Today I had a good session with my other two peers. They have chosen really great ideas for their artefact.
The first was the idea is to enable students the opportunity to discuss their backgrounds (through textiles), to reflect on how they could bring these elements into their practice and to build connections and affirm their classmates. I really liked this idea of using material to express who they are. My only feedback was for my peer to do an example first, maybe show some fabric that they felt represented them. This would allow the students not only a clear understanding of the task but also an insight into their teacher, allowing them to create a safe space for sharing.
The second idea was to use the print room as an art gallery, for the students to display their work. Intersectionality an important element of this artefact, being a black male tutor, my peer wanted to create a space for other black students to be able to share their work and create discussions on their artwork. The concept would be that the artwork would be undated every few years so that students could see their work displayed and know it was a safe space to express themselves without fear of being misunderstood.
My interventions are to introduce positionality into the discussion before writing The Code of Conduct. I wanted to discuss what positionality is and use my positionality as an example for the students to understand but also to know that this was a safe space for us to speak.
Why am I doing this intervention?
Most of the students on the course I teacher are from Overseas, European, with some home students. I think it’s important to celebrate this diversity but also highlight the difference cultures, races, religions, and sexualities as they can been viewed differently depending on your own point of view.
Before writing the Code of conduct, it’s important for us all to think about who we are (our race, gender, religion, sexuality) and share it with the group. This will allow us to hear from other people in the group and consider how our own view of the world might differ from theres due to our lived experiences.
Do we have any social biases that could affect our relationships?
Look at this chart and think about all the different headings related to you.
· 5 mins to think about who you are
· 5 mins to share and discuss
Ideas for exercise-either or both
· 2 most popular fruit
· 3 facts one false
Feedback to my idea.
I had positive feedback from both of my peers. They liked the idea that it would build relationships by learning about each other whilst highlighting our differences and preconceive ideas.
I asked which exercise I should do, and they said that the fruit got the idea of positionality across very simply, but the ‘3 facts, one false’, gave a richer experience for all the students, especially when they have just started the course.
Overall I think that all our chosen artefact/interventions focus on inclusivity, the feedback was constructive as I think it allowed us to know that we were on the right track. This feedback from my peers helped me to consolidate my idea. Finally it was a good opportunity to chat to my peers to hear their thought and learn more about their teaching.
Whether we’re talking about race or gender or class, popular culture is where the pedagogy is, it’s where the learning is’ Bell Hooks
Over the last few months, I have had the opportunity to be enlighten. I never considered that I was ignorance to the world around me or how much privilege I had by being born white. I knew racism existed and that there was still prejudice in the world, but I never consider the role I could play in changing it but as Margret Mead says, ‘it only takes a few thoughtful citizans to change the world’.
At the started this module, I felt that I wasn’t racist or prejudiced , so I didn’t recognise that I needed to rethink who I was. I recognise now that this was my white fragility. This module has already made me see the world in a completely different way, I have been a part of the problem but perpetuating a world that favours white, colonialist history as Robin Dianglo says “White people raised in Western society are conditioned into a white supremacist worldview because it is the bedrock of our society and its institutions. By doing this unit it has enabled me to look at the world differently from the perspective of minority student as well as reflect on my own positionality and intersectionality.
You are not born racist, you are born into a racist society, like everything else if we can learn it, we can unlearn it. -Jane Elliott
I have found this module to be transformative, inspirational and challenging. It has been the topic of many of my conversations with friends and family recently. Many people were aware or heard of positionality, intersectionality but wanted to know more, so it’s been great to open the discussion and hear others thoughts. With some fellow teaching colleagues, I have shared my thought and experiences since doing the module and they have gone on to do further read themselves or have asked me to share some of the resources with them. They now plan to build positionality into their teaching.
I do not tolerate any form of sexism, racism or homophobia , I always pick people up if I hear a racist, homophobic, or sexist comment, joke, or a derogatory comment. However, I’ve realised that over time I’ve become more passive and although my opinions are unchanged, I didn’t continue to grow or continue to challenge the system, I had become as D’angelo calls it a White progressives’. She says ‘White progressives can be the most difficult for people of color because, to the degree that we think we have arrived, we will put our energy into making sure that others see us as having arrived.’I have had to look at my white fagility, I see that this is the start of my journey of ongoing self awareness and education. My role in teaching is to highlight and engage the next generation, to build inclusion into their experience and great understanding of the wider world.
During this module, at first, I was happy to just listen as I felt that what I was hearing from the other members of the groups was very powerful. I wanted to listen and hear rather than comment and engage. When talking with my tutor they asked if I had put myself in the position of a voyeur, I don’t think that was the case, I did engage but first I wanted to process, listen and learn and understand.
Reading the article, Critical Race Theory An Introduction by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic really made me think about how much I take being white for granted. In the opening paragraph, the article talks about random events and interaction with people, be it a jogger or shop keeper, either the engagement can be either positive or negative, we might question it, but I would never consider race being a reason for this interaction, whereas it I was a person of colour I might. I thought this was insightful as it really brings in the concept of positionality, and how we view the world through our own lens. This has made me think about this in a wide context not only in race but in sex, gender, faith and disability.
I’ve experienced bias in the past because I am a woman. Working in a male dominated industry I often found men tried to trip me up by asking testing question so they could see if I was good enough and competent at my job. I always felt I had to prove myself but passing their ‘little test’. Sometimes a man would speak to me rudely or in a patronising way or making a sexual innuendo, and I remember thinking that if I was a man, they would never have dared speak to me or make me prove myself like that. However, this not my norm, these were one of events, but its does give me a small microcosm of how something that I am, that I’m proud to be and cannot change, can be used again me.
Shares of Noir is a great independent programme who’s resource support the pedagogies of social justice. It has consistently enlightened me with truthful conversation around subject such as race, gender and sexuality. This is an incredibly important resource, for everyone. It has help me with keys terms and given me sighting into the lives and lived experiences of many of our students. Below I have highlighted a few articles that I will discuss in my teaching. I will also signpost the Shares of Noir site for students to be aware of this resource.
Intersectional Film
This s a great resource that I will recommend to my students to read, and also refer to in my lecture. For my intervention for this module, I will be looking at positionality and intersectionality before we create with the students their ‘Code of conduct’. This resource will allow them to see how change is happening in the film and TV industry as well as offering them further insight into intersectionality. The Key terms at the back will give them greater understanding and clarification of these terms. The articles also cover many topics like ‘Intersectionality safety in the classroom’ again a very important topic for me as a lecturer and for my students to understand the reason why we need to create a safe space, so that discussions can take place within the group but with the knowledge of what is acceptable and what’s not.
Conversations. TV and Film.
It’s great to read and hear about some of the reviews and thoughts of other students. This is a great resource for my students to see a wider view within the TV/film genre that they might have other wise missed. From This is England/ La Haine to Monster and even Brooklyn 99. Many of these films are about the culture we live in today, and its intersectionality. I teach on MATV which is a factual course, but all these resources allow for us to start conversations and look at the changing representation of race, gender, sexuality, disability in TV/Film world. By using this resource, it allows students to challenge their own programme making and understand the power they have to create change through equality and positive representation.
Again, another helpful article for my students. This year due to covid I know many people of have struggled. Overseas students arriving in the UK for the first time found lockdown incredible difficult, they’ve said how hard it was to be isolated in a new country and culture with little support and being far from home. I have also had other students confide in me that they suffer from anxiety and/or depression, so being online has been quite challenging for them at times.
This article offers support information, and although it focuses on what well-being looks like for young ethnic minorities, the information it gives is relevant for everyone. It also gives key advise to tutors like me about the process and actions that we can put in place to help students from diverse populations/backgrounds in regard to mental health. The role we play in build a good rapport with our students and keeping an eye on attendance and following up to check in if they are ok. I personally have found this incredibly helpful and have used this in my teaching.
I think the text highlights that to deal with conflict within the intergroup workings, it not enough to just have contact by working together as this can be superficial but that we also need to have discussions about social identify. This was very much highlighted in the Video ‘Room of Silence’ where students wanted to engage and talk about issues but without the conversation and feedback, they were left feeling exposed and frustrated. It’s not enough to just aware, it’s also important to talk and discuss and share, only though communication can students integrate their experiences and voices, and conflict can be resolved.
I also thought that what Freire highlighted was very poignant, the role of the tutor and the role we play in terms of social identify and status. We do have to be mindful that we don’t presume that everyone in the classroom is coming from the same place as us. It’s easy when you only have an 1hr lecture to ‘lecture’ or as Freire calls it the ‘banking concept’ but he highlights that we need to create experiences ‘with and not just for students’. By sitting alongside the students, we are also learning from them and them from us. bell hooks discusses her engagement and interaction with her students in her book Teaching to transgress by saying “When everyone in the classroom, teacher and students, recognizes that they are responsible for creating a learning community together, learning is at its most meaningful and useful.”.
I think the power dynamics is interesting between the tutor and students as it’s a tough one to change. I have found that when the students arrive on the course, they often look looks to us for knowledge and support, thus creating this in-balance, but as the course progresses, they dependency on the tutor shifts and they become more independent and confident in their voice. Sometimes culture plays a part of this as they have only ever seen the role of the teacher as the dominant power in the classroom. By reading more about Freire work and the democratic relationship, and bell hooks ‘Teaching to Transgress’ it is important that we change this hierarchy structure to one of equal footing .
“Witness- Unconscious Bias”
The video with Josephine Kwhali discussing ‘unconscious bias was a short, honest and succinct talk about the problem with the term, ‘unconscious bias’. By mere fact that by allowing and using the phrase, it’s making it acceptable for people to be bias and as Kwhali says use it ‘get out of jail free card’. It made me think of the lecture on “Whiteness and institutional racism: Hiding behind unconscious bias by Shirley Ann Tate and how she breaks down the word into ‘un’ and ‘conscious’ , as she says ‘Un’ is significant because this is where the denial of anti-Black and people of colour racism is maintained’ (Tate 2018)
I had never considered this point of view before, and since hearing it, it has changed my thoughts on the concept of what ‘unconscious bias’s means. Bias is conscious and as Josephine Kwhali said, she was conscious of what racism was from the age of 4. She then goes on to say that with all the years of anti-racist debates, policy and strategies, ‘there is something worrying about what it will take for the unconscious to become conscious, ….and if it really is unconscious then that is of significant concern’.
If the term ‘unconscious bias’ is allowed to the acceptable norm but at what point does the unconscious bias become conscious and how can we make the conscious the norm.
The video also discusses the concept of improving the profile of women, but this usually means white middle class women when it should include all women and that we should stand together and be count as equal, irrelevant of race or class. Having read ‘Teaching to Transgress’ by Bell Hooks, it echo’s her calls for all women, to be involved in the feminist movement and that it’s not just for white middle class women. “As long as women are using class or race power to dominate other women, feminist sisterhood cannot be fully realized.(hook 2000) There has been a conscious shift to take action and steps have been made to improve women’s profiles, but still not enough is being done for black or minority women or working class.
The Report discusses the concept of the identity in students work and how the tutor can influence their work with their own thoughts and options, thus change the direction of the student’s idea. This alienates the student from their own work, as they no longer recognise it and are trying to interpret a tutor’s idea rather than their own. This also stops innovation of a fresh outlook. I think that although we often want the students to look at their culture and identity and reflect that in their work, when we give feedback, we can overlook those aspects and revert to our ‘known’ area of knowledge and positionality. By being mindful of this and sitting alongside them so we support then to enable their vision and creativity.
The report discusses the imbalance between the tutor’s desire to allow the students to be creative and take risks and how this ambiguity confuses the students. However, new students want guidance and clear briefs so they could complete their learning modules. Initially the students want to settle in and feel reassured but as tutors we want to harness their fresh ideas and not influence them. Looking at these two points, it shows how impotent the tutors support is to the students, giving enough to encourage confidence but not too much to influences unrecognised change. As tutors our job should be to allow and encourage space for creatively and personally identity to development as well as academic attainment.
I was brought up Roman Catholic. My parents came from a catholic background and wanted to bring me and my sisters up in the same way. Now as adults, none of us go to church or practise. I turned my back on the catholic religion, as didn’t agree with many of their views and I find its history appalling, South America conquistadors, the Magdalena laundries in Ireland, sex scandals, the list goes on. But I do believe in a stronger force so I guess I’d call myself spiritual.
The other day I was with friends and I was questioned if I was a catholic? I said ‘no I’m not now but was raised that way’ and their answer was ‘once a catholic, always a catholic’. I went to protest, and then thought about my catholic guilt which still lives with me every day, I still believe if I speak badly about religion, I will be punished, I pick my kids up of they blaspheme and I still pray to God when something terrible happens. So, I guess I’ve been indoctrinated and no matter how hard I try to step away, it’s part of me,- sadly mainly the guilt!
I respect and am respectful to peoples religious beliefs and their traditions. I understand why religion is so important to so many people. That it is part of who they are. I think that essentially all religions goal is to bring out the good in humanity , but I struggle, when religion beliefs end up causes so much pain and bloodshed.
I’m interested to develop more understanding so I’m looking forward to reading more.
This was an incredibly helpful document with loads of great articles and insight. Its great source of information on religious, spiritual, and philosophical beliefs that can be used to engage discussion.
I found the case studies really helpful as they offered examples of different exercises and methods to engage with students regarding the conversation of religious belief and identity. The case study on Pen portraits, I found a simple yet a clever way to start, getting the students to open up without having to delve too deep. Through creating these opportunities, it enable discussions for everyone, including the teachers, to gain insight into the beliefs and perspectives on a range of issues and topics.
By doing exercises like the pen portraits case studies, gives us, as teachers, a greater understanding of who we are teaching and for the students to understand the teachers thoughts.
The students I work with have the goal of going to the media industry after their MA. It is important not to indoctrinate and spread false truths though the work we do, but to highlight non biased views, equality voices and representation. The media is a key source where these issues can he discussed and promoted to create change, empathy and understanding. The factual programmes that the students make should give a balanced presentation, to not mislead or misinform the viewer. Most importantly to ensure impartiality.
Due to this we need to be aware of who we are when we make these programmes, by addressing our own positionality we can better understand our views and beliefs.
I found this a fascinating reading, I never considered how entwined church and the state were in the UK. As every state in the EU gives funding to religious schools or for religious educations in state schools. In the UK, for example, we have the Church of England but there is an autonomy, this means that no church can influence the government and the government can’t influence religion. That every person is able to have the ”freedom to believe, worship and form religious organisations within the law”. I find the last quote confusing as there is an autonomy, which means the government can’t influence the church, but is it not being influenced by the fact that religion has to stay within the law?
Changes in religious demography was about social change in Britain and the decline of religion in general and of public religion in particular to Christian beliefs and practise. It seems today that in the UK there is a rise in ‘beliefs without belonging, spirituality or implicit religion’. Believes in God has decreased but belief in the soul has increased. I am one of these people as I no longer believe in one organised religion but I do believe myself to be a spiritual person.
Although there has been a decline in religious beliefs in the UK, there has been an increase in other religions due to immigration. ‘Minority group religions’. have changed the religious geography in Britain. There has been a shift as cities have become more religious than in the countryside. This is because there has been an increase of immigrant to large cities which has increased the number of people practising in minority faiths. For many who immigrated to the UK, their religion is important to how they live their lives and they have kept their beliefs and continued to practise.
The section on Religion and knowledge of religion in UK universities I was surprised to hear about the role of chaplains. I had no idea that this was available to everyone. I think this paper was really enlightening for me as I hadn’t really considered how interlinked religion has on universities and for the students. I didn’t consider religion in my teaching or look into the role of the university. As an associate lecturer, I tended to turn up, teach my lecture and leave. From doing this unit its highlighted to me how important it is to consider religion in our teaching. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the focus of the lesson but we do have to be mindful of our students beliefs and that cultural assumptions can’t just be made.
Freedom of speech is important and that must included everyone. We must respect all opinions even if they are not our own, creating a space for debate and discussion that can facilitate opportunities to enable greater understanding.
UAL has a large number of international students and this is great as it creates a diverse and rich environment to learn. Students are not just learning their chosen craft but also about other cultures, religions, thoughts and opinions. The ideas for case studies to open up these conversation are good but I wouldn’t have know of any of these resources if I had not done this course. This conversation should be a part of the mainstream but how can we do that? Who’s responsibility is it? How do we build this into our teaching, if people aren’t aware that its an important topic to discuss?
These questions were answered in the SoN The little book of Big case studies. It was a really insightful read of how a discussion can go badly go wrong and the impact it had on a student. The book offered tools to help set up discussions and create a safe space to enable open conversations to flourish.
I found this so interesting to listen to his talk examining identity and religion. In the lecture he talks about how religious practice is as important as religious writings. I related to the idea that over the centuries all religions have had to reinterpreted their scriptures to fit the times in order to survive, As Kwane said ‘religious identities, like all identities are transformed through history, that’s how they survive’. He goes on to add that ‘religion doesn’t shape society, but society shapes its interpretation of religion’. He talks about women in Islam and how often the scriptures are interpreted to restrict women’s freedom or power, and yet in Bangladesh and Pakistan, ‘countries where Islam is the state religion, have had more women prime ministers, and have a larger percentage of women in their legislatures than the United States does’. In the UK we spend a lot of time talking about the role of women in Islam and use quotes from the Quran to back this up but this shows that different communities interpret their religion in different ways. All religion is open to our own interpretation. That often the stories are metaphors for how we should live our lives.
Later he goes on to say that although you might study the Torah and embraced all its principles and beliefs this doesn’t make you Jewish. So, religion is also an identity, you can be Jewish and not practise. My sister still believes herself to be catholic but no longer practises or goes to church. For her its apart of her identity, her moral compass, the way she lives her life rather than a place to go. I however, I no longer consider myself as Roman Catholic, but I was raised and went to a RC school. Even though I don’t identity with being RC, I’m sure it’s a massive unconscious part of who I am, due to it being a part of my life for so long. I feel that Kwane lecture has provoked me to question my religious identity, something I no longer considered relevant. Can we really step away from our religion, when it was a part of the foundations of our childhood?
I would like to listen to this lecture again at the end of this topic, once I have a wide understanding of the role religion still has in as our society.
Bibliography:
‘Religion in Britain: Challenges for Higher Education.’ Stimulus paper (Modood & Calhoun, 2015)
This Blog is a work in progress, I am using it as a way to process my thoughts and my learning. I will continue to edit and update it.
How could you apply the resources to your own teaching practice?
Through my reading, I’m more aware of how some some disabilities might not always be visual and that some students might choose to not disclose information about themselves. It is important to never assume that everyone’s experience of learning is the same. I think as a tutor it’s important to be aware of the issues that some students might be facing and to teach with his in mind.
In Christine Sum Kims film, I love the idea of her ‘reclaiming sound as her property’ even though her way of engaging with it is different from ours. She feels sound rather than hears it. I love the idea that we can all experience things in different ways all the time, and that people shouldn’t just be presumed to not be able to experience something due to their disability.
In the social model of disability it says ‘we are not disabled by our individual differences, we are disabled by the the barriers in the world around us’. This is so poignant, as changes can be made in the buildings, attitudes and of course, the courses we teach. But representing these attitudes in our teaching we can inform change and greater understanding and inclusion.
In my teaching I try to facilitate an environment of sitting along side my students, that they feel there is a relationship of trust. I like to make myself available in an informal manor. Since teaching moved online we have lost the ‘packing up at the end of the session chat with students or the talk down the corridor’. I found that this was often the time when students found a safe informal space that created and opportunity to share. I try to replicate this in my online teaching by being the last one to leave the session and to hang around incase anyone has something they wish to discuss. Occasionally, students have stayed on and shared personal information that affects their learning. I think the issue of mental health has been one that has become more prevalent this year. This is a delicate subject with no visual signposts and one that students don’t often want others, even tutors, to know about. I think the article Mental Health & Creative Healing by Shades of Noir, on mental health highlighted some of the things we as tutor can look out for eg- attendance, building rapport with students and highlighting support services that the University offers, for all the student to accessed if they need to. I try to support the students, by show that we are all have different ways of learn, engage and relate. When giving feedback to be mindful of how I/we deliver it, to be supportive and kind.
How could you integrate the research/work your students do on this subject into your teaching/professional practice?
I think I could incorporate but asking for feedback, how they felt about a unit, if they encountered anything that I could imporve on in the future. to let them know we are all on the journey and that I don’t always have all the answers and wish to learn from them too. That it’s a cycle of ‘to and fro’ .
To check-in and highlight that things can be though and this might affect them at different time but give the resource of space to be able to reach-out if they struggle. On the course I teach, most of the students are from overseas and resource from county to country might differ but also their coping mechanism can change. Not having family and friends to help, meeting new people, anxiety and loneliness can all be unknown feelings.
Mental health and wellbeing is very much a topic that is now being acknowledged and discussed in the UK, this can still be a taboo in many cultures. These are areas that for some of my students could be deemed as ‘hidden or unspoken or misunderstood’.
It not just mental health, in many countries being disabled is treated badly with no support or respect. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-33523742) What we teach can impact everyone and change the conversation.
Can you cite examples? You will share your thoughts within your groups and comment and share further resources you use in your own context.
Christine Sum Kim
Christine Sum Kim is fascinating expression of how, as a deaf, person she has chosen to reclaim sound. She is a visual artist who works with concepts around sound and visual language. She has been deaf since birth, but she deals with sound as a medium that can be physically expressive, communicative, and experienced viscerally. In her work she sets out to ask asks audiences ‘to consider the role that sound and listening have in building an experience of both inner and outer worlds and the way that touch can inform listening and language’.
#DisabilityTooWhite article
This article on Vilissa Thompson talks about the need to diversify disability, and that people are colour should be equally represented, be part of the conversation and for there to be a wider support for their voices. The lack of a media representation makes it hard for people to understand what it’s like to be a person of colour and disabled. By the the media industry highlighting the portrayal of disabled actors and actresses it will allow then to be more visual and enable them to tell their stories. She goes on to-say that when the media does represent people of colour its usually as a ‘charity model’. The lack of representation hinders the ability to belong as a person of colour and as a disabled person.
Mental Health & Creative Healing by Shades of Noir
This was a really insightful guide to many different aspects to mental health, from the key terms that are used to distinguish the types of mental health disorders to addressing depression, anxiety and safe space. I found the essay on ‘key advice for tutors’ a simple yet powerful way on how we can acknowledge, support and address mental health with our students. I will use this in the future and dip into it throughout my teaching as it gives me ideas and reminders as to how we can help and how we all need support even tutors.
Before the workshop we were asked to watch the short film- Performing to an Invisible Audience. There were tips and hints to help when teaching online. I wish I had seen this video at the beginning of the pandemic as I know it would have been helpful! The idea of smiling, looking at the camera, to make your audience feel like you are addressing them rather than not knowing where to look was very helpful.
If the students are able, I prefer for them to turn on their cameras. This helps me to read the session and work alongside the students. If we have just done a more intense workshop then I can see if they are losing concentration. If so, I can offer a 10 minute break or start an activity earlier.
An image form the film ‘Ferris Buellers day off‘
I personally have struggled with teaching online and found getting the students to contribute in the lectures difficult. When our tutor (Lindsay) mentioned the scene in the film Ferris Buellers day off when the teacher is talking to the unengaged room of students, I completely related to that! The usual engagement I had with my students wasn’t working in an online environment. Most of my workshops pre-covid were practical based. I show them how to use the technology and show them ‘best practice’. They would then use the kit and ‘learn by doing’, developing confidence in their skills by their own deeper learning. Engagement was easy as they were motivated to learn and they asked lots of questions which enabled them, to experiment and gain further knowledge.
Online however, no matter how hard I tried to get them to engage they weren’t very forthcoming. I blamed the fact that they were shy or didn’t know each-other or felt overwhelmed speaking to an ‘invisible audience’. These were all contributing factors but it was me who had to change the way I taught to facilitate the new online world.
The tutor, Lindsay, highlighted that if the ‘anyone, anyone’ moments were happening to you in your lectures you were clearly doing something wrong! I really took this on board and looked at what I was doing and why it wasn’t working.
Firstly I look at what my experience was like as a student on the PgCert and how and I found it being taught online. These are some of the expernices I had
I am confident when I am the tutor to my student group, as I have planned the session and know the subject that I am teaching. However, as a student on the PgCert I found speaking to the large group quite intimidating. I think this was because what I was learning was all new, at times overwhelming and I wanted to process it myself first to understand before having the confidence to speak or ask questions. I was happier to listen to the others speak as it help me to understand the subject more. This gave me really insight into how my own students might be feeling when I teach them. So I took notice of what the tutor did on the PgCert and they regularly created smaller learning groups. This was done online with the use of collaborate breakout rooms and a site called padlet. These are my experiences of using these tools.
‘Break out rooms’ created a small group environment where engaging with my peers felt more comfortable, we turned on our cameras, enabling us to see others facial expressions. The environment felt more relaxed and the space felt safer. I found I contributed and enjoyed hearing and leaning from my peers.
I really enjoyed using “Padlet”, I could read other students ideas and thoughts, allowing me to check I had understood what was being asked before adding my own ideas. This gave me confidence that I understood what was being asked. I also think that with this tool more people were happy to share with the group because it was anonymous.
What are we doing with our invisible audiences, other than imparting information? T &L 1st March Padlet
I read about the theory of ‘transformative reflection’. It posed the questions-
1- What do I want my students to learn?
2- what is the best way in my circumstances and within available resources of getting then to learn it?
3- How can I know when or how well they have learned? (Biggs & Tang, 2011)
So I looked at how I was teaching, I also realised that in my teaching I was just using a PowerPoint and talking at the students . The students weren’t taking part in their learning, they were being passive whilst I taught. In the article Active Learning: Cooperation in the Classroom by Johnson and Johnson it highlights that-
The key strategy for changing the student’s role from passive to active is cooperative learning. In cooperative learning situations, students work in small groups to achieve a shared set of goals relating to academic assignments. All group members are expected to contribute to the work of the group by sharing their ideas, helping to solve problems, arguing intellectually in order to reach an agreement, and working toward the goal.
I looked at some of the tools that I could used in to make my lectures active rather than passive.
I have used many of the tools and have found that my students are now more engaged, asking question and have actually said that the lessons are fun, interactive and they felt they had a deeper understanding. I also feel more confident as a teacher as I feel they are now actively taking part of their learning journey
I use Padlet or whiteboard which creates a space for student to share their thought and ideas. I have made ‘comments anonymous’ as I found that this helps students to engage as it take away the worry of getting it wrong as no-one knows who made which comment.
Breakout rooms are now one of my approaches to create interactions within the group. I have found that
It encourages peer to peer learning- They develop skills in organising and planning learning activities, working collaboratively with others, giving and receiving feedback and evaluating their own learning. (Boud 2001)
students are more willing to offer their thoughts which allows everyone to have a voice. This is especially the case for students who are speaking in a second language. My students have said that they can feel worried that what they add is misunderstood or as some students have mentioned, by the time they process what has been said and have formed an opinion the moment has pasted.
For me as the tutor, it allows to me to move from room to room and check-in with the students, allowing me to observe, to ask or answer clarifying questions allowing the students to build on their ideas.
This realisation has changed the way teach online. I feel that what I have learnt during the ‘learning and teaching’ unit has been invaluable but also being as student and understanding how MY students as feeling has allowed me to gain insight into their world. Using the transformative reflection theory, I look at the learning outcomes of the unit to know what they need to learn, create space in the lesson for exercises for them to show they understand what has been taught and put it into practise themselves. Review and feedback as a group. This enable me to see if they have understood what I taught and for me to offer further clarification if need be.
Books
I have started reading Learning in Groups: A Handbook for face-to-face and Online Environments by David Jaques. I have found this incredulity insightful as it contains advice and practical exercises to develop group learning skills for both learners and tutors online and in the classroom. It also gave me insight into my own teaching groups and how some students don’t enjoy group work, and how this can cause disruption within the group.
Before the lesson we were asked to read the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and then complete a quiz afterward. The TEF is a framework that universities and colleges can participate in to gain either gold, silver or bronze ranking. The ranking will determine if a university can raise its fees in line with inflation.
Universities are measured across three areas: teaching quality, learning environment and student outcomes and learning gain.
Gold: “provision is consistently outstanding and of the highest quality found in the UK Higher Education sector”
Silver: “provision is of high quality, and significantly and consistently exceeds the baseline quality threshold expected of UK Higher Education”
Bronze: “provision is of satisfactory quality”
The TEF has caused controversy as the way it is measured is not necessarily fair, with many of the top UK universities coming out silver or bronze.
Dr Vanessa Cuia Research Fellow at Birmingham City University Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Educationargues in her blog ‘that in practice the TEF has largely failed to engage with educators and as such it will struggle to function in the way it was intended, to spur innovation and improvement in university teaching.‘
Sir Christopher Snowden, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Southampton, expressed deep concerns about the TEF “I know I am not alone in having deep concerns about its subjective assessment, its lack of transparency and with different benchmarks for each institution, removing any sense of equity and equality of assessment.”
I think in our quiz Lindsay was making this point when she asked the question Persuade me! One student gained an extra mark for commenting on Lindsay’s hair! This question demonstrated that the questions being asked by the TEF assessment are not necessarily related or relevant to the teaching and learning!
We also had to read a chapter from a book by a modern feminist philosopher called Monica Vilhauer. She builds on the ideas of the 20th Century German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer to discuss how we engage with, understand and play with works and forms of art.
This chapter resonated with us all due to the ‘to and fro’ game of play when teaching. You have to have a two-way journey for the teaching to work. Learning is enriched by others experiences not just our own. I love the idea of it being like a ball being thrown, that was a a very visual way of understanding for me. If no one catches the ball and returns it, the game stops. It is the same in teaching and learning, both sides have to be engaged.
‘Play is less of a thing a person does, and more of a thing done to them – or, better, an event in which one becomes caught-up. “All playing is a being-played… the game masters the players”.’ ( Vilhauer, M. 2017)
We had a class discussion about this and it was great to hear others thoughts. One of my peers in the group said ‘ you’re part of the system so anything thrown at you somewhat originates with you. We are all connected through our interactions.‘ I think what I took from this is that everyone need to be ‘active’ in the learning for the learning to work, there is an energy and force at play. That growth comes from being receptive.
For this to work , ‘play’ or ‘to and fro’, both parties need to engage, but we need to also consider that this is not always easy to create in a lesson. As not everyone engages/participates in the lesson in the same way.
To me play is the interaction between the tutor and the students. It is for me to create a space that can facilitate conversation and this can create further knowledge for the students. Depending on the interaction or conversation my role can sometimes be more in the background. For example, in my practical workshops, students need to work together and collaborate. This is where ‘play’ works between the students by sharing their knowledge to support their peers. This reconfirms what they know, fill gaps in their knowledge and build on their teamwork.
We also discussed the physical games Lindsay had used in her workshops. Since doing this workshop I have created a ‘game’ in my teaching. This allowed the students to have ownership of what they brought to the lesson but showed that everyones engagement in the game had to take place for the game to work. For the students this broke down barriers of preconceived ideas of each-other and created a space where ‘play’ could take place. This enabled them to learn and develop skills in problem solving, interaction, creativity, teamwork and good sportsmanship. At the end of the session we related this to the work we had been doing regarding contributor and interviews. When making programmes never presume or have preconceived ideas of their contributors. Be open minded and you might be surprised by what you learn.
I think this session definitely helped with team building, something I think is important for not only the students but for my relationship with them. It created an equal safe space.
Moving Forwards.
From these and other sessions I have seen that by giving work before the lesson there is more time for the deeper learning to take place in the lesson. I have read a lot about the theory of flipped learning ( AdvanceHE, O’Flaherty and Phillips 2015)
This way of teaching allows “students (to) acquire knowledge before the class and (then) use classroom time to practice and apply concepts and ideas through interaction with peers and teachers.” (Source AdvanceHE).
Todays objective was to understand the rules of framing a shot to achieve the best composition. These skills can be used not only when filming but also when taking a photo or drawing a picture.
I chose this topic as I thought it was fun, interactive and hopefully something the group can use moving forwards.
The rule of thirds has been around for hundreds of years and is found in paintings, photography, TV and film
Good framing is one of the important basics to understand when filming but when students start out it is one of the most common mistakes. When it is done correctly the picture or film is easy on the eye but when it’s done wrong it can be very distracting. I wanted to show a simple “how to” to set out the basic rules for for the group to learn when framing a shot.
The rule of thirds is one of the most common camera framing techniques used in film or photography. It’s about positioning a character to show their relation to other elements in the scene
Off-center composition is typically where the eyes go first, so its more pleasing to the eye. When the subject or object is off centre, it allowed the viewer to interact with the space between them. This allows for interpretation and conversation between the subject and the background, as opposed to being a fully centered subject.
The exercise I set was to split into two groups and uses the 4 rules discussed. Then to take a screen grab.
1-looking room
2-rule of thirds
3- eye line
4- headroom
We then reviewed the exercise by looking at each groups screen grabs and discussed the following
How they felt about directing the ‘subject’?
What did they learn?
Is it something they would use in the future?
My feedback from my group ‘The framing of object, not just the object itself – clear demonstration of principles – clearly presently on the importance of composition and connection to the viewer – relationship to objects Nice blend of activities – ‘lecture’ / questioning / exercise applying what has been learnt Very useful activity, it’s going to make me reconsider how I situate myself via online learning. I might invest in a laptop stand! Fun session, thanks Juliet.’
My thoughts on the feedback. It felt very good to get this feedback. It’s the first time I’ve heard what ‘students’ think of my teaching. I’m glad that they found it helpful and useful. Hearing this from fellow lecturers means a lot to me.
My thoughts on the session and what I’ve learnt.
I was incredibly nervous about the micro-teaching as I wasn’t quite sure if I was on brief or not. I changed my idea several times and when deciding on ‘composition’ I edited my PowerPoint many times as I felt it was too complicated. I didn’t want to completely control every minute of the lesson, instead I wanted to explain the concepts of ‘how and why’ composition is important and then allow the ‘students’ to learn themselves by doing. I wanted to make a good impression with my peers but also use the opportunity to lean myself. My thoughts and reflections on the session are
Having both parties being involved in the activity -the play- participation is key.
Offering the skills to enable personal learning and development. Not to define the learning or scaffold.
Keeping the relationship balanced, listen to the students thoughts and ideas. Learn from them, it’s a two way relationship.
Create a learning environment of support and show diversity. This will create a more positive learning space.
Be open to change in lessons. read the group.
In my group it was interesting to see how we all approached the microteaching in very different ways. For me it was great to see how others taught, what kept me engaged (interaction and questions) but also being given information to consider on topics I knew nothing about. The subjects chosen by my peers gave me insight and provoked thought. I loved one of the workshops on size, that was very interactive and offered a great opportunity for self learning.
I recently attended a workshop with my smaller cohort and we had to read two essays before the session. I have to say the one by Gloria Dall’Alba completely alienated me as it was written in such an academic style that I found it difficult to read. I’m sure the article was incredibly insightful as it was on ‘Improving teaching: Enhancing ways of being a university teachers’ which is the key to the PgCert but the way it was written I found it difficult to engage with. I’m sure there is a valid reason for writing in this style but isn’t it key to improve the readers understanding rather than give them a headache! English is my first language, goodness knows how hard it would be for someone whose English is their second language! However the essay by John Holmwood was engaging to read as was the subject matter.
I also found being a student rather than a teacher is incredibly enlightening. I have learnt so much from being ‘the student’ and now use breakout rooms far more in my teaching as well as doing more exercises for the students to learn. I have always been a great believer that you learn so much more from doing, so these breakout room sessions have allowed me to see how much of what I am teaching is being taken in and where I need to clarify.
Being a Lecturer is quite a new role for me. I started as an Assistant Lecturer last September and believed enthusiasm, industry experience and passion were the keys to being a good teacher. I have never considered myself an academic so suddenly being in an academic environment and doing this PgCert is quite daunting. However, I am very keen to learn and become better as a teacher. I also haven’t been a student for 20 years so it’s great to understand how teaching has changed as I think we all tend to draw on our own experiences.
I have just ordered Teaching for Quality Learning at University, Biggs. J & Tang. C (2011) I feel like I need to start understanding more about what we are learning and develop my knowledge further!
Today’s session was on the topic of love, care and belonging. We had to read two articles before the session. I read about ‘The Virtues of Unfulfillment: Rethinking Eros and Education in Plato’s Symposium’. This looked at the role of love and the idea of fulfilment. I also read D’Olimpio’s ‘Ethics of Care’ from 2019, which discussed the (stereotypical) role of men and women when it comes to care.
During the session we were spilt into groups to discuss what we thought of the different articles we had read, and how they overlapped.
One of the questions on padlet, that interested our group and caused a discussion was ‘Dramatic friendship – the teacher has to be emotionally vulnerable whilst staying professional / conveying knowledge. This can be a difficult balance?’
We discussed how being vulnerable with the students is ok if it’s about a past experiences that we failed at but learnt from rather than a current emotion of how we feel today. There are clear boundaries between a student and teacher, the student wants the teacher to be friendly, supportive and approachable (like a parent) but not a friend. Being a teacher was often compared to being like a good parent. The similarities are the idea of nurturing the student, wanting them to do well and supporting them emotionally.
We also discussed the idea of ‘lacking’ being positive not negative as it pushes the student/teacher to keep learning and challenge themselves. We discussed the idea that there is a cycle where the student learns from the teacher but also that the teacher is a student and keeps gaining knowledge.
In our breakout groups we looked at ‘how to integrate a pedagogy of care into teaching’.
We believe this can be done by helping to create an environment that enables the students to show empathy to each other, connect on an equal footing and not feel judgement. We thought to help these relationships, you could create an ice-breaker as this is important to allow the students to introduce themselves. We though a workshop with a simple element to unite the group (an emoji at the start of the lesson, a poem or drawing) could stimulate discussion. These discussions could take the form of a break-out group, or if the students wanted to be anonymous (this often allows them to feel freer) we could use a whiteboard, menti or padlet.
I took a lot from this session as I think it is important for lectures to not just teach but also allow space for pastoral care in their teaching (enabling the student to access it, if, they require it). Before ‘blended learning’ a teacher would pack up at the end of a session which would allow time for the student to ask question or share their thoughts, but this is no longer an option. I noticed in a session with Lindsay that she stays online until everyone has left. I now tell the students that I will do this if anyone want to chat to me at the end. Some have taken me up on this offer.
This session has really made me think about my wider role as a teacher and how the relationship between myself and the students has certain ‘boundaries’ that support the student and doesn’t confuse the roles (friendly not friend). But also, that ‘the ethics of care is in itself of inclusion’ Waghid.Yusefo (2019). This is facilitated by verbal and nonverbal expressions, knowing the students name, answering concerns or questions and engaging with the students to learn by creating interesting and relevant lessons.
Really great to have started this course with such inspiring and thought provoking lectures. James Wisdom’s lecture was insightful, but at times depressing regarding the future of education. He did challenge my thoughts and make me rethink the education system as a whole.
I found the lecture with James Wisdom, ‘The Context of Higher Education’ really interesting as he talked about what university graduates earn compared to those that don’t go into higher eduction. ‘A UK citizen with a degree will earn 37% more over a lifetime than someone who left school with upper secondary qualifications’. I found this statistic both enlightening and shocking!
It clearly shows that Uni helps earn, but at what cost? The system has be turned into a business with the students and the teachers losing out. Have we lost the core reason as to why people go to university, is it to think of new and fresh ideas and to change the world or to be like robots and join the system.Is it not our job to inspire? He also discusses the bigger question, why are we using an antiquated system that is outdated in the 21st Century? A lot of food for thought. James Wisdom’s best line, ‘now don’t believe a word of what I’ve said’. i.e. think for yourselves….don’t be a robot!
Victoria Odeniyi’s session on reimagining conversations with multilingual students raised many interesting questions, especially regarding pauses and silence and colloquial speech. I can’t wait for the next session…..roll on Monday!
Since this session I have taken on board a lot of what was discussed by Victoria Odeniyi. For most of my cohort English is a second language so how I teach and the language I use is hugely important. I have created space through silent pauses for the students to be able to process what is being said and give them time to formulate their thoughts so that they can ask questions or share their ideas. This concept was re-enforced in a workshop with Lindsay, when she built in silence within an exercise to allow us time to think. This enforced pause allowed me to formulate my thoughts before engaging with the group. Sometimes as tutors, we ask students to look at something eg a photo to brainstorm and think of a narrative. However when we speak, maybe highlighting or further explaining, the student stops thinking and listens to us or our voice distracts from their thinking. By creating silence we turn the learning from passive to active learning.
