Welcome

Dear all

Welcome to our first attempt at a "collaborative blog'. In the past, I (Clare) have used blogs to post useful weblinks or to summarise a session. However, a chat with a teacher the other day made me question their usefulness and ask myself the question, "who is the blog for?". In fact, who is getting the most out of the blog? Is anybody learning from this?

You should already have a course and assessment handbook and be able to access the VLE. Useful articles, handouts and weblinks will be posted here but this is a space for you to share ideas and engage with material.

So, what is the aim of this blog?  If you look at the new professional standards for the further education and skills sector which came out in April 2014, you will notice the following things:

• Build positive and collaborative relationships with colleagues and learners (Professional Values and Attributes)
• Apply theoretical understanding of effective practice in teaching, learning and assessment     drawing on research and other evidence (Professional Knowledge and Understanding)
• Promote the benefits of technology and support learners in its use (Professional Skills)

 

We want you to broaden your horizons, carry out mini action projects and share them with each other. You might want to review an article you have just read, try out a new way of teaching vocabulary or an online tool, question the notion of 'learning styles' in the classroom etc. You will all be co-authors of the blog and, hopefully, once we get started, it will run itself.

I shall start it off by reviewing the use of recording oral feedback for written assignments. Everyone is welcome to add comments; you can agree or disagree albeit appropriately, question content etc.

I know you are all busy juggling assignments, work and family life but we hope this will be a productive exercise for everyone.

Happy blogging!