ESH102 – Foundations of Literacy WEEK 10 PRESENTATION Laura Griggs

1. ESH102 – Foundations of Literacy WEEK 10 PRESENTATION Laura Griggs

2. A brief overview... I got off to a flying start with this unit – I did with all of my units. The MyLO site is so easy to navigate; knowing that everything is in the one place helps me to keep my cool, and I am able to stay up-to-date with the readings. The various discussion boards have been a great way to create a classroom environment. It's great to learn about my peers, and many of my doubts are assuaged when I check out the discussions. As Semester 1 has progressed, I have found it hard to keep up with the increasing workload for each unit. Whilst I am keeping up with the readings and lectures, my participation in the weekly activities and online discussions is virtually non-existent.

3. My learning so far... Chapter 3 of Becoming a teacher: Knowledge, skills and issues (Marsh, 2010, p38 - 56) has offered a variety of developmental theories that can be used to structure the classroom environment and guide my teaching style. This particular chapter, along with the other readings in Module 2, has really compelled me to think about what kind of teacher I want to be – and also, what I have to do to get there. The pre-service teachers' pre-existing theories (Marland, 2007,p31-51; p52 -64; p82 – 88) has also also gotten me thinking about my own pre-existing theories. What are my apprehensions about running a classroom? What values do I want to teach my students? In my first assignment, I said that I wanted to improve on my use of punctuation marks when quoting. I have been observing how punctuation is used in the weekly readings, as well as how they are used by my peers and tutor.

4. It's all been a learning curve... The best piece of advice I ever had in college was to refer to the question and the criteria. Am I addressing each element of the question? Have I met this particular criteria? For all of my assignments thus far, I have constantly referred to the statement standards and task description. Devote the time to the work. Do drafts. Make plans. Seek help. Everyone is in the same boat. The best piece of advice I received when I first started at my 'big' job was that I would not be a fool if I asked for help – but I would be one if I didn't seek help and kept doing the wrong thing over and over. I feel that sticking to the task descriptions, constantly referring to the statement standards and asking for help when needed has helped me achieve sound academic results. To reinforce this and consolidate my learning, I need to be a more active participant in the discussion boards and weekly activities.

5. What I do well... I believe that I exhibit strong oral and written communication skills. These are displayed in the way I conduct myself with my peers, both online and face-to-face; as well as in a professional sense where I am required to exhibit sound verbal and written communication skills when interpreting, applying and explaining awards and agreements. In terms of my academic development, I have achieved sound results for all of my assignments, bar one, this semester. I have gone through each assignment and noted down where I need to improve – sometimes it's proofreading, other times it's grammar. By carefully going over the feedback I receive from my tutors, I can see where my written communication needs to improve. I feel that with each assignment I have worked on, I have made small improvements to my information literacy skills. I am growing more competent at navigation the UTAS Library, and am feeling confident in my ability to distinguish scholarly literature.

6. What I don't do so well... Stay focused. I get easily distracted, but as I have experimented with study spaces I am finding what works and what doesn't. Studying at the kitchen table in my pyjamas does not work. Studying in the office with a proper desk and all my textbooks etc within easy reach has helped me concentrate for longer periods of time. I have also found that getting up and going for a quick, brisk walk is a much more refreshing break than ten minutes of surfing the net. Make time for participation in the online discussion boards and weekly activities. As my workload for each unit has increased, I have found it so hard to dedicate the time and the mental energy to this aspect of study. I know that I am the one losing out here. There is so much to be gained from participating in this virtual classroom, and I can really feel the effects of not regularly doing so – especially when it comes to assignments.

7. I want to be the kind of teacher who captivates students, who makes them want to learn, to create a thirst for knowledge – and feed it. I know I have the potential to be this type of teacher, but I also know that if am ever to reach this potential, I need to put in the hard yards. Semester 1 has been a roller-coaster introduction to uni life. I haven't kept up with all of the coursework like I wanted to, but there is no point complaining about that. That won't get me anywhere. I am looking at what I can and need to change in my life to allow me to fully participate in my course, and am making these changes as the semester progresses. No doubt, there will be many times I have to reassess what and how I am doing things, and this is somewhat pre-emptive of a career in teaching. I will always need to evolve, personally and professionally, to meet the changing needs of my students.