Creative Writing: Life Writing - A Step by Step Approach

Course aim

A freindly and accessible course to inspire, encourage and enable participants with the skills and understanding to develop and write their own or other's 'life stories'.

Do I need any particular skills or experience?

• You will need your own personal email address so that you’re able to login to the WEA’s digital learning platform: WEA Canvas. You will need to be able to understand how to follow URL links to pages on the internet. If you want to understand more about Canvas please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
• You will need to be able to follow links to join our WEA live video learning platform: WEA Zoom. If you’d like to understand more about our video learning platform, Zoom please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline and http://bit.ly/ZoomSpec
• This course is for a group of around 15 students studying in a live video-learning platform conference and an online digital learning environment platform from the comfort of your own home.
• No skills or experience needed
• This course is suitable for beginners and improvers

By the end of the course I should be able to:

• Express an understanding of the process of life writing.
• Have confidence in one's abilities in commenting on and critiquing a piece of life writing.
• Draw from one's own skills and experience in creating a piece of life writing.
• Display competence in the development of a piece of life writing.
• Gain motivation and enthusiasm for the subject area.

How will I be taught?

• The WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas will be used to provide resources or to support lessons, enable assessment, provide learner feedback and for other activities for individuals away from the course. If you want to understand more about our digital learning platform please visit: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
• The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
• Group and individual tasks will feature throughout - sharing work and informal feedback is encouraged but not compulsory.

What kind of feedback can I expect?

• A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
• You will have opportunities to discuss your progress with your tutor
• You will be encouraged to consider other students work and give your opinions and suggestions

What else do I need to know?

• Nothing else is needed
• All materials will be provided
• A pen and notepad/book will prove useful.

Pre-course work, reading and information sources

• You will have access to course resources and links to wider learning through the WEA’s digital learning platform, Canvas: http://bit.ly/WEAonline
• No pre reading or pre course work is required

What can I do next?

• Progress to another WEA course
• Progress to a course with another provider
• This course could lead to a range of job opportunities. Follow link to National Careers Service for more details https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/
• Become involved with the WEA in a range of voluntary work and other activities including campaigning as a WEA member
• Become involved as a volunteer for a WEA partner or another organisation
• You could progress to Higher Education courses. Follow link to the PEARL website for information http://pearl.open.ac.uk/
• Access the WEA What Next? booklet here http://www.wea.org.uk/learn-wea/what-can-i-do-next
• Could help to ground the participant with skills & knowledge relevant to employment/F.E/H.E education application. Please ask tutor about Certificate of Attendance.