A great website for FS literacy, numeracy, ICT and Language

I have found this website with developed resources accross the range of strands. http://www.skillsworkshop.org/category/literacy/functional-skills-english
It has some great ideas on it, with all the worksheets, many of which, with a bit of thought, could be tailored and targeted to different areas and interests. The range would target the different learning styles present in a classroom environment.

This website also appears useful: http://www.functionalskills.com/Functional-Skills/Functional-Skills-Free-Functional-Skills-resources.php

Cognitive Style as Environmentally Sensitive Individual Differences in Cognition

Hi all

Just stumbled upon this - might be useful for evaluating taxonomy etc. Nice little study.

Cognitive Style as Environmentally Sensitive Individual Differences in Cognition

Might be useful :)

Teaching resource I have found for HE teaching

Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S. 2009. A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education. Third ed. Abingdon: Routledge.

You can download it here:

http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&q=Fry%2C+H.%2C+Ketteridge%2C+S.+and+Marshall%2C+S.+2009.+A+handbook+for+teaching+and+learning+in+higher+education.+Third+ed.+Abingdon%3A+Routledge.&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2C5&as_sdtp=

Just click the first pdf link.

It looks good for both HE and Access to HE teaching.

And it's free!

A good website link

Just found what I think is a good website http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/20280
It has loads of info and apparently a starter kit, which I haven't looked at properly yet.

Trying out a Dragon's Den activity

I am doing a session on marketing for a Heritage Management lecture in a couple of weeks. I have decided to do a activity to develop their own group poster and marketing pitch, I think to promote Lincoln to overseas travellers. They then have to pitch it to me. Imbedding core skills I hope through poster development, costings, pitch etc and encouraging students to learn from each other to develop key core skills and work out strengths.
Have any of you tried out such Dagon's Den type activities before? Can you see any pitfalls I haven't thought of? I only have a very small group so I am hoping to get the students supporting and learning off each other effectively.
I am just concerned that I might not have enough time to do the activity, any time saving ideas? :-)

World Book Day - Library+ short stories competition

Library+ are holding a short story competition for world book day (6th March). Signpost learners to join in or incorporate as part of a lesson. The competition comes with lovely prizes (shopping vouchers I believe) and the deadline is 21st February.

I know it is easier to do with a Functional Skills English - currently designing a lesson around it - but perhaps it could be incorporated into a tutorial?

Functional Skills Maths

Level 1 Maths specification - the important bits for busy people embedding FS into their lessons.

Representing - – selecting the mathematics and information to model a situation
• Learners recognise that a situation has aspects that can be represented using mathematics.
• Learners make an initial model of a situation using suitable forms of representation.
• Learners decide on the methods, operations and tools, including ICT, to use in a situation.
• Learners select the mathematical information to use.

Analysing – processing and using mathematics 

• Learners use appropriate mathematical procedures. 

• Learners examine patterns and relationships. 

• Learners change values and assumptions or adjust relationships to see the effects on answers in models. 

• Learners find results and solutions. 

Interpreting – interpreting and communicating the results of the analysis 

• Learners interpret results and solutions. 

• Learners draw conclusions in light of situations. 

• Learners consider the appropriateness and accuracy of results and conclusions. 

• Learners choose appropriate language and forms of presentation to communicate results and solutions. 

Skill standards:
1 Representing
• understand practical problems in familiar and unfamiliar contexts and situations, some of which are non-routine
• identify and obtain necessary information to tackle the problem
• select mathematics in an organised way to find solutions

2 Analysing
• apply mathematics in an organised way to find solutions to straightforward practical problems for different purposes
• use appropriate checking procedures at each stage

3 Interpreting
• interpret and communicate solutions to practical problems, drawing simple conclusions


I have a list of all the topics learners cover for FS Maths (Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2) which I will print off and bring to tomorrows session (4/2/14)