Saturday, 18 April 2009

Wicked! BSL TV


Wicked! is a brand-new TV series presented in British Sign Language, which sees the Wicked Campervan travelling around the UK in search of stories in the Deaf Community.In each episode, there is plenty to see - from film reviews to local profiles, films from deaf filmmakers and an exciting main story - in a different part of the country every week!The first episode can be viewed on the website

It is also available to view on Community Channel.

Thanks to the disabilitymessageboard.blogspot for the link

Thursday, 16 April 2009

What’s new in the online Pre-entry Curriculum Framework

The first thing to say is that it is that the Pre entry Curriculum framework is now available on the Excellence Gateway
You will be asked to register to access the information. (don't forget to record the work you do on your CPD record)


The Pre entry Curriculum framework at the Excellence Gateway is well worth exploring. It is fully interactive and gives good examples of how to intergrate numeracy ,literacy and communication. There is an example scheme of work, Individual Learning Plan, individual targets and lesson plan available at the Holistic overview ( click on the different texts .Its not just a boring flow diagram) Each element of the curriculum also has example activities and there are a wide range of supporting documents.


Summary of Changes
from the document
What’s new in the online Pre-entry Curriculum Framework

Changes to curriculum elements

o The language of the curriculum elements has been edited and simplified where possible to make it more user friendly to a wider audience.
o Some of the detail of the curriculum elements has been amended or simplified to make it more consistent with the P-Scales and more accessible to a wider audience.


Changes to other parts of the curriculum

o There are now examples of possible activities provided for all elements. These are intended to provide guidance about how skills can be taught, but are not intended to be prescriptive, nor are they intended to indicate that the PECF should be taught as atomised skills, nor sequentially as a ‘syllabus’.
o Some activities from the Pre-entry Curriculum Framework (PECF) have been added to the sample activities for ESOL Entry 1 Reading and Entry 1 Writing illustrating the cross-over between the PECF and the ESOL Core Curriculum.
o The glossary has been reviewed and integrated with all the other core curricula into a single glossary.


Additional documents

o There is now a holistic overview providing an example of how the PECF can be used embedded in a vocational context (floristry). A visual overview indicates how a learner centred approach can draw on the PECF to inform teaching and learning and the progression towards vocational target skills. Individual, more detailed, documents can be accessed by clicking on the overview. These include :
• a personal profile

• an individual learning plan

• the groups’ individual targets

• itemised numeracy, communication and literacy, and vocational targets

• a learning plan for individual differentiation

• scheme of work

• a range of explanatory documents including some guidance about why person centred planning is important, explanations of teacher planning and the wider learning context for person centred planning
o There is a second holistic overview providing an example of how the PECF can be used to support person centred teaching and learning for learners with profound and complex learning needs using earlier Milestones.

Individual, more detailed, documents can be accessed by clicking on the overview. These include:
• a learner profile

• an individual learning plan

• communication, numeracy and personal skill targets

• a lesson plan showing how individual targets are selected for particular sessions

o A wide range of guidance documents.

Most of these relate to working with adults with profound and complex learning needs


PECF on the Embedded Skills page

o Task analysis diagrams: These diagrams show how literacy, language and numeracy are integrated in real everyday life, study and work tasks, at a range of levels from pre-entry to Level 2 of the national standards.
o Integrated skills: These diagrams provide suggested activities for specific tasks which involve language and literacy and/or numeracy at a range of pre-entry levels: Car valeting and Making flower arrangements.


The Pr entry Curriculum framework is still available at the old location at Read Write.


Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Going for an eye test

Look Up website features a DVD You and Eye for adults with a learning disability .Its about the importance of eye care and vision. The film can be watched online and is available in 5 chapters/films. Alternatively a copy can be ordered via their website.

Sunday, 12 April 2009

Bird nesting in Scotland

My friend Jane has sent me this picture of her Easter hen with eggs.I love the way the hen is displayed in all her glory on the front wall.I think this could make a good creative arts projects with my students.

Saturday, 11 April 2009

Happy Easter

ImageChef Word Mosaic - ImageChef.com



Thanks to The Generator blog for the link to Image Chef.

Monday, 6 April 2009

Ideas from the Heritage Project

The Access to Heritage project was set up by Liverpool Mencap in 2005 to find out what could be done to make heritage venues accessible for people with learning disabilities.
The project has successfully engaged adults with a learning disability in the environment around them by creating a multi sensory experience.I have listed some of my favourites below:
A sensory box with mirrors on a table to see and touch the ornate designs on the ceiling.
Mrs Beeton's
Recipe books with smells of herbs
B
ellow phones that push out smells and sounds
Digital picture frame showing pictures of members of the Access to Heritage Group dressed in Victorian style with piano music.
A sensory glove to record the sound of touching different objects
Craft workshops to
produce rubbings from the timber framed building, modeling food workshop inspired by the kitchen
Dressing up in
Tudor style clothes.

Sunday, 5 April 2009

Imagine Symbols

Imagine Symbols .This set of symbols is available free for non commercial use.The symbols are designed for AAC users with limited literacy skills.The files can be downloaded by giving name and contact details. The Zip file is 291 MB and took me 10 minutes to download. I read about this on " Les Infos Flash" .Once downloaded the files are neatly categorised into different folders such as House. The House folder is then divided into rooms such as Kitchen, Bathroom and Laundry.

Contributors Wanted


I love writing my blog but it takes up a lot of time. I am looking for people to help write Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties If you would like the opportunity to share your knowledge and ideas why not think about becoming:

A one off contributor. If you have something exciting to share send it in and I'll publish.
An occasional blogger.Contribute when you have every time e.g. every 1 to 3 months.
A regular blogger- Contribute once a week.
or you could
Email me with information which I can use to write a blog entry.


The blog is about teaching students 16+ with a learning disability/difficulty and I write from the perspective of a teacher within the Further Education Sector in the UK. I also want my blog to be useful to teachers and other professionals who work with adults and young people with a learning disability and so am interested in contributions on a wide variety of subjects and issues not only from lecturers and teachers but other professionals who work with adults and young people with a learning disability in other organisations. Contributions from outside of the UK are also very welcome.
If you think you would like to help write the blog why not email me?
learningdifficultiesblog@googlemail.com

Image from
Hiking Artist

Thursday, 2 April 2009

Writing and Telling Stories for Adults



Reading for Pleasure has just been launched by Niace . The site is primarily a Skills for Life resource but may be relevant if you are working with Adult Entry level groups on developing reading and story writing skills.
It has a section on
Story telling which has lesson plans and ideas as well as a Professional Development Unit which can be used towards the Institute of Learning CPD requirement.
The CPD story telling objectives:
To develop an appreciation of the importance of stories for adult learners.
To develop skills in locating stories with relevant themes
To develop an appreciation of the value of visiting storytellers and ways of
using them effectively in the classroom.
To develop an understanding of the value of storytelling as an empathetic
approach.
To develop an appreciation of using community resources.
To gain practical advice on how to get support from local libraries, the arts
council and the local community.

Tell us Your Story ! from CKUK.org has a creative writing resource to download . The download gives ideas for creative writing sessions. It was originally used in a project called Days Like This in 2008 which aimed to get people in Scotland ,including those with learning disabilities writing Personal stories.

If you are interested in Sensory stories for adults with learning difficulties take a look at Bag Books .

Wednesday, 1 April 2009

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Cookery Milestone 4-8
Today we made
Roasted Vegetable Pasta (BBC Recipe )
I made an ingredients and utensil picture prompt sheet which you can
download from my 4-Shared files.
Most of the images I used came from the
British Nutrition Foundation .