Mini TeachMeet 5

In the fifth Mini TeachMeet, FG and DO shared ideas.

1.       Differentiation by using song (FG)

·         FG shared how she uses an Irish folk song within English lessons. The students have certain skills that they have to apply to a text (in this case a Crime and Punishment text). The students find this difficult.

·         By using a song, and with the written verse, she gets them to apply the principles to the song and finds the students more able to develop the skills necessary before then applying them to the texts.

·         FG got us to listen to the songs ourselves and went through the exercise with us.

·         It was agreed that this would be a useful task for any subject that might have more generic skills that can be applied to other contexts.

2.       DAS Teacher Toolkit (DO)

·         DO shared his idea for developing a teacher toolkit for Dame Allan’s as at present it is difficult to know within T&L what is good and what is a phase

·         Teachers are often are re-inventing the wheel and making resources which in more generic forms would be useful to other subjects

·         Staff might be unsure what might work in our setting

·         It was resolved that we should try to develop a bank of things that work in Dame Allan’s (ideas for activities, generic resources) along with a small write up with contextual information – linked to a staff member who uses it, example of use in their subject

·         This could be held on the blog

What is Worth Reading for Teachers Interested in Research?

A good selection of reading material here from Professor Coe at the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring in Durham. Much of it is freely available online.


His starting point is that when he gives talks he is always surprised by education is in such contrast to other professions such as medicine where a knowledge of recent literature is paramount. But he is sympathetic to the fact we may not know where to start or have read lots of bad literature in the past and are therefore reluctant to try again.


He goes on:
"So here is my list of sources of educational research for teachers: things that are worth reading. These are all relevant to teaching and/or school leadership and present high-quality, sound research. Most are written for a teacher audience, ie not too technical, jargon-filled or unnecessarily complex. They may be more likely to challenge, provoke and inform than immediately inspire: more balanced meal than fast food. But hopefully something nutritious to chew on, digest and enjoy."


http://cem.org/blog/what-is-worth-reading-for-teachers-interested-in-research/

Closing the Gap Marking

Mark better – take less time, get more impact

This post is a couple of years old but it shares the principles behind our marking policies.

How do you mark twenty-five essays in an hour, while ensuring students know how to improve?
Has anyone ever found a way to ‘work smarter, not harder’?
Dylan Wiliam says they should spend longer reading your comments than you spend writing them- how does that work?

https://improvingteaching.co.uk/2013/08/17/closing-the-gap-marking/