magazine... for the teachers, governors, support staff, LSAs & learning mentors of Campsmount Technology College.

Issue 3: December 2010

More food for thought...

EngagementIt’s all just about peas and sweetcorn

It’s  lunch+me,  all  you  want  is  40  minutes  of  uninterrupted  +me  out,  when  a  colleague  approaches  with  stories  about  half  term  ac+vi+es.  You  smile  and  fain  a  li?le  interest,  nodding  in  the  right  places....but  then  a  teaspoon  catches  your  a?en+on  and  you  find  your  mind  driAing......  “Why  do  I  buy  Muller  corners,  when  I  know  I’m  just  going  to  mix  it  together  anyways?”.....”If  I  run  hard  

enough  at  that  wall  is  it  possible  to  leave  a  cartoon-­‐style  cut  out?”.......Then  it  happens...  The  dreaded  moment  -­‐  “So.....what  do  you  think?”  Panic  sets  in,  you  realise  had  you  not  been  contempla+ng  dairy  based  snacks  and  listening  instead  you  would  know  the  answer,  and  a  reply  of  “What  about?”  just  won’t  be  accepted  as  a  reasonable  response.  Welcome  to  the  world  of  the  Friday  aAernoon  student.

Your  subject  is  fascina+ng,  so  why  isn’t  it  not  always  recognised  by  students?  Your  Steve  Irwin  

style  enthusiasm  seems  wasted,  and  despite  your  best  efforts  to  share  your  passion,  leading  ques+ons  are  met  by  “Huh?”  and  “erm....what’s  the  ques+on  again?”  We’ve  all  been  there,  and  one  

of  the  most  challenging  aspects  of  any  lesson  is  capturing  a?en+on  and  keeping  it.  It’s  all  about  engagement.

Not  all  teachers  find  swinging  from  light  fiSngs  and  dressing  up  as  Henry  VIII,  to  install  some  enthusiasm,  feasible.  Just  as,  not  all  students  have  the  ability  to  sit  at  a  desk  and  learn,  using  more  tradi+onal  methods.  So  as  professionals,  how  do  we  ensure  our  subject  is  loved  as  much  by  our  students  as  it  is  by  us?

I  discovered  early  on  that  energy  and  volume  does  not  always  equal  focus.  Most  of  the  +me  it  just  resulted  in  a  +red  teacher,  and  a  class  sloping  away,  knowing  a  li?le  more  than  they  came  in  with.  So  what  methods  can  I  use  to  ensure  learning  takes  place?  How  can  I  keep  students  on  track  without  the  drama  or  dress-­‐up?  

AAer  trial  and  error  I  developed  a  few  ideas  that  seem  to  work.  One  of  them  is  ‘Colour  Corners’.  When  working  with  a  KS3  class  or  even  lower  

“Your Steve Irwin style enthusiasm seems wasted, and despite your best efforts to

share your passion, leading questions are met by “Huh?” and “erm....what’s the

question again?”  

Emma Neil writes about strategies to address those moments when studentsʼ enthusiasm fails to match your own.

ability  KS4,  ‘Colour  Corners’  –  used  as  either  a  mini  plenary  mid  lesson,  or  summa+ve  assessment  at  the  

end  of  a  lesson,  not  only  gets  students  up  and  moving  about,  but  also  ensures  the  whole  class  is  involved.  With  each  corner  of  the  room  dedicated  to  a  colour,  students  are  given  a  series  of  ques+ons  –  related  

to  the  learning  objec+ve  for  the  lesson,  and  four  possible  

coloured  answers,  students  choose  and  stand  in  the  corner  they  believe  corresponds  to  the  correct  answer.  Students  choosing  the  wrong  answer  

are  out  and  sit  down,  but  must  keep  focused  as  they  have  a  chance  of  rejoining  the  ac+vity  if  they  know  the  next  answer.  

This  can  be  adapted  to  suit  the  lesson  or  objec+ve.  Ques+ons  can  be  levelled  to  act  as  an  assessment  ac+vity,  and  is  a  good  self  assessment  tool.  It  can  even  be  used  as  a  starter  for  the  next  lesson  to  show  progression  or  act  as  a  reminder  for  prior  learning.  Some  students  are  fearful  of  ques+ons,  avoid  

speaking  out  in  lessons,  or  struggle  to  maintain  concentra+on  and  ‘Colour  Corners’  acts  as  a  good  disguise  for  learning  as  it’s  perceived  as  a  game  and  oAen  becomes  compe++ve!  It’s  a  li?le  like  peas  and  sweetcorn  hidden  in  turkey  dinosaurs.  Sneaky?  ...Yes.  Effec+ve?  ...Definitely!

Another  technique  I  recently  used  with  KS4  students,  incorporated  ICT  into  the  explana+on  of  a  difficult  concept.  I  had  tried  the  trusted  PowerPoint  to  no  avail,  reading  just  wasn’t  working  and  students  began  to  ‘switch  off’.  So,  realising  the  interest  and  competency  of  our  students  in  ICT,  I  booked  an  ICT  suite  and  set  the  students  a  challenge  of  producing  a  presenta+on  explaining  the  concept,  using  only  pictures  and  anima+ons.  

Most  students  are  unaware  that  they  are  learning  subject  material  as  they  become  engrossed  in  the  task.  The  remainder  of  the  lesson  was  spent  with  students  narra+ng  their  presenta+on.  Each  student  had  completed  the  task  in  their  unique  way  but  each  explained  the  concept  clearly  as  they  had  to  learn  it  to  be  able  

to  produce  the  anima+on.  One  student  commented  how  words  and  verbal  explana+on  had  not  helped  but  how  she  now  fully  understood.    This  is  also  transferrable  across  key  stages,  and  works  par+cularly  well  with  disaffected  boys.  

In  order  to  maintain  an  improving  and  expanding    bank  of  engagement  techniques  I  would  appreciate  your  ideas  and  contribu+ons  that  could  be  distributed  amongst  staff.    So  that,  next  Friday  aAernoon,  when  it  feels  like  you  should  be  selling  snow  to  Eskimos,  we  can  all  remember  –  It’s  all  just  about  peas  and  sweetcorn.  

“I discovered early on that energy and volume does not always equal focus. Most

of the time it just resulted in a tired teacher, and a class sloping away, knowing

a little more than they came in with.”

“It’s a little like peas and sweetcorn hidden in turkey dinosaurs. Sneaky? ...Yes. Effective? ...

Definitely!”

Fantastic practice spotted

in Learning Enquiry Walk 1

The  soAware  contains  characters,  backgrounds,  props,  presenta+on  and  prin+ng  capabili+es  as  well  as  text  and  audio  that  comes  with  the  packages.

Campsmount  has  20  different  +tles  that  support  PHSE,  History,  MFL  and  English.  The  soAware  enables  staff  and  students  to  create  scenarios,  presenta+ons  and  revision  material.  They  can  be  created  in  a  PowerPoint  style  or  as  a  movie.

Kar2ouche  has  built  in  text  and  audio  but  the  facility  to  record  sounds,  voice  or  import  soundtracks  is  also  available.  From  my  experience,  students      find  Kar2ouche  to  be  an  enjoyable  alterna+ve  to  normal  methods  of  presen+ng  their  work.  The  soAware  comes  with  its  own  training  guides  which  are  simple  to  follow  and  explain  the  different  sec+ons  in  depth.  Kar2ouche  also  comes  with  ready  made  presenta+ons.

Students  compose  role-­‐plays,  storyboards,  movies  and  anima+ons  onscreen  in  minutes  using  drag  and  drop  commands.  Each  +tle  comes  with  a  themed  library  of  resources  including  characters,  sounds,  backgrounds,  

props  and  a  comprehensive  Teacher  Support  Pack.  

Students  can:  

Compose  pictures,  storyboards,  anima+ons,  publica+ons  or  movies  by  adding  characters,  backgrounds  and  props

Record  voices  and  add  sound  effects

Create  and  import  images

Share  work  as  QuickTime  movies  or  editable  Kar2ouche  files

Learning  outcomes  and  benefits:

Encourages  crea+ve  self-­‐expression

Engages  learners  to  develop  narra+on  and  storytelling

Fuels  collabora+on,  peer  discussion  and  debate

Offers  teachers  a  canvas  for  almost  any  lesson  topic  across  the  curriculum

Kar2ouche  is  an  exci+ng  and  easy  to  use  soAware  programme  that  can  help  deliver  your  syllabus.  It  provides  a  unique  and  fun  way  of  developing  students'  knowledge  across  the  curriculum  through  explora+on,  discussion  and  visualisa+on.

Using Kar2ouche to aid teaching and

learning

Dean  

will  give  a  short  presenta;on  

at  the  next  Teachmeet  

By Dean MacFarlane

The Hare and the Tortoise By Petrina Drury

When  we  were  young  and  impressionable  we  were  told  many   stories   that   had   a  moral   so   we   could   learn   life  lessons  that  would  inform  our  day  to  day  behaviour  and  conduct  towards  our  fellow  human  beings.  These  lessons  were  simple,   such   as   the   difference  between   right   and  wrong   or   telling   the  truth,  equality  or   pa+ence.  One  of  these  stories  was  that  of  ‘The  Hare  &  The  Tortoise’.  

Even   though  we   all   learned  that   ‘slow   and   steady   wins  the  race’  back  in  primary  school,  most  of  us  don’t  use  it  in  our  day   to  day   living,  never  mind  teaching!  We  tackle  problems  with   speed   and   pressure  due   to   an   array   of  contribu+ng   factors,   but   mostly   because   we   have  become  accustomed  to  doing   so  in  a  high  speed  society  and  we  expect  our  students  to  mirror  this  approach.  

Cogni+ve   scien+st   Guy   Claxton   wrote   Hare   Brain,  Tortoise  Mind;  why  intelligence   increases  when  you  think  less   to  demonstrate  an  alterna+ve  approach.  As  he  says,  "voices  of  philosophy,  poetry  and  imagery   are  rela+vely  weak   in   a  world   that   largely   assumes  that   only   science  and   reason   speak   with   true   authority."   That   very  ‘authority’  is  sugges+ng  that  there  are  many  areas  of  our  learning   that  require  the  slower,  more  intui+ve  thinking,  rather  than  the  linear,  logical  process  society  demands.

Scien+fic   studies   suggest   that   subliminal   percep+on,  problem   solving,   and   crea+vity   point   to   a   plethora   of  intelligences   just   below   our   conscious   levels   of  awareness,   con+nually   influencing   our   behaviour   in  subtle  ways.   These   are  overlooked,   as  we  do   not   tune  into  them.

Claxton   argues   persuasively   that   this   unconscious  intelligence   is   just   what   we   need   to   handle   complex  situa+ons,  and  that  our  culture's  misplaced  emphasis  on  logic   and   reason   to   the  extreme  exclusion  of   all  else  is  very  foolish.  Most  scien+sts  will  readily  admit  to  bursts  of  inspired  thinking  not  logical  thinking.

If   you're   looking   for   a   new   way   of   thinking   about  thinking,   you'll  find   it   revisi+ng   those  childhood  stories.  Today’s   society   is   fast:   technology   is  developing   by   the  minute  and  students  of  today’s  society  have  a  plethora  of  gadgets   and   devices   at   their   finger+ps   and   disposal.  Today’s   society   is   noisy:   “Noise   pollu+on   is   an   ever-­‐increasing  problem  in  modern  technological  society.”  

It   is  well   documented   that   repeated   exposure   to   even  moderate  levels  of  noise  can  be  injurious  to  health,  but  oAen   unappreciated   are   the   more   pervasive  physiological  and  psychological  effects  …  “  the  ques+ons  of   noise  pollu+on  and   its  effects  on  mental  health,  and  its   rela+on   to   chronic   sleep   disorders   …”   (Oxford  University  Press)  

We,  the  facilitators  of   educa+on  buy   into  this  con+nual  development   in   society   by   crea+ng   lessons   with  increased   pace:   sharp   and   snappy   with   up   to   date  technology   and   yet   we   can   oAen   neglect   or   simply  overlook   the   simple   things   our   students   need:   +me,  peace  and  quiet.

How  many   +mes  have   you   been   asked   something   and  the  answer  is  right  there  on  the  +p  of  your  tongue,  you  know  you  know  it  but  it  just  won’t  come  to  you?  And  yet,  on  the  steady  drive  home  with   the  stereo  off   and  your  eyes  on  the  road  the  day  washes  back  over  you  and  in  a  real   Bruce   Almighty   moment   when   the   filing   cabinet  stops  and  your  brain  finds  the  answer  aided  by  that  +me  to  reflect,  the  calm,  the  personal  space.

We  need  to  trust  our  own  thinking  but  we  need  to  have  space  and  +me  to  do  that.  When  planning  lessons  do  we  build   in   enough   +me   that   enables   our   students   to  reflect?  Do  they   really  have  ‘think  +me’?  If   you  do  have  ‘think   +me’   how   long   is   it?   Are   we   comfortable   or  uncomfortable  with   its   silence?   If   we  are   guilty   of   not  consciously   building   this  into  our   lessons  then  we  must  ques+on  the  ra+o  of  teaching  and  learning.

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Bloom’s TaxonomyMel Winters writes about her use of display & Bloomʼs Taxonomy to extend studentsʼ thinking

Throughout my training, I saw some fantastic and interesting uses of wall displays in classrooms and was excited at the prospect of having my own classroom to plaster with all sorts of motivating and attractive items. However, after finding out that in my temporary accommodation I would only be allowed to use two panels I was left in a dilemma. What about all my ideas? Which ones would I use? Should I display the work of students to give them a sense of pride and ownership in the room? How would I decide which pieces of work to display?

I considered for a while what would be the best use of the space and one afternoon when talking to Year 7 about what EPS was actually about I made my decision. I chose a display that would be interesting and bright. A useful tool for myself when teaching and planning and a great instrument for encouraging the development of higher level thinking amongst our students: Bloom’s Taxonomy questioning pyramid. After all EPS is concerned with a ‘love of wisdom’ and an insatiable desire to extend that wisdom by asking questions.

Although I’m sure we’re all familiar with Bloom’s work and some may find it old hat nowadays I believe it still has something valuable to add to today’s classroom. It still helps us to differentiate between students of widely varying abilities. It still helps us to scaffold and monitor progression. It still allows us to make lessons interactive even if technology lets us down!

“... a great instrument for encouraging the

development of higher level thinking amongst our students: Bloom’s Taxonomy

questioning pyramid.”

In order to utilise the space it takes up, I have to use it in within lessons; without incorporating it’s content it becomes a very time consuming yet purposeless wall covering! So how do I actually use it? Well each level of learning is in a different colour and includes a range of easy to use verbs, all relevant to that level. This makes it easier for me to formulate questions and for me to ask students to do that too. The level of question asked is affected by;

1. The point we are at in the current topic

2. The ability of the student or students involved

I can use it at any point in the lesson to monitor learning by asking individuals or the whole class questions, using one of the verbs from the pyramid. It is also useful for plenary exercises as students can be asked to devise their own question from a particular level (set by the teacher) to give to their neighbour to check and consolidate learning.

I believe that the better I get to know our students, their current attainment and possible progress, the more valuable a tool my questioning pyramid will become and I look forward to extending its use within my classroom. Please feel free to pop in and take a look if you are interested.

“It is also useful for plenary exercises as

students can be asked to devise their own

question from a particular level (set by

the teacher) to give to their neighbour to check and consolidate learning.”

Learning Enquiry Walk 1: 28.09.10Focus:  Lesson  structure  –  Learning  Objectives,  Starter  &  Plenary  exercises

Findings:  Whilst  LEWs  can  provide  us  with  a  ‘broad  brushstroke’  overview  of  teaching  and  learning  at  Campsmount  –  they  should  not  be  interpreted  as  providing  full  judgements  of  existing  practice.  Nevertheless,  the  information  below  acts  as  a  summary  of  the  findings  for  29th  September  2010.  Would  HoDs  please  discuss  the  findings  of  this  article  in  their  departmental  meetings.

Learning  Objectives:  All  LOs  were  shared  using  a  range  of  techniques  and  were  generally  communicated  extremely  well  to  students.  The  team  felt  that  all  LOs  were  understandable  and  were  often  explored  for  meaning  –  this  is  clearly  good  practice.  In  some  lessons  it  was  evident  that  LOs  were  designed  for  periods  longer  than  a  single  50  minute  period  and  this  demonstrates  the  wide  variety  of  on-­‐going  projects  throughout  the  college.  Some  LOs  were  written  down  and  made  visible  throughout  the  lesson.  Many  LOs  however  were  announced  orally  or  discussed  at  the  beginning  of  PowerPoint  presentations.  

It  seemed  that  the  more  effective  methods  of  communicating  LOs  involved  underlining  or  writing  the  key  words  in  bold,  exploring  the  LO  for  meaning  and  differentiating  them  via  the  method  of  ‘All  -­‐  Most  -­‐  Some’.  The  latter  

was  a  particularly  effective  way  of  meeting  the  varying  abilities  of  students  within  a  group  and  could  be  explored  further.

Starter  Exercises:  Starters  were  consistently  applied  across  all  lessons.  It  was  evident  that  teachers  clearly  understand  their  students  really  well  as  exercises  were  pitched  according  to  ability  and  the  time  of  day.  For  instance,  it  was  evident  that  teachers  implemented  activities  in  period  1  and  3  that  allowed  students  to  not  only  recap  prior  learning,  but  also  manage  their  gradual  arrival  to  the  classroom.  The  challenge  of  starter  exercises  also  varied  according  to  ability  and  this  is  clearly  evidence  of  very  good  practice.  

“...the  more  effective  starter  exercises  ‘activated’  students  thinking  immediately  upon  entry.”

Special thanks to Mark

Mckay and Karen Wheeler for

taking part in LEW 1.

It  seemed  that  the  more  effective  starter  exercises  ‘activated’  students  thinking  immediately  upon  entry.  Teachers  often  enabled  students  to  make  connections  to  what  had  been  learned  previously  or  to  what  would  be  explored  within  the  lesson.  Some  teachers  awarded  effective  participation  with  credits,  stickers  and  praise.  It  seemed  that  when  a  starter  exercise  did  not  make  sufficient  connections  with  prior  learning,  or  did  not  activate  students’  thinking,  their  engagement  and  concentration  was  not  as  high  as  what  it  could  have  been.  This  confirms  the  importance  of  effective  starter  exercises.  

It  also  seemed  that  the  most  effective  starter  exercises  not  only  recapped  prior  learning  or  made  links  to  the  content  of  the  lesson  –  they  also  made  provision  for  the  most  able  students  in  the  class  by  providing  an  additional  task  that  stretched  their  thinking.  In  addition,  good  practice  also  involved  taking  the  register  when  students  were  actively  involved  within  a  starter  exercise  instead  of  sitting  passively  whilst  names  were  called  out.

Plenary  Exercises:  Plenaries  were  implemented  in  most  of  the  lessons  observed.  Where  a  ‘traditional  plenary’  was  not  implemented  it  seemed  to  be  because  that  specific  lesson  was  part  of  a  wider  scheme  where,  for  instance,  students  were  using  that  period  to  make  progress  towards  completing  a  project.  Where  this  was  the  case,  smaller  –  mini  plenaries  were  used.  

The  time  management  of  plenaries  seemed  to  be  an  issue  in  some  lessons.  Some  exercises  were  started  late  and  this  had  the  knock-­‐on  effect  of  the  lesson  over  running  and  affecting  the  fluidity  of  the  next  lesson.  A  recommendation  is  that  colleagues  try  and  ensure,  wherever  possible,  that  sufficient  time  is  given  for  an  effective  plenary.

It  seemed  that  the  most  effective  plenaries  enabled  students  to  demonstrate  the  progress  that  had  been  made,  consolidate  their  understanding  of  key  points,  address  (if  necessary)  any  misconceptions  and  preview  the  learning  that  lay  ahead.      JPO

Are you leaving enough time in your lessons for an effective plenary?

Why  Learning  Enquiry  Walks?The  purpose  of  learning  enquiry  walks  are  two  fold:

i)  To  identify  areas  of  good  practice  and  refer  them  to  our  vehicles  for  showcasing/developing  teaching  and  learning  (C-­‐Magazine,  Teachmeets,  Teaching  Collaborative)

ii)  To  identify  whole  school  areas  for  development

Every  enquiry  walk  will  focus  on  different  aspects  of  teaching  and  learning  –  and  this  will  always  be  announced.  Each  member  of  the  team  will  be  attached  to  2  students  and  they  will  follow  them  throughout  the  3  periods.  The  team  will  be  different  for  each  enquiry  walk  and  will  generally  include  a  member  of  SLT,  a  Head  of  department/Year  and  a  teacher  on  the  main  pay  scale.  The  team  will  review  the  enquiry  walk  period  4.

Personalising Learning in PE

AAer  taking  a  break  from  teaching  for  two  years  to  solely  concentrate  on  developing  the  role  of  a  School  Sports  Co-­‐ordinator  for  the  Campsmount  Pyramid,  I  decided  it  was  +me  to  return  to  the  classroom  in  September  of  this  year.  Whilst  I  had  been  missing  from  the  classroom,  there  had  been  quite  a  few  significant  changes  to  the  Secondary  Na+onal  Curriculum  Framework,  par+cularly  within  the  subject  of  PE.

The  main  changes  to  the  Na+onal  Curriculum  for  PE  were  the  removal  of  programmes  of  study  that  followed  the  tradi+onal  routes  of  ac+vity  and  the  introduc+on  of  new  programmes  of  study,  whereby  students  are  taught  a  range  of  ac+vi+es  that  run  concurrent  to  a  theme.  Examples  of  this  are  where  students  follow  a  block  of  work  on  outwiSng  opponents  across  a  range  of  games  ac+vi+es,  the  main  aim  being  to  develop  an  all  rounded  games  player  who  can  transfer  a  range  of  skills  across  different  ac+vi+es.

“By no means have I come out of every lesson, where things have always worked really well, it has been a learning curve so far for me...”

The  Campsmount  PE  Department  has  decided  to  be  forward  thinking  in  the  new  approach  to  learning  and  has  therefore  developed  its  curriculum  to  meet  the  demands  of  new  ideas  that  account  for  the  needs  of  all  learners.  In  2008,  a  new  key  skills  block  of  work  was  introduced  in  Year  7,  aimed  at  giving  students  the  opportunity  to  experience  a  range  of  different  ac+vi+es,  integra+ng  personal  learning  and  thinking  skills  across  all  of  these  ac+vi+es.  This  proved  to  be  hugely  successful  and  has  now  been  adopted  in  the  new  academic  year.  

AAer  returning  to  teaching  it  was  apparent  that  the  

use  of  3  learning  objec+ves  for  all  students  was  a  thing  of  the  past  and  the  idea  of  personalised  learning,  showing  an  awareness  of  differen+a+on  within  the  set  objec+ves,  needs  to  be  apparent  in  all  lessons  now  delivered.  I  therefore  decided  that  I  would  trial  this  new  approach  to  begin  with,  star+ng  with  my  Year  7  class  from  the  onset  in  September.

An  example  of  how  I  have  achieved  this  in  my  Year  7  lessons  are  as  follows.  First  of  all  I  used  the  first  few  lessons  as  a  baseline  to  assess  my  students  physical  ability,  then  for  each  of  the  different  key  skill  ac+vi+es  I  set  the  students  into  4  groups,  consis+ng  of  3  different  levels.  These  groups  consisted  of  a  top  set,  two  middle  sets  and  a  lower  ability  set.  Then  for  each  lesson  I  set  three  different  learning  objec+ves,  which  are  differen+ated  into  levels,  so  each  student  would  know  what  level  they  are  at.  Each  objec+ve  is  explained  so  all  students  are  aware  of  what  I  want  them  to  achieve  in  the  lesson,  as  well  as  what  they  need  to  do  to  progress  to  the  next  level.  These  are  demonstrated  to  the  students  as  ALL,  MOST  and  SOME.    

Written by Clair Knowland

Fantastic practice spotted

in Learning Enquiry Walk 1

Within  the  lesson  all  students  work  in  groups  of  students  with  similar  abili+es  working  on  core  tasks  appropriate  for  them  to  progress  at  a  level  according  to  their  ability.  Throughout  the  lesson,  the  students  are  constantly  observed  to  ensure  they  are  grouped  accordingly  for  the  ac+vity  they  are  working  on  during  that  lesson.  If  this  isn’t  the  case  they  are  adjusted  up  or  down.  Running  in  line  with  this,  I  always  give  an  opportunity  for  the  students  to  comment  on  their  own  and  others  progress  and  discuss  what  they  need  to  do  to  progress  to  the  next  level.

“...for each lesson I set three different learning objectives, which are

differentiated into levels, so each student would know what level they

are at.”

I  feel  that  what  helps  the  students’  progress  using  this  approach  is  effec+ve  structuring  of  the  lessons,  which  always  demonstrates  clear  learning  objec+ves.  Delivering  an  appropriate  starter  ac+vity  which  relates  to  the  main  ac+vity  in  the  lesson  (which  can  also  be  used  to  assess  the  groupings  are  correct),  a  good  main  ac+vity  sec+on,  which  in  the  main  consists  of  skills  and  techniques  and  applica+on  to  a  game  or  performance,  

integra+ng  evalua+on  and  discussion  into  this.  To  complete  the  lesson,  a  thorough  plenary  to  assess  students’  knowledge  and  understanding  in  rela+on  to  the  objec+ves  set,  ensuring  all  students  contribute  accordingly  and  demonstrate,  where  effec+ve,  PLTS  (Personal  Learning  &  Thinking  Skills)  that  have  been  used  in  the  lesson.

I  am  now  ac+vely  following  this  approach  in  all  of  my  lessons  and  I  feel  that  the  difference  in  learning  and  progression  is  immense.  All  students  progress  at  their  own  level.  They  know  what  is  required  from  them  and  what  they  need  to  do  to  progress  to  the  next  level.  Assessment  for  Learning  is  a  clear  focus  this  year  within  the  Campsmount  PE  Department  and  this  method  of  approach  is  a  great  tool  for  assis+ng  in  the  Assessment  Process  at  the  end  of  every  module  of  work.  By  no  means  have  I  come  out  of  every  lesson,  where  things  have  always  worked  really  well.    It  has  been  a  learning  curve  so  far  for  me,  however  I  have  taken  on  board  what  hasn’t  worked  and  then  considered  how  I  would  change  that  next  +me  –  The  world  of  teaching!

Clair  

will  give  a  short  presenta;on  

at  the  next  Teachmeet  

Ariel shot of the new Campsmount

Plaza and entrance Alternative view

Waites Construction has been chosen by Campsmount to build our new college and building should begin in February 2011, lasting for approximately 1 year. The planned opening date is Easter 2012. The designs for the new build are currently being finalised but some of the images below provide us with an idea of what some of the inspirational learning spaces will look like. It is a design that will enable 21st Century learning to flourish, allowing us to achieve our ambitious learning vision.

A glimpse into the future

SEN Garden Technology extended workshop

Curriculum cluster area with external breakout space

Second floor of a Curriculum cluster External Dining area

Using  visualisers  in  your  lessons

Before the loss of our college, the maths department had a visualiser that they used in lessons. Since moving to our new site we now have 2 visualisers but are hopefully going to purchase a visualiser for each maths teaching room.

What  is  a  visualiser?

A visualiser is basically a digital video camera in a dedicated stand that connects between your computer and projector in your classroom. The type that is used in maths has a flexible neck that allows the camera to be moved about and pointed in different directions. It costs less than £270 each unit.

Great,  more  clutter  on  my  desk.    What  does  it  do?

In my opinion the visualiser is one of the most powerful pieces of kit that I’ve put into my classroom. It acts as an OHP, scanner, video camera

and microscope all at the same time. The way that it’s connected allows you to switch between visualiser and computer screen instantly and record both still images and video clips that can be imported into software on your computer.

Sounds  impressive,  but  what  will  I  do  with  it?This is how I have used visualisers:

* As an OHP to project worksheets or exam papers onto the whiteboard so that they can be read by the whole class

* As a vehicle to show a student’s work to the whole class – sharing exemplar work or peer reviewing

* To record video clips of worked answers to exam papers (audio and visual)

* Using the split screen facility I have been able to show before and after images of student work (to demonstrate improvement)

‘I can see clearly now...’

Other  ideas  that  may  be  more  suited  to  

 your  subject  area:  

Mark  will  showcase  the  use  of  a  Visualiser  at  

the  next  Teachmeet

Visualisers  now  exist  within  the  following  Depts:

Maths,  Science  &  Technology

(Wed. 08/12/10) (see next page)

Mark McKie explains how Visualisers can enhance learning across subject areas at Campsmount.

Other  ideas  that  may  be  more  suited  to  your  subject  area:

1. Use  it  to  peer  review  lesson  work

Place  a  piece  of  work  under  the  visualiser  as  part  of  a  plenary  activity,  and  allow  the  class  to  discuss  the  positive  features  of  the  work  produced.  Why  not  go  a  step  further  and  allow  the  children  to  create  the  "3  stars  and  a  wish"  for  the  work  (3  good  points,  and  something  to  aim  for  in  the  next  piece  of  work).

2.  Use  it  to  model  nets  of  shapes

You  can  place  a  net  of  a  shape  on  the  visualiser,  and  invite  pupils  to  come  out  and  construct  the  3D  shape.  The  rest  of  the  class  can  view  the  process  of  constructing  the  shape.  If  you  use  the  video  function  within  some  visualisers,  you  can  also  record  the  pupils  as  they  work  through  the  problem,  and  save  it  as  evidence  of  their  understanding.

3.  Make  an  animation

Use  the  camera  to  make  an  animation.  Design  some  split  pin  models  (to  create  limb  movement),  use  fuzzy  felt  shapes,  or  just  draw  a  character,  and  place  them  over  a  background.  Take  a  photograph  of  the  scene,  before  moving  the  character  slightly.  Put  them  all  together  in  moviemaker  or  2animate  to  make  a  movie.  If  your  visualiser  allows  you  to  rotate  the  camera  angle,  you  can  create  3D  animation  too  using  plastic  brick  characters.

4.  Use  it  to  investigate  Magnetic  Fields

Use  bar  magnets  and  iron  filings  to  show  magnetic  field  patterns  of  a  single  magnet,  then  pairs  of  attracting  and  repelling  magnets.

Children  predict  what  patterns  will  be  like  with  other  magnets  of  different  shape  or  strength  e.g.  horseshoe,  ring  etc.  Individuals  and  groups  can  test  out  their  predictions  and  then  show  their  results  to  the  rest  of  the  class

5. Use  it  as  a  magnifying  glass

Some  visualisers  have  an  impressive  zooming  ability  within  their  camera.  Use  this  facility  to  take  a  closer  look  at  objects  during  lessons.  Zoom  in  on  a  flower  to  look  inside  the  petals,  on  a  tissue  to  see  the  fibres  that  it  contains  or  on  a  circuit  board  to  inspect  soldering.

6.    Rather  than  photocopy  30  versions  of  a  page  of  text  to  use  in  a  lesson  –  put  the  book  you  are  using  on  the  visualiser.  That  way  everyone  in  the  class  can  see  it  easily.  Use  the  visualiser  with  a  Smartboard  and  you  can  grab  the  page  of  text  and  annotate  it  with  pupil  comments,  thoughts  and  ideas

7.  If  you  can  connect  your  visualiser  to  a  Smartboard,  you  can  grab  an  image  of  a  piece  of  work  and  manipulate  it.

Take  a  child's  piece  of  writing  and  -­‐  using  the  Ink  Layer  on  a  Smartboard  -­‐  write  over  the  top  of  the  work  without  ruining  the  original.

Take  a  piece  of  text  and  grab  the  image  on  the  Smartboard.  Blank  out  some  of  the  words  -­‐  can  the  children  correctly  work  out  the  missing  content?  Flick  back  to  the  visualiser  image  to  compare  their  choices.

8.    View  changes  over  time

Watch  a  plant  grow  over  a  period  of  time.  Place  the  plant  on  the  visualiser  and  take  a  photo  of  it.  Over  a  week  /  month  repeat  

this  once  a  day.  Watch  the  images  back  using  the  "slideshow"  option  in  windows  photo  album  folders  to  view  the  changes  to  the  plant.

9.      Rotate  the  camera  on  your  visualiser,  you  can  point  the  lens  towards  the  class  and  use  it  to  video  conference.

You  will  still  need  to  install  video  conferencing  software  on  the  computer,  and  tell  the  software  to  use  the  visualiser  as  a  webcam,  and  you  might  need  an  external  mic.

10.  Show  the  class  how  to  perform  a  skill  easily  by  demonstrating  it  on  the  visualiser  without  the  need  for  the  class  to  crowd  around  the  front  desk;

* Model  handwriting  styles

* Demonstrate  needlecraft

* Show  how  to  use  a  protractor

* Model  a  science  investigation

* Show  how  to  read  a  thermometer

11.  Use  it  to  learn  about  symmetry

If  you've  got  a  visualiser  with  lots  of  extra  features,  you  might  have  one  that  allows  you  to  freeze  the  image,  and  then  split  the  screen.  If  so,  you  can  use  the  visualiser  for  all  sorts  of  symmetry  work.  Place  some  coloured  cubes  on  the  visualiser  base  and  freeze  the  image.  Once  you've  split  the  screen  you  can  let  children  show  how  the  cubes  will  appear  if  reflected.

Mark

is willing to

provide CPD on

developing the use of

visualisers in your

dept.