Earlier this year, Paul Warwick from Oracy Cambridge and Beccy Earnshaw from Voice21 gave a ‘double-header’ presentation for The Brilliant Club at the UCL Institute of Education in London. Especially secondary schools and colleges desiring students to engage more with education and life alike, this is a must read. I have taken the liberty here of retrofitting… Continue Reading →
The Chemistry of Communication; Oracy Skills in Science (and everywhere else)
Mrs Naomi Hennah (@MrsHennah) of Northampton School for Boys has created a clear and concise “visual summary of the complexity of chemical discourse” to boost oracy skills and language acquisition in chemistry. (Link at the end of the page). Teachers from other subjects should not be put off, however. This post should hopefully make Mrs Hennah’s considerations relevant not only to… Continue Reading →
Take Part: Empowerment & meaningful social action in the 2019 Framework
Pertinent to the profound themes of last month’s VNET Conference, you are now invited to join exceptional colleagues to explore how manageable civic engagement can be aligned with the new Ofsted framework. [5 mins read] Every school today faces an insurmountable impasse: A recent report by the RSA shows that 84% of young people desire to make… Continue Reading →
Thoughts on CPD accreditation #2; Missing the (quality) mark
Risk assessment: Why the Chartered College’s CPD Quality Assurance project might have a negative effect on the value and variety of CPD available to schools. [5 minutes to read] Any quality assurance scheme in education faces a number of serious challenges before even getting off the ground which, if left untackled, could inadvertently lead to… Continue Reading →
Seven-league boots; next steps for Cooperative Learning in 2018-19
“The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour,” goes a saying in pop psychology. If this is true, things are well and truly looking good for Cooperative Learning in the coming academic year. This article outlines some of my upcoming projects, including SSIF spin-offs, the necessity of separating “Cooperative Learning” from “group work,” a… Continue Reading →
A guide to the “Guide”; The overlooked Cooperative Learning resource
The “CLIP reflection & coaching guide for teachers & TAs” has been included in CPD packs almost as an afterthought since my work with Norwich Primary Academy. However, I have never myself had the opportunity to witness its true power in the hands of two teachers speaking to each other. * includes a link to a… Continue Reading →
“Mum wasn’t good at maths either, luv…” Girls, Maths & Cooperative Learning
I am very honoured to be taking part in the Strategic School Improvement Fund project to raise progress in mathematics for KS2 girls in Norfolk Followers of this blog will be aware of my ongoing work with Sheringham Primary School and Nursery. The teaching school based there, Norfolk’s largest, has made a successful bid for… Continue Reading →
“Mum wasn’t good at maths either, love…” Girls, Maths & Cooperative Learning in the Norfolk SSIF bid
I am very honoured to be taking part in the Strategic School Improvement Fund project to raise progress in mathematics for KS2 girls in Norfolk Followers of this blog will be aware of my ongoing work with Sheringham Primary School and Nursery. The teaching school based there, Norfolk’s largest, has made a successful bid for… Continue Reading →
Comprehending Texts & Acquiring Language… Reflections#1
This new series of post investigates the workshop Comprehending Texts & Acquiring Language in Science presented 4 Jan 2018 at the ASE annual conference by Naomi Hennah (@MrsHennah) and myself. This first instalment focuses on how the Word-Round following the reading activity was used summatively to investigate the text and to develop questioning as a transferable skill. Introduction for… Continue Reading →
Comprehending Texts & Acquiring Language in Science: Resources
A warm thank you to delegates who managed to claw their way through a text on cryo-electron microscopy in our 30 degree seminar room. Comprehending Texts & Acquiring Language in Science was presented by Jakob and Naomi at the Association of Science Education Annual Conference on 4 January 2018 in Liverpool. “A proper workshop!” – Marc Neesam,… Continue Reading →