My foundation degree journey

Well it's that time again and my assignment is due. I have changed my way of writing and today have written my educational style introducation. Dead impressed long words and BERA is mentioned so that's one box ticked!
Yesterday I wrote up the two enquiries I had to carry out but they were far too narrative so thought I'd get myself into 'educational style'
I've re-read the marking criteria and I'm going to now change my enquiries to match those ( and this year instead of going for a pass, I'm aiming for a 'clear pass' my thinking is if I aim for this one I should get a pass everytime) I did on my last module but the 'weightings' were diofferent, on this module each assignment is worth 25% of the total marks.

oh by the way the assignment is called my learning life and support staff roles and is supposed to be a reflection and evaluation of my learning life and it's relevance to my current role ( it aint got one) and comparing and contrasting my role with that of another member of staff in my school - workforce remodelling here I come!

sounds nice and meaty Helen, good luck x

blow, blow, blow, blow - I could think of other words
this is not going well, I hate academic writing!!

oh dear big hugs xx

just got the referencing to do now so taking a break be glad when it's all over!!! ah well only 4 more of these and 5 more for the one starting in Feb

I have finished it I am not re reading it again no way will print it off and give to my mentor and my 'victim' who allowed me to interview her poor lady said she wanted to read it lol. just need to wait for my mentors comment form (she has to confirm I have done all the enquiries) and I'm hitting the button! hope its enough fo a pass

well it was enough for a pass (a clear one) with 63% overall. This broke down to 63% for 3 categories and 78% for the other two. I did manage one 78% last module so two in one assignment aint bad. (bit like strictly counting my scores lol) ah well no rest have 6 enquiries to do before christmas and the next assignment is due in Jan. I'm supposed to get 5 hours a week at work - 5 mins is the norm!!!! fun times

Fantastic result Helen, so pleased for you. You work extremely hard adapting the modules to meet your role. I do hope you get that time from work

Wow Helen thats great ! do you find essay writing easy ? do you have any tips for me ???

no I dont Linda to be honest I wrote this one about four times once as normal blurb then looked at criteria, and rewrote to that, then looked at l.o. and references and rewrote then word count and rewrote
it works for me

ok got my second assignment back. Now this one has had me in tears. All the studying and reading was done while I was ill. I couldnt read my notes (and lost half of them). I found it really difficult to link my observations to the study materials and was resigned to a really bad score but it came back as a 78% and for criteria 4 and 5 I was marked at 93% however because I got 78 on the other 3 criteria that was my final mark.
Now I am just dead confused cos I worked really hard on my first one, referred to marking criteria all the time to make sure I was hitting each area and got 63 but this one I was just so lost I wrote a load of drivel and hoped for the best and I get 78! I cannot see where these extra marks come from when I compare the two. The only thing I did majorly different was to refer to my own readings and research not just the set books. Now I know this gets brownie points but surely not that many!!!
so the new way of writing assignments is: be far too busy to do observations properly, become unwell, lose study notes and finally abandon all hope of a good mark and send it off!!!!

Ooh Helen that will always get you extra marks !! showing you can research your own primary resources is a big tick in the box!! xx

Brilliant -you are so lucky that you obviously have a way with words unlike myself

you have good speaking skills Linda tape what you want to say and type it up. You will get there

What a brilliant idea Helen! Try it Lindy Lou xxx

Thanks Helen will try it as Im getting fed up with rubbish marks !

well my next module has started it's entitled 'childhood' and I hate it. Probably cos I've only read one chapter called crisis in childhood which is basically about scare stories and stupid people buying everything but the kitchen sink for their little darlings, throwing masshoosive parties and never letting them go out without 5 bodyguards - oh ok I'm been a bit over the top but I hate the bleedin thing! I was really hoping to have got into it but a massive cloud descends on me when I think about having to read more. Not content with that I went to the first tutorial and the tutor has only one tone of voice, spoke for nearly two hours just reading what he had written on the white board and then said thanks for coming and left 5 minutes before the tutorial was due to end!!! He hadnt started until 10 mins after it was due to start either so felt a bit short changed tbh!!!!

Oh not good Helen, wish I could inspire you chick but it does sound dire lols as does the tutor x

it will be my penance for been daft enough to start this. So far. even though I am very busy and sometimes the material makes me want to scream and shout, I have enjoyed the modules. This must be the one which reminds me how much I hate studying as long as it's the only module I hate I'll be doing o.k.

still plodding through 'childhood' after chapter one childhood in crisis, chapter 2 was Historical approach to childhood, loads of stuff of witches and child labour, chapter 3 was developmental approach which was easy cos it was our old friends piaget and vygotsky.
I then had to break off and write an assignment for my other module now this one was wholly made up as I had no time at all to do said enquiry with child but I have received my mark back of 93%!!!!!! Now doesn't that show it's not about how you teach and work with children but about how you write essay to criteria!!!

Totally agree Helen !!! this really annoys me BIG TIME - uni make it so obvious that classroom experience means nothing, they will only value you as a person if you can produce a good essay which is brilliant if you have the ability (as you have -jealous ? me ? =YES but soooooo well done to you thats fab -wish i had your ability )
BUT here i am poor at essay writing so they will write me off despite my 12 yrs experience as a TA /hlta etc AND the recommendation fromMr Ofsted !!

Hacked off doesnt even begin to describe my feelings as i feel its totally descriminatory and puts no value on experience at all and yet they were willing to accept me on just my experience ? doesnt compute in my mind

no nor mine either you should not feel down as you are brilliant at what you do. My darling daughter is really upset cos her friends are getting firsts and she is getting 2.2's but as I tell her she is a much better practitioner and this is what counts. Perhaps you should contact Mr Ofsted for a reference for when you qualify. Didnt post my mark to make you jealous but to illustrate how silly it all is! I feel it is your work 'in the field' which should matter not how you can write an essay of course we must be literate and numerate but tis not all teaching kids to read and write grrrrr.
also spend ages getting Harvard referencing just right and tbe tutor for new module says just put numbers in brackets next to quotes or references to readings and then list the books in a reference list!!! and if you use the same book twice just put the initials of book!!!! Now why cant they all say the same

Oh Helen you are so lovely !!
There is no way I will be getting a 2.1 as my grades are not high enough but as long as i pass I`ll still have a BA Hons (ED) which at least sounds good its possible to lose up to 10% on incomplete refs,
Our uni are so hot on Referencing - weve all become obsessed !

exactly!! I've sent email to o.u. asking them to standardise their referencing policy lol wonder if my marks will go down lol

Wow! That is a fabulous mark Helen! I bow in your presence I never got that near at all when I did mine. Mind you I was grateful for a pass towards the end as I got fed up of it taking over my life well done!

I wish Helen lived nearer lol

I am contactable by phone and email Linda!!!

I did my enquiry for my next assignment today - How children use or would like to use technology at home and school.
I need to write it up. present my findings to a group of people (smt have decided it will be them) and then write an assignment about the experience and some other stuff which I have forgotten. The major finding was how little how children actually use ICT for anything other than game playing and using word and powerpoint!!! hmmmm have to spread that out for 3000 words!!!