Kim Insley

Kim Insley

I have been involved in education since I started teaching in 1975. I worked as a primary teacher with children of 3-8 years for 11 years. I now work at UCL IOE as an international teacher educator.

Location UK

Activity

  • Peer review is an important part of my programmes, and as a team we enjoy challenging each other, questioning and discussion. A new feature we have instigated this year is pairing tutors, so each online module has two tutors. The second tutor acts as a critical friend, first marker and a recent added bonus ... a 'cover' when the module lead was off sick.

  • The 6 types of learning can be facilitated online, but the most difficult in my experience is 'discussion'. This is because most of my courses are 'distance learning' as well as being 'online'. As distance learning courses the activities to facilitate all the types of learning are completed asynchronously. 'Discussion' by its very nature is difficult to...

  • I'm a lecturer at UCL Institute of Education, and teach distance learning MA modules, plus online teacher development through University of London. I enjoy learning with others, and find opportunities to share ideas invaluable. This course will help me achieve this.

  • MOOCs are just one opportunity to access professional development online. Many institutions (including my own) have online professional development courses, many leading to formal, internationally recognised qualifications. But your own institutions are an excellent starting place for professional development - as we hope to explore in this MOOC - keep...

  • It's great to see so many comments already. I've changed a little since John, Deepali and I did these videos (as you can see from my profile picture) but I'm delighted to see this course attracting so many teachers, many for the first time. I hope you enjoy it!
    Online teaching is developing and MOOCs such as this one show the opportunities. Being able to...

  • So many interesting comments already! Dylan Wiliam was a colleague here at Institute of Education and I admire him for his recognition that learning and teaching is dynamic - changing. Your comments show a huge variety of challenges and many may not have answers (that are achievable - I'd like our government to stop measuring teachers only by student...

  • Kim Insley made a comment

    Being critically reflective it is important to know where or why something is popular. Just because it is popular, does not mean it is appropriate - take Brain Gym - very popular, but not supported in the research evidence...see John Hattie!

  • Listening to the learners is something that comes across from the many many comments I've read tonight. We can learn from them as much as they learn from us. Questions ... they need to be asking them and us finding answers together, not me as the teaching asking just to 'tick a box'.
    Questions are important in knowing where a learner is coming from and...

  • I think it will always be my challenge Cristina! But being aware of it is half the battle!

  • What have I learnt this week? Teachers the world over are fantastic people, who just want to improve things not just for themselves but for others ... I knew this but the MOOC responses have added to these. There is a wealth of knowledge about learning out there. Teachers are professionals ... not in it for themselves but for others. These three things I...

  • Subject teaching has great value too. As a primary teacher I've been frustrated when it is subject knowledge that does not support learning...pedagogy is great but misconceptions or misunderstanding within the subject stops learning. It's about getting a balance between knowledge and understanding. For the teacher between knowledge and pedagogy...how to...

  • There are so many pertinent reflections here. I am reading valuable reflections already on teachers thoughts, and analysing it can seem some themes coming out. Life-long is key for a lot of people - Ady, Helen, Blanca and Kemi, and Thanh and Benita to name a few all identify the importance of life-long learning. This means even though we may be very...

  • There are some excellent comments about being reflective here. Its value is high, but only if you keep revisiting it and engaging in that reflection. Focussing your reflection can help identify themes or ideas which you could follow for development. Recently, I was reflecting on a comment in my professional journal ... '...time keeping is key to my work.'...

  • It's great to see you all making suggestions about using a reflective journal. So many of you comment about having a notebook to jot things down in - so important to a teacher, and I agree. As a teacher I used to use sticky labels (not postit notes as they often get moved) to put assessment notes on for students, and then transferred the label to...

  • UCL Institute of Education has worked with the British Council for a long while, and we certainly expect to continue the partnership. Thank you for acknowledge this!

  • You make a good point Momtaz. Our challenge with the learning on this MOOC has been to find articles that are freely available - they do tend to be older, but just because they are old, it doesn't meet outdated. Much of our knowledge and understanding of learning is built on pioneers such as Piaget and Vygotsky. Unfortunately, though it has some initial use,...

  • So sorry we couldn't be available to join the final course video! John and I have been following the course, and even managed to add some comments and join discussions. I am travelling to India today (Sat 3 June) to meet with colleagues, and visit some schools, so I may even meet some of you! I go on to Dubai with John, so if you are from there do say...

  • But 'practice makes perfect' - the more you are observed for positive peer feedback the easier it becomes ... and do observing yourself too.

  • This sounds like a brilliant idea!

  • Perhaps the IOE - our MA Advanced Educational Practice is fully online too!

  • Don't 'throw the baby out with the bath water'! Remember the official programmes can give a framework for supporting you and you can build on this being more creative in your response. When I first started teaching there was no National Curriculum in the UK ... it was so hard and students frequently covered the same area with different teachers. Now the...

  • Congratulations! You can often carry forward PGCE credits into Master's awards too. Enjoy the programme!

  • We should begin by thanking Lalit for being brave and allowing us to share her lesson. It may feel uncomfortable therefore to talk about the lesson in anything but positive frame, but the point about peer feedback is having a safe and secure place to challenge and discuss areas for development. Thank you Lalit for allowing us to do this.
    In considering the...

  • And when you can see both the young lady and the old woman at the same time, you are really seeing the big picture. To keep the analogy going, as a teacher you can focus in on one or two aspects to improve your teaching, but you can also draw back and reflect on the big picture.

  • Responses are very pertinent. When I first saw this video (quite a while ago now, but I enjoy it every time) I was amazed that Austin, and his peers were only four years old. We often feel that young children need to learn from us ... but we can learn so much from them. If a teacher had given the feedback, you might reflect on why this would not have worked...

  • Some excellent examples of 'how to be' in communities of practice! The challenge for many of us is to shift from being just recipients or sharers of ideas to engaging in reflection on why the ideas work. Knowing is one important aspect. But understanding why is even more valuable to us teachers. Sometimes there are lots of reasons why too, which makes it...

  • The internet is excellent for sharing ideas but shifting to a Community of Practice includes reflecting on how those ideas have worked to change your practice and then share these reflections back within the community: perhaps some of these sites enable you to feedback. You would then be helping them shift and do even more positive work.

  • By answering them back sometimes, you are helping them shift from communities to communities of practice - you could add to this by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • That is a subtle reflection Jaime! You might reflect further on what you could do to help shift this community of teachers to become a community of practice.

  • Lave and Wenger would disagree with you Subhra ... their argument is that novices and experts are equal parts in the Community of Practice: and we 'experts' know we can learn a lot from the novice. Perhaps you could work with your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from...

  • Perhaps you could work with your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • Perhaps you could work with your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • Kim Insley replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]

    A good example of 'how to be' in a Community of Practice!

  • Thank you for this Lydia! We are delighted to hear about this and value this feedback. You might reflect, ready for the official feedback opportunity, as to why it is different and helping you to develop professionally.

  • Perhaps you could work with your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • Perhaps you could work with your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • Begin with your own Community of Practice at school - if there are no other art and craft teachers, observe a maths or physics teacher. You may feel unconfident in the subject, but could learn from the pedagogy.

  • You don't need one - be part of your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • Perhaps you could work with your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • Thank you for sharing: another example of how to be a participant in a Community of Practice - speaking from within this Community MOOC.

  • Perhaps you could work with your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • I agree - great to have some links shared: A good example of 'how to be' in a Community of Practice!

  • You are part of a Community of Practice therefore and could work towards changing from being a 'trainer' to an 'educator' and working so that those you work with are drawn in to discuss being part of a CoP? Well done for supporting capacity building!

  • Hopefully this MOOC has given you some?

  • Perhaps you could work with your community in school and help shift them to become a Community of Practice. This could be started by sharing some of the ideas from this MOOC...

  • An important aspect Ayesha says is in discussing beforehand what is going to be observed. This helps the 'give and take' process Sangeeta talks about and clarifies the expectations of the observation.

  • Many universities involved in teacher education include 'micro-teaching' as part of the opportunities student teachers have. At UCL Institute of Education our PGCE programmes include it. Micro-teaching is where the student teachers teach a group for a short period (small group/short period hence 'micro') but are observed by their colleagues. In 1970s when I...

  • Performance can sound as if we are always at our best ... even good teachers have 'bad days'. Peer observation can help us stop 'performing' but help good teaching become the norm. Thank you for sharing.

  • Saakshi raises to point about observing trainee teachers. This is an important aspect for the teaching profession - to be involved in educating new members in its profession. Thank you for reminding us.

  • A good point ... and all teachers need to find time to read the theory. That can be a challenge, but hopefully opportunities such as this MOOC put us in contact with theory.

  • Isn't it sad that these observations often stop within the initial teaching element!

  • Kim Insley made a comment

    I've been reading lots of the comments but have not responded to everyone. Some I have 'liked' (this does not mean I don't 'like' others) and some have stimulated a response from me. But all are valuable and it is so good to see you sharing like this. The teaching profession is wonderful and I'm honoured and humbled to have this opportunity to engage with...

  • Brilliant to listen to the students! They can be fantastic 'peers' in this sense and as key stake holders in the learning, offer valuable feedback. Remembering too that they may be biased if they don't want to work!

  • Julia has quoted you, Paramakalyani. I've responded to her about having John observe my weaknesses as well as when I feel confident.

  • As the school leader, Jan, perhaps you could offer to cover a lesson to let teachers observe each other? I appreciate the comment about culture that you make. And it will help others articulate the same. Thank you! We are culture, so perhaps each and everyone of us needs to go about changing it?

  • I ask John (my colleague whom you've seen in the videos) to observe my weaknesses too, so that I can understand them better.

  • It certainly can, Muhammed. Another way is to observe to learn more: teachers are learner too. Perhaps you can have a colleague observe a small part of your teaching so you can discuss what you are doing, not just if it is strong or weak. The two of you could then learn together as teachers.

  • I was told by my Headteacher to not revise the night before as this was not an efficient way of revising. So, for my music exam which had a lot of elements - history, oral, aural, practical and composition - I revised the history part early on. My horror, the night before was that I couldn't remember anything, so spent most of the evening cramming! Thank...

  • Kim Insley made a comment

    I'm taking this course so as to understand IELTS and help my learners engage and achieve within it.

  • Kim Insley made a comment

    Exams are not necessarily a good way to examine understanding, although they may examine knowledge. I believe they are often a test of memory and this is not necessarily the learning outcome of the examination itself! So, how the exam or summative test is designed is important: what is it measuring.
    I don't like exams I've done in the past because they have...

  • Kim Insley made a comment

    I live outside London in the country near Sevenoaks, but just inside the Greater London borders.

  • Kim Insley made a comment

    Hello, I'm Kim from UK working in Higher Education supporting international learners in mainly teacher education. I want to find out more about IELTS so that I can help my learners improve their engagement with the IELTS programmes they need to do to get on my courses.