onboarding pack for uni

This week I got accepted to a teaching program. It gives me a little over 30% of course completion, to teach Design and Technology at High School.

There was a bit of work in the application. I had to write about my experiences in a range of contexts:

• using industry knoweldge of the past, present and emerging technologies.
• developing and then communicating a solution.
• using innovation and creativity in my industry.
• ways I ensure design decisions are ethical, responsible and sustainable.

I also needed to write an in depth work history report, to explain my hands-on engineering duties. For this I found my old performance reports (that have a section for my duty statement) then expanded 2-4 paragraphs for each position over the past 10 years.

i.e.

As a project manager I utilised my management and planning skills to schedule the maintenance activies of tasks for 13 navy workshops on HMAS Perth’s midlife upgrade…

Getting use to feeling like a student

To help me feel like a student, and celebrate the start of my education journey I purchased a University Hoodie. Whilst on the university store site I noticed I could order a free onboarding/welcome pack.

So now I have a pair of university themed socks, an orange t-shirt, blue hoodie, pen and wall planner. Looking at them makes me feel proud, and mindful of where I am heading.

Some things I learnt this week

The university has a slogan/philosophy (it is translated from Wiradjuri) “Learn to live well and make this world worth living”.

Knowledge no longer a monopoly of teachers - teachers help student decipher the knoweldge they gather.

Design thinking is a process to solve problems, similar to the scientific method

In D&T I will be teaching students the design process (building on what they learnt in other classes), so they have the skills to solve problems.

I have downloaded the Stage 4 and 5 (Yr 7 -10) curriculum outlines, but not yet reviewed them.

Pedagogy starts with frustration

There are four learning theories

• Behavourism - late 19th century idea of filling student minds, giving feedback (preferably imediately) to help students know they are on right track.
• Liberationism - centered around students creating knoweldge (rather than teacher knowing it all), encourages independent thinkers.
• Social constructivism - students chatting in class are learning more, because learning takes place not just in the mind but also in community.
• Connecctivism - developing skills to navigate vast bodies of information. Teachers encourage engagement, guide students to help them develop skills to research and teach themselves.

Webinar about Inspiring to educate

• Educators connect students with community and give then access to the world.
• Curriculum is only one part of teaching, you also need to report and conduct professional development.
• Self Reflect after each lesson/dAY - it is important for professional development.
• Collaborate with other teachers, and your students - you are there for their learning

Also turn-off, have a personal life, don’t burn yourself out. Teaching is also very physical, you need to be fit to do the job standing for long period, minimum breaks for eating etc.

Podcast about IGCSE and learnings

This podcast had some interesting quotes:

…humans are not born to sit still and stay in silence with no interaction between each other; we work off each other, we get the best from each other.

• So trust children in the classroom to explore their learning together.

There was also a point about parent involvement, and if parents aren’t onboard with a childs learning, then the child won’t feel much part of the school either.

Bullying

I was also a little interested in how teachers handle bullying.

Interestingly this ABC article highlights Teachers are untrusted to handle bullying, because pupils feel talking to them is inappropriate, futile or counterproductive.

• Consequences - or punishment for bullies doesn’t work. (I also wonder about punishment being used by bullies, to dob in people they target to cause them harm)
• There are a few methods for handling bullying:
  • Pikas method / shared concerned - where you meet each person involved with the bullying, and get them to aggree (bullies and victims) to a plan to help rectify the situation. This site has videos of the method in practice.
  • Support Group Method - where the target asks for help, each member states publically what they will do to improve the situation, then it is monitored. But there is no joint meeting

First course completed

I completed the Child Safety course required by the uni. It reinforced the way to respond to a disclosure (listen, avoid leading questions and try be objective). More importantly it kept reminding us: Mandatory reporters do not investigate cases of child sexual abuse. The reporter’s job is to check if the disclosure has reasonable grounds for suspicion - and if it does report it to professional agenies (who then assess if investigation is warranted)..