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Why do a Masters?
There is a wide variety of reasons, but people undertaking masters level study report back that they enjoy the opportunity that study at this level gives them to reflect on their work and try new ideas in a structured way. Other reasons might be CV enhancement and the fact that at present the government is working towards a position where all teachers are educated to masters level.
What is PPD?
Postgraduate Professional Development. The training schools in the Eastern Region together with ARU have been successful in bidding to the TDA for funding to subsidize a significant number of teachers to undertake Masters level qualifications.
Where does the ARU fit in?
ARU will be providing much of the tuition and support to local tutors. They will provide the M level accreditation, library and learning resources. They also supply a student card - that will help you to feel young again!
How long will it take me? It depends on you, most people complete in between 3 and 5 years.
Will I have to pay anything?
The TDA subsidy covers most of the cost but either you or your school will need to top up in the region of £90 per 60 credit course.
Do I have to complete the whole masters?
No, and you can gain a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and a Post Graduate Diploma in education with 60 credits and 120 credits respectively.
I already have some credits - can I include them?
Probably - but it will depend when you got them. If your credits are more than five years old however you will need to negotiate with the ARU.
Where will the tutorials take place?
We expect to deliver the tutorials at Aylsham High School. We will be backing up face to face support with online support. One of the benefits of the scheme is we can be quite flexible to meet student need and preference.
How many people are likely to be in my tutor group?
We expect there to be around 10 as a maximum.
What are the workload implications for me?
In a 30 credit module you will engage in approximately 24 hours of face to face tuition - tutorials and seminars. Additional time will be spent reading key texts which will probably be done on line at a time that suits you best. You will spend time planning small scale research projects and recording and reflecting on your findings. Many of the 'study' hours however will be made up by you doing things that are part of their daily work routine.
What makes this work 'Masters' level?
The Masters level comes in from the quality of the reflection and evidence that you have understood theoretical perspectives and applied them to your practice.
How will we know if the M level course is having a positive impact?
We will be asking you to carefully evaluate the impact of your work as part of your studies.
Do I have to get involved in a lot of writing?
It is in some sense up to you. However project reports, reflective diaries, notes from planning work etc are likely to be included. How you present your findings will be up to you to negotiate with the tutor.
What kind of support will I get?
You will get support from your tutor who might come from the ARU or be based in your hub school. Some courses will have on-line support.
How many modules are there? About 40.
What will I learn?
Anglia Ruskin University offers some 40 modules in 8 categories. The categories include 1. Inclusion, 2. Early Years, 3. Curriculum Design, 4. Leadership and Management, 5. Early and Continuing Professional Development, 6. Teaching, Learning & Assessment, 7. Equality and Diversity, and 8. Wider Workforce. Within each of these 8 categories there are at least 3 modules to choose from.
What about the compulsory modules? Yes, you must do a module on Research Methods and you have to do one major project - which might be a dissertation.
How will I find a path through the modules? With support from your tutor and maybe your line manager. One of the interesting challenges will be selecting the module that meets your needs and coincides with the needs of your school.
Will all 40 modules be available at my hub school? Possibly. In the training schools we will offer modules to meet the needs of groups of learners. Don’t forget that within each module there is lots of opportunity to follow individual interests. As you make progress through the modules you may opt to study a module more independently.
Which modules will you definitely be offering? Coaching and Mentoring, NQT Module, Raising Achievement through Improving Teaching & Learning and Action inquiry for Institutional Improvement.
How will I get hold of learning resources? You will have access to the library at ARU in Chelmsford and will have access to online resources through the library.
I get the impression that there are lots of 'mights and maybes' in your answers. Yes there are. This Masters is designed to offer maximum flexibility to meet your needs.
Are there any entry requirements? Yes - QTS if you wish to access the TDA subsidy. Applications can be accepted from staff with out QTS but they would not be eligible for the TDA funding
Modules to be offered at Aylsham High School in Year 1, 2008-2009:
Module: Action Enquiry for Institutional Improvement School improvement at all levels has gained increasing prominence in recent years. The teacher as researcher of educational practices has developed over a longer period of time. This can be seen particularly in relation to teachers' involvement in action research. This module aims to combine the principles and practices of school improvement and action research to enable students to critique and improve professional practices. Therefore, this module will support students in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of an action enquiry approach designed to improve an aspect of teaching, learning, management or leadership within their learning institution. Students will be expected to negotiate a professionally relevant focus, adopt and justify a strategy for their enquiry and engage critically with relevant literature. Workshops and tutorials will be used to facilitate the learning and teaching process. The assessment activity will require students to present a portfolio of evidence which will include their professional context and roles, an action enquiry plan and supporting rationale; project report, evaluation, conclusions and recommendations based on research findings. Module: Early Professional Development for NQTs and Others in the First Five Years of their Careers The module enables newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and other teachers in the early years of their careers to acquire credits during either the induction period or during a similar period of study. It offers opportunities to reflect critically on significant learning derived from experiences in the classroom and/or induction processes. Students will be able to analyse the context and culture of the school where they are working and will place their learning within a framework of early and continuing professional development. Students will also have the opportunity to plan and implement a selected classroom intervention and will learn how to collect evidence to gauge impact on their practice and on pupils' learning. Seminars, tutorials, small and whole group tasks and workshop activities, tutor and student led inputs will feature in the teaching of this module. Assessment is by means of the production of a critically reflective journal. This is constructed over the duration of the module and has to be accompanied by a portfolio of supporting evidence, which is not assessed. Module: Mentoring and Coaching for Institutional Improvement Effective mentoring and coaching is an essential ingredient within any learning organisation committed to the nurturing of skills, knowledge and understandings of its community. The roles of mentor and coach are powerful vehicles of professional learning both for mentor and mentee, coach and learner, providing opportunities for those working in educational contexts to acquire, broaden and deepen the range of skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for proficient professional performance. There is growing recognition of the importance of professionals supporting the professional learning of colleagues in a reciprocal manner, assuming at times, the role of mentor or coach, and at others, that of mentee and/or learner. This module is designed to develop appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills for teachers and other educational professionals undertaking a mentoring and/or coaching role within a range of educational organisations. It explores principles and core concepts of mentoring and coaching as well as associated key skills. It examines the differences between mentoring and coaching, the distinctive characteristics of each concept as well as the complementary and unique roles of each within a range of education and training contexts. This module will take a practitioner-based approach that incorporates peer group and tutor-facilitated discussions and observations, role play, case studies and group-led presentations. For the purposes of the assessment task, participants may focus on themselves as a coach/mentor, or may choose to broaden this focus to their role within their setting that may encompass responsibilities for coaching and/or mentoring, managing others in this role. The module will be assessed by a single assignment in which students will be required either to review critically their own performance as a coach/mentor within their education and training context and develop a plan for enhancing their coaching/mentor skills or review critically the implementation of coaching/mentoring within their context and develop a plan for enhancing their organisation's capacity in coaching and mentoring. It is likely that the assignment will include a summary of evidence, selected on the basis of sufficiency, relevance, authenticity, consistency and currency. This evidence may include relevant extracts from a mentor diary/journal or video with commentary demonstrating the use of coaching/mentoring skills. Differentiation between level 3 and level 4 is achieved through the detailed assessment criteria contained in the module guide. Module: Raising Achievement through Improving Teaching and Learning The focus of this module is located within two paradigms: the critically reflective teacher and practitioner-based inquiry. Contemporary pedagogical issues are covered and critiqued within these conceptual frameworks. For example, issues relating to individuality in learning, matching teaching and learning, thinking skills, assessment, models of learning - tools for teaching, motivation and differentiation will be examined. In-service professionals will also be encouraged to identify professionally relevant themes which can be integrated into the modular programme. Negotiation, partnership and collaborative learning practices are promoted as essential in developing a community of inquiry during the course of the module. Particular emphasis will be placed on the relationship between learning, teaching and research. Case studies, presentations, seminars, tutorials and video-stimulated critical reflections will be used to facilitate the learning and teaching process. The assessment activity focuses on either a Case Study or Action Research approach to investigating pedagogical issues. Differentiation between level 3 and level 4 is achieved through the detailed assessment criteria contained in the module guide.
Programme leading to a Masters:
Contact us here at Aylsham High School, Norfolk or at: Lynn Grove High School, Gorleston, Norfolk http://www.lynngrove.org.uk/ Notre Dame High School, Norwich, Norfolk www.ndhs.org.uk Kesgrave High School, nr Ipswich, Suffolk http://www.splut.com/sub/k/kesgrave-ipswich.html Sawtry Community College, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire http://www.sawtrycc.com/ Greensward College, Hockley, Essex http://www.greenswardcollege.com/  |
     
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