Exploring children's difficulties with language and literacy
What happens if children aren’t making progress with language and literacy, and what sort of learning impairments might be the cause? How can the study of children’s thinking help us to understand these learning difficulties? This album offers insights into some of the problems faced by children with the developmental disorders dyslexia, poor comprehension and specific language impairment. In the main audio tracks, educators, therapists and researchers explore why children might have languag
Learning to change
This free course, Learning to change, is for people who are thinking about making changes in their lives, such as returning to study or taking a different direction at work. It will help you build on what you already know; consider the choices open to you; use your skills and qualities to achieve change; and make plans for the future.
First published on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 as Author(s):
Teaching assistants: support in action (Chinese)
本免费课程是“助教：提供行动支持”课程的中文翻译版本，英文原版也在本网站中提供。 This free course is the Chinese version of Teaching assistants: support in action which is also available in English.
First published on Tue, 16 Feb 2016 as Author(s):
Introduction In this course you will be building on your previous study and experience of ‘working with others’. Using the notion of ‘teamwork’, you will be asked to think specifically about the values and beliefs underpinning the following three aspects of practice: developing working relationships with other professionals; sharing information and skills with other professionals; working in cooperation with other professionals
Childhood in crisis?
This free course, Childhood in crisis?, explores an idea much repeated in minority-world media that childhood is in crisis. Looking at this idea is a starting point for the study of childhood. You will consider the concept of childhood and the ways in which the notion of crisis may shape how children in the West are seen. By completing the activities, you will be introduced to different ways of understanding this idea and also asked to consider your own feelings in relation to it.Author(s):
What children and young people say
This free course, What children and young people say, looks at how practitioners and other adults talk to children and young people, and considers how this influences what they tell us. It identifies how children and young people would prefer to be engaged with, what would encourage their confidence in authority figures, and outlines the ways in which adults can improve on their listening techniques.Author(s):
Introduction This course draws attention to the value of a sociocultural understanding of spoken language in the processes of teaching and learning. It focuses upon how language can be used for persuasion, control and argument, and how dialogue can act as an aid to development. Along with some background reading and activities this course offers opportunities for the evaluation of some selected classroom talk. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of postgraduate study in Author(s):
Am I ready to study in English?
Even if you feel confident using English in everyday situations, studying in English at higher education level might present extra challenges. This free course, Am I ready to study in English?, provides an opportunity for you to reflect on your English language skills through a series of academic exercises.
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Introduction This course examines four of the ‘grand theories’ of child development: behaviourism, social learning, constructivism and social constructivism. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of Level 2 study in Education.
Chartered teachers in Scotland
Teachers often have little spare time to reflect on the day's lessons and challenges. However, this evaluation of teaching and learning experiences is vital to their professional development. This free course, Chartered teachers in Scotland, is an extract from the OU's Chartered Teacher Programme for Scotland and will help teachers to evaluate their practice and development opportunities.
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Issues in research with children and young people
This free course, Issues in research with children and young people, considers the aims and range of research with children and young people. Students consider how their own views and understandings about childhood and youth have arisen. Different definitions of research are explored through first-hand accounts by researchers across a range of disciplines and studies, from the small-scale to international studies studying children's lives across several countries. Attention is drawn to the role
Key skill assessment: Communication
Communication is part of everyone's life. Being able to communicate clearly and effectively orally, visually and in writing underpins nearly everything we do. This free course, Key skill assessment: Communication, will help you recognise your strengths as well as the areas where you could improve. In developing and assessing your communication skills, you will learn to recognise, adapt and use your skills confidently and effectively in different situations and contexts.
Introduction This course explores the role of digital media as a teaching tool, focussing on video in particular. We will examine the process of how you can start to use digital video in the classroom, and how to manage your project from objective setting, through story boards and filming, to assessing the success of the final result. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of postgraduate study in Author(s):
Key skill assessment unit: Working with others
Working effectively with other people in a group or a team is a skill valued highly by community and educational organisations, as well as employers. Working in a group is about communicating effectively, contributing ideas, listening and receiving feedback, and leading or following as appropriate. Developing your skills means thinking about and planning the tasks the group needs to do, negotiating with others to develop shared goals and purpose, collaborating to achieve agreed results and then
Introduction Learning how to learn is a process in which we all engage throughout our lives, although often we do not realise that we are, in fact, learning how to learn. Most of the time we concentrate on what we are learning rather than how we are learning it. In this course, we aim to make the process of learning much more explicit by inviting you to apply the various ideas and activities to your own current or recent study as a way of increasing your awareness of your own learning
Learning to learn: Planning for personal change
This free course, Learning to learn: Planning for personal change, explores academic theories and acts as a guide to help you establish where you want to go and what you want to achieve. You are encouraged to develop a personal Action Plan. The focus returns to your own viewpoint and you are encouraged to change or modify how you think about using Learning to learn. The course also looks at how online learning communities can be used as part of the process of learning and personal change. PLEAS
Introduction This unit is aimed at geography teachers, or those with an interest in studying or teaching geography. This unit looks at the contribution that geography can make in the education of young people and the characteristics and purpose of geography as a subject. Find out more about studying with The Open University by visiting our onli
Introduction The activities in this unit are designed to support an individual or group of teachers in preparing a school-based training session for colleagues on creativity and information and communications technology (ICT) in the curriculum. Find out more about studying with The Open University by visiting our online prospectus.
Assessment in secondary music
This free course, Assessment in secondary music, will identify and explore some of the key issues around assessing music in secondary schools. Through coming to understand these issues and debates, you will reflect on and develop your assessment practice as a music teacher and develop a greater awareness of the implications of assessment practice on pedagogy and what is considered to be of musical value in music education.
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Teaching secondary music
This free course, Teaching secondary music, will identify and explore some of the key issues around teaching music in secondary schools. Through coming to understand these issues and debates, you will reflect on and develop your practice as a music teacher and develop a greater awareness of the wider context of music education and how this affects music in the secondary school curriculum.
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