NPTC Consortium of Work-based Providers

Initial Assessment & Differentiation Controversy

  • Totally blew my mind! In a good way.
  • A passion to learn is a deep seeded fire in all of us. A teacher can become the extinguisher or igniter of those flames. This course is petrol.
  • Music to your ears!!
  • For my own classes, being exposed to new technologies for teaching was inspiring, I liked the card sort and the break out rooms.
  • A refreshing session. I’m a few weeks into this role so it’s been good timing for me to recap on good practice and learn new things.
  • ‘Light bulb moment’. I can see where I can improve.
  • I felt inspired by teaching and learning and will discuss the use of different initial assessments.
    I feel encouraged and empowered to improve the initial assessment process for learners to increase the importance placed on this by both staff and learners. This will help to improve the support put in place from the start of the learner’s programme.
  • I found the course inspiring to hear Tony discuss his passion for learning and development for learners. The course was interesting and engaging.
  • A whirlwind reminder of the importance of, and the tools and methods to use, to max the learning experience of my apprentices, and to max the outcome of their apprenticeship.
  • Inspirational easy fixes to helping learners.
  • Thoughtful Inspired.
  • I feel it was very good and informative presentation, of which I personally enjoyed, it has left me with a lot to think about how I go about my assessing, and it has also given me tools to improve myself ass an assessor.
  • This will become my bread and butter.
  • Uplifted.
  • I thought the Scaffolding metaphor summed up the session as it reminded me that a good trainer will support the learner to become an independent learner and that when you take away the scaffolding, the structure should remain intact.
  • Like stepping off the aeroplane abroad and the heat hitting you, I have been reminded about the importance the initial assessment for the learner.
  • Uplifted and excited.
  • Scaffolding takes time to build! I felt that this was a good analogy to understand how learners grow.
  • Very informative and enjoyable. Was good to see the Initial Assessment methods and the range of different options.
  • Exhilarated, Enthused, Inspired. It was great to view our role from the viewpoint of the Inspector.
  • I’m relatively new to assessing, today’s course has given me some excellent tools and ideas to improve my delivery and ultimately support the learner whatever their level. Really like the scaffolding technique which was clearly explained.
  • Very informative session brought me back the spark of remembering the importance of the learner’s journey rather than just completing tasks.
  • I feel positive after today’s session as it has made me think about different ways to support individual learners throughout their QCF.
  • I felt like a fish out of water to begin with as I had never attended a zoom meeting before. However, once I settled, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Perfecting Progress Reviews

  • I love listening to Tony- he is a fountain of knowledge and the sessions are so informative. Thank you for all of the hard work you have put into this. It has been invaluable to me in my role, especially being new and not from an assessor background.
  • No words- best session to date. Defiantly do my reviews separate with the learner and the employer to draw more out of the learner.
  • It’s like a morning shower wakes you up, I feel refreshed and ready to perfect my progress reviews!
  • It’s my mission to improve the way in which I approach the review process.
  • I’ll need to make more use of open-ended statements and questioning, to enable the feedback to come from the learner and less from myself.
  • Frustrated – with myself. I do everything that I should do with my learners the majority of the time, but I do not record all of it, as it is time-consuming, and therefore I do not use the reviews on smart assessor correctly. From now on, I will make a conscious effort to include more of our discussion on the forms to evidence this.
  • Inspired and positive. Will allocate more time to my reviews to ensure I’m spending enough time with student.
  • Empowering session from Tony to enable me to think about the different ways of reviewing progress with individuals from different backgrounds.
  • Think about the questioning techniques and the use of different words to allow learners to lead during a progress review.
  • Really enjoyable, making me think about my practice. What I do well and what improvements I could make.
  • Give my learners more confidence to identify their strengths and weaknesses and come up with their own strategies to become independent learners.
  • Steering a ship from the back! To focus on barriers to achieve goals, to use goals as motivation, to genuinely enquire about welfare and progress.
    Ask questions by giving a statement …
  • Very good session today, thanks Tony. I think I already cover most of that content in my reviews but not every time and not as effectively as I could, so definitely room for improvement.
  • I have a better understanding of what is required in a quality review meeting. I will aspire to leave an outstanding impact on the learner.
  • It opened my eyes to seeing just how important a review form is to the learner’s progression, not just something we have to complete for Welsh Government funding.
  • Brilliant sessions and a big thank you for making them so enjoyable!
  • Enthusiastic and motivated to prepare and conduct excellent reviews.
  • Enlightened – This course has helped me to recognize the importance of differentiation and how this can impact on learner engagement and motivation.
  • This session has planted lots of seeds for success.
  • Excellent sessions that have inspired me to constantly improve my own aspirations and expectations as an Assessor – thank you!
  • Always motivated by Tony to do so much better.
  • Tony brings fresh and interesting ideas to the table and always make me question my methods and my own reasons for doing this job.

The Art of Using Target Setting

  • To day was like filling in the gaps of a puzzle. I have all the edge pieces put together but today helped me complete the middle.
  • These CPD sessions are excellent in that they provide a chance for me to sit back and learn!
  • Another great course by Tony, engaging and easily understood.
  • I’ll be a target setting guru in no time!
    Excellent Session as always, perfect to getting us all to think of how important the targets are to each learners aspirations, real eye opener and good to reintroduce learner led targets, thank you.
  • Go back to the drawing board. Go back to basics, my metaphor really means go back to the beginning of my own learning journey of becoming an assessor and use the skills I learned and have maybe been forgotten as we get too tied up in meeting contractual obligations rather than listening to our learners.
  • Inspiring session and very thought provoking. Try and involve my learners more in target setting.
  • Insightful and thought provoking session. Explore ‘Connectivism’ Learning Theory – this was a new theory on me today! To consider using easy, medium and high command verbs when setting action that will keep learners motivated and engaged throughout their learning.
  • Empowered to target realistically and relevently. Reflect, consider, target, ensure the bullseye is at least aimed at, with the occasional hit being the bonus!
  • Walking through a maze I will use the information gained to ensure my target setting with the learner has more emphasis on the learner setting their own targets.
  • Teaching and learning is like seeing a flower come into bloom. I will look at carrying out a more robust initial assessment, when signing up new learners.
  • Delving a little deeper in relation to their experience and learning styles, so that I am aware from the outset how to adapt the activities/tasks for them to be able to achieve their goals.
  • I am going to look at ‘Late assignments the solution’.
  • Back to Basics! I remember always encouraging learners to write their own targets, in their own words, and somewhere along the way, stopped doing this and reverted to bulleted lists in an effort to meet audit compliance and SMART rules. I need to find a way of ensuring audit compliance is met whilst ensuring learners are left with a plan that is motivating, meaningful, and self-directed.
  • We have already started working on pre-learning materials as a result of the last session but this needs to continue. Encourage much more learner involvement in target setting so that they can take ownership of the target and identify what is achievable and relevant at this point of the training. Also, as mentioned above, I used to add extension targets to action plans for learners that we eager to progress. i/e focus on the ambitious element.
  • Encouraged/inspired to create a motivational learner journey. Encourage learners to set their own targets – use resources so that the learner does not leave work until the last minute. Make it fun so that the learner is motivated to achieve.
  • A journey of 1000 miles starts with one step! Use the initial assessments results more.
  • Inspired Look at pre learning
    Enlightened. Consider the aspirations of the learner when carrying out a review.
  • I feel like the passion for helping others learn has been re-awoken in me. I always set targets with the learner not for the learner but will definitely put more of today’s learning into the target setting process.

Tools for online engagement & blended learning

  • Today has given me enough to fuel my curiosity to explore more and develop and embed in my delivery of knowledge moving forward. I will also be using several in my personal life. Thank you Tony.
  • Blendspace, Polls, Snip Tools – my new lessons will look different moving forward.
  • I absolutely loved Blendspace and I will be using it with my learners. As well as incorporating other online tools.
  • A real feast in terms of food for thought. Enjoyable and motivating in spite of me being really techno-nervous.
  • Learning is empowerment. Made me feel motivated and eager to try some of the technology demonstrated today, with my learners.
  • Hugely beneficial, really opened my eyes to the new tools that can be used to benefit all staff and learners within the partnership in creating tools for online engagement.
  • Tony has such a gift in making you feel inspired and motivated to try out his suggestions. Can’t think of a metaphor today but in the words of Winnie the Pooh “But what if I fall?” “Yes but what if you fly?”
  • I loved how its given me a new view on teaching the same sorts of subjects but now it can be done in different ways making it feel less repetitive.
  • New ideas I hadn’t thought about before, and new technologies I didn’t know about.
  • Good to see things from an Ofsted perspective of what makes an outstanding session, one which is truly innovative and engages learners. Looking forward to the next session…
  • A very interesting and enjoyable session which have broadened my knowledge of different tools that can be introduced to my teaching sessions. These will be particularly beneficial for Essential Skills qualifications in Application of Number and Digital Literacy.
  • Great pace, direction and content. I have attended many sessions over my training career of 22 years and have found these to be the most engaging and interesting since my original training to become an assessor / Trainer in late 2000. Thank you!
    Inspiring – has given me the confidence to explore different techniques.
  • Absolutely outstanding, really challenged preconceived ideas on learning and evidence gathering
    very informative, easy tool to use, feeling more confident to explore tool for blended learning.
    Good session sharing tools for online learning.
  • I found this session to be very informative and thought provoking.
  • Great to see new technologies and stimulated by the ideas.
  • Learning about Prezi and Card Sort tools and how possibly to use them in work environments.
  • Prezi video is a really good tool that can be used at any time by learners. It is well worth making one as a trial and gaining feedback from the learners.
  • Although I don’t teach I believe I can include some of the new technology I have been shown today.
  • Loved the Wiki and the QR codes for learners to have a better understanding.
  • The only limitations are created by yourself.
  • I will use a number of today’s tools in the future development of course and learning materials.
  • The course provided me with the knowledge and confidence to explore a range of technology which will enable me to implement into my assessment with my learners.
  • I particularly was interested in the card activity, this was especially because we deliver a lot of information on legislation and this is good to learn about the principles.
  • Thinking of how the learner feels, how to improve learning for all learners. I have already booked a day in with my colleagues to look at Blendspace and wiki and make use of it.
  • I have enjoyed both the sessions I have attended and found that I am starting to think about how I can engage my learners with Pre Learning and target setting and reviews to ensure they look forward to the sessions, especially as I carry out more of them face to face now which both myself and my apprentices prefer.
  • The training session has helped my confidence and has inspired me to use on-line tools not only with my learners but for team standardisation meetings. The whiteboard is excellent to capture all suggestions/feedback.
  • I am looking forward to learning to create my own interactive lessons.
  • Thoroughly enjoyed and think everyone who attended got loads out of this session. The feedback in the breakout rooms was great and the session really enthused a lot of staff to go away and create and use the new resources.
  • Like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, I have been stuck in a world of Powerpoint for too long.

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