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Professional formation guide using

How to upload evidence for your qualifications into your asset store

Step one Log in to www.ifl.ac.uk using your membership number (or registered email address) and your password.

REfLECT+ is a free benefit and available to all IfL members. You can log in to REfLECT+ via the link on the IfL website (when you have logged in) or using the link you were sent when you registered to apply for professional formation.

Step two Find the standardised certificates you need for your application. These are:

Your initial teacher training certificate (eg Cert Ed, DTLLS or PGCE).

Please note: If you have an initial teacher training qualification from a country outside

England, please refer to the IfL website for information on IfL’s route to recognising overseas qualifications as you will need to provide some additional information.

Level 2 literacy (eg GCE English, GCSE English (Grades A –C only accepted), CSE Grade 1 English, Adult Literacy award at Level 2). Please check the information on approved qualifications under the standardised elements on the IfL website to ensure your qualifications are acceptable.

Level 2 numeracy (eg GCE Maths, GCSE Maths (Grades A-C only accepted), CSE Grade 1 only, Adult Numeracy award at Level 2). Please check the information on approved qualifications under the standardised elements on the IfL website to ensure your qualifications are acceptable

Please note: If you have Level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications from a country outside the UK, you will need to obtain and letter of authentication from UK NARIC

If you teach a skills for life subject , ie ESOL (English for speakers of other

languages), literacy or numeracy/ language, literacy or numeracy, then you need to

hold a subject specialist qualification equivalent to Level 5 Specialist Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector in English (ESOL or Literacy) or Mathematics (Numeracy).

Step three Scan or photograph the documents you have chosen and save in .jpg or PDF format. This will enable easy access to your scanned certificates/photographs.

How you scan and save these documents depends on which scanner and program you are

using but generally, these are fairly simple to use. A smart phone image can uploaded to your computer and saved in .jpg or PDF format.

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Step four Save your scanned documents/images to your computer or memory stick. Give the documents suitable names so you are able to select the correct ones for each stage of the workbook, eg Cert Ed 2006, GCSE Maths 1998, and so on. You should find that the file extension is .jpg if a jpeg file, so your file name will be something like this: PSK Cert Ed 2006.jpg (where PSK are your initials) or pdf if your document is saved in Portable Document File format, eg PSK PGCE 2012.pdf.

Step five Upload your scanned image or documents to your asset store.

From the REfLECT+ home page, click on ‘Add New’ then select ‘File’:

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A new panel appears to upload the file:

Add a title and brief description of your scanned image/document.

Follow these steps:

Click on the ‘Browse’ button

Navigate to where you have stored your scanned documents or images on your computer or memory stick

Select the file you wish to upload

Click on the ‘open’ button – this will add your filename to the box

Tick the checkbox which confirms you are entitled to use the file

Select Save and Upload button – you should be able to see the progress of

your file uploading.

You can then save and close this asset. This will now be found in the By Me section of the asset store. See below:

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How to access and complete your professional formation online workbook

When you are in your REfLECT+ space, you can access your workbook via the ‘View’

drop down menu and by clicking on ‘Tasks’:

Click on ‘Tasks’ and you will see a list of any programmes you are undertaking. Click the

title of the programme you wish to access and open the task to see the workbook.

Tips on updating your workbook

Whenever you wish to add to or update your workbook, always use the process outlined above. Although the workbook also now sits in your asset store, we recommend that you always access the workbook via the ‘View’ and ‘Tasks’ option.

Save your work at regular intervals and before you log out of REfLECT+. Note: On first saving you will be sent a message that you have submitted your asset to a workspace – this is correct and ensures your webfolio will be sent to the correct review period when complete.

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The online workbook

There are eight pages in the online workbook, which cover the whole of the application. These are divided up into specific sections, so that you can complete them in stages. Remember, every time that you go back to the workbook access it via the ‘View’ menu and select ‘Task’.

Each page has ‘help text’ provided in a pop-up that automatically opens alongside the workbook when you change the page. To close the pop-up, click on the ‘X’ at the top right of the screen. To open the help again click the question mark icon, which you can find alongside the individual page buttons.

Page 1: Overview page

This page contains your details and a check list of pages showing which have been completed. A green tick indicates that the page has been started/completed and a white cross in a red circle indicates the page has not yet been started.

You can tag this asset by using the tag option

You can add the time taken by using the log hours or points option

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Page 2: Qualifications

The qualifications page shows your initial teacher training qualification and other qualifications recorded with IfL. It will also add Level 2 literacy numeracy qualifications to your online workbook. You need to provide evidence of all qualifications in order to complete the qualifications page.

On the qualifications page – which is for the standardised certificates - you will see a red rosette icon beside each qualification. Click on the red rosette – not the name of the qualification - and you will be taken to your Asset store. Scroll to the qualification you require then click on the file and click the Confirm button and your selected qualification will be added to your workbook as a link. The rosette will now turn green.

To check that you have uploaded the correct qualification, click on the green rosette and a window will open indicating which file you have added. If for some reason you need to delete this qualification, click on the ‘X’ at the side of the file name in the new window and the qualification link will be removed. To add a different qualification, follow the steps above.

Please note: there is no need to add any additional information about your qualifications in the form which you may see at this point; your certificate is what is required for this process.

Narrative pages

On the following six pages, you will need to add your information and evidence. You will

need to enter the narrative and supporting evidence related to that area – these are

outlined below:

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Page 3: Teaching biography

Explain your route into teaching and add any evidence which is relevant such as voluntary

work or other areas which impact on your role as a tutor. You may describe your previous

employment and why you decided to become a teacher.

Further information on the teaching biography can be found on the IfL website.

Page 4: Subject currency

Demonstrate how you keep up to date with your subject specialism and provide evidence to

support this, eg attendance certificate, web page link, journal title, and so on.

Page 5: Teaching and learning

Tell us how you keep up to date with your Teaching and Learning Skills and how you plan

for the success of all your learners. If your institution has appropriate facilities, how are you

keeping up to date with computer-based resources and are using these within your lessons

for the benefit of your learners? You must add appropriate supporting evidence such as

lesson plans, schemes of work, resources, appraisals, peer observation reports, and so on.

Page 6: Self evaluation

Evaluate your practice as a teacher; analyse your strengths and also your areas for

development in the future. Complete a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and

threats) analysis.

Page 7: Development planning

In the light of your self evaluation, explain how you plan to meet your professional

development needs. You should include short, medium and long term goals and also

include deadlines for when these developments will be completed.

Page 8: Reflective practice

Reflect on your practice, and then tell us about the continuing professional development

(CPD) that you have undertaken and will do in the future, and how this has impacted on

your practice, your learners and your colleagues. Evidence might include CPD events,

lessons plans and amendments, observations of teaching and learning, peer reviews,

learner feedback, and so on.

Examples of CPD activities can be found on the IfL website.

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Adding narrative

To add appropriate narrative to these pages, follow the advice in the pop-up ‘Help’ which

slides in from the right every time you click to open the page:

You can enter text in the box already prepared for you; this will expand as you write.

If you wish to break the text up with a second text box or you wish to add an image then click

on one of the layouts circled below. This will then insert a new area for you to complete. You

can highlight text that you insert and this will enable you add some formatting, link to other

assets in your asset store, or link to web pages. (See page 9)

Copying and pasting text from a pre-prepared Word document

You are able to copy and paste narrative from a Word document – this is a useful back up

for you, rather than entering narrative directly on the pages in REfLECT+. To paste text

to your workbook page:

1 Copy the text as usual 2 Position your cursor on the page where you wish the text to appear 3 Hold down the Control key and press V.

Control V is the keyboard shortcut to allow you to paste into the workbook pages.

Other keyboard shortcuts which you may find

useful are: Control C – to copy text

Control X – to cut text

A useful list of common keyboard shortcuts is available online: http://www.computerhope.com/shortcut/word.htm

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If you are using a Mac use:

Command V – to paste text into your narrative page

Please note: Using a Safari browser will not allow you to copy and paste. Please use a different browser.

Formatting text: Highlight a word or phrase and a formatting toolbar like the one below will appear:

Click on the option you wish to apply.

= makes the text bold

= makes the text italic

= changes the colour of the text

= change the headings or text size

Creating a link from a workbook page to an uploaded asset:

Highlight a word or phrase then click on the Add Asset icon:

= this will open your asset store and you can click on an asset and click the ‘Confirm’

button to create a link to your workbook page.

Note: you can upload your images at this point if you have not already done so. Click the upload button at the bottom of the asset store. Once uploaded, highlight and confirm to add to your workbook. You may also choose to scan a photograph other documents to include in your workbook to support your narrative, eg scheme of work, lesson plans, lesson observation report, and so on.

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Checking whether your link is active

In order to check whether your link is active, you will need to go into Preview Mode. Click on the eye icon at the top right of the workbook, this will take you to Preview Mode, which is where you can click on a link and your certificate or document will open. To return to Edit Mode, click on the pencil icon.

Printing your workbook

To print your workbook you need to be in Full Screen mode – this is the icon at the top right of the workbook that has two arrows facing opposite directions (see image above right). Click on the Full Screen mode and your workbook will be shown full page, see below:

At the right-hand side of the Overview page, you will see an icon of a printer. Click on this icon to be taken to a list of items to be included in the PDF print, click on the ones you wish to include to print out your workbook.

Other icons on the toolbar:

= will open your resource centre and you can link to a resource that you have created

= will enable you to link to a web page by inserting the web address (URL)

= will enable you to create a link to an email address

= will remove any applied formatting

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Status and submission bar

The status and submission bar at the bottom of the page contains the current status of the

workbook and is the place for you to add your supporter and a button to ‘Share with

Supporter’.

This status bar will change depending on the progress of your application.

How to add supporter details

Supporter details are added to the Status/Submission Bar; here you will be able to add your supporter’s name. Click on the external contact option:

Selecting the external contact option will open a

pop-up screen similar to the one to the right. Here

you are asked to key in the supporter’s name, their

email and then to confirm their email address.

Remember to click on Save when you have

completed the form. This will add the supporter’s

name to your Supporter’s box.

Note: The ‘Send to Supporter’ option will only be available for use when you have

completed all of the pages and added the supporter’s details to the workbook.

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To check the Supporter’s email address

Click on ‘View’ and select ‘Contacts’. This will show which email address has been used and you can check that this is correct.

This is useful if you supporter does not receive the email to give access to the workbook as the email may have been entered incorrectly.

If you wish to reset the supporter’s email address

Anil Rahman anilr anil8832:frp.co.uk

Occasionally, you may need to change the supporter’s email address. To do this you will need to click on the Reset button and then add the supporter’s new details following the same procedure (see instructions above).

Reset button

Note: Clicking on the reset button will remove all evidence about the supporter so do not

click unless absolutely necessary!

Sharing your workbook with your supporter

Click on the ‘Share with Supporter’ button to activate an email to your supporter

providing them with details of how to access your workbook.

The supporter will receive an email from REfLECT+ which will invite them to click on a link to access your workbook.

Please note that once your application has been supported, you cannot make any

further changes or you will lose the supporting statement and your supporter will

have to resubmit their statement.

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The supporter’s statement

When your supporter has completed the statement and also clicked on the ‘Support’ button. You will receive an email informing you that this has been done.

To read the supporter’s statement when it has been completed, click on the ‘Open

Statement’ button on the status bar.

Share with IfL

The final task will be to click on the ‘Share with IfL’ option, which will become active when

the supporting statement has been added. This is last step is very important as it is this

action which will forward your application to IfL to be reviewed. When your completed

professional formation application has been received by IfL, you will receive an

automated email confirming this.

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Emails and certificates

At certain points in the professional formation process, emails will be sent to you and a

notification will also appear in the message centre in REfLECT+ when feedback or

certificates are released. You can also check the status of your professional formation

application and track its progress, by logging in to My IfL on the website, using your

registered email address or membership number and password.

At the end of the process if you have achieved QTLS or ATLS you will receive an email

informing you of this decision. You will be able to read your reviewer feedback by logging in

to REfLECT+, opening your workbook and reading the feedback.

Your professional formation certificate will be stored in your Assets list ready for printing

at your convenience.

See next page for information for your supporter.

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Additional information for supporters

Adding your supporter’s statement

Thank you for acting as supporter for your colleague. This is much appreciated.

When the application is ready to be supported, the applicant will share the workbook with

you. You will receive an email similar to the one below:

Click the link and use the log in details which are provided in the email. This will give you

access to the workbook so you will be able to read through the information to ensure that

what has been entered in the narrative is a correct record.

After you have read the applicant’s narrative, please click the ‘Open Statement’ button in

the top right corner – similar to the example below:

This action will open up a statement form for you to complete. You will be able to keep

editing and saving the statement until it is completed.

When the statement has been completed, please click on the ‘Support’ button. If you do

not click this button, the applicant will not be able to read your statement.

This action will save your statement to the applicant’s workbook and also trigger an email to the applicant to inform them the supporting statement has been added.

That is all that is required of you as a supporter. In order to complete the action, the applicant is required to click on the ‘Share with IfL’ button which will appear in the applicant’s view of the workbook.