Winter 2009 meeting at the Press Association

I have been teaching since 2006 at Newham College and I realised that all individuals have a different path; all students seize different opportunities with what they learn in the class. While I am aiming to demonstrate that Multimedia is touching every part of their life, I have to also help them forge their own unique path. I am not using the knowledge transfer techniques in my class, because what was news yesterday, is cliche today, surely is for multimedia. In my class students are guided into finding sources for forging their own experience through challenging tasks, they sometimes feel lost, but once they have found their way they certainly make their own choice in their carreer and development.

With my teaching and learning method, which sound like the lazy teacher technique, the learning is mostly performed by the individual, while discovering, exchanging ideas, creating, reasoning and reflecting.I usually start the year with a sense of community, once we are the in class we all watch for each other and support each other; I will not start the class, if no one knows where an absent students are; this give them a sense of responsibility to each other. This is a holistic approach to teaching but it works. We have a lot of open discussions, debates, arguments this encourage the students to leave their comfort zone and discover other opinions, ways of life, artists, businesses etc…

Multimedia is both a creative and engineering sector, and requires students to apply learning, and solve problems  in different ways. A combination of choice is offered to the students for assessment so they develop the problem and the solution, providing them with experience and knowledge, while learning about globalization, communication technologies and applications. My assessment tasks (project based) usually demonstrate that my students are able to apply knowledge, and demonstrate their ability to go onto the industry from a simple level 2 course. A few good examples of students who have successfully used the skills learned in class:

Sukhy Singh: gone into enterprise (web design) with her family

Alex & Stephen: have gone onto media in the grime scene (sample of the work they do now bellow)

Arsala: is selling art online

Jonathan: Developing website while on a level 3 course

And more…….

In 2008, I did set up a business surgery at Newham College helping students going freelance or else, the project was not paid for, that was my own voluntary initiative, helping the socially excluded.

I can say that this initiative was the most successful one I have ever taken, and that although not recognized for achievement, the hard work and  efforts from both me and the students was worth.

My point is that I don’t feel the need to starve for recognition at work, because my work is doing something positively worth and the reward is seeing  students getting something out of the learning ….

To see Stephen and Alex with their Press N Play Media business coming into my class and telling other students that everything is achievable if you have a good mentor such as ANNA is worth any trophy, diploma and competition I have ever won in my life.

Seeing messages for help with web developments from Jonathan is also rewarding, because I know that students who have gone for further/Higher education, can work freelance while studying and generate income, while building a strong portfolio.

Seeing messages on facebook, from previous students with positive notes is more than rewarding.

One thing I am sure of is that I can is inspire students to achieve both inside and outside my classroom.

I don’t usually let work bring me down,  look for a trophy, I let the rest of the world fight for it; I always think that running for recognition make you loose focus on the real issue; your students.

I Know That I am A Very Good Teacher, and that most of my students will Definitely Achieve once they leave me, that is where I leave my foot prints.