Chartered teachers in Scotland

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:53:21 GMT

Teachers often have little spare time to reflect on the day's lessons and challenges. However, this evaluation of teaching and learning experiences is vital to their professional development. This unit is an extract from the OU's Chartered Teacher Programme for Scotland and will help teachers to evaluate their practice and development opportunities.

Teaching using digital video in secondary schools

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:19:36 GMT

This unit explores the role of digital media as a teaching tool, focussing on video in particular. we will examine the process of how you can start to use digital video in the classroom, and how to manage your project from objective setting, through story boards and filming, to assesing the success of your project.

School Governors: secondary school monitoring

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:39:46 GMT

School governors need to be involved in the monitoring and evaluation of secondary schools. But what areas should you be monitoring and how can you ensure that monitoring is effective. This unit will help you assess these matters and also look at the kind of evidence you should be sourcing, and how that evidence should be evaluated.

Governors' target setting: primary schools

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:31:09 GMT

Target setting for pupil attainment is seen as being a means of raising standards in schools through placing pupil achievement at the core of school planning. This unit will help governors of primary schools ensure that appropriate targets are set and provide guidance on assessing the data that needs to be evaluated to come to such decisions.

School Governors: planning for improvement

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:22:22 GMT

School governors do not work in isolation. This unit will help you to understand how planning for school improvement must take into account the wider education system including government initiatives and the LEA education development plan. You will learn to use techniques such at SWOT and STEEPE to assist in the process of forming a plan for your school.

School Governors: building relationships

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:04:00 GMT

School governors need the skills to develop working relationships with the school community. This unit will help you to understand what each stakeholder within the community needs, from headteacher to pupils and parents. Effective interaction between all parties can prevent problems from arising.

School Governors: organisation and practice

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:54:46 GMT

How does the board of governors of a school work? This unit looks at the roles of Chair of Governors, Vice-chair and Clerk to the board and examines how the workload can be shared between the members. The governing body should focus on the quality and delivery of education provided by the school, not on daily management.

Accessibility of eLearning

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:48:19 GMT

It is part of a teaching professional’s skills to understand the needs of a diverse population of students. This unit introduces the challenges for disabled students who may use computers in different ways when taking part in eLearning or may need alternative teaching methods. It covers the technology and techniques used by disabled students, the adjustments to teaching methods that might be reasonable, design decisions which affect the accessibility of eLearning tools and strategies for evaluation.

Active, healthy lifestyles

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:55:08 GMT

In this unit, aimed at teachers of Physical Education, we begin by looking at some of the common misconceptions relating to fitness and activity levels together with accepted definitions of these concepts. We consider how active young people should actually be, and discuss how PE teachers can ensure they are making an effective contribution to this area of public health.

Introduction to accelerated learning

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:00:03 GMT

We know that the brain has a hugely important role to play in the students' learning that goes on in our classrooms. However, surprisingly, scientists still know relatively little about the workings of the brain, and most of what we do know has been discovered only in the last 15 years. Our challenge is to ensure that what we do know about the brain is translated into classroom practice and used to maximise student learning – this is the idea at the heart of Accelerated Learning. This unit introduces some of the principles of accelerated learning and explores techniques for you to try out with your pupils.

School Governors: performance management

Mon, 11 May 2009 10:59:16 GMT

School governors are responsible for establishing the performance management policy of the school and for reviewing the performance of the headteacher. This unit will guide you through these processes, including the appeals procedure should the headteacher have any concerns. You will also learn the importance of linking performance review to pay review.

Teach Global

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:19:49 GMT

Teaching with a global perspective is becoming increasingly important as the world becomes a smaller place. This unit provides a resource for teachers in both primary and secondary schools to understand why the inclusion of the global dimension in the primary school curriculum is important.

Curriculum framework in Scotland

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:45:44 GMT

In this unit you will find a discussion of the national curricula framework in Scotland. This is discussed in terms of the literacy curricula, and compared to the framework set up in England and Wales.

Creating open educational resources

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:21:26 GMT

Are you interested in creating your own open educational resources? This unit will help you to write a learning unit and provide you with links to various resources for open-learning materials. You will learn about the different purposes of self-instruction and receive advice about the techniques and strategies to help the learner.

School Governors: primary school monitoring

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:08:51 GMT

School governors need to be involved in the monitoring and evaluation of primary schools. But what areas should you be monitoring and how can you ensure that monitoring is effective. This unit will help you assess these matters and also look at the kind of evidence you should be sourcing, and how that evidence should be evaluated.

Governors' target setting: primary schools

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:08:08 GMT

Target setting for pupil attainment is seen as being a means of raising standards in schools through placing pupil achievement at the core of school planning. This unit will help governors of primary schools ensure that appropriate targets are set and provide guidance on assessing the data that needs to be evaluated to come to such decisions.

School Governors: being strategic

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:06:18 GMT

Why are schools in the UK run by school governors? This unit will examine how the role has developed and the main tasks and responsibilities that exist today. We will also look at the need for self-evaluation and how the setting of a clear strategic direction can help governors achieve the required targets.

A global dimension to science education in schools

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:11:23 GMT

Is your science teaching very ‘Western-oriented’? This unit is aimed at those teachers who would like to give a more global feeling to their teaching. You will learn how to source scientific articles with a greater emphasis on science and technology beyond the Western world and experience how such articles can be incorporated into teaching within the National Curriculum.

Using film music in the classroom

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:09:57 GMT

There are many approaches to using film music in the classroom, including: a focus on pupil experience; a focus on the structure of composition; a focus on the relationship between music and image.

Enhancing pupil learning on museum visits

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:09:20 GMT

Museums give children experiences above and beyond the everyday – experiences that enrich and build upon classroom teaching and learning. Taking pupils to a museum, or bringing museum artefacts into school, instantly changes the dynamics of the usual learning environment. It gives you as a teacher the opportunity to start afresh with each child, to reach and engage with pupils in new and different ways. This unit explores practical ways in which you can make the most of the UK's extraordinarily dynamic and diverse museums and galleries; it gives you pathways into museum resources, and shares examples of teachers and museum educators making the most of museum artefacts.

Teaching languages: language awareness

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:08:47 GMT

This unit explores phonic and historical connections between languages and suggests how such knowledge might be used when teaching MFL.

Using visualisation in maths teaching

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:08:09 GMT

This unit looks at visualisation as it relates to mathematics, focusing upon how it can be used to improve learning. It will also identify ways in which to make more use of visualisation within the classroom.

School business manager: developing the role

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:07:44 GMT

There is an ongoing ‘revolution’ in the running of state schools and this is making the position of the school business manager both significant and necessary. Government thinking, together with profound changes in society generally, will affect every institution both in terms of pedagogy and the physical environment, particularly technology and levels of security employed. This unit will look at how you – an existing or aspiring business manager – can work effectively to support school activities and stakeholders, and in particular how you can support and manage aspects of the change agenda in your school to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

Encouraging book talk in the school library

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:07:26 GMT

As adults we sometimes struggle to justify our feelings about particular books, but children are quite clear about what they like and don't like. It is possible to get children to discuss why they liked or did not like particular books and to encourage them to think more deeply about the books they read. This unit offers ideas and activities to engage pupils in discussing books. It is aimed at librarians, teaching assistants and other adults working with pupils in school libraries.

Creativity, community and ICT

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:06:45 GMT

What do you think being creative means? This unit engages with the debates surrounding the term ‘creativity’ and explores ways in which ICT creates new opportunities for creativity and collaborative working. The unit would be of interest to teachers, parents and carers, and can be studied on an individual basis or as part of a school-based training session.

Geography in education: exploring a definition

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:06:17 GMT

This unit is aimed at geography teachers, or those with an interest in studying or teaching geography. This unit looks at the contribution that geography can make in the education of young people and the characteristics and purpose of geography as a subject.

School geography: exploring a definition

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:05:36 GMT

This unit explores school geography, focusing upon how geography is currently being taught and understood. While studying this unit you will read about the significance of geography as a subject, looking at differing views as to exactly which disciplines make up geography. The unit also includes a lesson plan and a look at definitions of geography as a medium of education.

Dance skills

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:04:56 GMT

Dance communicates ideas through movement and is an expressive art form. Students need to learn how to use their body in a safe and healthy way, whilst developing a wide-ranging movement vocabulary. The use of different dance techniques can be an effective way of building vocabulary and developing different kinds of skills and abilities. Technical dance skills can form the foundation on which to develop and enhance each individual's performance. As dance teachers, we may have a range of skills, but it isn't always possible to possess expertise in every type of dance style and technique. Having the knowledge and experience to teach African Dance forms, Jazz Dance or Hip Hop to students is a great way of introducing them to a variety of styles and can be a rich and rewarding process. However, many teachers in schools and colleges work within a Contemporary Dance style because it will have been the basis of their education and training; it is also the point of reference for this unit.

Teaching citizenship: work and the economy

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:04:25 GMT

The issue of ‘citizenship, work and the economy’ is often neglected in everyday discussions of citizenship. But a moment's reflection should demonstrate how important it is. The vast majority of us will spend the bulk of our adult lives working in some context or another, and our engagement with economic activity more generally is obvious (and not just as consumers). Many young people are also intimately tied up with work. School children often have part-time evening, weekend or holiday jobs of their own. They are all likely to spend some time on work-experience programmes. Their parents will normally have to engage with work to support their families. But do they know much about their rights and responsibilities at work? This unit explores aspects of work, including child labour and its relationship to citizenship for those teaching this subject in secondary schools.

Democracy? You think you know?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:04:03 GMT

Participating in the democratic processes is seen as being a fundamental aspect of citizenship. All pupils need a broad knowledge and understanding of the rights, responsibilities and duties of citizens, as well as an understanding of forms of government. Notions of citizenship have been forged alongside the expansion of the right to vote and the development of our ideas about democracy. In this unit we explore different interpretations of democracy and strategies for involving pupils in consideration of these issues within the citizenship curriculum.

Careers education and guidance

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:03:43 GMT

Successful transitions – whether from lower secondary to upper secondary; at age 16; into work-based training or university; or into work at any age – are life-enhancing for individuals and crucial to our future social and economic well-being. They are also an indicator of a good school. Careers education and guidance (CEG) is therefore at the heart of a school's personal development programme and all teachers have a role in securing successful transitions for their students.

Why teach art?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:03:22 GMT

What value does art have in the school curriculum? This unit, primarily aimed at colleagues teaching art in schools, explores the justification for including art in the school curriculum together with some of the current criticisms commonly heard.

Supporting professional development in Initial Teacher Training

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:02:21 GMT

Mentoring, observation and interviews are three important strategies in developing student teachers. This unit, which gives a flavour of the Open University's flexible PGCE course, introduces student–teacher centred strategies both inside and outside of the classroom involving mentors, pupils, tutors and others to develop student teachers' professional skills and understanding.

An introduction to the wider professional role of the teacher in England

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:00:08 GMT

This unit is an early study for people wishing to become a secondary teacher using the Open University's highly flexible route for graduates – known as the flexible PGCE. This unit, which considers the general professional standards and skills of a teacher whatever their secondary subject specialism, is studied following a brief two-week placement in school and prior to a much longer series of full-time school experiences.

Finding information in education

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:58:47 GMT

This unit will help you to identify and use information in education, whether for your work, study or personal purposes. Experiment with some of the key resources in this subject area, and learn about the skills which will enable you to plan searches for information, so you can find what you are looking for more easily. Discover the meaning of information quality, and learn how to evaluate the information you come across. You will also be introduced to the many different ways of organising your own information, and learn how to reference it properly in your work. Finally, discover how to keep up to date with the latest developments in your area of interest by using tools such as RSS and mailing lists.

Inclusive education: knowing what we mean

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:55:27 GMT

This unit introduces you to the contested area of educational inclusion. You will look at differing perspectives on inclusion, in particular the way that medical and social models have influenced and shaped current thinking. You will also think about barriers to inclusion and the difference between integration and inclusion. In addition, you will consider some of the key documents, such as the Salamanca Statement, that underpin current thinking in this area.

Evaluating school classroom discussion

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:55:06 GMT

It is important to learn from classroom discussions, both for pupils and teachers. This unit will help you, as a teacher, to evaluate such discussions in order to help students develop their understanding and use of spoken language. The ability to use language as a tool for constructing and sharing knowledge is applicable across the whole curriculum.

Language as a medium for teaching and learning

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:54:33 GMT

Are you interested in English language education? This unit examines the use of language as a cultural tool which allows humans to become involved in a two-way process of constant change. The unit will help those within the teaching environment to relate theoretical discussion to professional practice.

Teaching for good behaviour

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:53:53 GMT

The quality of our teaching inevitably has an impact on the behaviour of our students. This unit considers some of the factors that can contribute to misbehaviour in the classroom and some of the steps that we can take as teachers to re-engage students with the learning process. This unit considers the format of lessons, how lessons are delivered, how to present lesson content in an interesting and creative way, and the development of "engaging lessons".

Knowledge in everyday life

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:51:36 GMT

This unit is designed to help those working with children between the ages of 3 and 8. You will be encouraged to explore your knowledge, feelings and attitudes in language, mathematics and science in order to understand the place that these subjects have in the life of both individuals and society as a whole.

Thinking about how I work with other professionals

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:47:02 GMT

This work-based unit encourages early years practitioners to think about the values and principles underpinning how they work with other professionals. It explores beliefs about teamwork, examines frameworks for professional communication and concludes with identifying possible changes in practice.

Teaching assistants: support in action

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:46:08 GMT

Teaching assistants are an important resource in education. This unit looks at how this role has developed over time. You will also explore why this workforce is predominately female and why there is a marked under-representation of minority ethnic assistants. Finally you will explore what the future hold for this paraprofessional role.