2 Ebrill 2012

Lansio Blwch Offer ar Gyfer Addysgu Ôl-16 o'r Radd Flaenaf

Lecturers, course leaders, trainers, mentors and managers in post-16 education are enthusiastically embracing proven effective teaching strategies with renewed vigour, following the launch of a Teachers’ Toolbox at the first interactive conference in Wales to focus exclusively on raising the quality of teaching and learning in post-16 education held on Friday 30 March.

Organised by ColegauCymru with the support of the Welsh Government, the Teaching and Learning Conference drew over 230 delegates from a spectrum of post-16 education providers, including all of Wales’ further education colleges, as well as a number from work-based learning and community learning. 

Led by Geoff Petty, author of the UK’s best-selling teacher training text, delegates actively participated in highly effective teaching strategies.  And in order to help share the theory and the best teaching practice more widely, ColegauCymru launched an online Teachers’ Toolbox.

Chief Executive of ColegauCymru / CollegesWales, John Graystone, said: “Learners rely on excellent teaching to achieve success.  Over recent years, colleges have consistently improved their quality profile.  The college sector is good, very good, but there are still areas that can be improved. The Teaching and Learning Conference was the first to focus exclusively on teaching strategies and it’s testament to the FE sector that all of Wales’ further education colleges participated in the conference.

“Much of the positive feedback was touching and heartfelt, including this comment from a delegate which encapsulates the whole enterprise of teaching and learning: ‘At the end of a Friday afternoon I was shattered but left very positive and eager to try out the strategies and share them with colleagues. I hope my learners leave my lessons feeling that they have learned as much as I have today and eager to follow their learning’. 

“Teaching and learning are at the heart of what we do and inspired teachers and learners are what we want. It appears that we’re on the right track.

“I very much hope that teachers and managers will draw on the support of ColegauCymru’s Teachers’ Toolbox to improve teaching.  It is a valuable contribution to colleges’ professional communities of learning and assists colleges and other training providers to share ideas and support each other through the continuous development of good practice. 

“The end goal is for educators and managers to be able say with confidence and with hand on heart that we’re doing our best for learners.”
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Contact: Sylvia Davies on 029 2052 8384 or 07968 771913.
Notes to editors:

1. ColegauCymru / CollegesWales is a national educational charity that represents all 20 further education (FE) colleges and institutions in Wales. Its mission is to raise the profile of further education with key decision-makers to improve opportunities for learners in Wales. For further information about ColegauCymru / CollegesWales, and the colleges it represents, visit www.colegaucymru.ac.uk or www.collegeswales.ac.uk

2. The Teaching and Learning Conference took place on 30 March 2012 at the All Nations Centre, Cardiff. It was hosted by ColegauCymru with the support of the Welsh Government.

3. The programme and conference pack as well as additional materials are available from the Teachers’ Toolbox: http://moodle.colegaucymru.ac.uk