Leading a session - additional points

Okay, so we have looked at session plan on how to complete the main part of it with the introduction, body and summary, so we are going to look at the completion of the rest of the session plan.

Now, on the front page, it is down to the tutor to write what the specific aim is, so I have already said you need to state your aim and outcome to our learners when we are running a session. So it is very specific that you complete the aim part. So the aim of your session is what you want learners to do. Okay? And then specific learning outcomes. Now, remember, we always have at least four. If it is a 30-minute micro-teach, under the old education and training, there is four learning outcomes. On education and training, you may have more outcomes because you are running longer sessions and it may be broken up into more parts. So it greatly depends on what is in there, but it is the specific learning outcomes.

So now the other bit what goes with this is "by the end of the sessions, learners will be able to... " And this is where we use what is called smart words. Smart words are there to help support the assessment. So that is stuff like: Explain, identify, analyse, list. Depends on what the question is as part of the knowledge from the standards, whereas a demonstrate would be someone who is doing something practically as a skill. So we are either checking knowledge with some smart words or we are checking practicals with a demonstration. So it is remembered the tutor's aim, tutor's aim and then there are four learning outcomes for that session.

Now, the other parts what we need to complete are there is a section on "equality and diversity will be achieved by... " So the main point of this is that... Remember, we are talking about how we treat our learners fairly, with dignity, respect, that there is inclusion, that everyone has the same opportunity. So that is the sort of stuff we are going to be putting in this box. So, equality and diversity would be achieved by treating all learners fairly and giving them equal opportunities to participate in our activities and discussions.

So it is a very, very broad thing we are putting on there but it must be completed and a lot of assignments that we get in when people send it in their session plans, these boxes are actually empty, so it is very important we put it in there. So how it is going to be achieved then is so I would put something like, "All the learners will be treated fairly and given equal opportunities to participate." So that is actually showing anyone who may be doing an audit or looking at what we are doing for our sessions, that how I am going to ensure equality and diversity occur.

Functional skills. Functional skills are... The three main points would be English, Maths and Information and Communication Technology, or ICT. So within that functional skills, the subject, because we are in the United Kingdom, we are going to be teaching the subject in English, so it will be taught in English and that could be written and verbal and then dependent on the subject that you are going to be teaching, if you are doing something where there might be measurements or calculations, this is where you may put something to do with mathematics in there. So it might be simple mathematics of counting from one to 30 if we are doing a first aid course. You have done 30 compressions, so you need to know how to count to 30. So it is just an idea of what type of subject it is and then what type of functional skills we will be able to embed in our session. And then ICT, information communication technology, it could be that we get people to do some research, so that could be that they are actually looking things up on their phones, or if they have got their laptops, looking stuff on their laptops, completing their assignments on laptops. So they are using the ICT. So that goes in for our functional skills.

Now, this is a difficult one for some learners to complete, the last one: "Number and background and experience of students." Now, if you are working on an apprenticeship course, you will know the background of the learners, you will know what level they are at because they have signed up, so we can actually identify. This might be on a basic awareness because they are all new to the industry, or it could be that someone has come on a level two course or a level three course, depending on what it is, but we would always err on the side of caution and say, okay, number may be... Most classes now run between six to 12 learners, so if we have got, say six learners, so it could be just stating "Six learners from varied backgrounds." Unless you have got a course which you know is a level two, so they have to be at that level, or level three, they have to be at that level, or if it is an introduction course, no one has got any idea of the subject that you are going to be teaching.

So key points to completing the other parts of the session plan are, make sure you clearly state your aim, make sure you have your four learning outcomes, make sure equality and diversity, how that is going to be achieved, make sure you are identifying functional skills, and actually you are identifying how many learners are going to be attending your session. So those are the key component parts on there. So please ensure that you do complete these if you are going to be sending this in on the virtual learning environment, or if it is preparation in the classroom ready to teach a session.