Session Plans First

How many times have I written and rewritten them and alway I end up with a long drawn out for the Auditor’s document when it was meant to make delivery easy for anyone to pick up and go, be consistent and current.

May be it’s me?  They were very basic when I arrived at tafeSA.  At table with lessons broken up into 2 hour or so sections read this handout number that..  This together with the Unit of Competency from the training package, almost meaning less to most students, and the lesson plan. (non existent)

The CB-A project has made me look at it differently.  Wholistically, from the students point of view, “Why” am I doing it, what do I need to do, know and remember to be competent.

Now it has at it’s centre “A picture of competence”, then activities to tease out what the students have brought with them “in their experience back pack”, they are never empty they all have something to contribute.  The Video in a previous post gives you an idea of what we are using now.

The plan is to get them to contribute it willingly and asap.

Getting it together

After identifying a suitable video, I collect all the relevant materials and media (pictures,

audio, diagrams, power points, electronic manuals and handouts.  All in one folder on-line and hardcopy (if possible).

• Unit of Competency
• Aims and Goals
• Manufacturer’s manuals or unit booklet (PDF & Hardcopy or Word copy)
• Images
• Of completed works, models or examples
• Audio
• Recordings, voice overs or podcasts
• Video (Picture of Competence) & others
• Videos of process or outcomes
• Of a competent person doing the tasks, using the skill or explaining the skill
• Web links
• Further information, best practice
• Examples
• Feedback sheet
• Survey or form to get feedback from on-line or face to face students to help gauge their stage or level of comfort with the information
• Suggestions on what is good bad or ugly about the unit/session/lesson

Lesson Plans

These are important for consistency, as other trainers can pick up the materials and

deliver it in the same theme, not necessarily the same way but with common goals and aims.  The resources are listed and all activities, assessment and projects well set out and explained.  All materials and resources used are to be the same types in everyday work places.  Plans that look like plans, lessons more like work toolbox meetings to solve problems than a classroom.

Competency based training in out trade area has to be converted over to real live Adult education to sideline the fear and apprehension experienced in a school setting.  This learning is relevant to their immediate future the skills and information needed just outside in the workshop.  The same model used in sessions plans

What do they need to know?

What do they need to do?

What do they need to remember?

That’s the basis of the lesson plan using the unit of competency as a guide to the real work practices.

Recording questions that have been thought about and directly workplace related whenever possible.

Q: What would they do at work and why?  “Leave 6 second wait time here”

Q: But what if the surface was bowed, damaged, or out of plumb?

Expand on the knowledge they already have or that you have given them in the question.

Q: You have to clad a wall with plasterboard using screw fixings only in a Category 1 wet area the centres are 200mm no adhesive, flush with coat 2 wet area basecoat and paper tape:  What would change if the tiles on the Category 1 wet area had 10mm thick large tiles and why?

Transfer of knowledge and concepts to a new situation.