fire risks at home and also advise on safety, they can arrange for a home visit to check that all safety measures are in place. * Job centre plus, to give advice on future employment and what is available for disabled people. * Local council, to give advice on any home improvements on making their lives a little easier, and handout leaflets on what may be available to them. * Ambulance service, to give advice on what to do in case of emergency and a little basic first aid training. * Guest speaker, to give advice on benefits and what’s available to them, and also what the new system will mean to them, the phasing out of DLA to Personal Independence Payment, (pip) between 2013-2016, also changes made to the sick ness benefit, and where to go for any advice. All these resources are beneficial in independent living and ensuring a positive outcome in inclusive teaching and learning. 2.3 Explain how to create assessment opportunities that meet the needs of learners. The first assessment will be the initial assessment; also asking the students if they have any prior knowledge, i will be doing assessments throughout the course this will give me a good idea on how my students are progressing, and will highlight any areas they are struggling in, class discussions may also help in finding out any initial needs of the class and offer the right support for them. Formative and summative assessments will also be carried out. Formative assessments are carried out during and throughout the course, this will allow for development to take place, and asking questions and observing will help me give ongoing feedback and will enable my students develop further. I could give them simple tasks to do and assess their development, this way i can find out if there are any areas in need of further development. Students doing simple tasks will help in therapy and give every student the opportunity to give feedback on what they’ve seen and learned. Summative assessments are done at the end of each lesson and getting the students to demonstrate on what they have learned during the lesson, this can be quite stressful for some students; therefore i can help by giving a little encouragement. When doing summative assessments i only need to assess what needs to be assessed. 2.4 Explain how to provide opportunities for learners to practice their literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills. Literacy skills can be used in lessons in a number of ways; i could do this by getting the students to create posters, or handouts. I could also get the students to read out or present their work to the rest of the class, which would bring both language and communication skills into the lesson. By providing a print out of my power point (if i have one) is another way of using literacy and language skills, as the students will be able to follow the power point at their own pace, and also gives the students a resource in which they can take away with them. I could also get the students to take part in role play situations, or discussions on a certain topic/ language skills will be used in a lesson when starting a new topic by providing students with a glossary which will provide the students with definitions of new terms. Language skills will involve listening, discussions, and explaining to the rest of the class what they are doing, and the other students giving feedback. This could also be covered by a question and answer session. Numeracy skills can also be used in most lessons, it could be as simple as by putting in a graph, pie chart or a bar chart into my presentation or handouts. This way the students will get used to seeing charts, and could also help them to understand how they work, therefore using numeracy skills in my lessons. I could also use terms such as 50% instead of half, this again will help the students understand numerical terms better. Time keeping skills can also be used in the lesson by giving the students timetables to show what time they start their lesson, also informing the students that breaks are every 45 minutes. All travel costs will be reimbursed by my organisation; by getting the students to total up their travel costs instead of us working it out for them will incorporate numeracy in my lesson. There are a number of ways to incorporate ICT skills during lessons; which will allow the students to build on their skills, beforehand i will have provided a scheme of work, and at all stages of the lesson these will be taken into account. I can use ICT in most lessons and also i could include tasks such as typing work into a word document, or use power point to create a presentation to present to the rest of the class. By getting the students to do a presentation will help in their language skills as well as ICT skills, also another way i could use ICT skills in lessons is to get the students to do some on-line research on a topic which i will give them. Sometimes i may have a lack of ICT resources; this may make it more difficult for the students to learn. However, i could give the students a handout containing links to websites relevant to the lesson. By providing the student’s links will encourage the students to access them in their own time; therefore i will have incorporated skills into my lessons without ICT resources in the classroom. 3. Understand ways to create a motivating learning environment. 3.1 Explain ways to engage and motivate learners in an inclusive learning environment.