Skills for Life Annual Conference
30 March 2010 ~ 9.00 - 3.30

9.00

Arrival and Registration

9.30

Opening address - tbc

10.15

Coffee

10.30         

Workshops AM1 - AM3

NB For numeracy, it is necessary to attend both morning and afternoon sessions

12.45

Lunch

1.30

Workshops PM1 - PM3

NB For numeracy, it is necessary to attend both morning and afternoon sessions

3.30

Close

Additional presentation for those interested in gaining QTLS (Qualified Teacher and Learning Skills) or ATLS (Associate Teacher and Learning Skills)

AM1

Functional Skills (Literacy)

A chance to look at some assessment papers from different awarding bodies and really get to grip with what the functional literacy tests look like and to discuss implications for practitioners and learners in the classroom. There will also be a tutor who has piloted the functional skills assessments available to share her experience.

AM2

Helping Learners Progress with their Maths

The focus will be on practical teaching and learning approaches relevant across a range of programmes - Skills for Life Numeracy, Functional Maths and Embedded Numeracy.

This session will continue in the afternoon – it will be necessary to attend both sessions.

AM3

Lively lessons – creating interest in the ESOL classroom

What is it that livens up the atmosphere in the classroom, and how can we achieve this without huge amounts of extra preparation?  In this practical workshop, we will be looking at what motivates learners and how we can ‘tweak’ the materials we use (SfL materials, Citizenship materials etc) to maximise learners’ interest.

PM1

Using SMS in the classroom

The use of the Short Messaging Service (or ‘text speak’) has many educational professionals in despair and worried about a lowering of standards in English. However, this new language is so ubiquitous that as teachers we should find ways to embrace the technology and use it to our advantage in the classroom. This workshop will explore the key concepts and develop practical activities to teach literacy using text speak. Bring your mobile phone!

PM2

Helping Learners Progress with their Maths

This is the second part of this morning’s session – it will be necessary to attend both sessions.

PM3

(R)ods and Sods- dusting off your Cuisinaire rods’

Are you wondering what Cuisinaire rods are, or are yours gathering dust in a drawer? If you would like to see how these small wooden rods, (originally designed for use in numeracy work with children) can be used to present grammar and vocabulary in the ESOL classroom, come along! This will be a very hands-on session in which I will give you some ideas and hopefully inspire you to create your own to use in your classroom next Monday morning!