My Learning in ESH102

1. My Learning in ESH102 Janelle Spicer

2. Lesson 101. Being an Introvert is not a bad thing Enrolling at University has been the best thing I have done for myself The encouragement and feedback I have received from tutors and fellow students has been invaluable. It doesn’t matter how long the journey takes or how small the steps are, it’s what you achieve along the way that counts.

3. Written Skills: Don’t Overthink it. You can really think you have finally written the perfect sentence…and then you read it aloud. *Always read out loud* A lot. Get someone else to listen and get someone else to read the work themselves. Will someone please explain this in laymen's terms? How is it I can read instructions to an assignment and then manage to go off in a completely different direction? I am improving, but still seem to miss an important part of the requirements.

4. Oral Communication: Is it my turn to talk I spoke to a lady the other day, she used to be the school bursar at my children’s primary school. After the conversation she said “I have known you for years and you said more to me today than the entire time your children were at the school.” I thanked her for the compliment. I can listen to myself on soundcloud and not cringe. The thought of keeping a recording of myself, a permanent recording, would have been nerve racking. Now it’s just a little bit scary. I have been practising my oral communication, recording myself and believe it or not improving.

5. Information literacy skills: As Sharon says “you won’t break it..” Nearly 12 months into my University studies and I am still learning something new about computers every day. I used to call my daughter for some assistance with computer issues on a regular basis. Now I have more confidence and can work most things out on my own. Thanks Pat for the tip on reading the abstracts before downloading the article: I have promised myself to not download any more pdfs if they don’t serve to help the task at hand. I now take notes on anything I still want to read in full and will read them at a later date. I now have developed a good method of looking for reliable reference. sources online.

6. "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited." - Plutarch • What makes a good teacher? • Thanks for asking so many questions Pat & Sharon: • At first I don’t think I understood how important this method of teaching was. • I think a good teacher should be : • Knowledgeable • Well Prepared and Organised • Flexible • Good Communicator and Listener • A Divergent Thinker • Fair and Impartial • A Team Worker • Ready and Enjoy a Challenge • Able to Cope Well Under Pressure • Someone to Inspire Others to Reach their Full Potential. • All this and More

7. My Ideal Classroom • Have walls covered in educational posters and student’s work with theme and word walls included • Promote cooperative learning • Allow enough room to move between different areas • Include plenty of activity based inquiry learning • Have heaps of books both fiction and non-fiction of many genres • Provide a safe, happy and most importantly a place where children want to learn

8. Teaching is leaving a vestige of one self in the development of another.  And surely the student is a bank where you can deposit your most precious treasures.  ~Eugene P. Bertin