Reflection of Independent Learning in the Classroom

Reflection of Independent Learning in the Classroom Reflecting on the approaches around the development of pupils independent learning and evidence and evaluate application in the classroom. Independent learning is when pupils set goals, monitor and evaluate their own academic development, so they can manage their own motivation towards learning (Mullings 2015). After looking into the research, one of the determining factors when it comes to independent learning, is getting a child to work on their own, with minimal direction and confidence. As I want my pupils to be able to manage their own learning and make independent decisions, I need to take a back seat and critically think about whether or not I need to intervene. Depending on the circumstances and the appropriateness of the situation, I will need to judge the relevance of my scaffolding, give students options and choices to encourage independency, and allow them to take responsibility for their own learning by also offering effective formative feedback. However, this cannot be done until I establish where they already are in their learning and how they actually learn. Knowing a childs zone of proximal development, will enable me to intervene at the most appropriate and effective stage. As Vygotskys theory implies, it is what a child can achieve by themselves and what they can achieve in collaboration with others (Vygotsky, 1978). According to Haring and Eastons instructional hierarchy (Fig 1), there are four phases of learning (Haring et al., 1978).   Ã‚   Fig 1. Most of the children I get to support are either at the acquisition stage or at the halting fluency stage, which determines the type of intervention they receive. Even if the intervention is set in line with the pupils ZPD, there is no guarantee that their work is appropriately differentiated back in the classroom, leading to a zone of anxiety. When I deliver Mind-the-Gap tutoring, the pupils I work with are at the acquisition stage and lack confidence. With sessions of repetitive practice and instructional techniques I am able to build upon their accuracy. I then focus on training the pupils to become more fluent. This is supported via precision teaching (e.g. times-tables) constant encouragement and instructional feedback to aid their self-motivation. Once the fluency is achieved and being maintained, I need to ensure it is being applied back in the classroom. The focus is then teaching them how to either apply the skill into meaningful contexts or not to confuse it with other similar skills. Finally, pupils can then be scaffolded on how to know how to adapt the target skill to and apply it to new challenges and situations. Communication is paramount and teamwork essential to ensure work is set at the right level by the teacher and that the newly acquired skills are being uitilised. the teacher should work closely with th e TA to planinterventions to how they can be linked to classroom teaching (SEN Code-of-Practice 6.52). I have started to introduce additional resources, such as a math mat and progressive success criteria to help promote independency. If successful, I will suggest it to other support staff within my year group, with the view to it being rolled out to all. I will need the full support of the SENCo and SLT to make sure this is consistently implemented. Carol Dweck deals with the theory that people view their intelligence in one of two ways; fixed and growths mindsets (Fig 2). Her findings also show that, rather than focusing on intelligence and innate achievement, it is far more important to reward effort, creative strategies, and perseverance. Becoming is better than being (Dweck 2006).    Fig 2. Upon reflection, I observed two children from the perspective of determining what type of learner each child was (Appendix 1). Initiating the change of learned helplessness to that of self-scaffolding with the SEN child will not happen overnight. I always aim to support pupils to become more independent. Van de Pol implies a key principle of scaffolding on which a TAs role should be based, is fading to develop the independence of the learner by reducing support and hand over responsibility to the child (Van de Pol et al., 2010). This is a strategy I have started to use with the pupils I work with, alongside roaming and roving around the classroom. My intention is purely to divorce myself from their learned attachment and their needing constant reassurance. I want them to adopt the concept of being able to assess what they can do independently first, before I intervene at the appropriate level (Fig 3). Blatchford defines the heuristic role as using a method of teaching that encourages learners to discover solutions for themselves (Blatchford et al., 2012). Fig 3. If there is any uncertainty, I encourage my pupils to ask a partner, throw their question out to the rest of the table or see what resources are available to help, before even thinking about asking an adult. Even then, I need to be aware of my questioning techniques. The more open ended questions that are asked, then the more emphasis is redirected back onto the pupil to provoke their own critical thinking skills. The cognitive domain involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills (Bloom, 1956). Fig 4. Using Blooms Taxonomy questioning for critical thinking as a bench mark (Fig 4), I have tailored a more child friendly set of questioning cards as a pupil resource, helping to build upon their dialogic talk. I plan to share these with other support staff, with SLTs approval. Additionally, my school has implemented Talk 4 Learning strategies, which although at the early stages, have started to have a positive effect. Within one year group I observed, children were only provided with a learning objective and modelled WAGOLL. This seemed to be just enough to get by on with a majority of the class, but the lower attainers had no differentiated input, with the hope that the TA would offer that much needed support. The lower attainers had been given very little direction, so straight away looked to the TA for guidance. The TA aimed to guide the pupils through a series of open ended questions, praising when giving a correct answer. Some were prompted further with the aim of trying to refer back to previous lessons, but without the correct scaffolding and feedback little progress was made. John Hattie, famously analysed the effects of various educational innovations and methods and determined that feedback ranked highest, with an effect size of 1.13, whereas most innovations in schools sit around 0.4. Feedback needs to be formative to identify what pupils have achieved, what has been preventing them from achieving their learning goals and what they can do to improve further. It also needs to be progressive, done whilst pupils are still able to reflect upon the decisions they made. This can be effectively delivered when roaming and roving or fading in and out during a lesson, but after realising my own lack of informative feedback (appendix 2), I intend to ask SLT about CPD on feedback for TAs, as I see this as a needed area of improvement for us all. It has become quite apparent that processed success criteria is a much needed determiner when it comes to initiating the first stages of independent learning for the SEN child. I have recently been given a small group of lower attaining students to support with their maths work. After observing how these children were faltering when working their way to achieving the learning intention (appendix 3), I have now started to use process success criteria to help plug the gaps within their learning, which has been hindering achieving their overall objective. I not only aim to help break down their steps to success in written format but also where applicable, visually (Fig 5). Fig 5. So far, this has proved a successful strategy and has been fully embraced by the pupils, as they are now actively making progress independently, albeit resource supported. I will be trialing this as part of their assessment for learning, as success criteria should be linked to the learning, not the activity. Introducing AFL sheets will allow teachers to close the gap between current knowledge and new learning. Not only do they help clarify the learning objective and promote self-evaluation, they also act as a form of feedback. I have already liaised with an SLT member regarding the introduction of processed success criteria as a pre-requisite for all our lower attainers, to which he was in full agreement. Ironically, not long after our conversation, it was announced that as part of our high focus for this term that the school will be addressing how success criteria will be differentiated, so that they are appropriate for all children, and so that all groups make improved progress. It has been said that some people think that we have created a nanny state thats contributed to promoting fear of failure. John Cridland states that the education system must better prepare young people for life beyond the school gates. We need to take a step back to see the big picture and create a system that better reflects how well a schools culture nurtures the behaviours and attitudes young people need. This cannot be judged by exam results alone (Cridland 2014). I do agree, however, my concern is, given the expanding national curriculum and the focus on increased testing as a way to measure both teaching ability and pupil progression, how can time be found for the implementation of such productive concepts. Schools need to build a stronger foundation and utilise their support staff appropriately. I gave a copy of my first assignment on the role of the TA, to a member of SLT. The feedback I received initially was that it was very informative and provoked food for thought, so mu ch so, he planned to take it along to the next SLT meeting. I eagerly await further comment. Appendix 1 A always relies on the support of an adult to supply her with the answers. The first thing that she does is to look directly to the supporting adult in the room to come and work with her, without even attempting any independent work. A will always try to copy from whoever sits next to her, lacks confidence and fears making mistakes. She has a firm fixed mindset of learned helplessness which has resulted in her reliance on being spoon-fed. Z is self-initiated and not afraid to make any mistakes. He can work independently or collaboratively within a group. Z draws upon prior learning His growth mindset allows him the confidence to persevere, seeing any setbacks as a mini hurdle he needs to overcome, choosing which learner disposition he takes on board to aid his learning. His positive attitude feeds his hunger for knowledge. Appendix 2 Recorded Conversation After a basic skills assessment of using visual arrays, mastery questions on applying the written grid method were required for their next steps in multiplication. E:Miss, Im not sure how to do the grid method. TA:So, written method. Same scenario, but we are not going to draw the arrays. What is the calculation? E:13 x 9. TA:OK. What do you need to do first? E:Break the 13? TA:How? E:Into place value. TA:Correct. Show me how youll do that. E:One 10 and three 1s. TA:Good. Now what? E:First you times 3 by 9, then 10 x 9. TA:OK, off you go. E:(writes) 3 x 9 = 27 and 10 x 9 = 90. TA:Good, now what do I do with those two answers? E:Add them together. TA:See. You know what to do. What do we need to remember when we use column addition? E:Make sure everything is in line. TA:Yes. We need to make sure our place value is aligned correctly. Well done! Reflection: Upon evaluation, I believe that I succeeded when it came to asking the appropriate open questions to provoke their own thinking, which helped them achieve their learning objective but evidently lacked the necessary more informative feedback the child deserved to understand their next target. I hope that I will be able to address this better after some directed CPD training. Appendix 3 Child Y LO: To use the grid method to solve multiplication word problems. SC: R U C S A C CAN DO CANT DO Understood what had to be done for step 1 of question. Chose correct operation. Partitioned numbers correctly on the grid. Did not know all of 4x table. Used times table grid in classroom. Aware that all the answers had to be added together. Addition calculation was written incorrectly. (pv not aligned) Able to calculate once prompted to use correct pv alignment. References Blatchford, P., Russell, A., Webster, R. (2012) Reassessing the impact of teaching assistants: How research changes practice and policy. Oxon, UK: Routledge. Blooms Taxonomy Available at: http://www.bloomstaxonomy.org/Blooms%20Taxonomy%20questions.pdf Accessed: 1 January 2017. Cridland, J. (2014) Available at: http://31.222.129.40/media-centre/the-point/2014/07/jcs-education-blog/ Accessed: 07 December, 2016. Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: the new psychology of success New York: Random House, 2006. Haring, N.G., Lovitt, T.C., Eaton, M.D., Hansen, C.L. (1978). The fourth R: Research in the classroom (pg 23-40). Columbus, OH: Merrill. Hattie, J., Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of feedback. Review of Educational Research Mullings, C. (2015) Available at: http://blog.irisconnect.co.uk/9-tips-for-encouraging-students-to-become-independent-learners/ Accessed: 12 December, 2016. SEND Code of Practice (2015) Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf Accessed: 26 December, 2016. Van de Pol, J., Volman, M., Beishuizen, J. (2010) Scaffolding in teacher-student interaction: a decade of research. Educational Psychology Review, 22, 382-296. Vygotsky, L.S. (1978) Mind in society: The development of the higher psychological process. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Plaza the logistics of Zaragoza Essay

The uncertainty in demand is reflected in the reorder point and safety stock. The more the variability in demand the higher will be the reorder point and the safety stock. A higher deviation in demand would directly affect the safety stock levels required at the warehouses and hence increase the inventory carrying costs. This increase would then affect the overall costs. Using our excel model, If we increase the standard deviation of annual demand from 10,000 to 32,000, the overall costs for Rotterdam become higher than those of Zaragoza. Similarly, varying the service life has an impact on the total cost as it controls the safety stock which in turn controls the inventory holding cost. Hence, as the service life increases to a higher value the cost of option 2 (Zaragoza) will be lesser than option 1. Cost of the product As the cost of the product increases the inventory holding cost increases increasing the total cost. So Zaragoza as has a better cost advantage over Rotterdam option. In our excel model, plugging a product cost of 295 Euros (E 47 and F 47 cells), keeping all other parameters unchanged makes Zaragoza a better cost option. So it is a factor to be considered. Recommendations Based on our above analysis, we recommend the following to the CEO of Zaragoza Logistics Park (Who should they try to sell their idea/option) Zaragoza should target customers with high number of units/TEU They should target customers with high product costs They should target customers whose demand uncertainty is high They should target customers with high annual demand rates They should target customers who have preference for high service rates Plaza is also an educational center for logistics while Rotterdam is a just a logistics park. Zaragoza should try to educate the customer about the supply chain benefits of associating with a world class logistics research center Plaza is a government backed firm – they should use this factor to instill more confidence in the customer over a private firm like Rotterdam option

Childhood Obesity Research Essay - 750 Words

Childhood Obesity In the last hundred years, childhood obesity has gone from nearly nonexistent, to something we deal with each and every day (Larson, June 2010). In just the last decade however, it has tripled. Seeing children running in their yards used to be something normal, but now, it is something rare. Instead, 25% of our children are watching over 4 hours of television a day. Childhood obesity has become more common over the years, and it is only going to continue. Becoming involved with your children, and encouraging them to exercise will reduce their risk. There are multiple causes of obesity in children, some are things they can’t help; such as genetics, or their families having a low income. Others, are lifestyle habits†¦show more content†¦Be a role model, join your kids in a game of soccer or football. Also, do your part by limiting screen time to a maximum of two hours per day. Sitting around a television is only burning around 60 calories per hour, yet playing a game of soccer can burn as much as 500(Johnson, September 2009). Developing healthy habits, such as a proper diet and exercise, can lower the risk of accumulating obesity related health conditions later in life. Childhood obesity has both short and long term health effects. Obese youth are more likely to develop health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol or blood pressure, and prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels show a high risk for development of diabetes (Gavin, September 2010). Children who are obese are also at a greater risk to develop bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as poor self esteem. Children who have developed obesity as early as 2 years of age are likely to develop into obese adults. Obese adults are at risk for even more health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis, and several different varieties of cancer. In 2008, more than 1 third of t he children and youth in America were overweight or obese (Wolfenstetter, 2010). Involving your children in your work out routines, when you take your animals out for walks, or lettingShow MoreRelatedResearch Proposal on Childhood Obesity Essay example979 Words   |  4 PagesHealth Risk Due to Child Obesity Ashley Jenkins ENG 122 English Compositions II Instructor: Renee Gurley February 28, 2011 Health Risk Due to Child Obesity Child obesity is a condition characterized by the child having too much fat in the body to an extent of his or her health being in danger. In adults, it could be described as a state of having a body mass index of more than thirty (Paxon, 2006). Parents feeding them with too many calories bring about obesity in children. The excessRead MoreEvaluating the Research Process/ Childhood Obesity Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesChildhood Obesity Evaluating the Research Process HCS/465-Health Care Research Utilization September 17, 2012 Kerrie Kelly Ji Li, PhD and Neal Hooker, PhD conducted a study on the links of childhood obesity and children who are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), clubs such as sports and others, and different living and household factors. This study utilized the conceptual framework of the literature review from the National Survey of Children’sRead MoreEssay on Greg Cristers quot;Too Much of a Good Thingquot;993 Words   |  4 PagesCritique of Greg Cristers Too much of a Good Thing Greg Crister, the author of the op-ed essay that was featured in the Los Angeles Times, Too Much of a Good Thing, argues that in order to stop obesity, we should stigmatize overeating. Crister states that we should place shame on overeating due to the rising obesity epidemic that faces the world today. The U.N. proclaims that obesity is a dominant unmet global health issue, with Westernized countries topping the list. Crister states thatRead MoreHow Obesity Has Revolutionized The Way We Think About Health And Sickness Essay1567 Words   |  7 Pagesconsiders obesity to be â€Å"the biggest unrecognized public health problem†Ã¢â‚¬â€it impacts millions of people worldwide (as cited in James, Rigby Leach, 2006). With adult obesity having already reached epidemic proportions, childhood obesity is beginning to do the same (World Health Organization, 2006). Canada has seen a dramatic increase in obesity among children aged 6 to 11: the rate of obesity has doubled from 13% in 1978 to 26% in 2004 (Shields, 2006). With the prevalence of childhood obesity increasingRead MoreFactors Contributing Factors That Causes Obesity Among Children Essay1364 Words   |  6 PagesWhat are the causes of obesity among children in New Zealand? Introduction Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height (Mayo Clinic, 2014). According to Sameera and Amar childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally, which arises because of the differences in lifestyle consequences among different cultural people in New Zealand (2012). This abnormality can cause various healthRead MoreA Large Number Of Children Around The World Especially1176 Words   |  5 Pagestaken. Establishing the causes of obesity in children is a priority as it can help to develop effective preventive measures. The nature/nurture dichotomy is a central aspect in childhood obesity. Essentially, there are divided opinions on whether the propensity to conserve calories and fat in the body, which leads to obesity, is caused by biological factors (nature) or psychosocial as well as behavioral factors (nurture). This essay will argue that childhood obesity result s from the interaction ofRead MoreFactors Contributing Factors That Causes Obesity Among Children Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesChildhood obesity is a major health issue that takes place when a child is beyond the average weight for his or her age and height (Mayo Clinic, 2014). According to Sameera and Amar childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally, which arises because of the differences in lifestyle consequences among different cultural people in New Zealand (2012). This abnormality can cause various health risks such as diabetes and heart disease (World Health Organisation, 2014)Read MoreChildhood Obesity : The Overbearing Truth1664 Words   |  7 PagesJayden Sadettan Schlesinger English 131 November 22nd 2015 Childhood Obesity; the Overbearing Truth. â€Å"Childhood obesity is best tackled at home through improved parental involvement, increased physical exercise, better diet and restraint from eating† – Bob Filner Imagine growing up in a household where one can eat anything. Whether an unlimited amount of sweets or entrees. This is happening now. Parents are unaware of their children eating and physical habits. Leading to the whopping amount of $190Read MoreHealth Promotion For Combating Obesity973 Words   |  4 Pages Childhood obesity prevalence rates have been steadily increasing in the United States and in 2010; it was identified in more than 42 million pre-schoolers (WHO, 2013). Obesity has various medical risks that are related to obesity in children including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, sleep apnoea, asthma, dyslipidaemia, metabolic syndrome, orthopaedic complications, and a reduced life expectancy. Health promotion to combat childhood obesity is therefore needed to prevent childhood obesityRead MoreChildhood Obesity And The Health Of New Zealanders Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pagesconcerning health issues are on the rise (Ministry of Health, 2014). Childhood obesity is one of these. In the last ten years, childhood obesity incidence has risen dramatically with one in nine children being obese (Ministry of Health, 2013). Obesity is defined as an individual who is excessively heavy and has a body mass index over 30, calculated by the individual’s weight and height (Mosby, 2010). Childhood obesity has a direct correlation to increased incidence of heart disease, hypertension

My Internship With The Mesa County Valley School District 51

Through my internship with both the Mesa County Valley School District 51, as well as Family Health West’s Pediatric Rehabilitation, I have learned a vast amount about occupational therapy. I have learned about its importance and its necessity, as well as the array of ways it can help individuals in need. I have also gained countless experiences that I am very thankful for. Additionally, I have accomplished all of the goals I sought to when starting this internship with leaps and bounds. I helped with many tasks and projects, I accomplished challenging, but realistic, responsibilities, I developed professional competencies needed for a future job as an occupational therapist, I utilized the knowledge of the professionals I worked with, I applied the knowledge that I learned in the classroom and I gained an understanding of the qualifications, knowledge, skills, and duties involved in occupational therapy. In my time at the internship I have gained many experiences that I will always value. I have worked with a variety of patients, although all children. They ranged in a disabilities and syndromes. I have seen children with autism, intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, Down syndrome, Torticollis, premature infants, pediatric feeding disorders, and numerous others. Each child has been unique in their self as well as how occupational therapy aided them. Each treatment plan was different and I learned much for their variance. In additionShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesDeveloping, and Retaining Diverse Employees 56 †¢ Diversity in Groups 58 †¢ Effective Diversity Programs 58 Summary and Implications for Managers 60 S A L Self-Assessment Library What’s My Attitude Toward Older People? 40 Myth or Science? â€Å"Dual-Career Couples Divorce Less† 47 An Ethical Choice Religious Tattoos 51 glOBalization! Images of Diversity from Around the Globe 54 Point/Counterpoint Men Have More Mathematical Ability Than Women 61 Questions for Review 62 Experiential Exercise Feeling Excluded