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Maureen -
Thanks for this - I have received several responses which indicates that the second one got through - but many mention that the first one did too. I think that I forwarded John H's notes about the website? - I certainly hope so.
I'm glad you found the thoughts useful. I have some fears that in the whole education field, there is a tendency to forget the direct human inter-action of teacher and taught; and yet the reality of large class sizes means that we must seek other ways... I suppose that is at least one reason why Learning Development practitioners exist: to plug a gap left by the expansion of group sizes caused by the expansion of institutions. That's perhaps where school-teaching experience seems useful to me: all of us who worked in secondary schools have been through something of the same process already; and we have experience of how to foster the young learner's personality, interests and learning in ways that many academic specialists seem to find difficult, or perhaps take for granted ("they've got into Uni, so surely are interested and wiling to learn. Now let's get on with the umlaut-rule in German/carbon chain-bonding/counterfactuals/mark-up languages/whatever").
I like your list of the skills that we use. What about 'experience'? I find that I am often going into a kind of autopilot (about referencing, apostrophes, sing/plural confusions [with non-native speakers], literal/figurative language, formatting assignments in Word etc etc which is practised and helps students, but is easy for me to do - because I have been doing it for 40 years! That, of course, is something that cannot be replicated in any course; it is unthinkable for me to be able to develop a 'lesson' in which I pass it on. But, as we learning advisers above all should know, such learning can only really be done at first hand, and takes time to acquire: it can't be TAUGHT, but perhaps 'mentored'. The good advice I have received from colleagues takes time to sink in, mature, become my practice. A lot of it has been ignored until I got old enough and experienced enough to absorb it usefully - that is, truly. And of course, all that I have learnt has been coloured by my own personality and experience and skills.
More ramblings fro a Monday morning... I will close.
Peter
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Fri 12/10/2007 09:33
To: Peter M Wilson
Subject: Re: I hope this gets through!
Hello Peter
Just to let you know that I did receive your 'hope this gets through' email which I was delighted about, not only as I found the content very interesting and agree with you to a large extent about the 'unteachability' of much of our job - I have a slightly similar background to yourself, having taught languages at a secondary school, moving from there to teach TEFL abroad for 3 years, a 5 year foray into HR in the private sector, then back into FE and finally HE for the last 10 years. Skills acquired along the way: confidence building, empathising, supporting, analysing needs etc....all these and more in addition to 'teaching' academic skills, has been more like a process osmosis, (absorbed over many years in the profession), than a conscious acquisition of a particular skill set.
The other reason I was relieved to receive your email is that I have been experiencing difficulties with the site and haven't received anything since mid August. Could you let me know if other members have received your email or is it just me, receiving a 'rogue' email that didn't get through to the rest of the site,
Many Thanks
Maureen Preece
Academic Skills Tutor
University of Chichester
----- Original Message -----
From: Peter M Wilson
Date: Thursday, October 11, 2007 10:31 pm
Subject: I hope this gets through!
To: [log in to unmask]
> I sent this once to John Hilsdon, who got it it, and told me to
> send it to the list. I tried once, but I am told it has not
> arrived. So I am sending it again. I suppose it's too much to
> ask you to let me know if it doesn't arrive ? ?? ???
>
> Peter
>
> Peter Wilson
> Study Advice Service
> University of Hull
>
>
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