Justification of a Scheme of Work free essay sample

A scheme of work is the overall programme of study. It may last for example, one week, ten weeks, or two years. It is merely a breakdown of the whole programme into smaller chunks based on your frequency of your meetings with learners. (Wilson Practical Teaching 2008 p68) The selection and sequencing of topics reflect on the 6218 curriculum set by the awarding body, the curriculum is a Basic Construction Skills course built around various practical tasks for which there are unit credits attached to obtain the qualification. I first begin with easier tasks leading up to more advanced tasks as the course progresses. This theory is reflected in Blooms Taxonomy which is a classification of learning objectives within education(Appendix 1) for The Blooms Wheel which makes planning a more structured process. The topics are put together into a sequence which makes it easier to assess a learner’s ladder of learning through the course. We will write a custom essay sample on Justification of a Scheme of Work or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Progressive small steps aid the learner into not becoming too overwhelmed by the tasks up ahead. To begin my scheme of work I must first look at the curriculum I am teaching. Marsh (2006) traced curriculum origins to its Latin roots which means ‘race course’. Indeed in many ways the curriculum is very similar to a race where there are a series of obstacles that need to be achieved in order to gain a qualification. The importance of my scheme of work is to design it to make the teaching of my subject more manageable over a period of time. There is no set method for developing a scheme of work as people adapt it to their own way of teaching, but what must be agreed is the importance of accurate schemes to guide subject delivery within FE. Inclusive learning The SOW can also be seen as a planning tool, a way of marking course delivery by determining the prerequisites for moving on. The use of resources within the scheme of work must promote inclusive learning and a scheme may specify the material that should be covered in a theory class before a practical test. Inclusive teaching is a good way of teaching as it can benefit a whole class rather than individual learners. For example, when reviewing how to describe a diagram to a blind student, it might become apparent that there is a better way for me to present the information for all students involved. In making my teaching inclusive I reassess the material I use in my teaching and the way in which it is delivered and assessed. It may determine what resources are needed before a project can begin. The main resource when teaching brickwork is the quality of the materials used in the practical area and the learning environment where the learning takes place. In providing learners with a realistic building environment with working materials they will adapt to a up to date way of teaching within the practical area. Other resources come in the form of handouts, these are given to all learners but benefit visual learners the most. On top of the handouts given I regularly do group and individual demonstrations relating to the subject that is being covered in the session this allows for any learning differentiation taking place. Within a scheme of work differentiation must also be used as this is an approach to teaching that attempts to ensure that all the learners learn well despite their many differences. Having the ability to differentiate within teaching is a great attribute as â€Å"A teacher who understands what helps a learner learn will be a better teacher because they recognize differences and are prepared to alter the teaching to suit those differences†. Wilson Practical Teaching 2008 p10) Differentiation is not new, good teachers have always done it for decades. The world of education was very exercised by the forerunner of differentiation which was referred to as ‘mixed ability teaching’. It was soon realised it was not just ability that could be â€Å"mixed’’ and t hat teachers had to cope with a wide range of differences: learning style, motivation, age, prior learning and experience, gender, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and so on. Consequently the term ‘mixed ability’ has been replaced by the term: ‘differentiation’. Differentiation is shown within the scheme of work by using different methods of assessing learners regarding different learning styles. Assessing learners using differentiation methods must be done to ensure that equality is ensured. Physically assessing brickwork is the most common form of assessing which I undertake, this appeals to the kinesthetic learners as it is a hands on approach towards their work. Questions and answers are also used to ensure underpinning knowledge is being understood, this would appeal to the auditory learners on top of the physical assessment. To round all three off I use written feedback in the learner’s handbooks expressing positive feedback and also pointing out areas where they need development and improvement. These handbooks also include what we call a phase test. This is an end of year practical test which covers the hand skills part of their qualification. The paperwork is put together with the end of year exam paperwork to form the marking criteria for the qualification. These documents are recorded firstly by the programme manager of the course then the internal verifier and lastly the external verifier. Because SoW are important planning tools for guiding course delivery, they should be easily accessible to learners. Many colleges now make them available on the Intranet so that they can be accessed by staff and students thus placing all the resources in context Hertford Regional College has Moodle where the scheme of work is uploaded. Some colleges like Hertford Regional College make the templates available on the network, but it is good practice to make the completed schemes available as well as examples. A further development would be to provide links from items in the scheme to assessments. Using the integration of ICT and minimum core subjects within a scheme of work is crucial to a learner’s development both within the main structure of the course and the contributing factors which use numeracy and literacy. My students are required to calculate materials they need to complete their models i. e. bricks and mortar to the nearest meter squared (Appendix 2). They use simple math equations based on the measurements they are given within their drawing in their handbooks. (Appendix 3) These calculations are also put together with a method statement which described how the wall has been completed and how it complies with health and safety regulations. A risk assessment is also completed to identify risks which may be contributed and a method put in place to reduce these risks. This is word processed by the learner before they begin their practical task so they have a plan of how this task can be completed safely and within a time scale. This can be related to a scheme of work as it is taking an element of a subject and breaking it down into easier more manageable process. As always this learning must be supported at every effort possible to stage and the support comes from separate structured classes within the curriculum where the learners have dedicated sessions on ICT skills and numeracy sessions relating to the subject field. Within these sessions learners are offered support depending on the degrees of support needed. This can be group or individual one to one support to aid their learning of how important minimum core subjects are within their trade. The learner’s progress within these sessions is monitored by a learning support officer and documented on a regular basis in the learners journal, this information is shared with the members of the team at regular meetings. Dedicated theory sessions also take place on regular occurrences through the academic terms engaging learner’s numeracy and literacy in the measuring and technical drawing of various structures and site plans using scaled drawings. The learners are given the task of transferring the information from a drawing they are given and convert it into different scales using a scale rule and calculator. In conclusion a scheme of work is a document of the upmost importance in regards to tracking and having a schedule to work to. They allow the tutor to plan a lesson to tie in with other team members working on the curriculum so that learning can be inclusive, dynamic and up to date. Lesson plans can be devised from the scheme of work to enable planning of resources and facilities . Schemes of work also can contain a notes section where the tutor can update continuously how learning is progressing both individuals and as a whole group. These updates are important so the scheme of work can be used in the event of staff absence where a session is covered by another member of staff. This allows learning to continue without a major disruption occurring. My scheme of work is used as a working document to constantly update my learners progress and help improve my delivery of teaching in future sessions with any changes being positive.. â€Å"Any changes to course delivery should be incorporated within the schemes and learners should be informed of the changes as, â€Å"Neither a scheme of work nor the lesson plan is fixed. They should be considered as ‘work in progress’ and will alter in response to organizational and learner needs†. (Wilson Practical Teaching 2008 p68) Appendix 1: Blooms Wheel Appendix 4