I think it is about time to update my blog! And I’m going to do it in English because, well, just for the sake of it and because I’m having a Finnish-free week. I was inspired to do so by Maria and Julia (other exchange students from Finland) who originally came up with the idea of a Finnish-free week. So, please, bear with me as I try and scribble down my thoughts in English.
So... I have submitted my very first assignment here: a 4 000 word portfolio for the module ED4706: Developing Practice. This assignment discussed and reflected the experiences I gained during my four weeks of placement in a communal, part-time pre-school which operated in a church hall. And I can tell you it was quite an experience! I’m not sure, though, how much I can tell you about this placement because even as student I am bound by confidentiality. So, I’m afraid I’m forced to leave it to your imagination. But do your best, by all means!
I worked on the portfolio for about a week. I probably should have started it sooner but my placement mentor was unable to return my evaluations on time so I really had only a week to write the portfolio. I didn’t find writing in English to be nearly as hard as the actual summarising of the experiences and thoughts that I had about my placement. But eventually I managed to form somewhat a clear vision and got the whole thing on paper.After that I had to find the required six references and include them somewhere within the text. And I think I did a fairly good job with it – I even had one additional reference! I found all the necessary books at the Riverside Campus’ library and didn’t even have to fight for them; here they have enough copies, unlike in the University of Jyväskylä where students are practically compelled to fight over certain set books and reading material.
Now, I did go over the word limit by 260 words or something but in Chester UNI it is acceptable to go over the given word limit by ten per cent. So, for 4 000 words the ten per cent is 400 words and therefore I should be safe. Anyhow, I had to submit my portfolio electronically online which proved to be not as easy as one might imagine it to be.
A problem occurred in a form of a file name: it is stated in our module Handbook that we should submit our portfolios so that the “file names are as follows only: Module Code and Assessment Component (if appropriate)”. The problem was that neither one of us (Jenni nor I) knew what this “assessment component” means. But luckily we had some help from another student who’s attending the same module as we are and now we know how to name our files when submitting them: this one was e.g. ED4706 Developing Practice – Portfolio. So, just the module code, module name and the name of the work you are submitting. Not so difficult after all!
