Skills for Work: Early Education and Childcare Intermediate 2

Skills for Work: Early Education and Childcare Intermediate 2 Course Support Material July 2005 Scottish Further Education Unit

Acknowledgements SFEU is grateful to the subject specialists in Scotland s Colleges and other agencies and industry bodies who have been involved in the writing of this and other support materials in the Skills for Work series. Scottish Further Education Unit 2005 Scottish Further Education Unit 1

Introduction These notes are provided to support teachers and lecturers presenting the Scottish Qualifications Authority in Early Education and Childcare at Intermediate 2. Copyright for this pack is held by the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU). However, teachers and lecturers have permission to use the pack and reproduce items from the pack provided that this is to support teaching and learning processes and that no profit is made from such use. If reproduced in part, the source should be acknowledged. Enquiries relating to this Support Pack or issues relating to copyright should be addressed to: Information and Publications Co-ordinator The Scottish Further Education Unit Argyll Court Castle Business Park Stirling FK9 4TY Website: www.sfeu.ac.uk Further information regarding this Unit including Unit Specification, National Assessment Bank materials, Centre Approval and certification can be obtained from: The Scottish Qualifications Authority Hanover House 24 Douglas Street Glasgow G2 7NQ Website: www.sqa.org.uk Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this Support Pack, teachers and lecturers should satisfy themselves that the information passed to candidates is accurate and in accordance with the current SQA arrangements documents. SFEU will accept no responsibility for any consequences deriving either directly or indirectly from the use of this Pack. Scottish Further Education Unit 2

Contents What are Skills for Work Courses all about? 5 The Course in Early Education and Childcare (Intermediate 2) 8 Course Rationale 8 Tutor Notes 10 Background 10 Using this Material 12 Resources 14 The planning cycle 15 Planning an investigation/presentation 15 Carrying Out Your Investigation 20 Student Support Material 25 Working as Part of a Team 26 Strengths and weaknesses 27 Roles and responsibilities 32 Barriers to working as part of a team 33 Time Management 35 Tips for good time management 37 Investigation 39 Investigation 40 The planning cycle 40 The planning cycle 41 Planning your Investigation 44 Carrying Out Your Investigation 46 Visiting an early education and childcare setting 49 Scottish Further Education Unit 3

Interviews 52 Types of interview 53 Types of questions 53 Recording your interview 56 Inviting a Speaker 57 Planning the visit of a speaker 58 Presenting Your Information 62 Top Tips for Presenting Information 63 How to give a talk. 64 Planning your talk 65 Top Tips for Giving a Talk 66 Putting up a display 67 Resources require for setting up a display 68 Scottish Further Education Unit 4

What are Skills for Work Courses all about? Skills for Work Courses are designed to help candidates to develop: skills and knowledge in a broad vocational area Core Skills an understanding of the workplace positive attitudes to learning skills and attitudes for employability A key feature of these Courses is the emphasis on experiential learning. This means learning through practical experience and learning by reflecting on experience. Learning through practical experience Teaching/learning programmes should include some or all of the following: learning in real or simulated workplace settings learning through role play activities in vocational contexts carrying out case study work planning and carrying out practical tasks and assignments Learning through reflecting at all stages of the experience Teaching/learning programmes should include some or all of the following: preparing and planning for the activity taking stock throughout the activity reviewing and adapting as necessary reflecting after the activity has been completed evaluating, self-assessing and identifying learning points The Skills for Work Courses are also designed to provide candidates with opportunities for developing Core Skills and enhancing skills and attitudes for employability. Scottish Further Education Unit 5

Core Skills The five Core Skills are: Communication Numeracy Information Technology Problem Solving Working with Others Opportunities for developing these skills are highlighted in each of the Course and Unit Specifications. Employability The skills and attitudes for employability, including self-employment, are outlined below: generic skills/attitudes valued by employers understanding of the workplace and the employee s responsibilities, for example time-keeping, appearance, customer care self-evaluation skills positive attitude to learning flexible approaches to solving problems adaptability and positive attitude to change confidence to set goals, reflect and learn from experience specific vocational skills/knowledge Course Specifications highlight the links to National Occupational Standards in the vocational area and identify progression opportunities Opportunities for developing these skills and attitudes are highlighted in each of the Course and Unit Specifications. These opportunities include giving young people direct access to workplace experiences or, through partnership arrangements, providing different learning environments and experiences which simulate aspects of the workplace. These experiences might include visits, visiting speakers, role play and other practical activities. Scottish Further Education Unit 6

A Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Executive 2004) identifies aspirations for every young person. These are that they should become: successful learners confident individuals responsible citizens effective contributors The learning environments, the focus on experiential learning and the opportunities to develop employability and Core Skills in these Courses contribute to meeting these aspirations. Scottish Further Education Unit 7

The Course in Early Education and Childcare (Intermediate 2) Course Rationale The Early Education and Childcare sector is a growth industry across Scotland. There exists within the sector a wide range of employment opportunities at a variety of levels. In 2006 the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) will begin mandatory registration of all people working with children aged 0 12 years in Scotland. The SSSC is charged to ensure that the sector is served by a confident, competent workforce. There is a growing awareness from all parts of the sector that potential employees need a variety of opportunities to access those qualifications set by the SSSC, particularly at support worker and practitioner level. This Course provides an experiential route to candidates who wish to progress onto further study in Early Education and Childcare courses that satisfy the registration requirements of the SSSC. The candidate will also be equipped with key knowledge and skills and develop positive attitudes that will allow them to progress onto care related courses, eg. social care or into employment outwith the early education and childcare sector. The Intermediate 2 Course in Early Education and Childcare affords a broad link to the care, learning and development of children aged 0 12 years as specified in the National Occupation Standards relevant to both Children s Care, Learning and Development, and Playwork. It is concerned with the holistic study of the child. This includes the domestic setting and all environments whose practice is guided by legislation, policy and professional ethics as well as investigating the roles and responsibilities of parenthood. This Course will form an important part of the menu of provision, both for those who have identified the field of early education and childcare as their possible career path, and also for any candidates following a programme of study at Intermediate 2 level who may wish to extend their educational experience. The knowledge and experiences acquired in the areas of child development, child health, play and working in the early education and childcare sector may be transferable to other academic or career pathways, particularly those which involve working with children or in other care settings. The study and demonstration of practical competencies in First Aid is seen in any workplace environment as a key skill. Scottish Further Education Unit 8

The aims of this Course are to: increase candidates awareness of the factors which impact on the lives of children, their parents and carers provide an insight into working in early education and childcare facilitate candidates understanding of the interrelationship between component Units increase candidates awareness of the necessity to view all aspects of early education and childcare holistically enable candidates to draw upon the experiences gained in the Outcomes of the component Units to inform and enhance their understanding of what can be considered as effective early education and childcare provision increase candidates awareness of the scope of the early education and childcare sector and the opportunities for employment in the sector allow candidates to develop key life skills, eg. through the optional Unit First Aid (Intermediate 2) allow candidates to develop communication skills by working in groups and with others in a variety of contexts allow candidates to develop investigative skills using a variety of research methods allow candidates to develop presentation skills allow candidates to develop self-evaluation skills give candidates confidence to set achievable goals allow candidates the opportunity to develop skills required for possible employment in the early education and childcare sector, particularly personal/interpersonal, basic communication and practical caring skills allow candidates to develop skills required for employment in other sectors Scottish Further Education Unit 9

Tutor Notes Background Early Education and Childcare (Intermediate 2) is a new course which fulfils the Skills for Work rationale. The development of Skills for Work courses are being driven by the Scottish Executive and underpinned by A Curriculum for Excellence which advocates: more skills-for-work options for young people, robustly assessed and helping them into further qualifications and work. Skills for Work are new Courses which address practical employability skills as well as specific vocational skills. They are developed through a range of practical experiences carried out in a variety of learning environments. Skills for Work courses have been built around partnerships involving schools with colleges/employers/private training providers. The development, by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, of Early Education and Childcare Skills for Work courses was supported by an SQA Development Officer and a Design Team made up of representatives from across and beyond the education sector. A team of writers produced Unit Specifications within a very tight timescale, and NABs have been produced for all Units. These support materials are designed to be used flexibly alongside the Unit Specifications and the NAB material. If any of this material is used to generate evidence for Units within the Skills for Work course teachers/lectures should ensure that it meets the criteria fully. The Units within Skills for Work course are integrative. However, they are also designed to be stand alone and therefore there is some repetition across Units. Teachers/lecturers should use their professional judgement when planning teaching and learning for example, aspects of development are covered in several Units but if the Skills for Work course is being delivered this topic should only be taught/assessed once. Students should be encouraged to see the holistic nature of best early education and childcare practice. This is particularly pertinent if more than one person is delivering the Course. Teachers/lecturers should refer in the first instance to the advice give in the Course Specification. The following Units in this Course are also part of the options section of the National Certificate Group Award: Early Education and Childcare (Higher): DM5X 11 Child Development and Health: an introduction (Intermediate 2) DM5R 11 First Aid (Intermediate 2) DM60 11 Care and Feeding of Children (Intermediate 2) The inclusion of these Units from the Group Award allows the students to progress. The material in this pack could be used to support the learning and teaching students who are undertaking the Group Award. Scottish Further Education Unit 10

The packs in this series have been produced by a team of subject specialists for the Skills for Work pilot and due to the timescales involved there has been no opportunity to trial the materials. SFEU would welcome any feedback teachers/lecturers wish to make. The material is designed to be flexible and it is at the discretion of individual centres how they choose to use it to meet the needs of their students. This reflects the Skills for Work rationale. Other support packs produced to support delivery of the course at Intermediate 2 are: Child Development and Health: An Introduction Play in Early Education and Childcare Working in Early Education and Childcare Parenting First Aid Care and Feeding of Children Scottish Further Education Unit 11

Using this Material Unlike most other NQ Courses, Skills for Work courses have no external assessment component but are made up of four taught credits. The emphasis on employability skills required to meet the Skills for Work rationale runs through all Units, both mandatory and optional. The material in this section relates to the Skills for Work rationale and is common across several of the Units in the Course, both optional and mandatory (see Table 1 on the following page). It is intended that this material can be used in tutorial sessions to allow students to develop key skills prior to them carrying out pieces of work related to their Course. It is also intended that this material can be adapted by teachers/lecturers to suit individual Units within the Skills for Work course for example it can be cut and pasted into the material produced relating to the knowledge and understanding required for each Unit This material may be adapted to suit the interests and abilities of the students undertaking this Course and as such is intended to be flexible rather than proscriptive. Because the Skills for Work rationale is the same at both Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2, centres offering both levels will find a great deal of commonality in the generic Course Support Material for each level. This course is at SCQF level 5 and teacher/lecturers should be familiar with the content and structure of this level prior to delivering the course. Further advice about Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework is available on line at www.sqa.org.uk and follow the links Scottish Further Education Unit 12

Table 1: Generic material and its relationship to Units, Outcomes and Performance Criteria Material Intermediate 2: Unit and related Outcomes Plan an Investigation/presentation Child Development and Health: an introduction Working in Early Education and Childcare 1(a) Parenting 3(a) Carry out an investigation Child Development and Health: an introduction Working in Early Education and Childcare 1(b) Parenting 3(b) Review methodology Working in Early Education and Childcare 1(e) Review own contribution to investigation/plan and presentation Play in Early Education and Childcare 4(c) Plan a presentation Parenting 3(a) Contribute to a presentation Parenting 3(d) Review presentation Parenting 3(e) Working as part of a team Working in Early Education and Childcare 1(a, b, c, d & e) Parenting 3(a, b, c, d & e) Inviting a speaker All Units Carrying out an interview All Units Visiting appropriate provision All Units Scottish Further Education Unit 13

Resources Books Coles, M. & White, C. (2000) Strategies for Studying Successful post-16 Learning. Carel Press: Carlisle. Green, June (2003) Numeracy for Childcare Students: A Basic Skills Guide. David Fulton Publishers: London. There are many books related to study skills however I found the one below particularly useful. I felt the tone and layout met the needs of Skills for Work students. In terms of copyright, reproduction is permitted. Green, J (2003) Literacy for Childcare Students: A Basic Skills Guide. David Fulton Publishers: London. Scottish Further Education Unit 14

The planning cycle Reference is made throughout this material to the planning cycle and students should be encouraged to plan/do/review at every opportunity. The sheets provided are intended to be used for a variety of tasks and in a variety of contexts and as such should be adapted to meet the need of the students. This material can be used alongside material produced for NAB purposes. Working as part of a team Note for teacher/lecturer The group may benefit from a team building exercise, eg. Surviving on a Desert Island/plane crash. This will allow them to put some of the skills in this section into action prior to working on Unit tasks Planning an investigation/presentation Students may consider the following sheet when planning and after discussion check they have not missed anything. It can be given to the students to compare responses or used as an OH acetate by the teacher/lecturer. The blank can be used as a pre-printed OH acetate that can be given to groups of students and they could feedback using the projector. This will help to develop their presentation skills. This sheet should also be used for students planning any aspect of their Skills for Work course in the context of the Planning Cycle. Scottish Further Education Unit 15

Skills for Work: Planning Sheet Who is going to the cinema? If we are getting a lift. Who will take us? Who is in the film? Where is the cinema? Where will we meet? What are they going to see? What are we going to wear? What else can we do? What are we having to eat? Why are we going? Why do we want to see this film? When will we meet? When does the film start? When does it finish? How much is it going to cost? How will we get there? How will we get back home again? Scottish Further Education Unit 16

Skills for Work: Planning Sheet Scottish Further Education Unit 17

Planning a trip to the cinema Following group discussion this version can be given to students for further discussion and comparison. This should assist them in planning their own investigation/projects/presentations. Lecturers should be free to use their own case study depending on the interests of the students. They could be encouraged to plan a situation real to themselves. This planning template could be used extensively through the Course and can be adapted to meet the needs of the students. Scottish Further Education Unit 18

Planning Sheet Task Find out what films are on and when they when stars Find out times of the buses for going and coming home from cinema Find out cost of bus Find out cost of cinema Resource/metho d to be used Local newspaper Phone bus company Phone bus company Internet What has to be done? 1. Find a copy of local newspaper at Home Library Buy one 1. Find out phone number 2. Which bus do we need? As above 1. Find out e-mail address: use Google! 2. Access e-mail at home By date Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday By whom Anne Sally Sally Sean Evidence that the task has been completed Produce copy of paper with info Write down information Write down information Print off copy from internet Done ( ) Scottish Further Education Unit 19

Carrying Out Your Investigation Students should be given access to a variety of methods to gather information and advice is given about this in the Course and Unit Specifications. The research methods should reflect Skills for Work rationale and should allow students the opportunity to develop the five Core Skills as well as Employability Skills. The investigations should be student planned and centred with the role of the teacher/lecturer being as a facilitator and enabler. Methods offered to students could include: The use of the internet Visits to early education and childcare settings Inviting speakers Researching book and magazines Visiting the library, either locally or within the centre. N.B.: Teacher/lecturers should ensure that appropriate permissions are sought for students visiting outwith the Centre. Students should consider the pros and cons of methods at this stage; this will allow them to review methodology and the investigative process more effectively. They should be encouraged to choose research methods in relation to: The resources available The skills of the team The timescale Whether they are working as part of a team or on their own The information they require The type of presentation they are going to make These factors also impact on the type of presentations students choose to make. The following sheet could be given to students or used as a blank handout or OH acetate. Scottish Further Education Unit 20

What to consider when choosing methods for research Factor Help Hinder Available resources A wide range of resources will offer a wider range of information A lack of resources may mean students are not able to gather the information required. This may restrict the scope of the investigation Skills of team A skills mix within the team will add strength to the quality of the investigation which will lead to success Lack of skills will lead to poor quality information being gathered. Timescale A realistic timescale will allow you to work to achievable goals. Timescales should not be too short or too long. An unrealistic timescale will put pressure on you, which is demotivating. Working as part of team or by self Information you require Working as part of a team can give you support from other team members. Working on you own allows you to set you own deadlines and you are not relying on anyone else If you know exactly what information you require this can be easily found. Working as part of a team mans that you are relying on others and they might not deliver Working on you own means that you do not have support from others and it can be lonely The more complex the information the more complex the investigation Type of presentation Once you have chosen the type of your presentation you can gather appropriate information, eg. if you plan to make a poster you will need to gather interesting pictures If you do not decide which type of presentation you are going to make you might not have enough information. Scottish Further Education Unit 21

Planning a visit to a setting/arranging an outside speaker/interviewing With support from the teacher/lecturer students should be supported to arrange these themselves. By doing this they will develop key skills required by the Skills for Work rationale. They should arrange these and carry them out using the planning cycle model described in the students notes. The following sheet can be used with students at the review stage to allow them to review any aspect of their course. This can be used alongside the NAB material for each Unit as it meets the evidence requirements for the portfolios and can be adapted accordingly. Students should score themselves 1-4 for each SMART point: 1 very good 2 good 3 fair 4 unsatisfactory They should be encouraged to share and discuss their scoring with teacher/lecturers and particularly their peer group. Students should use this sheet to identify areas that could be improved upon, thus completing the planning cycle. When developing interview skills students would benefit from seeing interview footage from a variety of sources, eg. news interview, football and pop stars and examine different styles of interview techniques. They could, for example, compare Jeremy Paxman and Jonathon Ross. Scottish Further Education Unit 22

Skills for Work review Sheet: Using SMART Name: Unit: Task: Score: 1 very good, 2 good, 3 fair, and 4 unsatisfactory. SMART Score yourself 1-4 Was your task specific enough? Was your task measurable? Were you able to achieve your task? Class: Suggest how you could improve on your task next time Scottish Further Education Unit 23

SMART How relevant was your task? Did you complete your task within the timescale? Any other comments you would like to make. Score yourself 1-4 Suggest how you could improve on your task next time Scottish Further Education Unit 24

Student Support Material Scottish Further Education Unit 25

Working as Part of a Team Most people who work in early education and childcare work as part of a team. In some settings, like small playgroups, the teams can be small (3-4 people) but in other settings, like large private nurseries, the teams can be large with twenty or more members sometimes split into smaller teams. Even people who work on their own, like nannies, work with the parents as part of a team providing care for the child. Working as part of a team is an essential part of working in early education and childcare and when a team works well together, everyone benefits. Some of the benefits to working as part of a team in early education and childcare are: Children s needs are met Children feel secure Staff enjoy coming to work Now add some benefits of your own: If everyone is to benefit in the team each member has to do their bit to ensure the team works well. As part of your Skills for Work course you will be working as part of different teams carrying out investigations, planning and contributing to presentations and taking part in group discussions. This will help you build the skills you will need if you get a job in the early education and childcare sector or in any other sector. These exercises will help you develop the skills you feel you will need to work as an effective team member. Scottish Further Education Unit 26

Strengths and weaknesses As teams are made up of people and every person is different it is not possible that you will share the same opinions and views as everyone in your team. In a team it is important to remember that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and this is what makes a balanced team. Think of a sports team that you admire, or a band that you like, list some of the team members and their strengths and weaknesses. Name Strength Weakness If you have chosen a band you may have noted that some members sing but do not play an instrument, whilst others may be good looking but can t dance. It is this balance of strengths and weaknesses that make a team work well, as long as we recognise what our strengths are and develop areas of weakness. For teams to work well together each member must do their share of the work according to their strengths and support other members of the team. Scottish Further Education Unit 27

Think of an effective team that you have worked in recently and answer the following: 1. What was the main task of the team? 2. List some of the team members and identify their strengths and weaknesses First Name Strengths Weaknesses? Do you think this team works well together or not? (Give a reason for your answer) Scottish Further Education Unit 28

Working as part of a team Your role in working as part of a team is building good working relationships with others. This is not the same as friendship and we may work in a team with people that we disagree with. This should be put to one side for the benefit of the team. Think about the following case study. Sally and Jenny have been friends since they attended a childcare course in the local college together and have both got a job in the same private nursery working as nursery assistants. They have fallen out because Jenny does not want to go to a local club on Saturday night and Sally does. Jenny wants to go out with her new boyfriend. The girls have always gone out together on a Saturday night. The nursery manager has asked Sally and Jenny and two other members of staff to plan an outing for the children. Sally does not feel she can work with Jenny. In pairs, discuss how this situation should be handled so that the team works effectively and the needs of the children are put first. Sally and Jenny have to build a good working relationship and put their personal feelings to one side. Remember the needs of the children and the team has to come first. Scottish Further Education Unit 29

Working as part of a team Here are some of the things you need to do to become a good team member: Be on time Do not gossip Contribute to team meetings Follow instructions carefully Ask for help Be cheerful and enthusiastic Share your ideas Acknowledge the ideas of others Look for ways of helping other team members Be ready to do a little more than necessary to help out Be flexible Scottish Further Education Unit 30

Look at each of these statements and give yourself a score out of 4, where: 1. very good 2. good 3. fair 4. unsatisfactory Statement I am on time I do not gossip I contribute to team meetings I follow instructions carefully I ask for help I am cheerful and enthusiastic I share my ideas I acknowledge the ideas of others I look for ways of helping other team members I am ready to do a little more than necessary to help out I am flexible Score Show your scores to a friend or someone you know well and discuss it with them. Do they agree? This will give you an idea of the strengths you will bring to a team and areas that you will need to develop. Your Skills for Work course will help you build on your strengths and develop any areas of weakness. Scottish Further Education Unit 31

Working as part of a team Roles and responsibilities In a team everyone has different responsibilities and roles. You can decide what these are according to individual team members strengths and weakness. As part of your Skills for Work course you will be asked to carry out pieces of work as part of a team, part of this will be deciding in the team who is going to do what. You will be given planning sheets to record this information and details of the tasks. You will need to consider your role in the team because your behaviour will make the team work. Working with others is fun but you need to take your role seriously if you wish to succeed. Make a list of positive things that you can do to make the team work well. Some have been given for you. 1. Always be pleasant and polite 2. Listen to others and show that you are listening 3. Be reliable and turn up on time 4. 5. 6. You may wish to use this list to make up a set of points of good team work for you group. Scottish Further Education Unit 32

Barriers to working as part of a team Sometimes teams do not work well and this can lead to bad feeling amongst the team members and can have a negative effect on the setting. One of the most common barriers to effective team working is lack of communication between team members. There are three main ways to communicate with others in our team: 1. Verbal communication: we need to think about what we say and how we say it. 2. Body language: we take visual clues to someone s feeling and attitudes 3. Written communication: as part of your Skills for Work course you will be required to write things down, for your personal use, to hand to your teacher/lecturer, to other team members. 4. Give an example of each of the above that would have a negative impact on the team. For example blanking people in a meeting when they are speaking to you gives the message that you are not interested in what they are saying. Type of Communication Verbal Example Body language Written communication Scottish Further Education Unit 33

There are other barriers to effective team working: Problems with attitude Discrimination Not liking someone Clashes of personality Can you list some more or give some examples: It is important for effective team working that we have ways of breaking down these barriers and each team member has to take responsibility for the work of the team. You may have to talk to someone outside the team to resolve any issues. Scottish Further Education Unit 34

Time Management Time management is about being able to use your time well this is an important part of your Skills for Work course as you will need to plan and time your workload carefully. If you are working as part of a team others will be relying on you to deliver the goods on time. Your teacher/lecturer will set you deadlines for submitting work. In early education and childcare settings there are many jobs to be done, some are routine and others are longer term tasks. You need to be able to manage these tasks effectively. It is easy to blame the lack of time for tasks not being completed. Scottish Further Education Unit 35

? What things do you do if you have several jobs to complete at the same time? Make a list and compare your list with a partner. 1 2 3 4 4 6? Which strategies do you and your partner think are the most effective? Scottish Further Education Unit 36

Tips for good time management Here are some top tips for good time management: Make a list of tasks that need to be done and tick them off when you have achieved them Break down each task into manageable chunks Prioritise the tasks which one are more important Use small blocks of time to complete tasks that can be easily done Set aside longer blocks of time to complete larger tasks Do not put off jobs you dislike set yourself a target and give yourself a reward when you have achieved them If you can t achieve a deadline let your team know as soon as possible and ask for help and support. Don t waste time Be organised Scottish Further Education Unit 37

Time management Try using the tips on the previous page to organise your Skills for Work course: 1. Make a list of tasks that you need to do for your Skills for Work course. 2. Choose two tasks and work out what needs to be done for each task. 3. Work out how long each task will take Here is an example: You have been asked to read an article and write notes for tomorrow afternoon for your Play Unit and you are working this evening. You need to: a) Read through article quickly 10 minutes on bus to work b) Re-read article more carefully and take rough notes 30 minutes during break at work c) Go over bits of the article you don t understand and amend your notes 10 minutes before you go to bed d) Draft your notes get up half an hour early e) Re-read article 10 minutes on bus to college f) Write notes out neatly in library during lunch break g) Submit notes to teacher/lecturer h) Give yourself a reward Scottish Further Education Unit 38

When faced with an enormous task you think you will never managed: Scottish Further Education Unit 39

Investigation A major part of your Skills for Work course will be planning, carrying out and reviewing investigations and tasks either on your own or part of a team. These skills are important ones that are valued by employers not just in the early education and childcare sector but also in other sectors. When you work with others you will be expected to plan, carry out and reflect on your work to the best of your ability. This will help you work on your own initiative something that employers think is important. Scottish Further Education Unit 40

The planning cycle Planning, carrying out a task and reviewing it is called the planning cycle. Plan The planning cycle Review Do The diagram above shows that planning should lead you to carrying out a task that in turn takes you to reviewing it. You will then use your review to help you plan your next piece of work or plan more effectively the next time. When you carry out tasks for your Skills for Work course this is the model you will use. Scottish Further Education Unit 41

Plan Plan a trip to the nearest cinema to see a film on Friday night. One of your friends must be home for 9.30pm. Working with a partner write down all the things you will need to think about when planning your cinema trip. It may help to consider the following key words when planning your trip: These key questions will help you plan anything, not just work for your Skills for Work course. Scottish Further Education Unit 42

Discuss the trip to the cinema in a small group. On the following table give an example of some planning questions. You may have several questions to ask under each heading. An example is give for you Who will be going? Discuss and compare your plans with the rest of your class. Had you forgotten anything? Remember careful planning leads to success. Scottish Further Education Unit 43

Planning your Investigation As part of your Skills for Work course you will be asked to plan investigations and presentations. You will plan these on your own or as part as a team. You will be assessed on your contribution to the investigation and not the contribution of others. Remember that the plan in an important aspect of the Planning Cycle and that careful planning saves time in the long run. Your teacher/lecturer may give you a sheet to assist your planning. This should be used either by yourself or your group to plan your investigation. Group Exercise Think about the friends planning the trip to the cinema. Using the planning sheet provided by your tutor use it to plan their trip. Remember: Who Where What Why When How When you have done this you will be given an example. Use it to compare your own responses. Did you forget anything? Remember your plan will help with your review and it should be: pecific to the area you are investigating eaningful to you and your team chievable don t be over ambitious elevant imed you have to set timescales you can work within Scottish Further Education Unit 44

What needs to be done? The task broken into smaller chunks Who is going to do it? Task Resource/method to be used What has to be done? By date By whom Evidence that the task has been completed How are we going to do it and where will we find the information? When do we have to do it? How are we going to prove that we have achieved what we planned? Done ( ) Scottish Further Education Unit 45

Carrying Out Your Investigation As part of your plan, or while you are planning, you will need to think about different ways of gathering information. The methods you will use will depend on a number of things: The resources available The skills of your team The timescale Whether you are working as part of a team or on your own The information you require The type of presentation you are going to make Scottish Further Education Unit 46

With a partner look at the list on the previous page and discuss how each of these factors might help your investigation or hinder it. Factor Help Hinder Available resources Skills of team Timescale Working as part of team or by self Information you require Type of presentation Scottish Further Education Unit 47

Carry out your investigation Make a note of a range of methods you would like to use to carry out your investigation: Your teacher/lecturer will discuss with you the resources available to you and you must choose the options best suited to your investigation. It may be that you are preparing tasks for several Units of your Skills for Work course and you can multi task, ie. find out information for more than one assignment at a time. For example, you might visit a nursery to find out about the types of play on offer but, at the same time, you can also find out about the support they offer parents Scottish Further Education Unit 48

Visiting an early education and childcare setting As part of your Skills for Work course you may choose to visit an early education and childcare setting. You may do this: On your own As part of a team With your class For you to get the best of out of your visit you should use the planning cycle Plan: before your visit Review: after your visit Do: during your visit Scottish Further Education Unit 49

1. Using the sheet provided by your tutor based on the key questions plan your visit to an early education and childcare setting. 2. Discuss your plans with your tutor and make any amendments to your plan. 3. Go ahead and plan your visit, you may phone them, write or email giving as much information about your plans as possible. Remember!! You may have to be flexible to accommodate the setting and have to change your plans. Don t forget to discuss this with your tutor. Things to check before your visit That members of your family and your tutor have the name, address and telephone number of the organisation you will be visiting. You have checked your travel arrangements: Times Cost Alternative travel arrangements The time you will be arriving: Be punctual Don t arrive too early The time you will be finishing: Don t take up more time than you have said People will be expecting you back at a certain time What you should wear do not wear good clothes if you are expecting to work with children. Meal arrangements if your visit is a longer one, eg. all day. The name and phone number of the person you are meeting. Scottish Further Education Unit 50

On the day of your visit Take with you everything you need: Pens/Pencils Paper Interview schedules Camera (if appropriate you will not be allowed to take pictures of any children Phone your setting and your tutor if you are ill and are unable to go on the visit. Apologise as soon as you can if you are going to be delayed. Take a mobile phone if possible. Remember, someone is expecting you. During your visit Find out as much information as you can. Look around you and learn from the environment. Listen to what people tell you. Obey safety instructions you may be told about fire procedures etc. Make notes during your visit. Appear interested. After your visit Contact the setting to thank them for their help- you can write, email or phone. Write up your notes as soon as possible. Develop any photographs you have taken. Review your visit according to your plan was it SMART you can use the sheet given to you by your tutor to do this. Don t worry if things don t go according to your plan this is part of your learning. Scottish Further Education Unit 51

Interviews Interviewing is a very common way of assessing people and gathering information for a variety of purposes. Interviews are a valuable source of information; a good interviewer can discover important details that may not be available from other methods. As part of your Skills or Work course you may chose to gather information for a task by interview. It is unlikely that you will interview children but you will interview early education and childcare workers and carers. You may interview someone during a visit or invite someone into your Centre to interview. Jot down all the types of interviews you can think of and the types of information that you would find out. There can be many pitfalls to interviewing: Badly worded questions Straying away from the subject Missed opportunities for gathering information Finding ways of recording the information and interpreting it afterwards. Scottish Further Education Unit 52

Types of interview There are two types of interview: 1. A structured interview is when all the questions are pre-prepared and adhered to by the interviewer, who is mainly looking for facts rather than discussing topics. 2. A semi-structured interview also has a set of pre-prepared questions, but is more flexible and gives more scope to probe deeper into certain topics, should the opportunity arise, by adding questions that are not on the list. You should choose the type of interview you are going to use depending on the type of information you want to gather. Types of questions Your interview should have about 5 10 questions and should last no more than 30 minutes. You should use a mixture of: open questions based on the who, when, where, why, what and how key questions you have already worked on and closed questions these give yes/no type of answers Some of the questions ask for facts and others ask for the opinion of the person being interviewed. Scottish Further Education Unit 53

1. Look at the following examples and decide if they are open or closed questions and which asks for fact or opinion: Question 1. Where did you go on holiday last year? 2. Who did you go with? 3. Did you enjoy yourself? 4. What kind of accommodation did you stay in? 5. Would you go back there again? 6. What was the best part of your holiday? Open/Closed Type Fact/Opinion 2. Working with a partner, draw up a short interview schedule and interview one another. Practice recording what your interviewee says. Scottish Further Education Unit 54

Tips for effective interviewing Have a clear aim for the interview: why are you doing this interview? Have a general topic that you want to find out about. Before your interview, create an interview schedule. This should have details such as the interviewer s name and date of the interview at the top, the list of questions and space for making notes. Think carefully about how you word your questions and which order you are going to put them in. Think of an effective way of recording your interview, you may use tapes or a video or you may choose to make notes during the interview. If you make notes you will need a clipboard or take someone along to take notes for you. If you use a tape or video you must ask the permission of the interviewee. You are not there to interrogate your interviewee so smile and be pleasant. Interviewing is a skilled job that may look easy but the mark of a good interviewer is perhaps that it does look easy Scottish Further Education Unit 55

Recording your interview Using audio and video recordings Many of you are familiar with using audio and video equipment and will use these to record memorable moments and family occasions. This is a great source of entertainment and may people cherish the memories created by them. However, many of you have endured lengthy family videos that are too long or of a poor quality. Early education and childcare setting use audio and video equipment a lot to record observations of children. As part of your Skills for Work course you may see videos of children or hear tape recordings. Children are also encouraged to use the equipment as part of their own learning and development. You may choose to use audio and video recordings as part of your Skills for Work tasks. You may choose to use them: To record interviews To keep a video/audio diary To record a visit to an early education and childcare setting To record information for a risk assessment As part of your presentation The advantages of using audio and video recording are that you capture the moment and preserve details. You do not rely on your own memory. The use of appropriate audio and video recordings in a presentation make it lively and interesting. Using audio and video recording can also have drawbacks. The main one is the time factor involved in analysing the content of tapes and the quality of the recordings, as all other noises are picked up as well. You have to depend on the reliability of the equipment that can break down and the ability of the person using the equipment. Remember!! You must ask if you can use audio/video equipment in any setting before doing so and it is important that you respect the wishes of others. Scottish Further Education Unit 56

Inviting a Speaker As part of your Skills for Work course, you may choose to invite a relevant speaker to your Centre. This is a useful way of finding out information as the whole class can get the information from the speaker rather than one or two people visiting an early education and childcare setting. Some speakers may give you information covering more than one unit of your course, eg. a community health practitioner has a wide remit as they support the health and the development of the child as well as supporting parents. You have to discuss inviting a speaker with your tutor and the rest of the class to make sure that this is the best way of finding out information. The visit of a speaker has to be planned carefully and you must give the speaker plenty of time to re-arrange prior commitments and you should be flexible. Like other aspects of you Skills for Work course you should arrange the visit of a speaker using the planning cycle, as careful planning will make the session a success both for the class and the speaker. Plan: before the visit Review: after the visit Do: during the visit Scottish Further Education Unit 57

Planning the visit of a speaker Using the sheet provided by your tutor based on the key questions plan the visit of an outside speaker. Discuss your plans with your tutor and make any amendments to your plan. Go ahead and plan the visit, you may phone them, write or email giving as much information about your plans as possible. Using the planning sheet provided distribute the tasks amongst your class remember your plan has to be SMART. Remember!! You may have to be flexible to accommodate speaker and have to change your plans. Don t forget to discuss this with your tutor Scottish Further Education Unit 58

Checklist for inviting a Speaker Name of Speaker Address of Speaker Phone Number Email Designation Date of visit Task By who Completed Contact speaker to arrange visit and give details of what you want the speaker to talk about Confirm speaker by letter or email Arrange payment of speaker (if appropriate) Arrange Parking Send Directions Arrange room/accommodation Arrange catering: tea/coffee Arrange any equipment required Arrange photocopying Distribute tasks for day of visit: Who will meet him/her Health and safety issues: signing into Centre Catering duties Who will introduce speaker/give vote of thanks Who will show visitor out of building Distribute tasks for after visit: Tidy up room Return any borrowed equipment Send thank you letter/email Scottish Further Education Unit 59

Before the visit Check the room is it tidy is the layout OK do you have all the equipment your speaker will need Check the catering Be at the arrival point in plenty of time: people tend to arrived early Wear a name badge so that they know who you are Check the class knows where to go if the usual venue has changed. When your speaker arrives Greet them politely Follow Centre policy regarding health and safety: does the visitor need a badge? Escort them to the room: ask about their journey to the Centre Show them where to hang their coat and where the toilets are Show them into the room Offer refreshments Introduce them to whoever is going to introduce them to the class During the visit Make sure everyone arrives before the speaker Switch of your mobile phones Introduce the speaker as planned Show interest Take notes Ask questions Thank the speaker for coming to speak to the class After the visit Return any borrowed equipment Write up any notes you have made as soon as possible Write or email to speaker to thank them Review your planning using sheet Scottish Further Education Unit 60

Review Sheet Name of Speaker Date of visit Task Contact speaker to arrange visit/discuss content of talk Make/Wear a name badge Confirm speaker by letter or email Score 1-4 Comments and changes we would make next time Arrange payment of speaker (if appropriate) Arrange Parking Send Directions Arrange room/accommodation Arrange catering: tea/coffee Arrange any equipment required: Arrange photocopying Tasks for day of visit: Who will meet him/her Health and safety issues: signing into Centre Catering duties Who will introduce speaker/give vote of thanks Who will show visitor out of building Tasks after visit: Tidy up room Return any borrowed equipment Send thank you letter/email Scottish Further Education Unit 61

Presenting Your Information When you are planning a Skills for Work task you should consider how you are going to present the information. You should choose the type of presentation depending on the type of task and the nature of the information you plan together. For example: if you are investigating what support an early education and childcare setting offers parents you may consider writing an illustrated report to present to your tutor but if you are investigating a particular type of play you may choose to make a poster or set up a display of related play materials. However you plan to present your information you should use the planning cycle to make sure that your presentation goes well. You can present information in the following ways: By writing a report Making a leaflet Making a poster Setting up a display Talking to a group Making a power point presentation Making a video diary Keeping a logbook or a diary Demonstrating a practical skill Add some ideas of your own. Other factors will affect how you choose to present your information. Some of these are: Whether you are working as part of a group or on your own The resources available to you Your skills or the skills of the group members The time available to you Think SMART Scottish Further Education Unit 62

Top Tips for Presenting Information Think about who you are presenting the information to: Children Parents Tutor Classmates Make your presentation interesting Make sure your information is accurate Combine different methods of presentation, eg. use handouts when giving a talk Make it memorable Don t use slang it was really cool Don t use jargon Keep to the point and don t waffle Scottish Further Education Unit 63

How to give a talk. Many of us get anxious about giving talks to even small groups of people, however, employers expect members of staff to be clear and concise communicators and working in early education and childcare requires people to share ideas and communicate with colleagues, other professionals and adults. Think about the following case study. Sally has recently become the room supervisor of the Baby Room in a small private nursery; she is delighted with her promotion and is getting to grips with her new responsibilities. She has recently introduced a new diary system to the room with members of staff writing up a daily diary to send home in the evening with the children. She hopes that this will promote communication between parents and staff. The nursery manager is delighted with the initiative she has shown and has asked Sally to give a short presentation to explain the system to parents at a forthcoming parents evening. Sally is very worried about this, as she has never given a talk like this. How should she plan her talk? Scottish Further Education Unit 64

Planning your talk Plan your talk so that it is easy to follow. Plan three parts: 1. Introduce your topic. Look the members of your audience in the eye, take a deep breath, smile and start slowly: Introduce yourself Outline the main areas of your talk tell people what your are going to talk about 2. In the main part of your talk: Plan which points you will put across in words only Which points you are more memorable using another device: photographs, pictures, a short video 3. In your conclusion: Review your main points focus on the points you wish people to remember by giving an example Sally has asked her room team to help her. Using the advice given, plan her talk. Scottish Further Education Unit 65

Top Tips for Giving a Talk Look at your audience Be prepared to repeat, go more slowly, add details in response to how you feel your audience are reacting Get your timing right don t rush through because you took too long to get going, or spin it out because you haven t got enough to say Give examples, repeat points. This gives time for the important points to sink in. If there is something funny, that s fine but don t crack jokes as they tend to fall flat and you may offend someone. Scottish Further Education Unit 66

Putting up a display Early education and childcare workers often set up displays and display children s work to create a stimulating and attractive environment. Displays can provide a focal point for children s interests and can provide hands on experiences and can allow the children to be involved in an experience. As part of your Skills for Work course you may choose to set up a display to present your information. This will allow you to display articles related to your topic in an interesting way. You may choose to put up a display and then talk about it to your tutor and classmates. You may choose to take photographs of your display to be included in your portfolio. Your display should always be hands on and should be user friendly. Displays should be interactive and should appeal to all the senses when setting up a display. Think about an attractive display in a shop tempting us to buy: department stores put perfume counters near the entrance to attractive customers into the store, supermarkets duct the smell of fresh baking bread to the store entrance to entice customers. When planning your display you should consider: Scottish Further Education Unit 67

Resources require for setting up a display Variety is what makes displays interesting and it is important that you think about: Colour Texture this can be added through a co-coordinated backing and borders, you can add drapes for added interest. including things that can be touched and contrasted with each other Movement this can be achieved by hanging objects above the display, eg. signs Sound this can be added by using audio/video tapes as part of your display Scottish Further Education Unit 68