Im new to the OU and Im taking the E111 course supporting learning in primary school.
Is anyone else taking this course that would like to hook up to share ideas and discuss assignments.
Michael David
Lynda Barlow - Sun, 28/08/2011 - 14:09
Hello Michael
I am starting the E111 this year also. I am an old hand at OU courses, having previously completed a social sciences degree 10 years ago, but I am completely new to this subject (E111).
Have you got your placement all sorted out? Or are you already working as a TA? I have been volunteering at my local school since February, and they have agreed to support my studies. I rashly applied for some part-time TA posts starting this September, but have no expectation at all of even getting an interview (and quite right too, as I am sure there are many properly qualified people who have applied).
Lynda
Ben Curtis - Mon, 29/08/2011 - 16:41
Hi Michael and Lynda,
I am also new to the OU, really looking forward to starting E111, definitely feels like something I should have done a long time ago. I think sharing ideas and discussing assignments would be really useful. Have you had your course materials yet?
I'm starting to get in to a panic about the placement now! Applied for a handful of TA positions but I know that without experience or qualifications I'm very unlikely to get anywhere. Have emailed all the schools in the area about voluntary work and tried following that up with phone calls but there never seems to be anybody there to take my call! I suppose it is the summer holidays and I have a few weeks to sort it out still...
Ben
Lynda Barlow - Mon, 29/08/2011 - 17:19
Hi Ben
Yes, course materials arrived a couple of weeks ago. Looks like a LOT of reading! You are probably unlikely to get replies from schools during the holidays, as you say. But they will all be back at school from next week. I wrote to my local school asking if they could use me as a volunteer and they almost bit my hand off, they were so glad of an extra pair of hands that they didn't have to pay for. Having said that, I did have a lot of informal childcare experience. I'm sure you will get it all sorted within the next few weeks. Best of luck.
Lynda
Ben Curtis - Mon, 29/08/2011 - 23:54
Thanks Lynda, the feedback I have had from friends working in schools is that they would love any voluntary help they could get. Roll on the end of the school holidays!
Ben
Dionne Fraser - Thu, 01/09/2011 - 20:43
Hello All. I'm also starting E111 in October. Have a placement in my daughters school 1 day a week. Will be in reception class which my daughter has just finished so should be fun.
Dionne
Alexandra Martin - Wed, 07/09/2011 - 14:46
Hi,
I'm starting E111 in October too - I'm really excited about it having received all the course materials.
I have a placement for one day each week in a reception class of 28 new 4 year olds. I volunteered in the same class all last year too, so it's good to be able to build on that. Dionne, I see you're in reception too - what made you go for E111 rather than the E100 Early Years specific course?
Hope the rest of you have all sorted out your placements too.
Alex
Anke Wackertapp - Thu, 08/09/2011 - 19:16
Hi,
I am also starting the E111 course in October and have been volunteering in a special school since January. Looking through the study material and get familiar with the OU website at the moment. Hope to share study experience and ideas with other E111 students.
Anke
Sarah Bradley - Thu, 08/09/2011 - 19:31
Hello everyone, yep doing E111 2011 - hello Dionne btw, recognise your name from the E111 Facebook page! Which incidentally has quite a lot of enthusiastic members so far, so if you'd like to join look it up (I think that's how you join??). Yes am definitely up for sharing ideas and stuff, this is my first OU course and though excited, am quite daunted! Have been reading my way through the Good Study Guide which has been absolutely brilliant and is worth spending time with. Good luck everyone, looking forward to chatting with everyone when we get started :-)
Sarah
Ellizabeth Fletcher - Mon, 12/09/2011 - 13:31
Hello everyone!
Also starting E111 this year. Really looking forward to it.
I'm a TA in an Infant School, I've previously worked in Year 1 but this year I'm in Reception with a HUGE cohort of 73 (across 3 classes) which is going to be interesting!
To those previous posters yet to get placements I would be very surprised to hear of any school that wouldn't want a volunteer, especially one about to start this course. Also to those of the male gender (!) I personally think we should have more men in Infants, so hopefully you should have your pick of schools!
I've had a look through all the materials and am keen to just get going now.
Hope to 'speak' to you all again soon.
Liz
Maria Matthews - Tue, 13/09/2011 - 10:55
Hello everybody,
I am getting worried as my materials have not arrived yet! I work as a TA in an International school in Rome. I finished my degree with the OU 10 years ago and a lot of things seem to have changed since then.. Hopefully it will be another good experience.
Maria
Alexandra Martin - Wed, 14/09/2011 - 11:00
Can anyone help me with a link to the Facebook page? I don't normally use Facebook so I'm not really that sure what I'm looking for!
Thanks
Alex
Jackie Nunn - Wed, 14/09/2011 - 11:36
Hi Alex,
Do you already have a Facebook account? If so - if you type "Open University" into the search bar at the top, it should bring up the OU's facebook page. Click on "like" and you will be able to link through to that page from your page and follow any conversations that come up. You could try using this link: www.facebook.com/theopenuniversity
I hope this helps.
Jackie
Alexandra Martin - Wed, 14/09/2011 - 16:36
Thanks very much for your help Jackie, I did as you suggested and think I've found the group now - E111 Supporting Learning in Primary Schools starting October 2011.
Jackie Nunn - Wed, 14/09/2011 - 16:41
Fantastic - glad I could help!
Jackie
Denise Hicks - Fri, 16/09/2011 - 20:28
Hey all, I'm starting too! Although I'm having a panic as still not sorted my placement! I've written to schools and chased up with calls but nobody is ever available to take my call or calls me back. I have previously volunteered in a school, do you think I can base some of my work on this until I find a school that wants a volunteer?!!
Good Luck to everyone starting
Denise
Matthew Gregor - Mon, 19/09/2011 - 09:57
Hi everyone names Matt i am starting the E111 soon i am currently a sports coach in a primary school and am in my second year and looking to get into teaching .looking forward to starting the course .Is anyone else from around the oxfordshire area doing the course ?
Look forward to hearing from you guys
Matt
Alexandra Martin - Tue, 20/09/2011 - 13:36
Hi Matt
I'm on the Wilts / Oxon border but I think we're probably in separate regions. I'm region 3 - South West, what about you?
Alex
Denise Hicks - Fri, 23/09/2011 - 18:23
Hey Matt, I'm in Banbury, can't wait to start, bit nervous and still don't have a placement - eek!!
Deepa Cole - Mon, 19/09/2011 - 10:34
Hi, I too am starting this course as a newbie to OU. It's great to hear from others doing the same course. I am volunteering at my children's primary school.
Has anyone discovered the study planner yet?
Also, when and how do we know what the assignments are?
Thanks
Matthew Gregor - Mon, 19/09/2011 - 11:30
Hi deepa nice to meet you .i have not seen the student planner yet have you ?our first assigment starts on the 1st of october i think
Matt
Deepa Cole - Tue, 20/09/2011 - 10:57
Thanks Matt. Thought I was going nuts as couldn't find it. Someone earlier in the posts said that they had downloaded the assignments but I think maybe they meant the assignment dates. I have requested a E111 forum on the OUSA forums so it would be great if people posted their interest on there.
Ali Aird - Thu, 22/09/2011 - 11:52
Hi everyone!
I'm also starting E111 next week and i'm very excited, but also incredibly nervous!
I volunteer 1 day a week at my sons school and i'm lucky enough to work with both the infants and the juniors for a bit of variety!
Is anyone else in the Manchester area? I read my tutor letter last night and now have my assessment/tutorial dates so its all a bit real!!
Ali
chantelle lamb - Thu, 13/10/2011 - 13:51
Hi, I am starting the E111 course also! Quite daunted by it all atm, looking forward to getting started and for it all to make a bit more sense!!
I have a placement at my local primary school with a reception class.
Hello Michael
I am starting the E111 this year also. I am an old hand at OU courses, having previously completed a social sciences degree 10 years ago, but I am completely new to this subject (E111).
Have you got your placement all sorted out? Or are you already working as a TA? I have been volunteering at my local school since February, and they have agreed to support my studies. I rashly applied for some part-time TA posts starting this September, but have no expectation at all of even getting an interview (and quite right too, as I am sure there are many properly qualified people who have applied).
Lynda
Hi Michael and Lynda,
I am also new to the OU, really looking forward to starting E111, definitely feels like something I should have done a long time ago. I think sharing ideas and discussing assignments would be really useful. Have you had your course materials yet?
I'm starting to get in to a panic about the placement now! Applied for a handful of TA positions but I know that without experience or qualifications I'm very unlikely to get anywhere. Have emailed all the schools in the area about voluntary work and tried following that up with phone calls but there never seems to be anybody there to take my call! I suppose it is the summer holidays and I have a few weeks to sort it out still...
Ben
Hi Ben
Yes, course materials arrived a couple of weeks ago. Looks like a LOT of reading! You are probably unlikely to get replies from schools during the holidays, as you say. But they will all be back at school from next week. I wrote to my local school asking if they could use me as a volunteer and they almost bit my hand off, they were so glad of an extra pair of hands that they didn't have to pay for. Having said that, I did have a lot of informal childcare experience. I'm sure you will get it all sorted within the next few weeks. Best of luck.
Lynda
Thanks Lynda, the feedback I have had from friends working in schools is that they would love any voluntary help they could get. Roll on the end of the school holidays!
Ben
Hello All. I'm also starting E111 in October. Have a placement in my daughters school 1 day a week. Will be in reception class which my daughter has just finished so should be fun.
Dionne
Hi,
I'm starting E111 in October too - I'm really excited about it having received all the course materials.
I have a placement for one day each week in a reception class of 28 new 4 year olds. I volunteered in the same class all last year too, so it's good to be able to build on that. Dionne, I see you're in reception too - what made you go for E111 rather than the E100 Early Years specific course?
Hope the rest of you have all sorted out your placements too.
Alex
Hi,
I am also starting the E111 course in October and have been volunteering in a special school since January. Looking through the study material and get familiar with the OU website at the moment. Hope to share study experience and ideas with other E111 students.
Anke
Hello everyone, yep doing E111 2011 - hello Dionne btw, recognise your name from the E111 Facebook page! Which incidentally has quite a lot of enthusiastic members so far, so if you'd like to join look it up (I think that's how you join??). Yes am definitely up for sharing ideas and stuff, this is my first OU course and though excited, am quite daunted! Have been reading my way through the Good Study Guide which has been absolutely brilliant and is worth spending time with. Good luck everyone, looking forward to chatting with everyone when we get started :-)
Sarah
Hello everyone!
Also starting E111 this year. Really looking forward to it.
I'm a TA in an Infant School, I've previously worked in Year 1 but this year I'm in Reception with a HUGE cohort of 73 (across 3 classes) which is going to be interesting!
To those previous posters yet to get placements I would be very surprised to hear of any school that wouldn't want a volunteer, especially one about to start this course. Also to those of the male gender (!) I personally think we should have more men in Infants, so hopefully you should have your pick of schools!
I've had a look through all the materials and am keen to just get going now.
Hope to 'speak' to you all again soon.
Liz
Hello everybody,
I am getting worried as my materials have not arrived yet! I work as a TA in an International school in Rome. I finished my degree with the OU 10 years ago and a lot of things seem to have changed since then.. Hopefully it will be another good experience.
Maria
Can anyone help me with a link to the Facebook page? I don't normally use Facebook so I'm not really that sure what I'm looking for!
Thanks
Alex
Hi Alex,
Do you already have a Facebook account? If so - if you type "Open University" into the search bar at the top, it should bring up the OU's facebook page. Click on "like" and you will be able to link through to that page from your page and follow any conversations that come up. You could try using this link: www.facebook.com/theopenuniversity
I hope this helps.
Jackie
Thanks very much for your help Jackie, I did as you suggested and think I've found the group now - E111 Supporting Learning in Primary Schools starting October 2011.
Fantastic - glad I could help!
Jackie
Hey all, I'm starting too! Although I'm having a panic as still not sorted my placement! I've written to schools and chased up with calls but nobody is ever available to take my call or calls me back. I have previously volunteered in a school, do you think I can base some of my work on this until I find a school that wants a volunteer?!!
Good Luck to everyone starting
Denise
Hi everyone names Matt i am starting the E111 soon i am currently a sports coach in a primary school and am in my second year and looking to get into teaching .looking forward to starting the course .Is anyone else from around the oxfordshire area doing the course ?
Look forward to hearing from you guys
Matt
Hi Matt
I'm on the Wilts / Oxon border but I think we're probably in separate regions. I'm region 3 - South West, what about you?
Alex
Hey Matt, I'm in Banbury, can't wait to start, bit nervous and still don't have a placement - eek!!
Hi, I too am starting this course as a newbie to OU. It's great to hear from others doing the same course. I am volunteering at my children's primary school.
Has anyone discovered the study planner yet?
Also, when and how do we know what the assignments are?
Thanks
Hi deepa nice to meet you .i have not seen the student planner yet have you ?our first assigment starts on the 1st of october i think
Matt
Thanks Matt. Thought I was going nuts as couldn't find it. Someone earlier in the posts said that they had downloaded the assignments but I think maybe they meant the assignment dates. I have requested a E111 forum on the OUSA forums so it would be great if people posted their interest on there.
Hi everyone!
I'm also starting E111 next week and i'm very excited, but also incredibly nervous!
I volunteer 1 day a week at my sons school and i'm lucky enough to work with both the infants and the juniors for a bit of variety!
Is anyone else in the Manchester area? I read my tutor letter last night and now have my assessment/tutorial dates so its all a bit real!!
Ali
Hi, I am starting the E111 course also! Quite daunted by it all atm, looking forward to getting started and for it all to make a bit more sense!!
I have a placement at my local primary school with a reception class.
Anybody else in the Hants/Dorset area?!
Charn