Teaching and Learning with the less able

Ask students to compile wordmats for a given topic (idea being that they will know what they needed to know, if that makes sense) - a good revision activity?

Set up a league table to encourage healthy competition

Award a raffle ticket for each good piece of work done - prize draw at the end of a unit as a reward (prizes don't have to be massive)

Ask students to podcast a topic (gets round literacy issues??)

Use play dough in a lesson to teach a concept

Get students to role play an event or scenario you are learning at the moment

‘Close your eyes and imagine’ - put whatever you are teaching into as descriptive terms as possible so that they are in the centre of the learning experience. Get them to draw what they see….

Create a quiz sheet with multiple choice and true or false statements for LA – they still get all the information that they need for an exam/assessment and have to think about the work but without lots of writing

Create support sheets for a lesson that have key ideas/concepts and hints for the lesson

Writing frames

Kineasthetic hands on activity in place of something you’d normally do written work for

Action Research – try mixed ability V’s single ability groups and compare outcomes

Differentiated outcomes for the lesson

Use a prop as a starter, e.g. a soft cushion ball. Students throw the ball to another student and they have to think of a subject key word. The student has 4 seconds to answer, if the answer is wrong, is the same as a previous answer or is not said within the 4 seconds then they are out. It’s fun and the students enjoy it. With a small class it lasts 5 minutes. For a large class it lasts about 10 minutes.

Use video tutorials / interactive resource to explain key concepts which will allow pupils to revisit at their own pace..

Provide audio feedback.

Students to use video cameras or audio recording to evaluate their work.

G&T missions

• Get your G&T students to lead and stage a debate in your subject, e.g. medical ethics, creationism, the value of languages in the 21st century.
• Give a G&T student the role as ‘teacher’ for at least 15 mins of your lesson.
• Ask G&T students to make videos about your subject to promote it.
• Use GCSE questions and resources with top set KS3 groups. Or A Level questions and resources with G&T GCSE students.
• Students design the marking criteria for a piece of work.
• Use the TASC wheel for independent/group work projects with a top set class.
• Mystery lesson – base your lesson around a mystery question, e.g. a coastal erosion lesson based on the question ‘Why did Jim and Betty have to pay higher house insurance?’
• Develop a cutaway table – a table where students complete extension work.
• Get a G&T student to lead the question and answer session.
• Student voice – create a survey for G&T students to get their opinion about what does/does not challenge them in your lessons. Then act on it!
• Extension menus – provide a variety of different tasks for G&T students to encourage independent thinking. This could relate to schemes of work, or be general for the subject/year group.
• Odd one out – use as a starter. Identify the odd one out and give a reason, identify a second odd one out with a different reason or add another item to the list keeping the same odd one out. Justify your answer.
• Presentations – ask G&T students to research and present a topic to the class.
• Tailored questioning – challenge G&T students to start with a more difficult question or to pose the questions for the rest of the class.
• Answers/questions – provide a list of answers. Students have to guess what the questions are.
• ‘Becoming an expert’ – Groups of students are given topics to research which they will then teach to one member of each of the other groups, who in turn will teach their own group.
• Research tasks – challenge students to use more difficult resources for a research task so they have to synthesise from a wider range of resources.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy – Set questions from each level of Bloom’s taxonomy. In addition, ask learners to create questions from each level of Bloom’s taxonomy.

Differentiation

Welcome back DDs,

This term, as well as the observations we will complete on 'What Makes a Good USH Lesson?', we will look at Differentiation in school. In particular , G&T as a focus.

I am interested in how we secure As at GCSE/ Btec and how we challenge/ support G&T better in our Key Stage Three classes. How do you know they are G&T? How do they progress to be one? How do you use them in/ outside of  your lessons?

Any ideas, previous examples, please add below. We will then add new missions to these.

Thanks in advance

N

Dates for 2010 -11 Dare Devil Meetings

20th October 2010
8th December 2010

19th January 2011
9th March 2011

18th May 2011
8th June 2011


We will also be able to book further meetings, when relevant, in Week A Wednesdays. 


Hope it helps your diaries,


N

Power Teaching

Thanks for your enthusiasm this afternoon I know it has been a long half term.

I am just about to e-mail you all the resources so you can get started with power teaching ASAP.

I really recommend that you look on YouTube at the videos on Power Teaching and Whole Brain Teaching.

Chris Biffle is the main man his YouTube channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisBiffle


Happy Power Teaching.

PS. any thoughts/ suggests please leave a comment.

"TEACH"

Mission 5

The next DD meeting is next Tuesday at 3pm in the Meeting Room. Please be ready to share your last Missions and we will be looking at buddying up for observations.

Bring a drink and I will bring something sweet!

Thanks

N

Welcome staff!

Dear all,

Thank you for the support and enthusiasm you showed yesterday during the Dare Devils meeting. We hoped you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Please feel free to add a comment below. If you are signed in (you can create an account and even set up your own blog in minutes!), you can add one. If you are unsure you can add a comment as 'Anonymous' without doing so. If you add your name to the post, we will then know who you are!

I hope you all try one Mission and let us know how it went. Any issues or support you need, you know where we are!

Good luck

'N'

Mission 5 and staff meeting

Dear DDs

Please can you give any ideas to Sian re the staff meeting and she will organise and get back to me (thanks Sian!!). I really want to show you guys off, so think what would interest and help you/them.

After the 'sharing' we will then continue with Mission 5. Please ensure you have your Mission 4 comments on by the meeting as we will be showing everyone the blog.

Thanks in advance

N

In School variation

As you know we have been asked to present on In School Variation for the staff meeting on the 4th May.

I think this a real opportunity for us to help improve standards here, using your skills and knowledge.

Links include:

 Leaders and TDA

Resource document on In School Variation

How In School Variation Creates Barriers in School

I will asking all of you to take an area and to help with the staff session on Monday 4th May.

We will put items on the blog.

Thanks in advance

Nic

Mission 4

Updates and do you need any help!

Nic

Behaviour

http://www.teachers.tv/behaviour

Try the challenge!

N

Mission 3: Learning Spaces

Hi,

Here we are in the last week of term and an exciting new layout and mission! For those of you who have the new missions - how is it going? Need any help? I have completed all of these in the past, so let me know if you need any tips.

For those of you who did not attend, the Mission envelopes are in my pigeon hole in the Staff Room (with a little Easter pressie for you all). Please take one as soon as possible - otherwise I will be naming and shaming!

A few other updates. You will see that I have updated this blog - bit more flashy! I have included a links area (please let me know if you want anymore!). I have also added your emails - I am hoping this will allow you to make posts. If not, I share my details with you so you can create them too. I am not precious about the site and want you to take ownership too!! Let me know your thought...

Good luck with M3.

I will sort the dates for next term's meetings asap and let you know!

Thanks

N

Dates for next term

Dates next term - thinking of Wednesday 21st April (Kerry's got staff forum on the Monday), then Wednesday 5th May (bank holiday on the Monday), Wednesday 19th May and after half term 23rd June.


Let me know if there are any issues,


N

Dare Devils Getting Out and About!

Hi

Cassie has asked if DDs would share ideas in Thursday briefings. What do you think and who would go first?

We are also looking at opportunities to share our experiences in a DD inset. Will let you know!!

N

Dare Devils Logo idea 1?

Thank you Chris!

Mission 2: Techno Teaching

http://prezi.com/sqcy89d0cjjq/


Here is the presentation for the meeting last night. I was really encouraged by everyone's comments. So great to hear you are being daring!


I still have a Wii and some Nintendo DSs. I will keep hold of them until Friday and then email all staff to see who wants to use them. I hate to see kit not being used!! I hope those of you who did take things are having a 'play' and even thinking of ways to use them in your classrooms.


We did not have a chance to speak about BEHAVIOUR. Would you rather do this online on the blog or email? Let me know! Sian will be looking at rewards and Kerry sanctions.


Lastly please let me know HOW I can support you in lessons with the missions - happy to do any dirty jobs (so to speak!!)


Thanks again and looking forward to reading your blogs,


N

Design for 'Dare Devils'

We need a logo for the sites, badges etc. Any ideas or links?

N

Mission 1

The first meeting will focus on the idea behind USH Dare Devils, Mission 1 and DD+.

3pm in the Meeting Room

Bring a cup!

See you there

'N'

Welcome

The USH Dare Devils are teachers who are taking a risk. Teachers who are changing teaching and learning from the bottom up. Teachers who are making a difference in their classrooms, around school and in our learner's lives.

This will be initially led by Nicole Ponsford, Advanced Skills Teacher at USH, but will also be led in carousel by her peers, students at the school and even teachers/learners from other schools in the area over the next few months.

We are dedicated to 'trying new things out', be it taking off the doors, letting the learners led lessons or using new technologies llike Ninendo Wiis. It is all about having a go, engaging our students and pushing the learning on. We want to be 'oustanding' to be the bench mark, not the pinnacle.

Dates for USH Dare Devils are:

Monday 22.02.10 Initial Meeting and Mission 1: Teaching and Learning
Wednesday 10.03.10 'Show and tell'
Monday 22.03.10 Mission 2: New Technologies

More dates will be released for after Easter.

May the force be with you!

Nicole Ponsford