Reflect, evaluate and share with others

Having planned what you were to do with a blog, and then carried this out with learners, you will report back on your reflections of what you learnt by using blogs in the classroom and share feedback with others.

Activity 12 Reflection and reporting back

Timing: 1 hour (online) and 1 hour (offline), 2 hours total, during the eighth, and final, week of the course.

The objectives of this course activity are to:

  • share your reflections on the use of a blog in the classroom
  • give feedback to others as they reflect on their uses.

12.1 Use the key questions for evaluation below to help evaluate the implementation of your blog plan. Use the blog planning sheet and the observations you have captured as a source of data to help you do this.

Key questions for evaluation

What did the learners do? This is a descriptive activity that explains your action with the learners.
What are they learning and how do you know? This is an issue of assessment including observation, discussion, question and answer, testing, etc
Was it worthwhile? This question relates to your purposes and intended learning gains.
What did I do? Action enquiry is often done by individuals in their own work. There can be a group asking themselves the same questions. This question requires a description of your own actions.
What did I learn? This requires analysis of your data and reflection on your answers.
What do I intend to do next? This relates to your next steps for action. This is where you will try to do things to achieve an improvement and to make the work you do with learners more worthwhile in your terms.

Footnotes  

Open University Curriculum in Action materials (1981)

12.2 Discuss and share your reflections with others.

Go to the forum to discuss:

  • the extent to which your intended learning outcomes were achieved
  • the evidence you have for this
  • key reflections emerging from the consideration of the questions in part 1 of this activity.

The use of blogs in learning and teaching will provide you with evidence that may be useful when considering the Professional Standards for Teaching. You will have collected evidence from planning through to your notes and evaluation to discussion in the forum. Such evidence may be useful to you when demonstrating ways in which you have met the Standards.

Activity 13 TDA Professional Standards

Timing: 30 minutes online during the eighth, and final, week of the course.

The objective of this course activity is to reflect on what you have done in relation to the TDA Professional Standards [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

Depending on the stage of your career, certain TDA standards may be more relevant than others. Click the ‘Discussion’ button to reveal a possible set of standards. Consider which ones are most pertinent to your role and why. Then share this in the forum.

Discussion

C7: Evaluate their performance and be committed to improving their practice through appropriate professional development.

C8: Have a creative and constructively critical approach towards innovation; being prepared to adapt their practice where benefits and improvements are identified.

C17: Know how to use skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT to support their teaching and wider professional activities.

C27: Design opportunities for learners to develop their literacy, numeracy, ICT and thinking and learning skills appropriate within their phase and context.

P10: Contribute to the professional development of colleagues through coaching and mentoring, demonstrating effective practice, and providing advice and feedback.

E2: Research and evaluate innovative curricular practices and draw on research outcomes and other sources of external evidence to inform their own practice and that of colleagues.

E14: Contribute to the professional development of colleagues using a broad range of techniques and skills appropriate to their needs so that they demonstrate enhanced and effective practice.

Setting up and using the blog for teaching and learning

Shared learning