[SENco-forum] Re: More crazy jargon

It is not HE lecturers per se that are causing me a problem but the material
that I am having to grapple with .

I have no problem with ' plan ahead, change as you go, apply hindsight to
improve planning for next time' being called 'reflective practice' or it
having to be written up with 'emotion' as if it were another factor to be
recorded, but who writes - 'had a uniquely inspired and crafted learning
experience to share that was not quite able to reach the full potential of
its stated learning intentions because of a prior and unresolved breakdown
in interpersonal communication following a peer lead discussion reviewing
the possible re-location of personal apparatus' translating to 'science
teacher nicked my coffee and I couldn't get my brain in gear.  It's like
'positive reporting', but much, much worse.  If they just want me to write
something of a complexity that no-one else can understand who is at fault
why didn't they just say so.

Having got rid of 'legalise' why are we now drowning in 'educationalisms'.
Has anyone read through any  DFES gems that could not have been summed up by
a dozen bullet points 'for action'.  I have books that contains words I
recognise in isolation, that have been joined together to represent a whole
new context or meaning, and wrapped up with so many 'educationalisms' in one
paragraph that it becomes unreadable.  I have read scientific research
papers with less difficulty and more understanding!

Sharon

PS Brendan mentioned 'children' but I don't think we have covered that topic
yet!  Although I have to observe or support selected specimens I do not have
to refer to 'children' at all in my reports only to compare or contrast them
to developmental tables or align what they or I have done to a particular
theorists view.  I do not have to assess them at the start of an 8 week
'interaction period' or show that what I have been doing has (or hasn't)
helped them to make progress.  I am not sure if it is my prior learning, or
my learning style preferences, that are at fault.  Maybe I am having
difficulty getting to grips with the idea that I could be struggling with a
lower level of study because it needs to be presented in a style that I am
unfamiliar and uncomfortable with.  My husband just says 'play the game'.

--
Subject: Re: [SENco-forum] Re: More crazy jargon

Oh! and BTW Phillip -- I agree -- there are the most brilliant people in the
Higher Education field -- positively inspiring and changing the lives of
their students -- and are a real force in changing society.

And there are some real nutters I'm afraid -- and twill always be so.
Unfortuanately it oftens happens (as in politics) that the real nutters get
into power and the really effective hard workers remain at the lower levels
of influence. Brendan

-----Original Message-----
From: Philip.Garner at northampton.Ac.Uk
To: SEN at tringham.net; june_marriott at yahoo.co.uk;
senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Sent: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 8.35PM
Subject: RE: [SENco-forum] Re: More crazy jargon

Hi

I share your concern, although I think you need to recognise (as I'm sure
you
do) that there are many experienced tutors working as 'lecturers' in our
university system who have got both feet in the real world and who don't buy
in
to the guru-style, image-conscious superficiality that you highlight.

What's also very apparent to me is the extent to which 'new' ideas,
parcelled up
as the latest policy initiative, are in fact repetitions of stuff that's
been
implemented 20, 30 or even 40 years ago. When I re-read some of my older
books &
journals I'm left thinking why were these ideas not persevered with. The
simple
reason is that innovations have a lifespan & when they're politically no
longer
useful they're disregarded.

Maybe I've been involved for too long in this work. Cynicism and
SEN/Inclusion
are not good bedfellows!

Best wishes

Philip Garner

________________________________

From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk on behalf of SEN at tringham.net
Sent: Tue 3/13/2007 3:59 PM
To: June Marriott; Becta Senco
Subject: RE: [SENco-forum] Re: More crazy jargon

The latest book I am reading is on 'Reflective Practice', directed at new
teachers and is asking me 'Are you feeling part of the classroom?' It is
telling me to 'get in touch with my valid emotions - anxiety, bewilderment
or a feeling of being overwhelmed.'

What is overwhelming me at the moment is the sheer level of touchy feely new
age jargon being thrown at me by management consultants masquerading as
lecturers/teachers.

Excuse me while I pop off to deal with Exercise 1 -use words that convey
deep feelings (eager/frustrated/and all the earlier examples!) to describe a
single incident that moved or challenged you regarding your new
responsibilities or role as a teacher.

That would be the defining moment when I realised that the very deep
breathing and slow counting I am now employing is a valid learning strategy
allowing me to acknowledge and validate my feelings whilst resisting my
initial impulse to strangle the author, or become embittered by the very
deep and real hatred she/ he has awakened in me.

I can now say that I am able to: participate alongside a wide ability range
of students, engineering and coordinating learning opportunities to maximise
alternative learning styles to individualise and accommodate a diversity of
learners in a way that enables the learner population to both embrace our
share time together whilst positively affecting learning outcomes.....and I
thought that was what a good teacher did without having to spell it out in
words of ONLY 3 or more syllables.  No wonder I get A for practical and C-
for self evaluation.

I feel like a dinosaur (and that is not as a result of wanting to expand my
learning in a Multi-Intelligence Naturalist sort of way!)

Sharon

PS  Is there a special educational thesaurus I am missing?

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