by: Karie - 19-08-10 13:34
Hello
I want to get an L3 so I can work in an nursery, does anyone know the best way( if any ) to do this as distance learning as all the q's I see are not reconised by the CDWC ??
Thank in advance
by: red sun
Have you looked at the National Extension College (NEC) They offer the Diploma in Pre-School Practice via distance learning (or they did!)
Karie why do you need to do distance learning? I'm not sure about the new L3 but the old NVQL 3 was workbased and that usually fits in well with people who already work in a setting.
by: me
if you have no experience working then you should go to college and learn, not just read the texts set by distance learning colleges. i rarely choose people who haven't been to actual classes, they learn so much less and are rarely good practitioners. I want people who have put themselves out, spent time with others sharing and dissecting theory, practice and policy i dont want staff who take the easy option. Having said that i also dont employ people with PPA qualifications which are essay based, no assessments and could in reality be written by anyone.
by: Greylady
Distance learning is not an easy option. It involves a greater level of personal time commitment and self discipline than any other form of training- just ask any of the thousands of Open University students and graduates! It's often the only route possible for people with busy lives and responsibilities including families.
PPA is now known as the Pre-school Learning Alliance (since 1995). It works with the National Extension College to provide the Level 2 and 3 qualifications (CPP and DPP) that it developed with Cache. It also provides the same qualifications in face-to-face teaching and learning.
Now that qualifications reform is with us these qualifications will no longer be available as we all move to the single level 2 and 3. Learners can register up until 31st December 2010 on the old qualifications.
As a face-to-face training provider the Alliance will be providing the new reformed qualifications from this month.
I must, however, defend the DPP and CPP. The nature of the assignments was that learners had to reflect real work in real settings. As a student you had to have carried out the work in order to complete them. There have been comments that people holding these awards 'really know their stuff'. They are usually more able to continue on to Foundation Degrees and beyond more easily, which is not the case for people who have solely work-based qualifications. Training providers have to have all the normal safeguards in place to defend against plagiarism. These are required by the awarding bodies and their regulators.
The new reformed children and young people's qualifications address the subject of many years of criticism and counter-criticism by being both knowledge-focused and skills-focused. Perhaps when potential recruits have just one type of qualification to present we will start looking in more depth at the individuals themselves, rather than employing or not employing them on the basis of the particular brand of qualification they hold.
by: Tallulah
I agree with Greylady - I have put in a lot more hours of study with my distance learning year than I did with my classoom based ones. I have a mountain of books which are a better authority than most tutors I have encountered in classrooms none of whom had ever worked in childcare themselves. When you study by distance learning you are responsible for yourself and as you set your own standards they are likely to be higher than those set by classmates. I have been much thorough as a distance learner because I know it's up to me to do well - not the tutor. I have also used a greater variety of sources in researching my assignments rather than just course notes. I am a distance learner because I am studying while working so all of my learning is being practically reinforced.
Judging someones employability based on the method they qualified by is just prejudiced