Lesson review and Homework: 11th Jan

Hi,

Friday's lesson was in two parts- the first was spent reflecting on the course so far, your recent essays (which were excellent) and, crucially, the skills and attributes required if you are to be really successful learners. Lots of interesting thoughts and ideas came from this, with the importance of independence and focus coming through strongly. We also discussed the idea of motivation, and how being motivated purely by the exam isn't really enough- this 'fear of failure' model won't encourage genuine engagement and enjoyment. Instead, we need to find interest and motivation in the learning itself, and see the knowledge and skills we are gaining as something which will enrich our lives generally. One body of research has summed up the features of a successful learner using the 5 Rs:
•Resilient
The Resilient learner sticks at it, has a positive attitude, finds interest in what they are doing, sets targets and practises, and sticks at it
•Resourceful
The resourceful learner uses imagination, learns in different ways, asks good questions and takes risks
•Responsible
The responsible learner knows right and wrong, gets on with it, plans ahead and helps others
•Reasoning
Can say which is better and why, gathers all the evidence, chooses the best method and takes time
•Reflective
Asks ‘why?’Stays calm, listens to different opinions, learns from mistakes

Now would be a good time to reflect on your own approach- how many of these features can you recognise in yourself? Which of them do you think you need to be more aware of in future?

All very interesting and important! The second half of the lesson was a bit more conventional, as we watched an episode of the BBC drama series Spooks and began an analysis using the Key Concepts. Of particular interest was Values and Ideology here- we'll discuss this next lesson, but this also informs your homework task, which is as follows:

Research the institution of the BBC. Focus your research on the following questions:

1) Who owns it?

2) What different types of media are produced by the company?

3) What does it mean to be a Public Service Broadcaster, and why is this important?

4) Identify the values and ideologies that surround the company, as well as bias and political/economical interest.

You should look to produce extensive notes on this, in any form that you wish. You need to use the web primarily- there's a good Wikipedia site on Public Service Broadcasting here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_service_broadcasting_in_the_United_Kingdom .

See me or leave a comment if any problems with this, and remember that this is a learning task- are you using the 5 Rs in your approach?

Mr Boulter