Learning

Outstanding Teaching

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Discovery is the new way of learning

Last week I had the pleasure and opportunity to attend an Outstanding Teaching course run by Osiris Educational. The course itself was put together and led by Andy Griffith, a highly acclaimed writer, trainer and teacher who specialises in Learning to Learn, thinking skills, creativity and learning. He is also the director of MALIT Ltd, a Merseyside-based education training company which aims to help teachers and schools to raise the quality of teaching and learning through high quality INSET, training and consultancy.

The course aims were to:

  • understand how outstanding teaching works
  • the new Ofsted criteria
  • raise standards of learning
  • increase teacher confidence
  • improve pupil enjoyment and engagement in lessons
  • develop independent learners
  • challenge learners
  • leave a sustainable impact across the school

Teaching can be a very lonely and difficult profession. Like the Lone Ranger though, you fight back and try to engage your classes. Teaching is a brilliant challenge for anyone. I always feel that I have never cracked the profession of being a teacher and I am always striving to improve. Courses are essential for any teacher and in these difficult financial times they are sometimes forgotten about.

It was a very interesting and thought-provoking course where we were reminded that teaching is a craft where we creatively use different techniques to help people learn. Andy Griffith used a variety of techniques to show us how to engage a wide variety of personalities. I found the ideas that Andy had put together extremely stimulating as I am currently with my department rewriting our Key Stage 3 curriculum. Many of these techniques will be coming in very handy as the summer term goes on. From a personal point of view I found that Andy encouraged us to bring the fun back into teaching. We do seem to be on a rollercoaster of exams and reports and the system has forgotten that learning is fun. I came away from the day with lots of great resources and inspiring ideas, a day worthwhile attending.

I was pleased to see that I was not alone in the merits of the 30:70 lesson plan split, where the lessons are more controlled by the students where we play more of a conductor role. It is also our strength and weakness as teachers that we talk too much in the classroom. We must try to put the onus of learning back on the students where they are discovering information and knowledge. Q. Is the struggle to discover knowledge or listening to your teacher the most effective teaching method?

Overall it was a brilliant day and a course I thoroughly recommend to any aspiring teacher. Thanks Andy and I look forward to catching up with you in the future!

@tiddtalk on Twitter

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After many months of deliberating I have joined Twitter. I have been in two minds about Twitter for a long time trying to see its value in today’s society. Two weeks ago I took the plunge and I have so far been very impressed.

Twitter is brilliant for networking – linking up with fellow practitioners across the globe. This can enable you to spread information very quickly on what is happening now or a particular moment. It is an excellent resource to spread information especially if you have updated your blog and are looking for instant readership.

My good friend Ollie Bray, National Adviser for Learning and Technology Futures at Learning & Teaching Scotland (LTS),  is a huge fan and has been a major persuading factor in me joining Twitter. It is a useful tool for when you are looking for ideas or wanting to pick someone’s brain – and it doesn’t have to be someone you know.

Paul Ainsworth, a Vice Principle of a school in Leicestershire, wrote a brilliant article on the day I joined Twitter in Sec-Ed. It was very thought provoking and backed up my decision to join Twitter, thanks Paul! Paul explained that Twitter is a virtual staffroom where upon you can draw information and advice from a wide pool of practitioners across the globe. This is a very useful tool as we do need to share knowledge and advice. I recommend anyone thinking about joining a social networking site to read this article.

My Twitter account username is @tiddtalk – join me sharing information about education and geography. PLS RT

Education Blog Award Winners

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And the winner is…?

Yes, today we find out who are the winners of the UK Education Blog Awards. The awards are split between four categories;

Last month we found out who were the ten shortlisted blogs for each category from over three hundred nominated. I was extremely proud to be nominated and then shortlisted for two awards; Most Influential Blog of the Year and Teacher Blog of the Year.

Thank you to Scholastic Education, Creative Blogs and Primary Blogger for sponsoring the awards this year.

Every edublogger has been blogging away in anticipation. But who has won? Click here to find out! Well done to all the education bloggers in the blogosphere – keep up the good work!

The Final Countdown

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I have recently found out that I have been shortlisted for two Education Blog Awards; Teacher Blog of the Year and Most Influential Blog. These awards have been set up to award blogging in schools in the UK.

Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for my blog for these two awards. As a fairly new blogger (since January 2010), I am extremely pleased with being shortlisted. My blog is now being judged by five judges; John Davitt, Paula Hubbard, Ollie Bray, Margaret Vaas and Tim Rylands. The blog winners will be announced on 1st June – good luck to all the bloggers who have been shortlisted!

Teaching Challenge (5/5)

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As teachers we must be more reflective of our own practice and make amendments where we need to. We must utilise our strengths and work on our areas of development. Observations are vitally important to watch other teachers and how students learn. This would be ideally done within the department and with other departments once a term where possible. This should therefore improve our own teaching and benefit the students. Working with other colleagues will help develop cross curricular opportunities to raise achievement throughout the school.

Teaching Challenge (4/5)

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4. Assessment for Learning (AFL)

AFL is a very important skill and is an area where we could develop within Geography. As teachers we are sometimes too controlling and we must put the onus back on the students for them to achieve. Investigating methods and ways of implementing this into our schemes of work must be one of our priorities. This will encourage student learning and raise achievement across all year groups.

AFL will also help improve the student’s knowledge of using a mark scheme and what to include in a good answer. This will reduce our marking and in the long-term our workload.

Teaching Challenge (2/5)

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2. Developing Key Stage 3

With an ever-changing world, it is time for our Geography curriculum to change. Since joining Gillingham School in September 2009, we have rewritten the GCSE course and made amendments to the A Level course. Now that they are finally in place we can turn our attention to Key Stage 3.

Key Stage 3 is the building block of geography within every secondary school. It is where some students are only just learning the subject for the first time and building upon the foundations of their learning at KS2. We are turning KS3 upside down on its head at Gillingham and shaking it for the first time in several years. We already have a large uptake at GCSE and the students enjoy their lessons. We it is time for a change, to gain the skills and knowledge required at KS4 and beyond, a new layout must be put in place.

Currently we teach five/six topics across each year group. With students becoming more interactive and demanding more knowledge, we have decided to go for a format of eight separate topics of eight lessons each. We currently teach four lessons over a two-week timetable. This means topics will interchange at a fast rate, we won’t get bogged down in one topics and it keeps it exciting for the students.

We do seem to be on a continuous cycle of rewriting, but we must not forget the building blocks of a successful education. Key Stage 3 can be sometimes be forgotten about in this world of examinations at KS4 and 5. The young students at KS3 need the skills and knowledge to help them in their later geography education. It also means we can dip out of the curriculum when we need to – eight topics x four weeks = 32 weeks out of 39 teaching weeks. This would enable free time for us to look at world events that take place i.e. Geography Awareness Week, Fairtrade Fortnight, Japanese earthquake etc. The topics we have discussed so far have been using some of the current lessons and new ideas we are developing.

Last Chance Saloon

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This is your last week to vote for the UK Education Blog Awards 2011. The last chance to vote is 30th April.  I am very pleased to say that I have been nominated. Thank you to everyone who has voted for my blog.

Why do I write a blog? Since I started writing my blog in January 2010, I have learnt and shared new ideas from many different teachers. I really enjoy sharing ideas with other practitioners and learning a new technique or way of doing something. Sometimes we are left to our own devices and perhaps we should be talking and sharing resources on a more regular basis.

For the last few years I have found blogs a great source to further my understanding and learn new skills as a teacher. I have always said that a teacher never stops learning. Just like our students we as teaching practitioners are constantly learning new techniques on improving our methods we use in the classroom. This is part of the reason why I love teaching, it is never dull and is a challenge I relish on a daily basis.

If you would like to vote for a blog – please follow the link here on at the top right hand corner which will take you to the Education Blog Awards website to cast your vote. Good luck to all the bloggers out there!

Geography Resources for Primary Teachers: the next step

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Earlier this year in February, a damning Ofsted report concluded that the teaching of geography was not good enough in more than half of English state schools; how the subject had practically “disappeared” in one-in-10 primaries and how many teachers lacked specialist geographical knowledge. On the surface this is worrying news for geography as a leading subject.

What was not investigated in the Ofsted report was how teaching resources might improve the standards of the subject.

A new report called ‘Geography Resources for Primary Teachers: the next step’ surveyed primary school teachers across the UK, and was conducted by Oddizzi, a new online teaching resource with geography at its core.

The report concludes that the correct type of resources e.g. those that are inspiring, relevant and interactive, are key to help to facilitate the teaching of geography and improve standards in the subject among primary schools. This is great news for geography – as a versatile subject technology can be applied brilliantly.

In support of the Ofsted report, ‘Geography Resources for Primary Teachers: the next step’ concludes that 47% of primary teachers said that their own lack of confidence in teaching geography had a great impact on the subject in schools.

One vital aspect, which was not mentioned in the Ofsted report, was the extent to which teachers feel that the quality and relevance of resources currently available to them are impacting the teaching of geography. 45% of primary school teachers in the ‘Geography Resources for Primary Teachers: the next step’ report said that this had a great impact on their current teaching. When looking at how teaching resources for geography compared with other subjects, 68% said that geography materials are significantly worse or not quite as good as materials available for other subjects.

When it came to the type of teaching resources one area that stood out was the desire for more interactivity; 67% of primary teachers say that they are not or only somewhat satisfied with the level of interactivity of current materials whilst 81% said that child friendly interactive maps would be a very interesting or essential feature of any new teaching resource (28% say it is essential).

Beyond interactive teaching resources 70% say that the inclusion of cross curricular project ideas would be very interesting or essential as a feature of a new teaching resource (27% say it is essential).

These are very interesting comments as geography could very easily be a leading subject where technology is applied in the correct manner. It seems the demand for technology and good resources are what our primary schools need. Oddizzi is one solution and I am sure there are many other resources out there that need to be supplied to our primary schools – otherwise we are going to have a future generation lacking the skills and interest in geography. We only have one planet to live and learn from – let’s make sure we are not doing our students a disservice.

The Tools of my Toolbox (2 of 2)

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This is part 2 of the tools of my toolbox. ‘It’s not about the tools but the toolbox’. This was a statement Dave Rogers posed on his blog last week. It is quite tricky as every teacher has different views on what they need to be successful and to help their everyday lives. Here are my remaining tools of the trade:

  • Thinking Outside the Box

Being innovative and brave within a classroom can bring enjoyment, success and respect. I admit not every idea I have tried has worked but those that do can enhance the student’s experience of your subject. Trialling new ideas improve your lessons and enjoyment as a teacher. It is not always easy trying out new ideas. It is very easy to stay in the comfort zone but without trying out new ideas we do not develop ourselves as teachers and will not improve. Idris Mootee, of  the innovation playground blog,  has said, ‘innovation is hard, it is not about getting the ideas at all, it is about managing ideas. So you have a few great ideas, so what? The future is never about the future but now.’

  • Reflecting

As teachers we must be more reflective of our own practice and make amendments where we need to. We must utilise our strengths and work on our areas of development. Observations are vitally important to watch other teachers and how students learn. This would be ideally done within the Department and with other Departments once a term where possible. This should therefore improve our own teaching and benefit the students .Working with other colleagues will help develop cross curricular opportunities to raise achievement throughout the school. I always try evaluate my lessons on a daily basis – you should be aware if you have taught a good lesson or not – and more importantly how could it be improved.

  • Teaching is Fun

As teachers we work long hours and spend many lessons preparing and planning work. We have the aim of teaching the National Curriculum and working with our students on achieving their personal best and gaining the grades they deserve. But…we must enjoy our working life. There are many pressures in the education industry and targets to achieve. Teaching in my opinion is the greatest role in life that someone can do. To actually see the look of wonder and understanding on someone’s face is something that cannot be bought. To pass on knowledge and see where it takes a young person in life is amazing. To actually help young people in life choose a path in the life with your encouragement and guidance is breathtaking. There is much to enjoy from teaching, just don’t forget the positives!

  • The Mighty Board Marker

Where would any teacher be without a board marker? Sometimes this little tool can be forgotten with the overkill of Powerpoint. Remember, simple ideas can make learning easy.