Using

=Using the Website= == The website has a structure which you can follow, but is also designed to help you 'pick and mix' what you feel suits your needs.

As you browse the sections of the website it should be easy to try out items, and decide what is potentially useful for you.

This page provides some examples of what is available and some ideas about how you could adapt and contextualise the items on the site for different situations.

**Learning activities**
Activities with teacher's notes and resources, designed to be ready to use //**For example:**//

**'I am like' activity** - **download** A simple exercise where you think about one item which you feel represents what you are like as a teacher (for example an animal - are you like an owl, a tiger, a mouse, an aardvark?) and discuss the results with other teachers. A variation on the same theme uses an object as the idea (are you like a Rolls Royce, a palace, a market, a diamond)

CPD sessions / programmes
Ready made programmes / sessions, linked together in CPD programmes of various lengths. //**For example:**//


 * ===**Topic**=== || ===**Learning Activities / Resources**=== ||
 * ======**What is reflective practice?**======

=
The topic can be covered in one long session, or could be broken down into a number of shorter sessions. If a number of shorter sessions are used, then participants could be asked to try writing some reflection on aspects of their teaching in between sessions. ======

The topic can be used as:

 * ====== An introduction to an ongoing course ======
 * ====== A stand-alone introduction to reflective practice for new teachers ======

**In preparation for next session, use this model to reflect on a situation that occurs in their teaching.**
|| ====== Activity: What is reflective practice? + resources ======

Handout on benefits/challenges from Crawley and Roffey & Barentsen
||

Downloadable content - activities and resources **as pdf / word **files etc
For you to download and use either as they are or with your own contextualisation //**For example:**//

**- Jennifer Moon Resources for Reflective Learning** - **download** This is an excellent section of 50 pages from Moon, J (2004) //A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning//, Routledge Falmer, London. The author adds 'You are welcome to use this material freely, but it would be good if you referenced it.…. There is more detail on the exercises in the book, but some are self evident.'

Web pages
Some content is self contained on the pages of this website, and you can work from the page for a series of ideas or activities //**For example:**//

Fotobabble
An online tool with a good deal of potential for a number of things, which describes itself as follows: 'Fotobabble lets you create talking photos in two clicks. Simply upload a photo and then record your voice directly through your computer to create a talking photo. You can easily share it by e-mail, Facebook, Twitter or embed it into a blog or website. It’s free and all completely web-based. No software to download, just register and get started in seconds.' Having just one photo is a bit of a limitation, but the fotobable below was completed in about 5 minutes including signing up for the service. You can upload photos as a stimulus for reflection, then ask for reflections in a number of ways .. the activity does not have to take place in a classroom. Fotobable is avaiable at @http://www.fotobabble.com/ media type="custom" key="5972823"

Media files - to view / download / link to
Videos which can be streamed, downloaded or linked to from a wide range of sources. Some will be part of learning activities, and others will be there for you to use as you wish. //**For example:**//


 * ANY OF THESE VIDEOS COULD BE USED FOR DEVELOPING REFLECTIVE PRACTICE BY ASKING THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS - NOT ALL QUESTIONS WILL BE RELEVANT FOR ALL VIDEOS:**

Aspects of practical teaching

 * What are the most effective aspects of teaching which emerge for you when you view the video?
 * What are the least effective aspects of teaching which emerge for you on watching?
 * What are the factors contributing to the success / problems?
 * How could you make use some of the success factors in your teaching?

Theory as in the videos

 * What theory of teaching or learning would be relevant to the video?
 * How much does this theory appear relevant to your teaching?


 * Click on links or image to go to relevant Teacher TV page**

 [|Equality and Diversity in FE - Making it Real] Colleges share their positive approach to equality and diversity  [|The History Man] How to get students more actively involved in history

Links
Hyperlinks to online content, websites, downloads etc, some of which will be part of an activity and others which you will be able to use as you wish. //**For example:**//

Weblinks on 'delicious'
A selection of weblinks which are relevant to Reflective practice, and which are collected together on the weblink sharing website 'delicious' @http://delicious.com/jimcrawley/refpract

Mind Mapping
One of a number of ways of representing your thoughts or ideas or plans (or anything else) visually. **Tony Buzan** is the best known user, and recognised as the creator of mind mapping. A supporting set of information on how they can work is at: @http://www.thinkbuzan.com/uk/articles/mindmappingworks @http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/1926739.stm @http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2006/apr/18/schools.uk @http://www.novamind.com/gallery/index.php?category_id=2
 * A** **BBC news story about how Mind Mapping can help dyslexics** at
 * A more sceptical story from Education Guardian** at:
 * Education related examples of mind maps** to give you soome ideas from one of the many sites selling software at

Lists
A large reflective practice reading list which will be added to by users of this site. Amazon 'listmania' online lists relevant to this topic //**For example:**//


 * Amazon listmania** list on Reflective Practice (i.e. a list of recommended books with reviews)
 * click here**

**Contextualising**
How can you adapt and contextualise the resources? If you are introducing new teaching and learning approaches to your colleagues or teacher trainees, plan to provide an experience which will actively involve them where possible. Teachers report that they are enthused by new approaches and prepared to adapt them if they can experience the learning benefits.

The resources can be adapted to work within:a different subject or vocational context
 * different levels of learning
 * with different learners, for example, adult learners, work-based learners, young people
 * across the curriculum, for example, to support equality and diversity, to help embed ICT, Skills for Life or functional skills.

Two further documents
The ‘ **What, where, when and how checklist** ’ for using the resources **- download as a pdf file** **as a rtf file** The ‘ **Gold dust resource review** ’. (both LSIS 2009) ** - download as a pdf file / as a rtf file (**

These documents were originally designed for the revised ‘**Gold Dust**’ resources, but are just as relevant to these, so we have included them as downloads

They aim to: 1. provide a simple series of questions to help you reflect on how they could best be included in your own teaching, or that of your team - this will help you make direct use of the resources with minimum additional preparation or adaptation 2. enable you to reflect on how the use of the resources worked out in practice through a series of review questions.

These additional documents encourage you to adopt the approaches you are promoting with your trainees or colleagues by encouraging them to look at their own professional practice in a new light.

Uses of types of content
This table contains ideas about how certain types of resources can be used are below.
 * = ======** TYPE OF CONTENT **====== ||= ======**POSSIBLE USES uses **====== ||
 * = ======**Video clips**====== ||< * ======Provide high impact visual examples in sessions.======
 * ======Set up the challenge and create questions for your participants to help them focus on key learning points as they watch.======
 * ======Support detailed analysis of events, practical activities, behaviour or opinions through close observation and comment.======
 * ======Prompt reflection on a wide range of subjects, topics or issues.======
 * ======Show that creating and using videos is straightforward====== ||
 * = ======**Card activities**====== ||< * ======Create your own contexts by substituting text examples.======
 * ======Create your own bank of subject or vocationally relevant photo images.======
 * ======Approach literacy, language and numeracy more visually.======
 * ======Break down activities into small chunks for easier understanding.====== ||
 * = ======**Case studies**====== ||< * ======Show how things work in different contexts.======
 * ======Provide examples which can compare and contrast with participants’ experiences.======
 * ======Develop reading and comprehension skills.======
 * ======Embed equality and diversity.====== ||
 * = ======**Session plans**====== ||< * ======Model effective planning.======
 * ======Provide the focus for a discussion of what makes effective planning.======
 * ======Compare differences when planning for different contexts.======
 * ======Embed literacy, language, numeracy and ICT.======
 * ======Use as a basis for joint planning.====== ||
 * = ======**Interactive activities**====== ||< * ======Support out of session activity and reinforcement of in-class learning.======
 * ======Can be used at any time or place.======
 * ======Demonstrate how ICT can be used.======
 * ======Particularly useful for personalised learning.======
 * ======Prepare for formal assessment.====== ||
 * = ======**Reading lists, articles, bibliographies**====== ||< * ======Support out of session activity and reinforcement of in-class learning.======
 * ======Can be used at any time or place.======
 * ======Particularly useful for personalised learning.======
 * ======Can support higher level learning====== ||