Communication and Learners Essay Example for Free

Communication and Learners Es consecrateMuch of my look was carried out online and I have included my create verbally research notes and sources. T from each virtuosoer net (2010) says Adopting an preliminary to your teaching which draws on research and evidence should help you in reviewing and developing your practice. With this in mind I considered Maslows Hierarchy of Needs motivational lesson which we ofttimes refer to in teaching, although the original model was designed as a business motivational tool.Maslow claims that needs 1-4 argon deficiency motivators and are principally satisfied in order when the previous need is fully or partially satisfied (Businessballs, 2010). If the lower level needs of the model are met past I erect begin to help the student light up the top level and realise their receive potential barely, in order to help another(prenominal)s put on this level I must first achieve this myself, by researching I am promoteing my own knowledge an d developing myself on an ongoing basis.1a Negotiating With Learners 753 wordsGravells and Simpson posit that Initial measurement of you learners skills, knowledge and preferred teaching styles should disengage place before you begin teaching the programme content. (Gravells Simpson, 2010, P17). Here they are saying before the program content, so an sign assessment is valid even if it is at the beginning of the session itself. I do however slightly disagree with the necessity to always know the learners preferred learning style from the outset. If we accept that learners are un same thus we must accept that we go forth be teaching learners during each session with differing learning styles, and must t presentfore accommodate those differing styles. I usually do not get chance to assess my learners for learning styles before a session so I must compensate using a progressive style of assessment, this enables me to ad yet my teaching methods and styles to causa and include my learners. It is therefore not so fundamental to know what the learning style of an individual from the initial assessment save, it buttocks assessed as the teaching progresses.Learners calculate the learning environment with varying needs and expectations it is my responsibility as the instructor/tutor, through processes such as initial assessment, to ensure that the learner is on the conciliate path/ contrast or at the right level. Failing this then I should be able to help the learner choose a much appropriate path. According to Walklin It is distinguished to assess all people trying access to education and training opportunities, the purpose being to help them to image their upcoming education and training programme. Initial assessment helps the provider and the learner sort out what it is they wish to achieve, (Walklin, 1993, p.290). The initial assessment is a way of evaluating what the learner provide need to achieve the goals set and indeed a way of setting pr oximo goals with the learner. I have recently experienced this myself when an experienced teacher plunge that I was in fact following an unsuitable path, he was then able to reassign the course I had applied for, to a more(prenominal) suitable and achievable course.Having an understanding of a learners previous experience is also beneficial to the teacher, I myself train professional drivers who often have many geezerhood experience indoors the industry. Using a short pre-session initial assessment which consists of an informal one to one chat and note taking, and group introductory sessions allows me to found a connection with these more experienced learners, who often feel disgruntled by the process of having to train within an industry they feel they already know. It is important then to be aware that experience will affect learning and that it may have a positive or negative influence.After an initial assessment I can ascertain what the learners knowledge and skills will b e to date and a learning action plan can be completed, this plan is specific to each individual leaner to ensure their needs as a learner are met. A tutor should spend time with each individual learner and agree learning goals and further actions. Further actions may include additional help that may be needed, for a student with learning disabilities for example.Once the learners needs have been identified and agreed the trainer would focus on the teacher/training cycle, Kolb (1984) which is made up of the following 5 points, retentiveness in mind that this is an ongoing cycle.* Identify needs and planning* Designing* Facilitating/deliver* Assessing* EvaluatingFurther actions that should be agreed prior to the course commencing is the establishment of country rules. Ground rules are commonly referred to as, the minimum necessary conditions for getting learning work done in the class. (Atherton, J S 2009). I agree with Atherton here and would add that, establishing ground rules in a learning group can also be negotiated between the learners and the teacher. WestOne (2010) discusses various strategies for negotiating with learners, it designates that It can often be impelling to give learners some responsibility for rules, such as what time breaks and dinner is taken, these small items of negotiation will give learners a sense of control within the environment and encourage them to take part in the learning process as they will begin to have shared ownership of it. I would say though that to give too much away to learners may lead to a loss of control for the teacher, one must always consider the all right balance here.I looked at a company called Novadata, they provide training similar to mine but also have a larger portfolio of courses. Their main(prenominal) initial assessment is carried out over the reverberate or via an online internet form. While I will consider the option of the online form in the future I do think it may be a little impersonal and I would have doubts about getting the right quality of information, telephone based initial assessment is however a possibility that would allow me to connect with learners better.1b Inclusive Learning 748 wordsGravels Simpson discuss inclusive learning and suggest that inclusive learning is about recognising that each of your learners is different from other learners in many ways, and you should plan your teaching and learning sessions to enable all of your learners to take part. (Gravells Simpson, 2010, P25). There are various methods to ensure this, we can for instance use different teaching methods to appeal to the different learning styles, for instance VAK or VARK(Visual, aural, reader and kinaesthetic), kinaesthetic learners prefer to touch whilst optic learners will prefer to see demonstrations and, aural learners will be more attuned to a discussion age readers prefer the written word. In all of these cases it should be noted that any given learner may have a prefere nce for learning but will to differing degrees have traits of all styles. I use this as the basis for any planning but keep myself aware that it is just that, a basis or starting point for a flexible plan.It is once we begin to understand that learners are individuals with varying needs that we realise that relying on the VAK descriptions alone is understaffed in order to be inclusive. Inclusion UWE states The aim is not for students to simply take part in further education but to be actively included and fully engaged in their learning (2008). It may be that a particular learner is a kinaesthetic learner but for one reason or another cannot take part in an exercise. In order to agree with the UWE statement I had to recently change the way I carried out a unimaginative exercise as one of my learners could not look at a small computer screen for very long, by pairing him with another learner and allowing them to use a projector connected to the computer they were able to complete t he exercise together thus ensuring inclusivity.But inclusivity goes further than just planning sessions and resources. Huddleston and Unwin discuss how teachers must no longer be concerned with their own subject and transmitting knowledge but, as managers of learning, teachers will need to seek the help and support of other professionals in their college, including non-teaching staff. (Huddleston and Unwin,1997, P117). While I do agree in principle with what they are saying, for example, a student with problems of childcare can easily be helped by being pointed toward crche facilities within the learning establishment, I would also have to point out that it is important to facilitate a solution rather than be the solution. I think a teacher must maintain a certain distance from the student, so it is better to extend information on transport subsidies than to offer a lift.Another example of how we can be flexible to promote inclusion recently happened to me, When I arrived at a site to carry out training many of the delegates found that in order to start for their working shift the following day, they would have to abstain 45 minutes early, as the requirements for the training to be completed meant they had to carry out a full 7 hours of training I could not lawfully cut the course short. We then came to an arrangement whereby tea breaks would be taken as we carried out practical exercises thus allowing for the full session to take place. By making this small adjustment I was able to cater to the individual needs of a few of the learners which again placed them in a redact where they did not have to worry about working the following day and, could overlay the learning process.Preparing to Teach Inclusively states There are many issues to consider when pick uping a students needs, but it is important to remember that they may fluctuate from day to day. As the course progresses, try to review with students whether you are meeting their needs. (2006). Studen ts needs do change constantly, it may be that a bus service is delayed and a number of students will be late by 10 minutes or another may have employment difficulties, while it is not the job of the teacher to fix these problems, it is the responsibility of the teacher to make provision for them and to suggest agencies or information that can help. A solution can be as simple as asking another learner to take extra copies of handouts and earn them on, whatever the action, the aim is always to enable the student to return to a successful learning environment.1c Integrating Functional Skills 557 wordsQCDA says that Functional skills are practical skills in English, information and communication technology (ICT) and mathematics. They allow individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in life (2010). Functional Skills are often given different names such as Key Skills or Minimum Core, but they all amount to the same thing, the basic integration of Maths, English and data Communication Technology.Petty states The alternative to integrating key skills is to teach them separately. The problem with this approach is that students tend to see them as an irksome irrelevance to their main course of study.(G Petty, 2009, P538) Whilst I agree with his point and I agree with the methods and reasons for teaching Functional Skills in this way, I also believe that this statement pays little attending to those of us who would thrive in a situation where those key skills are taught separately, people such as myself, I trained as a chef when I was young, attached to this course I did a CG in communicating and in computer programming. I enjoyed having a separate learning session for this and was able to gain another certificate to be proud of in conclusion I would say that this is again an area where we can see how people differ in so many ways.Gravells and Simpson state that As a teacher, you should be able to demonstrate your own competence in the areas of literacy, language, numeracy and ICT. (Gravells Simpson, 2010, P59). As a teacher I believe it is important to have a good understanding of Functional skills, spelling and maths mistakes within a handout or presentation will be transferred to learners, why should they not believe you if you are the teacher. To this end it is important as a teacher to continually give regard to improving my own Functional skill on an ongoing basis.The embedding of these skills within a teaching session is not difficult but should be given careful experimental condition at all times, for instance, I recently had a learner who was dyslexic, I try where possible to provide printed material on different distorted paper as this can often help people with this condition. It turned out that this was the first time this particular learner had come across this aid to reading, so instead of just ignoring the reading exercise he became interested enough to ask about further help. I was able to give him a pinch at Learndirect. This particular learner now has the confidence to learn to read and write at higher standards than he thought possible. It is this gaining of confidence and belief in oneself that will cause the attitude change that is conducive to learning.In order to integrate Functional Skills into any given session you could consider exercises such as multiple choice quizzes for reading, discussion sessions for language skills. By adding in maths questions to a PowerPoint presentation you can elicit answers from learners, by watching the reaction of other learners it is often possible to see if anyone is struggling with these concepts thus allowing you to go over the question in more detail until you are sure the learner has grasped it. ICT can be integrated in just as many ways, for instance asking learners to find and print a particular style of picture for the succeeding(prenominal) session.1d Communication 677 wordsJust out of interest I typed into a leading search engine verbal non-verbal communication, within the first fin listings I found the following (MinorityCareerNet, 2010) Nonverbal CommunicationAccording to A. Barbour, author of Louder Than Words Nonverbal Communication, the total impact of a message breaks down like this 7 percent verbal (words) 38 percent vocal (volume, pitch, rhythm, etc)55 percent body movements (mostly facial expressions)This is a misquote that can be found time after time in books, on websites, and more worryingly within training courses. In fact, this statement is based on the work of professor Albert Mehrabian in the mid to late 1900s. The research actually concentrated on the communication of feelings and attitudes, it has since been misquoted to define all types of communication. It is somewhat ironic that his message has been so utilise and misunderstood.I raise the point of this because I am guilty of using it in the incorrect context, assuming that because those that have taught me use it, then it must be so. It really does not matter how I contort my face wave my arms in front of learners, unless I explain verbally or with written instructions very few of them will understand what I am trying to devolve.Different people respond to different forms of communication, when we teach we give consideration to the varying types of learners, Visual, Aural, Readers, Kinaesthetic (VARK), we try to design our lessons to include all of the styles. I asked myself the question, Why do people learn in these different ways? My research results led me to investigate a condition known as synaesthesia, in which one sensory input produces unexpected results for example, a synaesthete may see the colour red when they see the number 2 and blue if they see number 3, in some cases sound caused a visual effect for the synaesthete. It occurred to me that this may go some way to explain why one person responds better when information is given in a verbal format, another responds better if it is visual and so on.The connections between these different sensory areas of the brain mean that we all have our own unique way of perceiving what is being taught or communicated (please refer to my little teach for more information). For me the advantage of this seemingly odd line of research had the effect of allowing me to empathise with learners of different styles and gave me meaningful reason to consider how I communicate to learners with differing learning styles.Communication is the art of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience. The important word is successfully, which implied that a desired behaviour change results when the receiver takes the message (Walklin, 1993, p.164). I think what Walklin is trying to tell us is that it is not enough to communicate the instructions, it is also important to deliver praise or constructive criticism in order to encourage and guide the learner into new discovery, if you ask the learner to com plete a task a feeling of accomplishment will encourage behaviour conducive to further learning. This is important to me when teaching as my own learners can often be hostile to the learning process, feeling it has been imposed upon them. It is also important to listen to the students, if you set tasks that are above the students current abilities then you are likely to create a barrier to communication whereby the student will close in on themselves not wishing to admit they cannot continue and the learning process will cease.Achieving two way communications with our students is not straightforward. Barriers can often present themselves. It is crucial that a teacher can identify barriers and help students overcome them. Petty (2009) suggests that inappropriate level of work, jargon, vocabulary and other use of language, environmental factors, fear of failure and an inapproachable teacher can be barriers to students learning experience. Whilst I agree in principle to this, I also be lieve that introducing new vocabulary and language usage is essential to the students further development.ATHERTON J S (2010) Learning and Teaching Ground rules for the class (Online) on hand(predicate) http//www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/ground_rules.htm (Accessed 03 January 2011)Anne Gravells and Susan Simpson (2010) Planning and Enabling Learning (2nd Edition), Learning MattersBusinessballs (2011) Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, (Online), lendable http//www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm , (Accessed 15 February 2011)Inclusion Further Education (2008)(Online) forthcoming http//inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/tmlnsn.htm (Accessed 10 January 2011).Minority Career Network Inc. (2011) Non Verbal Communication, (Online), Available http//www.minoritycareernet.com/newsltrs/95q3nonver.html , (Accessed 15 February 2011)Open University (2006) Preparing to Teach Inclusively (Online), Available http//www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/pages/inclusive-teaching/preparing-to-teach-inclusively.php (A ccessed 20th January 2011)Prue Huddleston and Lorna Unwin (1997) Teaching and Learning in Further Education (2nd Edition), Routledge Farmer.Petty G (2009) Teaching Today (4th Edition), Nelson Thornes.QCDA (2010) Introduction to Functional Skills (Online),Available http//www.qcda.gov.uk/qualifications/30.aspx, (Accessed 11 January 2011).Teachernet (2010) (online),Availablehttp//www.teachernet.gov.uk/research/Learning_about_research/ (Accessed December 15 2010), (Note-now removed) Walklin, A. (1993) Teaching and Learning in Further and Adult Education. Cheltenham Stanley Thornes (publishers) Ltd. West One (2010) How to negotiate learning (Online)Available http//www.westone.wa.gov.au/toolbox8/taa/elearn/toolbox/resources/e_space/e_sources/quickguides/ interaction/negotiating/howto.htm (Accessed 03 January 2010)