Knowing me, knowing you. Using the mentor, trainee and learner 'voice' to inform reflective practice for UEL PCET provision. Towards the adoption of emergent technologies for E(nhanced)-reflection Warren Kidd Cass School of Education University of East London

Aims An attempt to synthesize various strands from current research and pedagogy within the UEL PCET team. The team is currently exploring and experimenting with: Journals for reflective practice and evaluation; podcasting both as a teaching tool and podcasting as a means to capture young peoples’ voices on teaching and learning; building a video and social networking resource for asynchronous mentor training and capacity building. Through all this work, we have captured in various forms different 'voices' - different perspectives on, and interests in, classroom practice.

Support for e-learning development Each school is supported by a named Learning and Technology Advisor from Uelconnet (School of Distance and e-Learning); Regular seminars (podcasting, accessibility, second life); Regular e-learning group meetings; Staff support and virtual ‘masterclasses’ through the Uelconnect elgg community; School Research Conferences.

How does e-learning fit into our pedadogy as teacher educators? Modelling; Professional learning – tools and equipment; Aid reflective practice; Support – build communities; External facing partnerships; Three core statements: Pedagogy before technology; E-learning requires massive orchestration VLEs – not necessarily learning (OFSTED, January 2009)

How does e-learning fit into PCET provision? Pre-programme ‘wetpaint’ wiki; VLE – for on-programme support; Trainee ‘private’ blogger; Irregular PCET podcasts recorded weekly; Learner voice podcasts – used as both a research and teaching tool; Mentoring video blog – to aid professional learning and for capacity building; Cohort of ex-trainees have joined a secure wiki for post-programme evaluation.

Pre-programme wiki 6 6

Pre-programme wiki Topics discussed included: What will the programme be like? How ‘intense’ will the challenge be? What should teachers wear? What does it mean to be a profession-in- training? What are trainees most excited about?

"I do feel a little lost now that it is over. .. " Reflections on the PGCE PCET programme by trainee teachers 2008-9

Rule 1: Don’t underestimate the importance of the local area on teaching and learning. Rule 2: Don’t expect too much from your mentor – they are human too! Rule 3: Accept that training to be a teacher will change you Rule 4: You will (probably) be nervous and unsure at points in the programme: use these as opportunities for reflective practice and accept that everyone has these moments!

Rule 5: There will be moments of disappointment – especially if you have high expectations (which we hope that you do?) Rule 6: Be prepared to leave your assumptions behind, but allow them to inform your reflective practice as you question them… Rule 7: The programme will fly by! Enjoy it while you can…

“When I arrived at a local 6th form to have a look around I felt a little intimidated, as my experiences of Sixth Form were very different studying in Middle Class York. However, during our tour I saw nothing but eager, hardworking students who were all focussed and seemingly interested in what they were learning. I had half expected to walk past classrooms and see students running around, shouting, fighting and generally getting out of hand…” Trainee teacher reflection

“As my choice to come to UEL was mainly based on the fact that I would be studying and working in East London, the introduction to the socio-economic "peculiars" of the local area was of no surprise or shock. As I looked around the room I wondered how many in the group had a similar point of view (I'm guessing and hoping the majority) and how many might end up struggling to deal with East End's "deprived youth". One of course does not negate the other, and I suspect I too will find it rather challenging at times – despite all my good intentions and genuine interest in giving my students the best possible opportunities” Trainee teacher reflection

“...The walk from Canary Wharf along the river to just east of Tower Bridge was a good addition, as it said plenty about what the area used to be like (warehouses etc) and what it is like now (posh flats, gated communities). It is in stark contrast to most of the rest of East London – as a walk to Shadwell station reminded us later – but the gated communities and riverside apartments could have as much an effect on the lives of East London's young people as the council estates and tower blocks of Bow and Poplar. I can only try and guess what that effect might be at this point (anger? resentment? feeling of worthlessness? Who knows…) but I suspect I might find out once I start my placement!” Trainee teacher reflection

“My opinion varies - They are sweet and lovely, smart and enthusiastic, frustrating and hard work, stubborn and disrespectful. They can reduce you to tears in one lesson, but amaze you with their creativity and enthusiasm 2 days later. They are given a hard time by the media and the police - twice in the last 4 days I witnessed the police stop and search my students, once at the tube station and once outside the theatre. Their lives are not easy, or fair, and yet they sometimes seem resigned to their fate. I think they are scared of what they don't know, so choose to dismiss it and stick to their small (and safe) known worlds. I find teaching them hard work, but also extremely rewarding when they 'get it'. I feel it's a greater duty to do the absolute best I can and give it my all.” Trainee teacher reflection

Podcasting the learner voice Each interview lasted between 25 – 40 minutes long. Only two formal questions were structured. 19 interviews were recorded in total, generating over nine hours of audio. In all, we generated 247 individual ‘podcasts’. Files were broken down and coded with a relevant file name linked to the content.

Towards a 'pod-agogy‘* Recording short files worked best (between 3 – 8 minutes), retaining learners/listeners attention easier; It was vital to announce the programme/context at the very start of each podcast; I used three or four key words at the start of each podcast which were then picked up and used/developed through the recording in order to ‘locate’ the content for the listener; Frequently, I used the technique of counting and summarising points as a means to locate the audience within the audio; There was an emphasis given at all times to use of specialist language, and also to the definition of this language and its deconstruction all through the recordings; Each podcast recording re-capped at the end using the same key words that it started with. *The term ‘pod-agogy’ adapted from Rosell-Aguilar, F. (2007) 'Top of the Pods – In Search of a Podcasting 'Podagogy' for Language Learning' in Computer Assisted Language Learning, 5(20) pp.471-492

“Before I started at my placement college and was assigned a mentor, I had many preconceptions, stereotypes, and expectations about what a mentor will be like for me during my teacher training. “ Trainee teacher reflection

“My first thoughts about the roles of mentors were something of a guardian angel/cognitive behavioural therapist approach to the mentoring role!” Trainee teacher reflection

“Someone primarily who you could trust. What is trust “Someone primarily who you could trust. What is trust? Well what I mean by this, in terms of mentoring and my ideals of what mentors should be like, is that they are people who you can safely open up to in times of stress and disappointment during the course of the year.” Trainee teacher reflection

“All in all though, he has still been an inspiration in some ways and at first I thought he was cracking! However, as the year drew on, he drew more and more away from me, I in turn had to ‘manage’ my own mentor and tell him what to do.” Trainee teacher reflection

“I think as a naïve teacher trainee I went in with these expectations and did not get them matched. “ Trainee teacher reflection

“I think I have learnt my lesson that not all teachers have the time to take on a trainee, and not all teachers like their jobs! If I could play this year out again, I would not have such high expectations (note to self: maybe find a proper therapist!) but I would still expect honesty, commitment and trust to envelope the mentoring role.” Trainee teacher reflection

““I’ve enjoyed my placement and found the college and staff to be friendly and welcoming. However, there have been discrepancies between the pedagogy I’ve learnt at UEL and my mentor’s own pedagogy and I found dialogue between myself and my mentor to be limited in this respect.” Trainee teacher reflection

““The college itself was very supportive and well resourced but my mentor did not have sufficient time for a mentee.” Trainee teacher reflection

Who will mentor the mentors project? Users not part of institution View videos (download option) Secure login Post to discussion threads Contact admin (to request threads etc) Social interaction/community building

Future developments Use of a PCET Twitter feed? iPod Touch distance learning and M Learning for part time cohort?

1. technology is not always the answer; 2. the pedagogic reason for the resource and learning tool always comes first; 3. e-learning takes tremendous set-up and management by the teacher (at least initially), despite what assumptions one might hold about “young people and technology‟; 4. when thinking about e-learning, do not allow the learning to take a second place to the medium of transition of the learning object.