Reflective Writing #5
PIDP 3210 – Assignment 1: Reflection 2
Objective
Adult learners already come to class equipped with Essential Skills. It is not the role of the instructor to teach anything outside of the subject matter.
My second reflective writing assignment will be a response to the above statement. This quote centers on the idea of teaching scope. Essential Skills are defined as reading, document use, numeracy, writing, oral communication, working with others, thinking, digital technology, and continuous learning (Workplace Education Manitoba, 2017). The quote caught my attention because I strongly disagree with the first sentence, and agree with the second. I feel there are two arguments with the above quote: Do students in fact come to class with required Essential Skills? If not, is it my role as an instructor to build these skills in the student?
Reflective
I chose to respond to this quote as it is a subject I often struggle with. On one hand, student success relies heavily on Essential Skills they bring to the classroom. If a student brings adequate skill, I am confident I can teach them the course subject matter. Unfortunately, in my experience, a significant portion of students lack the basic numeracy skills to be successful. This is echoed in a recent University Affairs article by Anne Kershaw, Big drop in math skills of entering students (2010, Sept 13). This article explores the problem, confirming the overall trend of student numeracy falling dramatically.
When students are lacking in areas such as numeracy or critical thinking, they will most certainly struggle in the Electrical program. As an instructor, I want my students to succeed but I can only help them within the scope of the course. There simply isn’t enough time in the schedule to address these shortcomings.
Interpretive
This quote has confirmed a viewpoint I have held for some time. Inherently, I know I cannot bring every student up to the level they need to be performing at. I am a subject matter expert in the Electrical field, but am humble enough to realize I may not be the most qualified to teach basic mathematics or reading comprehension.
The responsibility is on the student to bring the right skills to the class. As much as I’d love to be able to catch somebody with Grade 8 math skills to the level required in my course, this isn’t realistic. Students spend years developing these Essential Skills in elementary and high school; I can’t replace that education in a week. I feel the solution lies outside of the Industry Training Authority apprenticeship model. Students who are weak in Essential Skills must take the initiative to enroll in a separate class in academia to bolster those skills prior to attending our classes. This could be done through correspondence with Open Learning, or by taking time off work and attending a class in person.
Decisional
Going forward, I will not feel guilty about some students failing. I have accepted that their lack of Essential Skills is out of my control. I will use what I have learned about Essential Skills to identify weaknesses in students which can then be addressed early on in the course. By pointing students towards resources to build these skills, I can ensure I’ve given them the best possible chance at succeeding. Sometimes all that is required is for someone to point you in the right direction.
References
Kershaw, A. (2010, Sept. 13). Big drop in math skills of entering students. Retrieved from
Workplace Education Manitoba (2017). The 9 Essential Skills. Retrieved from
http://www.wem.mb.ca/the_9_essential_skills.aspx