We have moved our next (last) session from 28th of this month to 4th of November. This is to give you more time to work on your last assessment.
The second assessment requires you to plan and facilitate a learning activity based on the chosen/designed framework and concept map. If you are not sure on the requirements of the 2nd assessment please come and see Thom or me.
The Laurillard Conversational Framework
She advocates " a continuing iterative dialogue between the teacher and student, which reveals the participants' conceptions, and the variations between them... there is no escape for the need for dialogue... there is no room for mere telling, nor for practice without description, nor for experimentation without reflection, nor for student action without feedback".
Learning activity.
The manufacturing and fitting on of a plank.
The plan:
The conversation will be around the manufacture and fitting on of a plank. The following is known knowledge by the teacher, the conversation is built arround this.
Once the bottom plank is affixed and bevelled to suit, the next step is to move to the next panel, then lay on a spiling plank. This is to be layed fair full-length, ensuring that the spiling plank is touching on all frames, stem and transom. The temporary frames are bevelled. This plank will need to be of a length to suit.
At each station both the dimensions, upper and lower are recorded onto the plank (back marked/measured). The plank is named, side recorded and the grain direction is noted. The finish of each end is also recorded. A reference mark is located onto the plank. All of this is done prior to the plank being removed.
Once the plank has been removed and layed out flat, the dimensions can now be back measured and fair lines drawn through intersects. End details transferred and reference mark noted. This is best done onto lofting cardboard. The plank shape is then transferred onto the plywood sheet. Adjustment is made to allow for scarphing length, fore and aft ends are left long. Port and Starboard (P&S) planks are cut to suit from the plywood sheet. The scarphing is done, ensuring the scarphs are running correctly prior to being cut. The scarphs are glued with the planks being fair to suit the spilingplank. When the glue is dry the scarphs are sanded. P&S planks are handed and planned fair.
The planks can now be dry fitted in situ, with the reference marks aligned ( a fastening here is needed). Check for fairness.
Remove planks and glue bottom joint, stem and transom. Replace plank, aligning to reference mark and fastening! Bend into situation fair. Affix into location. Check joint full length and cramp were necessary. Clean excess glue off.
The words student and learner are inter-changeable here.
The before;
Use a continuing iterative dialogue between the teacher and student to reveal the students conceptions. This conversation is used to build and/or impart base knowledge to the students. This is generally done in situ. As the conversation is then in context. Questioning helps build base knowledge. Imagination is also used to help pre-build components. As concepts are discussed problems are encounted and solutions worked through. Sketches are used to help explain "what is in the minds eye".
The communication;
The students have all agreed to use Blogger, they have all blogged before but using first VOX then Typepad. Also now that they have moved onto Blogger we have discussed the use of Buzz and Goggle docs.
A white board has been setup in the aggress way. This has been split-up into four parts. Each, (three) team has been assigned their own portion. The teacher has at one end their own. The purpose of this whiteboard is to act as a focus point for some of the conversation. The learner communicates orally or with the aid of sketches, either on cardboard or on the whiteboard. In seeing this they are asked to reflect on what this means to them.
Feedback/Interaction;
Using sketching to help aid and describe concepts and components. The location of this whiteboard is critical as it is within earshot of were the learners are constructing their vessels. Questions coming from one group may not have yet surfaced from another yet, or indeed surface at all. I have noticed that groups share concepts if first they are overt. Making sense of other discussions through enquiry is also encouraged. So if one group has come to a conclusion before another then they are encouraged to share this knowledge with other groups. Learners own this constructed knowledge. The students may record this conversation by photographing the whiteboard or sections of it or by videoing during the construction stages. These may be inserted into their Blogs (individual), Buzz (group)or Goggle docs (group).
Teacher directs conversation to improve students performance. "So if you were to do this again what would you do differently? What was the hardest part? Why was this hard? What went off the best? What did you do to make this happen?" "Is there a better way of doing what you have done?" "How do you know the scarphs are correct?" "Why do you think that it is necessary to plan both P&S planks so they have the same fair shape?" 'Why are the ends left long?"
