Developing Analysis & Evaluation with PMI
Revision Strategies - Kids on Tour!
Luck of the Draw - Starter/ Plenary
Is it a starter or a plenary. Well, its both!
At the start of the lesson all students names are put into a 'hat'. Two students names are drawn at random from the hat.
At the end of the lesson, the two students whose name has been drawn need to present a 2 minute review of the key learning outcomes from the lesson.
Easy....
Shoot the BasketBall - Making Revision more Engaging
Shoot the Basketball is a simple but engaging revision strategy.
Write around 25 easy 'review' questions and 25 hard 'review' questions before the lesson and then split the class up into two teams.
Put the small rubbish bin at the front of the class. This will be the 'basket'. On the floor, about 8/10ft away from the basket put a line down (I used to use masking tape). This is the 'shoot from' line. I also had a small basketball for this activity but you can easily use some scrunched up paper.
Tell the students that each one must answer the questions that are given to them and that the easy and hard questions will be interspersed. Easy questions are worth 1 point whilst the harder questions are worth 2 points.
If a student gets a question correct then that student has a chance to 'shoot' for extra points (1 extra point if they answered an easy question and 2 extra points if they answered a hard question).
The team with the most points at then end of the activity wins.
Simple......
Give This a Go: Catch an Answer
All you need is some scrap paper!
As students come in to the room ask them to write down a question on one piece of paper and an answer to the question on another piece of paper.
They should then scrunch up their papers and put them in a box/basket/middle of a table!
read more...»Top Trumps-style cards - teaching data tables
Regular visitors to the Tutor2u website may well have seen this idea before - using the traditional game of 'Top Trumps' as a method of getting across large data sets to your students. I've included this resource so that new visitors can see the method and for others to see the resource with a new and current data set (on the world's 'biggest' companies in 2012).
read more...»Independent Learning
This information really isn't anything new and ground breaking... BUT...
read more...»Four Corners - Developing Higher Order Thinking and Collaborative Learning
Four corners is a powerful activity that encourages higher order thinking and evaluation. It is brilliant for collaborative learning and gives students an opportunity to review and reflect on other students thoughts, views and opinions.
read more...»Reflecting on Marking
When marking books/essays we all notice common mistakes that our students make...
See how you can save time and get students to reflect on their mistakes!
read more...»Medals and Missions - Effective Feedback Raises Achievement
Im a big fan of the work by Professor John Hattie and in particular, his work and research on effect sizes.
Professor John Hattie (via endless amounts of research) has found that feedback has the biggest effect on student achievement, more than any other factor. Further work by Dylan Williams and Paul Black also concluded that formative assessment has a massive affect on the quality of learning achieved within our classrooms and by our students. If feedback is done well, it can add the equivalent of around two grades to student achievement.
Further work by Geoff Petty has led to an amazing summary of how to improve the feedback we give to our students; medals and missions. An introduction to this work can be found via this weblink.
http://www.geoffpetty.com/feedback.html
There is also a brilliant summary video on how we can improve the feedback we give to our students and therefore increase their level of achievement. This video can be accessed via this weblink
http://www.teacherstoolbox.co.uk/medals_and_missions_feedback.html
Certainly worth watching
Think Tax- Revision Style!
I was inspired by Mr A. Ali's think tax post and, as we're in full revision mode at the moment, decided to give it a twist for an effective and productive revision lesson...
read more...»How do I arrange my groups?
Revision season is upon us!
Paired work and grouped work are really important.
But getting the pairs and the groups right are even more important!
So how do we arrange the best combinations...?
Read more and I will give you one strategy I use....
read more...»A Dodecagonal Prism of Revision!
I don’t like it that revision notes can be tucked away and out of sight. So this week I have spent a revision lesson with my groups creating resources that have to be kept in sight – whether it be dangled from bedroom ceilings via blu-tack and string, to being easily accessible on shelves or desks, but, most importantly, always visible and to hand!
read more...»Think Tax
Welcome! This is my first blog entry for the Give It A Go section on tutor2u!
I will be regularly updating this section with strategies I have used in my classroom; being an AST in teaching and learning I have a fantastic insight into many classroom experiences and with these in mind I always try to develop and mould all the fabulous learning strategies I see!
read more...»Google whispers
I have to start by saying that I can’t remember if this is something I thought up or stole from someone else. If it is stolen then I have no idea where from, so no hat tip.
Google whispers is a really simple idea for checking the understanding of the definitions of key words and would work for any subject. Open three tabs each with Google translate open. Put the definition into Google translate and translate it into Korean (say). Then in tab 2 set the ‘from’ language to Korean (or whatever you translated the definition into) and the right hand box ‘to’ language to Russian. Copy and paste the Korean translation of the definition into this second tab and Google will pop it into Russian for you. The third tab translates from Russian back to English. Copy and paste these into a separate document and you have a ready to go plenary.
I found that this provides ready-made differentiation too as sometimes the final translation is quite close to the original and sometimes it can be quite hard. On occasion it can be quite surreal. For example taxation was translated to detergent. Finally it’s also a useful lesson on the dangers of relying on technology without thinking for yourself.
Better Classroom Questioning - Socratic Questioning
Socratic question is an extremely powerful questioning technique that teachers can use to explore complex issues and ideas with students, open up common misconceptions and analyse and evaluate topics at a far deeper level than 'normal' questioning.
In essence, Socratic questioning is used to probe student undertanding and thinking allowing far greater analysis and evaluation to take place.
Socratic questioning focus purely on the importance of questioning to enhance teaching and learning and the name is derived from Socrates who believed that questioning was the only defensible form of teaching. In Socratic questioning, the teacher uses a range of questions to create active, independent learners. So, what types of questions can be classified as Socratic questions? There are 6 key types of Socratic questions
1: Clarification of a key concept
'Could you explain that answer further?', 'What led you to that judgement?', 'Why did you come to that conclusion?'. 'What made you say that?'
2: Challengeing assumptions and misconceptions
'Is there another point of view?', 'Is this always the case?', '
3: Arguments based on evidence
'What evidence do you have to support that view?', 'Is there any other information would help support this?', 'Could we challenge that evidence?',
4: Looking at alternatives
'Did anyone look at this from a different ang;e/ perspective?', 'Is there an alternative to that point?', 'Could we approach this from a different perspective?'
5: Consequences, implications and analysis
'What are the long-term implications of this?', ' However, what if.......happened?', 'How would ......affect..?'
6: Questioning the question
'Why do you think I asked you that question?', 'What was the importance of that question?', 'What would have been a better question?'
Another very powerful benefit of Socratic questioning is the impact it can have on students answers if they start using Socratic questioning themselves when completing units of work within the classroom or at home. By using Socratic questioning themselves they can often analyse and evaluate at a much higher level.
RSA Animate Style Videos
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1000 Tweets
The sharing of this blog post will mark my one thousandth tweet. With this in mind it only seems fitting that I write a short piece to mark this momentous occasion.
First things first, I am not going to claim that Twitter is the best CPD EVER (as some people do) as, to be honest, I'm not sure that it is. I do, however, know that has made me a much better educator since I started using it in 2008. And here's why:
read more...»SPAG for Humanities subjects
Print off and laminate the cards attached to help pupils learn an easy way to check their work in exams. It is also useful for KS3 when they have completed an extended piece of writing.
Access the cards here:
SPAG_Humanities_check_pupil_sheets.ppt
Five Easy Pieces (or steps to becoming a better educator)
When I was a teenager I had somewhat of an obsession with Jack Nicholson films. I made it my goal to collect and watch all of his films and acquire a Mastermind-esque knowledge of JC's cinematic history. Why? Well, i suppose it can be partly attributed to my family's predisposition for OCD and partly to the fact that he was, and still is, an amazing actor. Anyhow, since the Nicholson phase I have gone through various obsessions, trying as I did to fulfil an insatiable appetite for learning. For the past couple of years I have become increasingly obsessed with becoming the best educator I can possibly be within the boundaries of my own capabilities. To that end I have devised my own five easy pieces...or five six easy steps to becoming a better educator:
The Battle of Hastings (Recreated)
Looking for ways to get your pupils really enthused about the Battle of Hastings? Want your pupils to show off their creativity? Need your pupils to enhance their communication skills and their ability to work with others? Then please read on..
read more...»Scored Discussions
A great alternative to presentations and debates
read more...»Blast from the Past: SIM CITY
Growing up in the 80s, I was fortunate enough to experience the pioneering world of video/arcade games. Their simplicity compared to todays modern graphics was marvelous, their ease of control also worked well for me - two keys, and the arrow buttons was, and still is as complicated as I can go. I fondly remember playing David Gowers Cricket for many hours, and all it was was an oval shaped green 'blob' with black pixels moving on a screen. Then, during the early 90's I was introduced to Sim City - a game I fell in love with, and still do to this day.
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Mapping from Memory
Mapping from memory is a teaching strategy that has been used in our department for a number of years, and has been extended to a range of topics. It allows students to gain an understanding of locational geography in topics such as Brazil, Europe and then Tourism. It potentially can be used with any topic, but also as an excellent revision exercise. It also lends itself to any subject, as it isnt excusive to 'maps' but can be developed to get students to memorise diagrams, key terms, processes and so on.
The Two Minute Pitch
This is a mini plenary that gets students to review the learning they have made so far and to go back and make improvements based on peer evaluation. It also has the added benefit of getting them to improve their presentation skills at the same time.
Draw what I say
Draw what I say is a cooperative learning activity and it works well when you are trying to get students to learn or recap models and diagrams. I have used it in Busines Studies and Economics, but it should work well in Geography, Science and DT.
You just need to get pairs of students to work opposite each other with some kind of barrier between them (folders work well, but anything that prevents them from seeing each others work is the important thing). Student A is then given a model that they have to describe to student B and student B has to try and draw it based on student A's verbal instructions. While it sounds simple it does get the students engaging in and thinking about the content. There is also a variation on this activitiy called Make what I say but I have not thought of a way of using this yet!
Cooperative Learning - Talking Chips
Cooperative learning activities are about getting groups of students to work together and learn from each other.
The theory behind cooperative learning is that we retain a great deal more of what we say than what we hear. So the more we can encourage the learners to talk to us and to each other the better.
read more...»Prediction: A Starter and a Plenary
This is a very simple activity that allows a teacher to link two lessons together.
At the end of the lesson (and after the normal plenary) I often said to my students that I am going to write down 5 key things from the lesson on a piece of paper. I then put the piece of paper into an envelope, seal it and have one of the students to sign the seal.
I then placed it somewhere visible in the classroom, usually above my whiteboard.
At the start of the next lesson, I asked the students to ‘predict’ the five points in my envelope. We then go through them and I write down all the points that they have came up with on the board making this a very easy way to review last lessons learning.
I then get the student who signed the envelope to open it and read out the points that I wrote down. I can then assess what I thought were the key points with what they have came up with.
This takes no planning, it engages the students and links two lessons together.
Why not give this a go....
Lucky Dip
I am always looking at ways for students to do more work than me.
At this time of year I want to ensure that my students know the theory. Without this they will be unable to Apply, Analyse and Evaluate. With this in mind I give each student a piece of A4 paper which they tear into 4 and write a question on each piece. I then put all the questions into a box.
read more...»My Favourite Method of Peer Assessment
Wordle Finder
A cross between a wordsearch and a crossword which makes for an enjoyable & interesting starter activity.
Linkages for GCSE Business and Economics
A plenary to help GCSE students improve how they write short paragraphs
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The Fortune Teller
Just a simple twist on the classic playground paper fortune teller and you will have an fun and engaging activity for any subject or topic.
read more...»Scoop It
I am always looking at ways to encourage my students to work harder outside of lessons. One way I do this is by trying to engage them using social media. With this in mind I have started to use Scoop It to create an online magazine.
Less Ping-Pong more Basketball: Effective Questioning
I'm a big fan of Dylan Williams and one particular area I'm interested in as an educator is effective questioning and moving away from what is known as IRE questioning.
IRE stands for, Initiation, Response, Evaluation. So, a teacher asks a question (initiation), a student answers the question (response) and the teacher evaluates. Dylan Williams likes to call this 'Ping-Pong' questioning.
The real question is how effective is this? Normally the same old hands go up and the teacher often 'evaluates' a classes understanding of the question by the response and subsequent evaluation of one student.
Dylan suggests we move to a basketball style of questioning. In practice, this means posing a question and asking a certain student for an answer. Then, asking another student what they thought about that answer and then another student for a further explanation. This means the question is 'bounced' around the classroom. Or, a question is posed and a student is asked to answer the question. The teacher than asks another student to expand on that answer further and then another student is asked to evaluate the response.
Another way to describe this technique is 'Pose, Pause, Pounce, Bounce'. The teacher 'poses' a question then pauses giving students time to formulate a response. The teacher 'pounces' on a student and then 'bounces' the answer off another student.
The reason that this method of questioning is more powerful is that more students are involved in the questioning process. Indeed, Dylan advocates that we should all aim to move towards all student response systems in lessons (ABCD cards, mini-whiteboards, exit tickets and other methods of whole class questioning assessment.
Fascinating stuff.
My Favourite Way to Give Feedback to Students
An explanation of a simple but effective method of giving students feedback on marked work
Join the Give it a Go Team!!!
Our give it a go blog was created to allow teachers with a passion for teaching and learning to share their ideas.
The idea behind the Give it a Go blog is very simple. An 'aladdins cave' of teaching and learning strategies that can be used in any subject.
With this in mind we are looking for teachers who share our passion for education and teaching and learning.
If you are interested in joining our ever growing blogging team then please get in touch. Or, if you know someone in your school or college who you think might be interested in 'giving this a go' then again, please pass my details on.
The more passionate teachers we have blogging then the more ideas will be generated.
Why not Give it a Go!!!
Contact me on graham@tutor2u.net
Bellwork Activity - Equation
Equation is a great activity that can be used for bellwork, as a starter or as a plenary.
The concept is extremely simple. Students need to write an equation to demonstrate a specific subject topic that has just been taught.
For example, in business studies an equation for partnerships could be:
More Ideas + Specialisation - Disagreements = Partnerships
Share in the profits
In geography, after teaching rainfall, the teacher could split the class into groups and ask each group to write an equation to demonstrate the 3 different types of rainfall, for example, relief rain.
This activity works really well as it encourages students to pick out the key points from a topic and therefore encourages them to synthesise the key points.
Other teaching and learning strategies for equation include:
- The teacher preparing a number of equations and asking students to solve them
- Replacing part of an equation with X and asking students to ‘find X’
Very simple but very effective.
Why not give it a go?
The Completed Crossword
This is an excellent activity that is so, so simple but so, so effective.
Rather than giving students a crossword of key terms at the start of the lesson, how about giving them a completed crossword and asking them to write in the clues?
This is a much more powerful activity as it is a much more open ended strategy. You can really see the students thinking and you get a high level of differentiation.
There are lots of crossword creators on-line, for example, puzzlemaker which can be found here , and the cool thing about this is, you don’t need to come up with the clues. Let the students do the work (I’m sure that is what teaching is supposed to be about!)
Why not give it a go....
The Crystal Ball
This is a really good starter activity that can be used for any topic at any level.
read more...»Talk About It!
This is a fantastic short starter or plenary activity that can be used with nearly every group and every subject! You will need a whiteboard or flip-board or an interactive whiteboard to utilise the ‘reveal’ tool.
Collaboration and The Iterative Process - the Marshmallow Challenge
This is an activity that I have wanted to try with my students for some time now. The Marshmallow Challenge has been used across the world in different settings and has produced some fascinating results from groups as diverse as CEOs of Fortune-500 businesses and kindergarten kids! My own students seem to lie somewhere in between (!!) and, as part of an introduction to behavioural economics, I popped to my local Tesco and bought the necessary equipment.
It is really simple to set up in the classroom and it works in all kinds of different contexts. It is straightforward to complete in any 30-40 minute lesson.
read more...»Encourage Students to Pay Attention - Put them in the Spotlight
Spotlight is a great activity that can be used as a plenary but is especially powerful after a video has been shown.
Working together with Wiggio
If you are looking for a way to share information and engage with your students whilst also providing a platform for them to share ideas and work together on group tasks, projects and/or assignments then Wiggio could be the answer. I've been experimenting with it and I love it. My students' initial reaction has also been positive.
Think Facebook groups, Twitter, Moodle and Google Drive/Dropbox all in one!
read more...»Cut and Paste Powerpoint Timer
Have you ever wanted to include a simple timer into a Powerpoint slideshow? Perhaps you have set a task and you want students to know how long they have had when undertaking that task or how long they have left. This simple Powerpoint-timer file gives you some 'cut-and-paste' timers to put directly into your own slideshow.
read more...»Speed Dating!
There’s no better way to start the day with a bit of speed dating(!) and I used two activities this morning to demonstrate this.
read more...»Creative Revision
During the exam season I try and freshen up revision lessons with different activities to complement the monotonous past paper and timed-writing practice. Yesterday I put three topics on the board and split the class into three groups giving them the vaguest of instructions: ‘Next lesson, I want you to teach your chosen topic to the rest of the class in the MOST CREATIVE way you can think of.’
read more...»Web tools for classrooms- 21 ideas
This afternoon I’m jointly running a training session for other teachers at our school on ‘web tools for classrooms’, and thought I’d share this list of 21 useful ideas with everyone on tutor2u- feel free to give them a go!...
read more...»Poll your class
I’ve just come across a fascinating new website to create instant online polls that sounds like an excellent plenary tool. Read on to find out more…
read more...»Getting started with Zondle! The quick-start guide
Dougie Lapsley, our awesome coder, has been hard at work with a major upgrade to Zondle - our partner games-based-learning site. If you are new to Zondle, then I highly recommend this 8-minute video guide as Dougie takes us through the easy process of registering with Zondle, creating, setting and monitoring the learning activities of your students…
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