module specification

Personal Professional Development:  In this module students have the opportunity to reflect on their work with children, and to consider how their own skills could be developed in order to support children's learning with particular emphasis on mathematics, language and literacy and information technology. Through academic reflection, connections need to be made between worked based and academic learning, in relation to students own learning and learning styles of pupils.

This module aims to enable students to:
Record and reflect on their work practices, gain skills and knowledge at their own level, relevant to the workplace; to recognise the importance of updating their own communication, ICT and mathematical skills, in order to support the children's learning.  Students will make connections between work based and academic knowledge, relate own learning and work experience to the professional context of primary education studies; they will recognise the value of both collaborative and individual learning and also have an appreciation of all aspects of academic discourse, written and oral, and develop confidence within the academic environment.

In this module students will reflect on their own professional working practices.  They will evaluate their own communication skills, mathematical knowledge and ability to use technology; the module will help them to recognise and plan for their own continuing development. Through workplace observations, relevant reading and discussion, as well as personal reflection, students will be led to an understanding of the ways in which they contribute to young children's competence and confidence in these areas. Part of this module will run as a series of practical workshops where students will be given the opportunity to note, practice and reflect on own strategies for learning and study. Aspects of academic discourse will be focussed on and their role as teaching assistants explored. The module will include an in depth introduction to the Library with the emphasis on VLE environment and academic study skills.

This module will be run as a series of lectures and workshops where the students will be given the opportunity to develop skills in communication, numeracy, and ICT skills, as well as critically reflect on theories of learning which influence work-based practice and their own personal and professional development.

By the end of the module students should be able to:

1. Monitor  their work practice by completing a log monitored by their workplace mentor;
2. Produce a personal professional development plan which will include evidence of the students developing communication, ICT and numeracy skills. 
3. Understand and reflect on how their own skills contribute to young children's learning;
4. Demonstrate an awareness of preferred learning styles and analyse how learning styles relate to the learning and development of children using relevant theories.

The assessment consists of two elements the students will complete:
Assessment (A): a reflective workplace log which is monitored in the work setting by their mentor. (LO1,2)

Assessment (B): Personal professional Development plan, showing how knowledge of their own learning styles can be used in the context of Primary Education and in particular the facilitation of children’s learning. In addition students will compile an E. Portfolio of observations of their work with the class teacher supporting children’s communication, numeracy and ICT learning in the National curriculum.  (LO2,3,4)

Core Texts:
Hayes, D. (2012) Foundations of Primary Teaching. 5th Edition. Abingdon: Routledge
Moyles, J. (2011) Beginning Teaching, Beginning Learning: in Primary Education. Maidenhead: Open University Press
Pollard A (2008). Reflective Teaching. 3rd Edition: Evidence informed Professional Practice. London: Continuum
Rose, R. (2005) Becoming a Primary Higher Level Teaching Assistant. Exeter: Learning Matters
Thompson, S., Thompson, N. (2008) The Critically Reflective Practitioner: Palgrave Macmillan
Recommended Texts:
Wyse, D. (2002) Becoming a Primary School Teacher.  London: Routledge
Cooper, H. (2012) Professional Studies in Primary Education. London: Sage
Duncan, D. (1999) Becoming a Primary School Teacher: A Study of Mature Women. Stoke on Trent: Trentham books
Whitebread, D. Coltman, P. (2008) Teaching and Learning in The Early Years: Routledge

Beere J (2012) The Perfect Ofsted lesson. Carmathen: Independent thinking press
Article available online via www.jackiebeere.com/articles.html
Wyse, D. (2004) Becoming a Primary School Teacher. London: Taylor & Francis E-Library [Online] http://www.tandfebooks.com/