The Great Balloon Debate

1
The Great Balloon Debate

• My Nominee

2
Background

• I had timetabling problems when I attempted to do
  my A-levels at senior school.
• Two subjects, German and ICT, which I was
  desperate to learn clashed and it appeared that
  there was no way around the issue as I went to
  quite a small sixth form.
• After many meeting with various subject tutors
  and heads of year my GCSE ICT teacher agreed to
  see me through the qualification.

3
The Scenario

• This was a new experience for both of us as
  obviously I had never learnt A-level ICT and so
  it was a challenge for me but also as she had
  never taught it, it became a challenge for her
  too.
• Due to timetable constraints we had 1 hour of
  contact time together a week and the rest of the
  qualification I was taught to research and use my
  own skills to develop my coursework and my
  knowledge of the subject.

4

• My friends all had the same work to do but had
  structure to their lives and their course with 6
  hours of contact time and directed study ie
  homework.
• I very much worked on my own and used the
  internet and explored books to gain enough
  knowledge to pass my course. I found it very
  difficult to do because I felt like I was alone
  and wasnt getting the constant assessment and
  feedback Id come to expect throughout my school
  life.
• In retrospect it was good preparation for getting
  to university.

5
My Nominee

• Mrs Hill was the one who would be my support, who
  would point me in the right direction and give me
  anecdotes of her degree days just to keep me
  going and keep me hunting in the right direction.
  
• She didnt realise what a support shed been to
  my throughout my GCSE, then when it developed
  into an A-level as well she really became truly
  invaluable to me.

6
Why she should be saved

• Due to her support and commitment to helping me
  become my own researcher and using inquiry to
  solve the numerous problems I came across
  throughout my course, I managed to get the 3rd
  highest grade in my year even though I had a
  fraction of the guidance that the rest of the
  year did.
• I am very proud that she encouraged me to develop
  my own sense of work ethic and personal
  development prior to getting to university and I
  think it helped me to become a better student
  because of it.