Building Foundations for Para-professionalism

Birch and Morgan NRCP 2008

Ann Birch

Jill Morgan

Building Foundations for Para-professionalism


Introductions

Who are we?

Ann Birch

Jill Morgan

Who are you?


What are we talking about today?

Professional Development for Teaching Assistants

In Wales.The Foundation Degree in Learning

Support. SMU.


What will we look at? • The experience• The context • The programme• The students • The importance of reflection and

critical reflection • The lessons learnt• The way forward


The Experience – Fantastic!!!How can we best describe it?

A privilege!

A learning curve!

Enlightening!

Stimulating!

Emotional!

Humbling!


The Context

• Workforce remodelling - TA role currently

under scrutiny and changing – more expert

roles • Significant responsibility as members of

learning and teaching teams - 4 levels of

working • CPD – historic and current


Workforce Remodelling Rationale: • Teacher workload – PPA time • Raising standards

Impact: • 4 levels of working • Focus on TAs supporting learning • TAs covering for teachers – implications? • Supervision and dynamics


CPDContinuing Professional Development • Few TAs have formal qualifications–many

have a wealth of experience and expertise• Induction programmes? LEA, school? • Vocational programmes (NVQ)• HE Programmes - Foundation Degrees

Teachers and TAs working together- the dynamics


The Dynamics!

1.12 The School of Education acknowledges the need for the programme to reflect the need to preserve the status of teachers and their lead role in promoting high standards of achievement. (Extract from Definitive Validation Document)


The ProgrammeWhat is a foundation degree?

The foundation degree, “provides a new model of vocational higher education based on close collaboration between employers and providers of higher education. It aims to widen and increase participation in higher education by delivering knowledge and skills needed for employment by the application of work-based and flexible modes of learning.” QAA. (2002)


The Foundation Degree in Learning Support

• Aims – General and specific

• Levels – within the UK single framework

• Structure and timescale – The modules


AimsGeneral Aim

The programme aims to rigorously educate students, facilitating their professional and academic development. In so doing, it aims to prepare them to become active, contributors to, and effective, incisive members of, the professional, evolving school team within which they work. The purpose of the programme is not to detach theory from practice but to enable theory to inform practice.


Subsequently, specific aims include:

1. The facilitation of the professional development of students with particular regard for:

Professional values and practiceKnowledge and understandingTeaching and learning activities

including planning and expectations; monitoring and assessment; teaching and learning activities as described in the Professional Standards for Higher Level teaching assistants (Welsh Assembly Government. 2003. p. 30) ( Appendix 2)


Aims (Cont’d)

ii) the consolidation of participants’ Key Skills: Communication;

Application of number;ICT

and development of participants’ Wider Key Skills:

Working with others; Improving own learning and performance; problem solving


Aims (Cont’d)iii) Critical reflection on their classroom

experience

iv) the capitalisation of the learning opportunities …to optimise participants’ team working skills and philosophy by consolidating the practice of collaboration with colleagues in their schools


Aims (Last but not least!)

v) to extend participants academically by encouraging the use of literature, research evidence and documents relating to professional practice and to promote their education at HE level


Entry, HE Levels and Progression

• The programme operates at Levels 4 and 5

of the National Single Framework

• Entry qualifications – Level 3 but…

• Progression – Top up to a full Honours

Degree


Timescale

Three years (part time)

Can take up to five years due to part time nature of the programme


The Modules

Year 1 • 1.1 Study Skills and Methods of Enquiry• 1.2 Managing Behaviour• 1.3 Managing Behaviour in the Classroom

(Work- Based)• 1.4 How Children Learn• 1.5 Investigating Children’s Learning Work-

Based• 1.6 The Learning Cycle


Year 2 Modules Supporting Children’s Learning –

2.1 Language Acquisition and Literacy2.2 Language Acquisition and Literacy

Work-Based2.3 ICT2.4 ICT in the Classroom Work-Based2.5 Numeracy2.6 Science and Technology


Year 3 Modules 3.1 Research in Action

3.2 Action Research (Work-Based)

3.3 Introduction to Psychology

3.4 Leading the Learning

3.5 Inclusion and Diversity in Schools

3.6 Investigating Inclusion and Diversity

in Schools (Work-Based)


Rationale for Structure The modules:• facilitate the acquisition of skills necessary for studying at higher education levels 4 and 5 early in the sequence (module 1.1)• acknowledge the importance of behaviour management strategies for teaching assistants in their changing role, as articulated by head teachers and other programme team members (module 1.2 and 1.3)


Structure (Cont’d) •deliver related modules consecutively, focussing initially on academic and theoretical issues that are researched in context within the subsequent work-based module. (e.g. module 1.4 How Children Learn followed immediately by 1.5. Investigating Children’s Learning - Work-based)


The Teaching Strategies

• Facilitation of learning experiences

• “Talk for Thought”

•Modelling strategies

•Thinking Skills


Assessment Tasks • Word counts – (or equivalence!)

Variety is the spice of life!• Presentations• Portfolios• Information Wall• Case Study • Poster Presentation • Lesson observation • Practitioner Research


Poster Presentation


The Information Wall Learning and Assessment: (4000 words

equivalent)Building upon the work of module 3.4, the first part of this double module will require

you to work within a community of learning. You will work as small teams on a group task

to produce a presentation, which will be shared and evaluated by the whole group.

The whole task will be completed within two college based days.


Work in groups of four. Using handouts, library sources, internet sources and school documentation to inform your understanding, investigate the ‘inclusive classroom’.

Present a broad outline of your group’s understanding of the ‘inclusive classroom’ – related specifically to SEN and cultural diversity. Address the following important elements:


Legislation and policy documents relevant to SEN and to equal opportunities and cultural diversityIssues to do with appropriate curriculum for pupils with varied backgrounds and needsThe physical environment of the classroomThe ‘culture’ of the classroomCurriculum access and differentiation - including for ‘gifted’ pupils.Approaches to teaching and learning Reference appropriately in your presentation and include a reference list.


During the task keep a reflective log: document the work you have done and your reflections upon what you have learned. This

will be taken in at the end of the task.

When all the presentations have been completed you will be expected to work with a partner, review the presentations and produce written evaluations of two, with reference to

the assessment criteria.


Assessment criteriaStudents will demonstrate:•critical engagement with school policies and current literature and legislation in terms of both SEN and the diversity of cultures within schools•knowledge and critical understanding of the complexity, identification and assessment of special needs•critical knowledge and understanding of provision for children with special educational needs in a mainstream school •critical engagement with the concept and practice of curriculum access and differentiation•an ability to analyse information critically


The Driving Force - The Students!

The Profile

The Dynamics – networking

The Commitment


Enhanced Knowledge and Skills


Increased Levels of Collaboration


Confidence!


How do we support our students?

• Module Tutors

• Year Tutors

• School partnerships – school mentors


What has come to underpin the programme?

REFLECTION

and

CRITICAL REFLECTION


Reflection

What is reflection? Reflection in actionReflection on action

Models of reflection

Donald Schon


Critical Reflection What is critical reflection?

Recognising and Challenging:• Basic Assumptions •Meaning Perspectives •Frames of Reference

•Our “Window on the World”

Jack Mezirow and Patricia Cranton


Opportunities for Reflection and Critical Reflection

• Teaching sessions

• Group Discussions and activities

• Assessment tasks


The Lessons Learnt • Module Structure – Work-based and college based• The mentoring role • TA / Teacher dynamics • Logistics – the school year, the school day.• Assessment • ICT


The Way Forward

Continue to evaluate and ….

Listen to the students!

A full time programme


We love to talk……

[email protected]

[email protected]