Edexcel CTLLS

Day 2 –

Academic Writing

Aims and objectives:

To introduce the concept of academic writing and referencing written work.

Analyse what is meant by ‘academic writing’ Examine how to respond to a theory question

at Level 4 Practise planning writing and using sources Identify area for individual development

Starter activity Think about what you already know about

academic writing. Score your current level of understanding 1-10

(1= very little, 10 = confident / brilliant!) Stand in a line.

Academic writing is / has….

In groups, finish the sentence in 6 different ways.

According to Gravells (2010), academic writing is…..

Academic writing

It involves more than simply responding to a question It involves more than describing what you do

You will need to analyse the question and respond to it read and analyse what other people have published

about the subject and show that you have read and analysed what others

have said by using references in your work to support / discuss your answer

The learning environment

What impact does the learning environment have on your learners?

Briefly discuss in pairs.

Your views may be something like this. The walls in my classroom are vibrant yellow. It is

important to be aware of the impact of the environment on learners, as although some learners may be motivated and energised by this colour, it may disengage others.

Analyse the colour of the walls in the classroom…

Thompson suggests that the choice of colour in learning environments is very important, stating that it “can either enhance or impair learning, morale and behaviours” and that “yellow is cheery, and blues and greens are calming” (2003 p. 1). However, Radwan suggests that “yellow is an irritating colour” and that some businesses make use of its “agitating effect” (2012 p. 1) . My own experience in working in a brightly painted classroom is that although some learners may be motivated and energised by this colour, it may disengage others.

References

Radwan, M.F. (2012) Colour Psychology www.2knowmyself.com/miscellaneous/Color_psychology [Accessed 21 May 2012]

Thompson, S. (2003) Colour in Education www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=551 [Accessed 21 May 2012]

Should you…..

Use contractions. Use single line spacing Write out numbers in words Exclude quotations from your word count Include page numbers Use informal language Make extensive use of lists and bullet points Just draw on your own experience to answer the

question

An example: “Analyse the role of initial assessment in the learning and teaching process”

Possible start to the question:

Supporting this with theory?

Gravells & Simpson (2011 p. 72) assert that “ascertaining a learner's prior knowledge and experience will identify a relevant starting point for assessment opportunities to alleviate duplication.”

Paraphrase this.

Gravells & Simpson (2011 p. 72) assert that “ascertaining a learner's prior knowledge and experience will identify a relevant starting point for assessment opportunities to alleviate duplication.”

Is this academic enough?

Finding out what a learners knows at the start of their programme will stop you trying to teach them what they already know (Gravells & Simpson, 2011).

Cite it right

Look at the book you are given. Find a useful quotation and cite it. How will you reference this in your

bibliography?

Using web sites?

Be careful!

Considerations:– Who is the author? What qualifications do they have? Are

they really an authority on the subject? Is it a legitimate source?

How to cite? Author/organisation, year of article, title, website

address (URL) and date accessed.

Petty, G. (2004) “What the learner does is more important than what the teacher does” http://www.geoffpetty.com/selfassess.html [Accessed 17/10/11]

Plagiarism

What is it?

Today’s session

Tell the person next to you 2 things you have learned this afternoon.

Next session:

Tasks:

Book your first observation with your mentor Start to research unit 2 theory task