Analysis of my competences in teaching

I decided to do now my analysis of my competence in teaching because I wanted to let all the presentations through. These studies are an adventure. I am studying with a terrific group of people: we can debate, we can have fun together and most of all we can learn together. All the presentations and the collaborative learning method felt as a contribution to my growing as a teacher. If I read through what I wrote in my preliminary task I really feel ashamed. Now, after this path, I can give better answers and I can analyze my competence on teaching from the right side. This analysis is of course temporary because as definition learning is a dynamic thing that changes all the time. I would like to use this blog also in the future when these studies will end in order to embrace the lifelong learning.

Competence in world of work: during this path one aspect that we considered was the structure of working life and the importance of building a connection between the world of work and the education. I think what I learnt the most is the idea that schools should train people for the labor market and not for just the knowledge´s fun. The world of work is constantly changing and every day comes new professions. I think that reflecting at which level also we could consider this connection. It´s fundamental to the idea of on the job learning and the thing that with this system we can create a dialogue between institutions and working life. I think I will be even more conscious about this when I will do my teaching training.
Few days ago I was actually wondering why in my country the link between education and labor market is not working. The governments are actually reforming the universities and the education system in general. In Italy we are still far from the idea of lifelong learning and the idea that schools train people for the labor market. The world of work is the real contest where a student can learn. I also think that the cooperation between schools and working life should be improved more. I understand that in times of crisis (like this one) it´s all the time more and more difficult to arrange people job learning places but I suggest to continue and to create a new occupation place: maybe a person that is in an interface between the VET and the world of work? I can also see myself as such a student counselor working with those competences in meeting the needs of working life teaching and students. The competence in the world of work means also the skills to teach entrepreneurship? I would say that not everybody is an entrepreneur but still anybody can get the idea what entrepreneurship is. I also wrote a post about entrepreneurial mind set in here.
Pedagogical Competences and Values integration: during these studies we pointed out many times how important it is for a teacher to be conscious of his/her role. A teacher should deal with different learners and identify students’ difficulties: besides her/his role to create a community, a teacher should not fear to spend too much time in educating students and leaving no time for teaching the substance. In one of my classes there is a group of nurse students who are going to leave to Italy for a year. I always spend part of my lessons for giving them advice about the Italian culture (explaining for instance certain behavior). I think also that the main point here what I have learnt is to involve more digital tools and resources in order to engage learning. I now use Prezi quite much and also popplets if the students bring their computers. I also get more ideas about curricula competence: before these studies I didn´t read even once a curriculum because in my job in Community Colleges we actually don´t need to read those. I know now that National Core Curriculum needs to be developed all the time. We need to create all the time new opportunities for the students and in order to form professional people we have to try different teaching methods. The teaching methods after this first part of the studies are for me now much clearer. To have a lesson that covers all of them is giving us opportunity to upload the old system and engage the learning and create a community. Without mentioning the planning that will help to have a better vision what a student will need and get during the lesson.
Being in touch with the world of work will encourage to get into life learning idea. The Pedagogical competence includes also having in the group special needs students. Even though in the future we will have all the time the special needs teachers it´s a good idea also consider those students and give them and their families also support when needed. In my teaching career I haven´t yet met special needs students, but I met them during my school education. In Italy at that time we didn´t have special needs student teachers that work simultaneously with the main teacher. Very often students are left behind and in the future they are not willing to continue the studies forward. They will drop out.
We spoke and also use all the time computer supportive collaborative learning: using ICT technology in teaching is one of the focal areas in pedagogical competence. Anyway I think that teachers should be aware of the opportunities and the limits that ICT technology gives. It´s not the only way to operate even though it is the future. Using the computer or any technological device brings with it the strenghtness that I gain from this experience: my previous strength was the curiosity for the technical world. I always like to try and one of my hobbies is internet surfing. Virtual pedagogy gives you possibility to work independently and also is good for theoretical topics and supports different kind of instructions. Online environment is also part of students daily life not to mention about that with virtual pedagogy is an advance for those who live far away from urban centers. The weakness of using CSCL in my actual profession is the student´s age: as Community College teachers my students come to my class to relax and learn Italian language and culture. I am anyway using support of computers (computer support) in order to show them videos about food and culture.
Global Competences: being in an international and multicultural group of students takes me back to my Erasmus time and also to all my experience abroad. When I will become a teacher I have to be able to prepare my students for a changing world. In order to do this I should:
- to research, communicate and cooperate: building a network for me and my students
- to be open to new opportunities, ideas and ways of thinking
- self-awareness about identity and culture and sensitivity and respect for differences
- empathy and valuing multiple perspectives.
My Erasmus experience and my EVS project taught me a lot and part of my experience will help me to advice those students that they don´t belong to Finnish culture. The multiculturalism will increase all the time so it´s important to get those skills such as positive attitude towards the variety and also the responsibility for equality. Everybody must be treated equally and therefore a teacher should be equal to everybody.
Competences in research development and innovation: After this first part of VOC1 in this specific area, I practice all the time the researching and I try with my classmates to develop a specific theme and try to give in this blog voice to that development. Unfortunately  I don´t feel having those competences to manage projects and cooperate with entrepreneurs in projects in a manner that integrates these projects with further development of work communities as same as tutoring student´s in their thesis.

References:

Paaso Aila, Korento Kati, The Competente Teacher 2010-2020 The competences of teaching staff in upper secondary Vocational Education and Training Final report, Finnish National Board of Education 2010 retrieved on http://www.oph.fi/download/122136_The_competent_teacher_2010-2020.pdf

School of Vocational Teacher Education, study guide Oulu University of Applied Science 2012 retrieved on http://www.oamk.fi/amok/docs/opiskelijalle/amok_opinto-opas-2012-2013_en_web.pdf

Maunonen-Eskelinen Irmeli, Mutka Ulla and Kaikkonen Leena Teacher´s competences in the light of new demands and opportunities in Finland retrieved on http://www.jamk.fi/download/25611_AOKK_TK_Kiinanartikkelilhetetty.pdf

Key Competences for lifelong learning in Finland Education 2010 interim report Helsinki 7 may 2009 Ministry of Education retrieved on http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/natreport09/finland_en.pdf

Sahlberg Pasi, The Secret to Finland ´s success: Educating Teachers, Scope, Stanford University School of Education sept.2010 retrieved on  http://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/secret-finland%E2%80%99s-success-educating-teachers.pdf

Competence Based Vocational Training in Future Learning Finland retrived in http://www.futurelearningfinland.fi/fields-of-expertise/competence-based-vocational-training