Structure
Keith Perera, Sussex

The course is structured thus:
13 taught university tutor sessions
Trainees are in school 4 days a week for the duration of the course
3 compulsory assignments,
a termly curriculum studies observations (3 in total)
student completes ITP
student complete ROA
weekly observations by the mentor
final external assessment

In addition there is a generic professional studies programme for GTP trainees in all subjects delivered by the University staff.

Each university tutor session will include a range of teaching and learning strategies:

Tutor presentations
Group Reading
Discussion
Peer teaching
Individual Activities
Production work

All the sessions require trainee preparation, this is indicated on the outline grid. After each session, trainees are expected to write up the session in terms of how it meets the QTS stated for the session. This can be filed for the trainees ROA (see separate doc).

It is vital that assignments fulfill QTS but also provide a practical benefit in the classroom or give the trainee a wider understanding of the place of media education within the contemporary school curriculum.

Practical work is increasingly important within the media education subject area. Whether it be through courses which are essentially practical (BTEC National, Creative and Media Diploma), increased practical weighting (A level Media Studies is now 50% coursework) or using practical means to assess learning (director commentaries and videoed presentations instead of essay in the new GCSE specifications), media teachers require a technical competency in order to deliver these courses.

A key component of an ITE course in Media is the central place for improving trainees practical skills. As stated earlier, the pace at which schools have, in general, embraced ICT has been particularly beneficial for media departments. Most have access to hardware and professional software which require new teachers of media to have a minimal level of skill and competence to enable their students to access these programs. Experience would indicate that the levels of technical competence of trainees is far too variable and that tutors therefore have to provide a systematic program which give trainees opportunities to learn and apply technical skills. At least students should be proficient in an image manipulation program (Photoshop, Paint Shop), Desktop Publishing Program (InDesign, Quark, Publisher), video editing (Movie Maker, iMovie, Premiere, Final Cut). Again, experience would indicate that students need to be set tasks which force them to create their own media texts. This is vital as it is not sufficient for technical training to just impart skills, trainees need to go through the process of ‘making’ so that they understand what can go wrong (and rectify situations) and that they appreciate the sheer effort involved in any kind of production. At a deeper level, it will give them greater confidence when faced with passing on these skills in a classroom context.

Another potential idea is to get students to create their own website to demonstrate their own media skills. For example, the last session introduces iWeb, but any free PC based web-authoring program would do. The website is used as a site to hold all the practical skills the trainee has covered. For example, as part of a pilot project funded by the BBC/TDA on School Report, trainees evaluate their work using their own website. Through this platform, they are able to display many technical skills: