Task 4 - Identify broad areas for improvement
Task 4 - Identify broad areas for improvement
The grid in Task sheet 4 will help you to tease out what might be involved in each of the five stages of the framework outlined in the points for reflection in this unit. The grid can be used in different ways, depending on what you see as your priorities.
PDF file: Maximising Potential - Unit 4 - Task sheet 4 - Identifying broad areas for improvement (30 KB)
Word file: Maximising Potential - Unit 4 - Task sheet 4 - Identifying broad areas for improvement (69 KB)Choose one of the following tasks.
Task 4A - Evaluating current practice and planning improvements
You could use the grids to review your own practice. What do you already do well? What don’t you do that could usefully be developed? There is a space at the end of each stage for you to add any additional activities you usually undertake at that stage. Jot down ideas for further consideration. Use a copy of the Action Plan from Unit 3 to firm up your development plans.
Task 4B - Evaluating resources
How well does the textbook you are currently using lend itself to the stages described? In some cases the answer to this is ‘not very well’. Some textbooks are crammed with reading, writing, listening and speaking activities, but don’t do the ‘what you need to learn’ bits very well. There can be confusion about the precise purpose of some of the activities or whether they are intended for practice (Stage 3) or performance (Stage 4). Over-reliance by the teacher on such a textbook can lead to lack of confidence, success and motivation on the part of the learners.
You can use the grids in this unit to help you to analyse the next unit in your textbook:
Use the blank column to tick off or note down the stages already well covered by your textbook. Highlight any items which you feel are not already covered by existing provision and consider how important you judge these aspects of the curriculum to be. If you feel there is a deficit, consider what additional activities and/or resources would be required to make good the deficit. Jot these down in the appropriate places; then use a copy of the Action Plan (see Task 3B) to firm up your development plans.
Note: The Starting Points in Unit 5 may provide some more detailed ideas about where you might want to begin, or you could draw up starting points of your own, using the Starting Points template.