Question for 'educational' type people

[MBH]

I hate the fact I keep coming on here picking people's brains, but things are not great at the moment and all help is appreciated

Some may know I finally put myself through the PTLLS course a couple of years ago. I was disparaging at the time because I felt I already knew the information and needed to spend that time and energy just to get a bit of paper saying I could do what I already knew I could do

The local education course paper includes the following and I'd appreciate any views of the 'value' of it (provided I can find the 30 teaching hours necessary to do the course):

Certificate in Education & Training – Level 4

Education and Training
Who is the course for?

This course will prepare trainee teachers to teach in a wide range of contexts and is suitable for anyone who is not currently teaching or training but who can meet the teaching practice requirements. It is also suitable for anyone who is currently teaching or training, including those who have just begun teaching and training, and who can meet the teaching practice requirements or for anyone working as assessors who wish to achieve a teaching qualification. This qualification has replaced the previous Level 3 and Level 4 Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (CTLLS) following the review by Lord Lingfield ‘Professionalism in Further Education, March 2012’ and subsequent recommendations of LSIS ‘Further Education and Skills in England: New Qualifications for Teachers and Trainers: Phase Two – Findings Report (LSIS 2013)

So it seems that Petals, Kettels, and Dettols are dead and gone and there is no indication from this write-up what the qualification will allow me to do. [As I understood the original set of three, the higher one DTLLS allows you to create your own course structure as well as presenting them The small point I've been doing that for 30 years has nothing to do with that ]

The reason I'm looking at this now? The price is over £1200 but as I'm a "job seeker" I can get it for a fiver That makes no sense but needs serious consideration.

I need to sign up quickly once people are back to work, but any thoughts would be userful.

[Bunnylump]

I'm really sorry, MBH, but I don't know anything about this course, not something I've come across. I'd suggest trying to contact the course providers and ask them EXACTLY what this would qualify you FOR. You may find that you need to be able to prove that you have a certain number of teaching hours before you can apply (which I would have thought should be easy, although I don't know what sort of proof you would need.) All I can tell you is that a level 4 course is usually roughly equivalent to the first year of a degree course. The only other comment is that you would probably have to take a numeracy and literacy test before they would enrol you.

My only other thought is: if you can get it for £5, you might just as well!! It wouldn't stop you applying for jobs in the meantime (they would have to let you go for interviews, I would think.) Certainly past experience in the employment advisory service (yonks ago) told me that doing virtually ANYTHING is better on a CV than doing nothing. So even if it gives you something to put on your CV while you look, it can't hurt. From the point of view of a person who regularly has to sift through hundreds of job applications, I can also tell you that someone who keeps busy and takes on new training courses is infinitely more likely to be interviewed than someone who has simply listed themselves as a "jobseeker". It shows initiative and that you are a hard worker.

Oh, and it would get you out of the house.

[Laura]

Yeah, I think if you can get a qualification for that little monetary cost, and you can find the time to do it, it ought to be a good thing. And some of it might be stuff that you already know (as it seems to be on most courses) but there might be some useful stuff in there as well.

[MBH]

I have already talked with the course organizer and had an on-the-spot pre-course interview. He thought this would be ideal for following on from the PTLLS I've already got, but suspected that schools and universities might still need you to follow on to the 'even higher' one With everything being new (again) nobody knows how to use these qualifications. [Funny way to run an education system ]

The only other comment is that you would probably have to take a numeracy and literacy test before they would enrol you.

On the LIAZe bus we were promoting the 'Test The City' challenge for numeracy and literacy. I passed the appropriate level fairly easily on both, and could do that again if it were needed (and I couldn't find those certificates that I think so highly of - LOL).

I probably should remind any readers of this that I don't actually LIKE 'learning' in an academic sense, and I tend not to be able to read anything unless it includes spell casting, aliens, time travel (or hopefully all three). This doesn't make me an ideal student

I also have a strong 'soapbox level' dislike of paperwork that I consider a waste of time. [Specific, detailed lesson plans - critical self-review of lessons - almost everything else] Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't prepare, but I had my 25 week CLAIT course perfectly prepared on a single side of A4 paper and it worked fine for a number of years.

Obviously the cost of this is shouting out for attention, but I need to get more practical stuff out of it than paper proof of what I already know I can do. [Not being big headed, but the evening class organizers invited me back 13 years in a row and I had the best student retention figures in the school, so I figure I was doing things right ]

[Bunnylump]

Well, that was what I was wondering, whether you might be able to do this course and then take on evening classes etc. again at the college. Trust me, there are A LOT of really, truly abysmally carp IT teachers out there. They might be glad of having someone who knows what they're doing AND has an up to date piece of paper to prove it. But there's no point doing it unless they accept the qualification.

[MBH]

Trust me, there are A LOT of really, truly abysmally carp IT teachers out there.

That's the impression I get, but can't understand it. It's so damned easy to do

[Bunnylump]

Oh, you can DEFINITELY go off people, you know*...



(I find anything technology / IT related difficult!!)

[MBH]

Oh, you can DEFINITELY go off people, you know*...

Not 'doing' it, dear Sister - that is as good or as bad as you allow yourself practice time to be. I meant teaching it is easy That's why I was amazed a few years back when Kingsley reported her I.T class as being 'boring'

[MBH]

For better or worse I've signed up to this course - but I think I might be the only potential student If that's the case then I don't think it is likely to go forward. We'll wait and see.

I still need to find 30 hours of teaching practice to do it, so I think that means I need to restart Taylor Made Solutions (to be in with a chance of getting paid for that teaching).

[Bunnylump]

Do you HAVE to be paid for it?* Or can it be voluntary hours? I know that when K did her teacher training they counted all her volunteer work at the primary school while she was at uni.

*Although, obviously, it would be NICE to be paid for it...