M7

[Guest]

am struggling with this unit not sure how to plan, never done it before! anyone got any examples of long, medium and short term plans and how they did them would be great no asseor at the moment so struggling on my own

lynda

[Sue R]

Lynda,

 

Panic not!! Trawl around the site a bit, you'll see that recently there's been a lot of sharing of plans, so have a look there. I'm more than happy to help any way I can, I'm an Assessor, so ask away!

 

M7 is one of the next Units to be looked at in the NVQ series, so there's more help on the way.

 

If you want to email or PM me with any specifics, please do! You could also try MSN if you've got it, but I tend to be a bit hit-or-miss there!

 

Sue

[SueFinanceManager]

Hi

 

Sue R is right (as usual, she's dead clever you know!!!). If you go to the member's articles section there is an article all about planning in the foundation stage.

 

Hope this helps

 

Sue

[Sue R]

Sue, You're my favourite person!!!

 

You're probably the only one who still thinks I'm clever after some of my recent performances

 

 

Sue

[Rea]

There seems to be a lot of questions from NVQ students who are stuck on various parts of their course work. I did the Diploma in pre-school practice with the PLA so I'm probably missing something with regard to NVQ's, but why are these students struggling? Lynda has been asked to do something she hasn't done before, but shouldn't she of been given the under-pinning knowledge for this before hand? I've found this also with staff I work with who are doing (and have completed NVQ's). Even after completion, I find I'm having to explain in some detail aspects of planning and observing (sometimes to a worrying degree). The knowledge just doesn't seem to be there. Why is this? And could this in part be behind the behaviour we saw in the 'Nursery's uncovered' programme. These students aren't given the information they need as to why we do things and why the children do things. I don't know where I'm going with this, but just felt that I needed to ask the questions.

But anyway, good luck with the planning Lynda, even old hands find it mind boggling at times.

[Beau]

Lynda,

 

I have replied to you on another site I think. I'm really sorry that you're still struggling. If you get in touch with me I'll try to make it simpler. Maybe you are trying to go into it in too much depth?

 

I had a days training at college for this unit. One of the activities they did was to put up 5 large pieces of paper under the headings Physical development, Emotional development, Language development, Creative development and Intellectual development. Then we got into groups with post it notes and had to think up activities we do with children - like playing with sand. We then had to write it on the post it note and stick it on the piece of paper we thought it related to. Most activities will actually cover more than one area of development. Anyway, once we had finished we all got to walk around and look at what other people had done. Then the tutors said - there's your long term plan. You have plenty of activities covering all areas of a child's development. It really is as simple as that Lynda. If you don't work in a setting where the foundation curriculum is used then you don't need to worry about it. The important thing is to be covering all aspects of a childs development. Hope this makes sense.

 

But don't struggle alone - of you're stuck on a particular aspect ask for help.

[Sue R]

Rea,

I think you're probably right in some of what you say,although some of the problem can also be the tendency that has developed to make NVQ a 'Training Course', which is NOT what it was designed for. It's true purpose was to allow practitioners with plenty of experience and knowledge but no formal qualification to gain recognition for their skills. As such, it assumes knowledge it does not 'teach', requiring research on the part of candidates where gaps in their knowledge might become apparent. Equally, no-one should 'struggle' - that's what their Assessor is for, support as well as assessment. I have often directed people to their Assessors when responding here and elsewhere, and have later been told that they have received lots of help once they asked!!

Moral? Never be afraid to ask your Assessor for help. I would be mortified if I thought my candidates felt they couldn't ask for help!!!

 

The girls in my Nursery that are training do the NVQ in the way I don't agree with, being assessed by a training agency. However, the experienced staff will 'buddy-up' to offer practical supprt and advice, and I'm used as a kind of 'Mentor', because I made so much fuss about it!!

 

Sue

[Guest]

thanks for everyone taking an interest in m7. i work in a special school and most of my settings planing is done to equals. i do not plan but work form my teachers planning. we do not observe the children in depth either, just short reports at the end of the lessons. i am finding it hard to complete at the moment for 1 when i started i was told i would have access to tutorals at college, these have now been stopped and 2 i havent got an asseor, mine packed in so i havent seen anyone since july! keeping phoning up college still waiting they may get a move on soon as they are being visited by ofsted soon! anyway my teacher is going to fetch me some of her old planning in from her teacher training and show me how she did hers hope she remembers. someone said that the nvq is to show your experince, i agree i flew through c7,c10 and c15 these units i deal with everyday but my knowledge lacks in the planning, observing areas. this must be so for other people, they must be more experinced in some areas than others. hope m7 is the next unit to be looked into as form talking to others on another site this is the most difficult one for them to do

lynda