Assessment 2B – Critical Personal Reflection

Part 1 (500 words) 10 marks

1. What were your expectations about the assessment before you commenced? (2
marks)
Before its commencement I expected the assessment to be fairly challenging due to the
group work factor. This aside though I thought it would be interesting to view a social justice
issue in greater detail, as I have not really had to study anything similar previously. I
expected the creative element of the assignment to be enjoyable as well as I really enjoy
using ICT to create content. At first I was fairly uncertain of how we would implement an
intricate sociological issue into a board game to be used within a school setting, but once
work began using out key learning are of history provided structure to the assessment.
2. What knowledge did you have about Diversity, Social Justice and Learning –
theories, concepts and importance for education prior to starting this task? (2
marks)
Prior to this unit I would say I had a very basic understanding of social justice issues in
general, but in regards to its importance for education I will admit my understanding was
fairly limited. I would say prior I did not understand to the same extent how your own
values and beliefs within the classroom could have an impact upon the students you teach.
Through my undergraduate degree I did have some experience with certain sociological
frameworks, mainly functionalism and Marxism, this was limited to brief explanations.
Understanding their interactions with the education system was not something I has
previous experience with.
3. What do you think assessment task 2 is hoping to teach you? (2 marks)
I believe the second assessment is trying to show us ways in which you can put sociological
theories into practice. This is apparent through the need to create a culturally responsive
game which can be used within a classroom. The aim was to create a fun and interesting
game whilst still being able to educate your audience (or your students in the future). Being
able to creatively implement course content for an audience is an important part of
teaching and this is another useful learning experience gained from this assessment.
4. Do you feel this assessment task will help you as a future teacher? (2 marks)
This assessment tasks provided us with the chance to experience putting theory into
practice. That is, being able to take the content you have learnt and implement into an
interactive and fun manner that is accessible for others. This is an important skill to have
within the classroom as well as we will have to implement course content from the
curriculum into accessible lessons for the students. Being able to do this in a fun and
interesting manner, as in the case of this assessment will lead to greater educational
outcomes for the students within your class.
5. How does this assessment task relate to your teaching philosophy? (2 marks)
This assessment task relates to my own teaching philosophy as it promotes the idea of being
pro-active within the classroom about issues that may arise. It is also a task in self-
understanding as it forces you to view how your own presence and understanding has an
impact on those around you. I also relate to the idea of using ICT in an engaging manner
within the classroom, which was promoted through the assessment. This ICT usage makes
tackling issues not only more fun and engaging for the students, but also makes it more
enjoyable for myself as it gives me a chance to share my own creativity.
Part 2 (500 words) 10 marks
1. Were your expectations about the assessment met? (2 marks)
Yes, the assignment was a great opportunity to work with others to address a sociological
issue in a creative manner. The creative element of the assessment was very rewarding as
well as it gave me an opportunity to use ICT in an interesting manner which was very
enjoyable. Being able to put the theories that have been discussed through the unit into a
practical application was a useful way of solidifying the course content, as well as making it
easier to understand.
2. What additional knowledge have you gained about Diversity, Social Justice and
Learning through the assessment task? What theoretical frames did you use to
make the connections to your teaching? (4 marks)
Within our assignment we used a range of theoretical frameworks to link it to actual
teaching practice. Without our game which was based around the issues of gender, some of
the main theoretical frameworks included heteronormativity, liberalism and feminism.
These theories were linked to the questions we had throughout our game which highlighted
the disparity that is still present through society in relation to gender. This was a great fit for
our combined key learning area of history as our game was based around key historical
points relating to gender. It is also made apparent through the game that the inequality
faced is still present, which is of importance given that some of the potential students who
could play the game could experience some of the disparities listed throughout the game.

This assignment furthered my understanding of the disparity that is still present throughout
society in relation to gender. Having the task of gathering questions relating to inequality of
gender made the theories more understandable as it gave me a real world understanding.
Gathering facts and statistics regarding the gender pay gap is real world example which puts
into perspective the theories that have been studied throughout the semester.
3. How can this assessment be related in particular to your teaching method? (2
marks)
This assessment could be easily transitioned into my key learning areas of history and
English as they would be able to portray certain elements within each topic. For instance, if
you were to keep the topic of gender which was the focus of our assessment, you could
frame your questions around how gender was portrayed through a novel that is being
studied or even a certain historical period. The sociological issue viewed through the board
game could also be altered depending on the desired outcome as well as the questions
being very adaptable.
4. How has your teaching philosophy changed? Does it now include teaching aspects
previously excluded? (2 marks)
I would say my teaching philosophy has changed in regards to how I view myself within a
classroom setting. Previous to the unit I was not aware to the same degree of how my own
experiences and upbringing could have an influence on the way in which I interact with the
students. I think in general the unit has given me a greater sense of understanding in terms
of the issues of whiteness and privilege, as previously I would say I was fairly ignorant of
how these affect others.

Luke McConnell
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