Having recently left the corporate retail fashion industry behind to pursue a career in teaching it instead; this blog is personal reflective journey of the first Unit on my PgCert qualification in Academic Practice in Art, Design. Focusing on Communication Theories, Policies & Practices. I expect to be challenged by this course and leave my comfort zone but take each session at a time, with an aim to develop my skill as an educator throughout the process.
My first standout challenge came in Workshop 1 (January 10th) which came in the form of interpreting academic reading set as a pre workshop task. My first reading ‘The potential of online object-based learning activities to support the teaching of intersectional environmentalism in art and higher education’ by Willcocks, Judy and Mahon, Kieran (2023), I found overwhelming at first, with new concepts, language, and a writing style I am unfamiliar with compared to my industry experience. With guidance I soon found that although the concept seemed complicated when breaking down the text into manageable chunks and open discussion with my piers the concept dealt with was not as complex as at first glance. I take forward from this to encourage students to share and discuss even when unsure of content.
I have participated in 2 workshops and my first 1 to 1 tutorial, all conducted online. I had opted for this format to fit around my work and family commitments but felt unsure how engaged I would be being taught remotely. I also find this digital concept particularly interesting and relevant for my own professional development with any online teaching I may take on. The sessions made up of tutor led learning overview, peer breakout groups, interactive learning activities all keeping the pace and energy moving and so found myself thoroughly engaged with the subjects such as ‘Social Injustice’ in HE covered in Workshop 1, ‘Embracing the Silence’ (Harris, 2022) reading or the Charismatic Lecture discussion in Workshop 2.
However, one item stood out for me in these sessions; a software application known as Miro (www.miro.com), allowing all peers and tutors to interact, post ideas, work together or in selected groups on specific tasks all in one place. This managed to bring the sessions to life and really interact with those around me even though we were not face-to-face. It’s an application I will be sure to explore further in this course but also plan to introduce digitally and face to face in my own professional teaching practice as HE Lecturer. I believe tools such as this will help breakdown barriers with students of both introvert and extrovert disposition.
So far the course has challenged me, so exceeding my initial expectations and I look forward with anticipation for future workshops and plan to continue integrating the learnings into my teaching practice.
References:
Harris, K. (2022). ‘’Embracing the Silence’’. Spark UAL: Creative Teaching and Learning Journal
Willcocks, J and Mahon, K (2023). ‘’The potential of online object-based learning activities to support the teaching of intersectional environmentalism in art and higher education’’ Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education Volume 22 Number 2.
http://www.Miro.com (2024) (accessed: 10 January 2024)