Reflection on E111 Course. The major achievement of this course is my understanding of the in my role and responsibilities in dealing with children's learning. In TMA 01 I wrote that it is my job to support the childrens learning (TMA01, 2010

University Degree Education and Teaching

Role and Contribution

The aim of ECA is to reflect upon my experiences of the course E111.When I first completed TMA 01 my roles and responsibilities were to assist the teacher in dealing a Primary Two and Three class. I have seen my this position develop as my confidence and knowledge grew throughout the year, as my understanding and perception of the ways child learn have changed. ( ST2 ,p13-19 )The ECA will show my development as an Assistant. Now I feel that I am more valued and play an important part in the education of young people in our school. During the term of the course, the pupils I have been asked to support have become specific in their learning and teaching needs. This is due to my development of my own language skills and the re-evaluation of techniques used to develop children.[KS4.3] I have learned many new techniques and theories during my time on the course , allowing me a greater understanding of the complex issues of the teachers role, curriculum and the child.(ST 1, p18-23)[KU1.5]. During my completion of the TMA's I have developed an understanding and perception of the ways in which children learn .It has also played a significant part in my developing relationships with professional staff ,to ensure that learning takes place at every chance.

From the initial stages of the course I began to challenge my existing thoughts and beliefs regarding primary school education. On reflection I found this very difficult and particularly unsettling, as it made me question my own practice when working with children. I am now aware that this was the intention of the course and that without questioning and reflection my practice will not improve. The Open University study topics states that,

“As a teaching assistant your role of supporting teaching and learning in the classroom may have evolved with time. Alternatively you may have been recruited to the role for that very purpose. Perhaps you lie somewhere in the middle, having joined the body of teaching assistants just as the role was being reviewed and bearing witness to its expansion and development.” (ST1, p3)

In the initial assignment, TMA 01, I was asked to describe my roles and responsibilities. On completion of the course I can identify my main development has taken place as a direct result of the course. I feel the course has had most impact on; child observations, awareness of Government Legislation[KU1.5], importance parent collaboration, staff communications, planning and preparation and creative development /play. The course has given me the tools to develop new skills and techniques to support children with a variety of needs. The Open University study topics state the importance of effective interactions with children by claiming that “As an adult working in a school, you can considerably influence how the children feel about learning through your positive thinking and language”( ST12, p10). I have learned the worth of scaffolding and the importance of effective questioning. How to encouraging the children to develop and build relationships enhancing their overall school experience (ST3, p20-25). It has also influenced my thoughts on the importance of involving parents in the school community(ST18, p10). The Parental Involvement Act in states the importance of parental contribution to a school community as ;

“The Act modernises and strengthens the framework for supporting parental involvement in school education. It aims to help schools, education authorities and others to engage parents meaningfully in the education of their children and in the wider school community. It requires Scottish Ministers and education authorities to promote the involvement of parents in children's education at publicly funded schools.” (Parental Involvement Act, Ch. 1)

It is understanding documents like the above that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of current legislation in education. [KU1.5]

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As my role and relationships grew in the school I became more involved with children with language difficulties. This involved greater communication with other member of staff. At this time I would develop lessons for the children, with the help of the teacher and then feedback any observations to staff. On documenting the observations the course gave clear guidelines set out in the Standard Text by Pollard (ST4, p18) which I followed at all times. The staff found the observation data very informative and it played a role in further lesson development. (Primary Teaching Assistants, CH.1, p11). As a staff member I worked together will others to help and support, not only children, but staff's needs also,working alongside team members sharing information to support our children and share in one another’s strengths and areas for development. This awareness of communication has played a vital role in my own personal development. (ST12, p10-15)

Learning support for an individual or group

Needs of a Bilingual Learner.

I believe that children should all have the rights to support with it be long term or short term support. The school sets its framework from the Scottish Government Publication The Additional Support Act 2004. The Act states that all children should be made to be part of the school environment.(see Appendix 1)[KU1.5]. Our school's main objective are set out by legislation set by the Scottish Office. The aim of the documents are to fully develop all learners whatever their beliefs and to extend care throughout our community. (Scottish Office, Act 2004) There are many documents set out by the Scottish Government and Local Authorities advising schools on how to include children in education.[KU1.6] Her Majesty Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) have gone further in declaring that:“Inclusion is not easy, but is also not optional” (G. Donaldson , HMIE).Using these curriculum guidance we work flexibly planning the most appropriate activities to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding to enable pupils to make progress. By ensuring that we plan for specific needs linked directly to our policies/documents. (ST6, p11-14)[KU1.5]

In accordance with the British Educational Research Association (BERA, 2004) guidelines, I have changed the names of any children discussed to maintain confidentiality. The school received new students many with with language difficulties. English was not his first language and their parents spoke very little English. (ST 18, p10). The children had very little confidence speaking in front of the whole class . Following previous observations, using the standard text, (ST4, p18) showed that they would speak to other children with the same language requirements and interact appropriately. They had good personal and social skills and mixed well with others in the playground, happy to take part in playground activities. They showed vast improvements in participation when encouraged by an adult supporter.(Clark and Eyres, p48) It was therefore suggested that we develop their skills were planned a various activity with and without the use of ICT to help their language skills (ST12, p20-23). [KS4.2]

The outcomes of the activities were set by the targets in the 5-14 Curriculum guidelines and the new Curriculum for Excellence documentation (Scottish Curricular National Guidelines, Sec.3) and would encourage the participation of parents.[KU1.7] The main theme was that the children create an oral presentation and complete a written document about their family and their country of origin. It would involve them discussing their culture and belief with their parents as homework, which encourages Parental Involvement (ST18, p28) Then they would present it to their peers. I spoke to their parents an gained the commitment for them to give the children limited information that would allow them to investigate further. This would allow full parental involvement in the project and the ability for the children to socially construct their knowledge . (ST3,p20)

Scaffolding is the way in which that assistants supports children during an activity by giving the correct amount of support and then carefully decreased the amount of support to facilitate more independent learning. The Open University states that the adult supporter can play a key role and must be the correct step to allow the child to gain success but challenging enough to motivate and lead the child forward. The Open University claims that“As a teacher you do not wait for readiness to happen; you foster it or scaffold it” (Bruner1996, p120in ST7, p34)

When looking at bilingual learners the main aim is to ensure all the children benefit from the session. Some of the materials must be differentiated to meet and extend their needs accordingly. I use many different types of resources to meet the needs of the children realising that they all learn in many different learning styles. i.e. kinaesthetic, auditory, visual, and tactile, as is discussed in (ST3, p27 ). Following the completion of the course, I now believe that my activities and learning experiences need to be interesting and allow the child to be actively involved. With the child involvement and parental collaboration encourages the children to achieve better progress.(ST18.p28)

Learning Outside the Classroom.

This course has given me an insight into the value of play. I have learned that the best way to support children in these areas is to provide an environment where play is well planned. Lessons which are planned to include play needs to be carefully planned, with consideration for creative development.(ST13, p27) The Scottish Government set guidelines within the Curriculum of Excellence for which play has to be structured into activities that allow relevant fun which helps motivate every child.(ST13, p 20) [KU1.5] Through play that children can deepen their learning and is very important for a to child’s development and learning. It is not just their physical well being but also involves cognitive, creative and emotional. (ST 13, p20) The Curriculum in Context states that if an adult can become involved with children in play it can “ leads to greater understanding of what interests them”( Curriculum in Context, Ch. 34, p232)

During TMA 04 I was involved in working with Peter (name changed within BERA, 2004 guidelines). Peter was a child who was included in a mainstream class with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Peter in the class was my focus child (ST 6, p12). His classroom behaviour at times was disruptive and erratic, He had little attention span and was easily distracted. Out of school Peter was a very active boy who was involved in many sports clubs. He was also a very social child who was very well like in the community.(ST12, p29-33)

In TMA 04 I observed Peter in class and agreed with the class teacher to break the tasks into smaller pieces. This involved breaking the instructions into chunks which was more manageable for Peter. He was a pre-predominately kinaesthetic learner and a rewards based system suited his learning.(ST3,p27). He is very easily distracted which lead him to distract others.

On observing Peter on an activity such as Football. Peter became a leader , he would take control and seemed to get a lot of respect from the other players. He had excellent control of his emotions on the football park . His clear vision and patience on the field showed that he was capable of learning and leading. During my observations in class I had seen a different child. Peter was also played a key role in sporting clubs. He helped coach younger members of the football club. I observed Peter in his role as a coach to younger children and was amazed to see his level of people skills. He used many theories that was explain in the Open University Study Guides.(ST3, p18) Peter seen play as something that was natural to him. On discussion with Peter he would just say that he enjoyed being outside and helping people who enjoyed the same sport as him.

Many theorists see play as an integral factor in a child’s development. Theorists such as Piaget and Vygotsky. They even state that it play is a main component in a child's learning. (ST1,p1)3This is reflected in the most recent guidelines from the Scottish Office and the Curriculum of Excellence acknowledge that play is something that children want to do naturally. As educators it is important that we value play and realise the importance that it influences a child’s holistic development. It will also help them to develop physically, socially and emotionally.(ST3, p20)

The tasks have been invaluable learning experience for me. It has taught me that there are many factors that influence our young people on how they learn. It also shows that play can have a positive effect on both constructivism and socio constructivism theories. Both Vygotsky and Piaget believed that children are constantly seeking to learn. Vygotsky states that children were greatly impacted by rich social and cultural environments,(ST13, p13) while Piaget states that children are impacted by their own experiences.(ST3, p20) Both theories do compliment each other in many ways despite this difference and can be seen to be effect in Peter's situation as play can be seen as a “natural and universal activity for children as well as adults. It is of critical importance to the children's development and learning and fundamental to their health and well-being”(ST13, p5)

Professional learning and training needs

The General Teaching Council of Scotland describes professional development as ‘”is the ongoing learning and development of teachers throughout their careers”(GTCS,2010) My aim is to further my understanding of learning theories. I aim to develop my knowledge of child development, and particular their acquisition of language and learning theories. At present I have been accepted to study on a full time course at a local College. The course is Access to Teaching which gives access to a BA In Primary Education. My aim to enhance my academic skills to enable me to start a Degree course in 2011. On completion of the course E111 has given me the confidence to approach such a challenge. It has allowed me to combine my love of language and children. I have also researched that the University of Stirling now offer a BA in Primary Teaching with Modern Language Speciality.(University of Stirling)I have been invited by my Headteacher to attended courses on Language Acquisition and on Dealing with Autism for my professional development I plan to attend to increase my knowledge on these subjects.[KS4.3] However I personally feel that it is such a shame that it has taken this long for the training to be offered. The fact that I am actively seeking opportunities to enhance my personal knowledge captures my own desire my continuing professional development.

The major achievement of this course is my understanding of the in my role and responsibilities in dealing with children's learning. In TMA 01 I wrote that ‘it is my job to support the children’s learning’ (TMA01, 2010) without really understanding what that meant. But now I understand that I can adapt my practice and scaffold (ST3, p18) the children’s learning in their Zone of Proximal Development (Newman et al.,1989) when I help them to work things out for themselves at the optimum moment (ST3, p.27). Piaget (1928) argued that ‘children learn from their own spontaneous exploration’ (Cable & Eyres, p9), but I disagree not all children benefit from this flexibility as with the case of Peter. In the school setting Peter required constant support to access the curriculum.

In summary, the ECA has given me an chance to reflect on my time spent on the course E111. I am now aware that my role in Primary schools must evolve and that I must continue to professionally develop within the early years educational field. (ST19, p21-25)The education system in Scotland demands that all educators must embrace Continued Professional Development. Learning Teaching Scotland state that educators must be;

“Embracing CPD and continuous learning can help practitioners to bring new approaches, concepts, technologies and insight to the classroom or learning environment. As an individual, your enthusiasm for learning is transferred to the classroom, improving the educational experience for pupils and having an impact on their achievements.” (LTS website).

My short term goal is to access a BA in Primary Teaching with an option to teach Modern Languages. The first part of the journey will start in 2011 with the Access course followed by an application to the University of Stirling for a place on the B.A in Primary Teaching with specialism in Modern Language.

Word Count 2875

Bibliography

Cable and Eyres, Primary Teaching Assistants (2005) Curriculum and Context, Open University

Hancock and Collins, Primary Teaching Assistants (2005) Learners and Learning, Open University

Teaching Assistants Today, Open University Study Topic 1-19

3-18 Structure and Balance of the Curriculum, Scottish Executive, 2009

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/Images/guidelinessaboc_tcm4-122424.pdf (accessed 1st May 2010)

Curriculum of Excellence , Scottish Executive, 2009

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/Images/health_wellbeing_experiences_outcomes_tcm4-540031.pdf9 (downloaded 2nd April 2010)

5-14 Scottish Circular National Guidelines for Assessment, Scottish Executive, 1991

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/5to14/htmlunrevisedguidelines/Pages/assess/assess1007.htm

(accessed 1st May 2010)

5-14 Scottish Circular National Guidelines English Language , Scottish Executive , 1991

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/5to14/htmlunrevisedguidelines/Pages/englang/main/elng2009.htm

(accessed 1st April 2010)

CERES: Centre for Education for Racial Equality in Scotland

http://www.education.ed.ac.uk/ceres/Curriculum/Bilingual.htm#3 (accessed 7th April 2010)

General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS)

http://www.gtcs.org.uk/ProfessionalDevelopment/ProfessionalDevelopment.aspx (accessed 10th April 2010)

University of Stirling Prospectus 2011

http://www.external.stir.ac.uk/undergrad/course_info/courses_ug/education.php (downloaded 4th Jan 2010)

Learning Teaching Scotland (LTS)

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/cpdscotland/about/aboutcpd/index.asp(accessed 6th May 2010)

The Education Additional Support Act 2004(Scotland)

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2004/asp_20040004_en_11 (accessed 7h May 2010)
The Parental Involvement Act 2006

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/09/08094112/0 (accessed 7th May 2010)

Appendix 1

Additional Support Act 2004 Extract

(1) A child or young person has additional support needs for the purposes of this Act where, for whatever reason, the child or young person is, or is likely to be, unable without the provision of additional support to benefit from school education provided or to be provided for the child or young person.

(2) In subsection (1), the reference to school education includes, in particular, such education directed to the development of the personality, talents and mental and physical abilities of the child or young person to their fullest potential.

(3) In this Act, “additional support” means—

(a) in relation to a prescribed pre-school child, a child of school age or a young person receiving school education, provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children or, as the case may be, young persons of the same age in schools (other than special schools) under the management of the education authority for the area to which the child or young person belongs,

(b) in relation to a child under school age other than a prescribed pre-school child, such educational provision as is appropriate in the circumstances.