IMMOOC Short blog challenge - Catching 'em all

Creating a culture of permissible innovation is challenging so how do you capture the innovation that is going on? 

I regularly have a number of conversations with teachers who are buzzing after a great lesson where they've tried something new, or reflecting on what to do differently next time when it didn't quite turn out as planned, that aren't captured or shared. It would be a real bonus for our community of teachers if these could be spread further than the corridor space or their own rooms.

Here's my thoughts (nothing innovative) but I'd welcome yours. Please comment and share:

• A staff group or personal blog
• 'Wow' wall in the staffroom
• 'Pineapple' lessons (staff offer a lesson for others to visit)
• Weekly briefing meeting item - staff share something that went well (or didn't!)
• A shared Google doc or Google form
• Video 'Big Brother diary room' setup

It would be great to create a list of innovative ideas to capture that we can all use so please comment below.

How to Teach Primary Maths (Anyone can feed sweets to sharks) - A Review

How to Teach Primary Maths - Nick Tiley-Nunn

Reading the foreword to this book by the renowned Phil Beadle makes it clear that Nick Tiley-Nunn is no ordinary teacher. Being described by someone who made teaching cool by doing it on TV as possibly the best teacher in the world, and certainly the best seen by Mr Beadle himself, is a pretty big thing - at least in my humble opinion. It also means there’s a lot of expectation about the contents of this book. Can this world beating teacher deliver and tell me things, after 20 years of working in primary schools, that will make me rush to school on Monday morning desperate to teach maths? Let’s see.

The introduction is, well, interesting - I know, I said ‘interesting’ about a maths book! There’s some reference to maths but a large amount of this section covers areas of problem solving (without mentioning sweets), resilience and creativity.  It is clear how Nick’s approach to maths is applicable to learning in general and I’m interested but then, right at the end, he drops in ‘SHINE’ (you’ll have to read the book to see what it stands for!) and I’m hooked. I might even be slightly excited. I know! ‘Excited’ about a maths book!

So, I’m 8 pages in and already I’ve got a number of activities I can take directly and use with learners. I’ve also met a narcissistic race of Evens and a greedy crocodile...and more and more great ideas and approaches for learning keep coming. In fact, the remainder of the book is a throbbing, gooey mass of maths joyousness. Every section of the primary maths curriculum is covered; each in a consistent style of inspiring activities and Nick’s jovial, humourous approach.  Don’t be fooled. Nick never takes his eye off challenging our learners to get the best outcomes possible; it’s just that he finds the most inspiring and interesting ways to do it.

There is only one regret I have from reading this book. I wish my own maths teachers had been like this. In fact, I wish the 1000s of maths lessons I’ve taught over my 20 years had been like this.

I have no doubt that many more children would leave primary school with a love and fascination for maths if every passionate primary teacher had this book. This book is an essential addition to any staffroom or teacher’s library; it could even change a generation’s perception of maths.

Read this book and you won’t need the foreword to realise that Nick Tiley-Nunn is clearly no ordinary teacher. Fortunately for teachers and children alike he has chosen to share some of what makes him the teacher he is and I for one will be a better professional for it.

Get your Freak on - A review of Freaked Out by Simon Pridham

Freaked Out - Simon Pridham

Ipads seem to have hit schools at a tremendous rate, which may on the surface seem like a good thing. But what about those staff who are not as technologically confident? What about those who might be freaked out by this new tool for learning? Don’t worry...there’s a book for that!

It might seem a slightly odd arrangement that, having been given an Ipad, a teacher needs a book to find out how to use it. Isn’t this a bit counter-intuitive? How can a book even come close to reflecting the multimedia digital nature of the Ipad? Is there any point in a book like ‘Freaked Out’?

First things first. Reading the back of the book instantly raises my confidence. The comprehensive list of topics covered, including ‘what a 21st Century classroom looks like’ and ‘home-school links using digital learning’ along with the reassuring blurb discussing the cross-phase and cross-curricular nature of the guide, mean expectations are high.

The book begins with a simply written guide to the physical features of the Ipad. The freaked out will take confidence from the small step guide to switching on and explanation of the buttons and icons that face the user when the Ipad starts up; nothing is taken for granted which is a good place to start.

Next, apps. The friendly ‘arm around the shoulder’ text (I had an image of Simon sitting on my grandparents sofa with a cup of tea in their best china…) gently coaxes the reader through registering for an Apple account and on to searching for and downloading their very first app! Interesting that the choice of app is Aurasma.

Hang on...the next section is about Aurasma. Surely someone freaked out shouldn’t leap straight into Aurasma? If you haven’t guessed already, this is where the book comes alive, almost literally. We are talked through our first use of Aurasma and lo and behold there’s an ‘Aura’ ready for us to scan and there’s Simon talking to us! Brilliant, and really hammers home the possibilities of this new technology.

From Aurasma we move to QR codes and these are used in the remainder of the book to enhance the content and provide direct links to items discussed in the text. Simon has included a series of icons to represent the content that will be accessed when a QR code is scanned. This enables the reader/user to decide if they need to, or want to, follow the link. Maybe they understood the text well enough to not need to watch the video.

There’s a range of further chapters that provide information and stimulate creative and pedagogical juices. Each chapter deals with key areas of implementing digital learning in schools to empower the freaked out (who I’m sure are more likely to be ‘freaked in’ than ‘freaked out’ by now) with more QR codes and a continuation of the easy-going chatty type text. It’s all very well knowing your way around an Ipad and using a number of exciting apps but once the initial honeymoon period is over there are always questions...Fear not, Simon has included a FAQ section which is made up of genuine questions asked by real human beings. They cover an interesting range of issues from printing from an ipad to implementing with a small budget. Finally, an essential glossary and the book is done.

Although really it isn’t.

Not only has Simon provided a brilliantly useful guide to enable the freaked out amongst us to start their Ipad journey, there is such a wealth of content that this book deserves to be revisited a number of times - and I’m certain it will be popularly shared amongst colleagues for years to come.

So, is there any point to this book? Does it work in this digital age? Absolutely! The use of Aurasma and QR codes provides digital content to enhance (or should it be ‘augment’) the traditional analogue book. Simon’s friendly, non-patronising tone combined with his excellent knowledge of digital learning will empower any colleague, no matter their level of ‘freakedness’, to confidently begin their digital journey. This is an essential book for the staffroom. Download it to your bookshelf today!

Oops a Daisy - A review of Teaching with Flowers by Julie Warburton

Teaching With Flowers - Julie Warburton

Ok, to be completely honest, I’m a bloke. Teaching with flowers is not something I have ever really given serious consideration to. Like most teachers, I’ve stuffed some daffodils in a milk bottle and got the kids to draw them but that’s about the extent of my floral expertise. Therefore I expected that reading ‘Teaching with Flowers’ would be a challenge.

I needn’t have worried. Mick Waters, as always, writes a compelling introduction and then we’re into Julie’s introduction, the first line of which made me feel guilty of my stereotypical blokeness as the word ‘learning’ is in the first sentence. I’m a passionate teacher so I should have seen flowers, as Julie says, as ‘another way to help children learn’. Combining her significant teaching experience and her abilities as a florist, Julie shares her experiences of working with children and flowers, with some amazing results. The underlying themes of hands-on, care, pride and quality apply to many other curriculum areas so why not teach with flowers? In case you need any more convincing there are lists of vocab you can cover as well as pages of curriculum areas - yes, ‘pages’.

Ok, so you’re convinced but you don’t know your buttercups from your eryngiums? Me neither. Don’t worry petal, Julie is here to help. There’s a full chapter on flowers, how to care for them, elements of design and all sorts of technical vocab; another chapter on seasonal flowers and what’s generally available when, cleverly organised by colour, flower name and season and much more background information.

The rest of the majority of the book is split into two main sections; one is step-by-step instructions, clearly written and supported by great photos, to create specific flower arrangements. These aren’t the ones you’ll see in the local church but practical activities for children to tackle in school. The other section is called ‘Let’s learn about...’ and provides a number of lessons that tackle a variety of concepts and knowledge from a range of subjects and shows how using flowers can enhance this learning.

The book ends with more useful tips on extending the use of flowers, or the ‘blooming curriculum’, across the school, with a special mention for Julie’s previous passion of transition. Finally there’s ‘techniques’ so you can look like an expert in front of your learners and links to useful resources. Even the index is colour coded to make the busy teacher’s life easier.

There is no doubt that this book will provide you with everything you will ever need to enhance children’s learning through the use of flowers. Imagine the smell, the colours and the excitement of a classroom with children enhancing learning through flowers. What a great experience that would be - and then you could display the results in the staffroom and cheer the teachers up too! Well done Julie for creating a book that adds an unexpected level of rich educational experience in an easily accessible form that the busy teacher, whether a trained florist or not, can readily use to bring learning alive.

I will definitely blooming go out and buy this book. No stigma attached!

Don't Change the Light Bulbs.

Don’t Change the Light Bulbs - Rachel Jones

I’m not sure how to describe this book.

I’m torn between ‘it’s my Twitter feed written down’ and comparing it to one of those shiny metal boxes in films that, when opened, a cloud of gas escapes...which dissipates to reveal rows of test tubes of coloured liquid, each one affecting the human who consumes it in different ways.

Maybe these two possible descriptions aren’t so far apart. This book takes nuggets of pedagogical gold, many from legends of the educational Twitterverse, and presents them to you on a plate.  When consumed (not literally of course, unless ‘internalising’ means something different to you) they stimulate, provoke, challenge and excite. Unfortunately I haven’t found one that will re-grow my missing hair but I’ll keep re-reading just in case.

What I really enjoy about this collection is that dipping in and out is as effective and enjoyable as reading from the front to the back. The format of numbered lists, with each ‘tip’ having it’s own design, makes them really accessible and bite-sized.  Just reading one tip is not as easy as it sounds though, as the ‘just one more...’ mentality kicks in and you’ll find hours pass by unnoticed, but you’ll be buzzing to get into school.

And really, that’s the fundamental point of this book. It’s aim is to inspire and help us all to be better at what we do. And it does. What it doesn’t claim to be is a magic bullet or a panacea; the contributors have most likely never met the learners you work with. Instead, the tips, tricks, thoughts and opinions will challenge us all to adapt and improve by applying them to our own situations.

If you’re looking for an easy to read source of inspiration that you can gain something from, in the time it takes to drink a teacher’s coffee, then this is the book for you.

Dealing with the wreckage left by Northern Rocks

Saturday.  Heavy rain.  Leeds.  At least 2 out of 3 of these are reasons to stay in bed.  I'm glad I didn't.

Like around 300 others, I attended the inaugural Northern Rocks event.  (The title of this post is from an Independent article about the collapsed bank of a similar name but adequately reflects my brain after Saturday's event).  Below are some thoughts, not in any particular order.

There's been a large number of great blogs appearing after Saturday so I won't try and detail everything that was said and I'd ask that you don't judge me against them as I'm just splurging (that's my excuse)!

1. Debra and Emma.  Wow.  It takes some cahoonas to organise an event like this and they nailed it.  Most impressive though was the genuine warmth, passion and respect towards everyone; there was always time for a quick chat to complete strangers and nothing was too much trouble.  No doubt there was some frantic leg paddling going on under the surface but the smiles never left their faces and they both deserve knighthoods (or is it damehoods?), for pulling this together, although this is unlikely as they are both probably on some secret service watch list for being enemies of promise.  It is saddening to hear that Debra is all but leaving direct teaching - I would have loved her to teach my own children.  (My post on why I'm leaving the UK system is here).  Bravo ladies, I'm tempted to fly back from Brunei for next year!

2. Lunch.  Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding the size of a plate.  Enough said.

3. The People. It was like my Twitterverse came to life, so many names that I've connected with previously!  I suppose it could be taken for granted that there would be a large number of like-minded people there, what with it being a Saturday (and raining and in Leeds) but the passion and positivity was palpable.  There was a subtle air of pride about being part of something exciting and different and, whilst there was justified criticism and exasperation expressed, becoming 'militant' and outright 'anti' everything was avoided and positive alternatives explored - in particular, Debra handled the panel meeting expertly, there must surely be a career opportunity there?!  As always, Hywel Roberts and Mick Waters got right to the heart of matters and motivated the thronged masses (although I think the rally song may need a bit of work!).  These guys are awesome and, like everyone else on the day, have no pretentious air about them, happy to chat with anyone.  Not an easy thing given the celebrity status bestowed upon them by us mere mortals!  I haven't met many DfE staff but I suspect that would be a different experience.

4. So what?  Yes, it was a nice day out (have I mentioned lunch?) but it has to make a difference.  On a personal level I got loads out of the SOLO and Flipped Learning workshops and I can see how they could link brilliantly together.  So, given the time of year, my role and the fact that I'm leaving my current school in 6 weeks, I'm limited.  I'm going to get some children to create some 'how to...' videos for key concepts that the staff have noticed too many children struggling with.  This will tick the flipped learning box and could be used to discuss various stages in SOLO - "are you pre or unistructural?  Watch the video." type thing.  I'm then intending to introduce SOLO and Flipped learning in my new school once I get settled.
What about a difference on a wider systematic scale?
I believe and hope that events like these, combined with Twitter and TeachMeets are the best way to empower teachers to make a difference.  I feel the challenge is to get headteachers to buy in.  I am often surprised and disappointed by fellow heads who haven't been to/heard of TeachMeets.  In my experience it isn't that heads don't want to do relevant, different learning, I think it's a combination of having time and overcoming the fear of doing something alternative to what they perceive will keep outsiders happy.  This isn't a criticism, I fully understand the pressures.  I was fortunate to get into Twitter years ago and so have accessed years worth of exciting resources and thinking whereas some heads are just coming to this way of thinking; ironically the new curriculum has stimulated some to truly consider what their school offers.  Perhaps there's a need for a headteacher only event where they can see the types of learning their teachers could/want to offer and be helped to implement it.
One final outcome for me is the hope that, with an increasing critical mass of educators like those at Northern Rocks, maybe, just maybe, our wonderful profession will be given the respect it deserves and those in charge will consider the children rather than the voters.

Later this week I'm off to Birmingham for the Inspiring Leadership conference.  I suspect I won't get as much out of it!

Hmm...A Review of 365 Things to Make you Go Hmmm

Whatever you do don't buy this book!  At least, not if you want to be remotely productive, focussed or are required to feed a small child regularly.  365 Things entertains, inspires, frustrates, befuddles, baffles and amuses in equal measure and, although the concept is to use one 'Thing' per day, it is impossible to not read on, wrestle with a 'thing', read on, wrestle with another 'thing'...You know this book has you completely hooked when you can hear your own brain arguing with itself!

From the challenging, and in some points uncomfortable, introduction 365 Things sparks your thinking into life by making you reflect on the values and messages that you give learners.  For example, how many times have we said (even though we hate the thought of it) "only 105 days until SATs"?  Most of us have done it, not through some sadistic pleasure of piling stress onto young learners but as a reflection of the externally induced pressures we're put under.  Maybe this book will go some way to alleviating this.  By embedding the messages, values and prompts contained in 365 Things we'd get deeper thinking, self-valuing confident learners ready to take on the world, secure in the knowledge that they're all good at what really counts and see SATs (and other tests) as an opportunity to show those in power just how great they are.

The 365 Things themselves cover a wide range of topics and concepts and are in some ways similar to the 'Thunks' from Ian Gilbert but the Sparky Teaching flavour is unmistakable; lots of value based content, with practical tips and tricks to extend and augment the learning all done in a positive, light-hearted way.  A particular strength of this book is how 'real life' has been used to develop some of the Things e.g. news stories, web content, increasing relevance for your learners and many Things are cleverly illustrated, with the presentation adding an extra 'must-read' dimension.

365 Things, despite seemingly limiting itself to only one year's use, will undoubtedly impact on you and your learners for years to come.  Aside from the value instilling content, the 'Things' will stimulate enough additional questions and thinking that you could end up writing your own book!  (This probably isn't the result the publishers wanted though, so don't tell them I told you!).

With this book in your collection you'll have a ready-made source of stimulating content that can be used from whole-school assemblies through to class debates and corridor displays.  And if you do work out if street dancing is a sport, let me know!

Marginal Learning Gains - more thoughts and ideas

A couple of pages of the 'Learing to Teach' blog with experiences and ideas for Marginal Gains

http://createach.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/marginal-gains.html

http://createach.blogspot.co.uk/

Learn to read...by teaching your monster!

A free online game, designed by British game designers and follows letters and sounds.

Teach Your Monster to Read

Self Efficacy through projects

Educational Leadership:Supporting Beginning Teachers:Teaching Self-Efficacy with Personal Projects

Being scared twice locks memories

Study on how the brain selects memories to keep. Implications for learning (eventually)

Futurity.org – Being scared twice locks memory in brain

The Literacy Shed

Resources for visual literacy and other stuff including video clips with teaching ideas.

The Literacy Shed - The Literacy Shed Home

What kind of restaurant is your classroom?

A thought provoking analogy from Thought Weavers.

What Kind Of Restaurant Is Your Classroom? | thoughtweavers

Does that make OFSTED the Environmental Health Inspectors, despised by all types of restaurant?!

Raising levels with Google apps

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Google Apps for Education helps Pt England School raise achievement levels

Socrative

Socrative is a student response system that is web based.

This looks like it has great potential - and it's free!

http://www.socrative.com

Go have a look and let me know if you've used it!

Michael Rosen's response to the leaked new National Curriculum

Michael Rosen: By heart: Gove and poetry

Raising self esteem in your classroom

Raising the self esteem of learners:

Praise and Motivation within the Classroom | thoughtweavers


Particularly like this bit:


When issuing PRAISE think:
P = PERSONAL: Aimed at just one individual
R = REFLECTIVE:  The learner should be able understand they’ve received it.
A = ASSESSED: You, the teacher, should know why you are giving it.
I = IMMEDIATE:  Catch them doing the right thing and praise immediately.
S = SENSITIVE: Not all children like being praised in front of others.
E = EFECTIVE:  It should have a lasting impact on the learner.

Wider Letter Spacing Helps Dyslexic Children

New research shows improvements for dyslexic children when letter and word spacing increases - with IOS app!

Wider letter spacing helps dyslexic children

Multiple Intelligences - a brief guide

Multiple Intelligences - a brief guide


Would you rather be clever or intelligent? A whistle-stop tour of Multiple Intelligence (MI) | thoughtweavers

BrainFacts.org - Neuroeducation.

BrainFacts - Neuroeducation.

A favourite website of mine, this is a link to the education pages.

Neuroeducation - BrainFacts.org