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August 2015
Issue 20
in the
Classroom
06
Teaching Spelling
13
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Sharing a Good Book
Top Educational # Blogs
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Issue 20: August 2015
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Magazine 4 Improve pupils’ research skills
Catherine Steel looks at innovate ways to improve the research skills of pupils to encourage independent learning.
6 Action Research: Spelling Matters
Jackie McKay shares the process and results of her classroom research into improving the spelling skills of her pupils.
8 Sharing a Good Book
Debbie Light & Mel Aberson discuss the value of developing a CPD book club and suggestions for setting up your own.
13 UKEdChat Community’s Favourite Blogs
The community has been voting and the results are in. We have over 100 of the best educational blogs listed.
18 Questioning Consistency 20 Bookshelf •
Research often involves moral choices and decisions. The ‘gold standard’ of the Randomised Controlled Trial, at its simplest, means that groups are selected, one or more groups are exposed to a variable and the control group remain unchanged. But in education this might mean depriving a group of a suspected educational benefit or experimenting with an unproven and possibly detrimental change. Researchers must weigh up the costs and benefits and decide whether the potential benefits to vast numbers of pupils is worth the small effects to the students in the study. There is a growing trend for educators to go beyond mere assessment and conduct their own action research with their class. The benefit is that they are researching with the whole or a large subset of the affected population, i.e. the class, but the moral decisions remain the same. In this issue of UKEd Magazine we take a close look at educational research with case studies and ideas to try for yourself. Martin Burrett - Editor
Editor Martin Burrett investigates what we mean by consistency in education and why it should be pursued with great care. •
From the Editor
What if everything you knew about education was wrong? by David Didau Teacher Geek by Rachel Jones
22 The Aerodynamics of Research
Kieran Dhunna Halliwell explores the many facets of educational research from both the academic researcher’s and teacher’s point of view.
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Innovative ways to improve
pupils’ research skills By Catherine Steel
Even though teachers up and down the land will be enjoying a well earned rest, thoughts inevitably end up turning to September: “Will I have backed my walls in time?” “Have I remembered how to pronounce that child’s name?” “What am I even supposed to do on the first week back anyway?” Whether or not, you’re an NQT or an experienced teacher, we all seemingly have the same mild panic year after year. As adults, it could be expected that we have the skills to deal with this in the form of knowledge. We know that it’s not the end of the world if there is one staple missing from the wall and we know that we can learn the pronunciation of Jonny’s surname as we go along but it seems to unsettle us. Is Knowledge Power? A famous Lord Chancellor, Francis Bacon, once said that ‘Knowledge is power’, which seems true if power means knowing what you’re doing. However what about things which are uncertain? How do we as the human race create new knowledge and why should we bother? I’m sure that if humans in the past had thought in this way, the wheel would never have existed and if Eddison had not had a thirst for knowledge, we would be living in the dark! Such a thirst for finding out new things is what we now call research and something that we often encourage children to do. What is research anyway? In a recent Twitter Chat, the topic for discussion was around ‘Research in Education’. Even amongst inspiring adults, there seemed to be conflicting ideas about what research is; some saying that it must be backed up by theory to be valid and others taking the less formal approach and suggesting the importance of research in everyday life incidents. Indeed, there seems to be two types of research: 1. the research that an individual does to learn for themselves (if I kick the football, it will move), 2. the type of research that leads to new discoveries (a cure for a disease). The Oxford English Dictionary defines research as ‘The systematic investigation into the study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions’ but I much prefer Zora Neale Hurston’s definition; “Research is formalised curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose”. 04 UKED Magazine
Indeed, who should ask the questions anyway? “Play is the highest form of research” Albert Einstein In the Early Years, children are constantly exploring, asking questions and finding things out. They are hungry for new knowledge and discover ways to uncover possibilities. @ Hywel_Roberts talks about ‘Accidental Learning’ and it seems that this is the best form of research when it comes to breakthroughs. I have written about this from first hand experience at bit.ly/uked15aug01 By being inquisitive about all things and having a vested interest in studying an area, children are researching. This may be a case of how to plug the hole that has appeared in the water tray or how best to store the iPads so the wires don’t get tangled. Whatever the problem, whether an answer is found or not, this exploration and investigation of the situation empowers children. But what about when children are less engaged? You know the ones....that the time when you set a task about a specific topic and asked the children to ‘research’ it. What do we mean and how do we engage them even if it’s not their favourite topic? Making Research Purposeful Dermot Mulroney once said that, “What people actually refer to as research nowadays is really just Googling” and it would seem to be the case. All too often these days with the advances in technology and accessibility of information on the Web, children inevitably click on Google or Wikipedia to ‘research’ the topic you have introduced. Even with the new Computing Curriculum, which requires us to teach about reliable sources, it is often reported that children and young adults either take these sources as fact or plagiarise the source directly. In order to challenge this, I found a range of ways to support research skills across the Primary setting: For fact-based research, I ask a series of questions to Y4 and 5, some of which they know the answer to and some they don’t. Using laptops to find the answers, they have to cite at least three sources. Another method is to show children is webmaker.org from Mozilla and the Hackasaurus Wiki or the X-Ray Googles at webmaker.org/en-US/goggles. When children understand how easy it is to hack information online, they soon begin to think more about the information they think they have researched and whether it is valid or not.
• a ‘Question or Challenge of the Week’; • build a model / robot in teams; • devising ways to make playtime better through asking questions of peers. Alternatively, it could even be role play scenario such as designing and building a new home for a character where they have to explore a range of materials first or finding an injured creature, which leads to research around litter and pollution. Above all, It is important to ensure that children are actually encouraged to make mistakes in order to develop their mindset further. More and more schools and institutions are allowing staff to research areas in which they are interested as part of their CPD. This in turn will also help the teaching profession being innovative and inquisitive with children firmly at the centre. But at the heart of it all, it seems that this anonymous quote I found online sums it up; “Mistakes might not give you answers. But they give you questions for a greater answer.
Catherine Steel is a Y2 teacher and Computing Subject Leader at Redbridge Primary School, London. Find her on Twitter @TaffTykeC or at catalystforlearning.wordpress.com Image credit: flickr.com/photos/jimmiehomeschoolmom/3968019031/ by Jimmie used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License.
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Embracing Inclusion
In Brief
Other ideas include setting up specific projects for research. This could be:
As you walk through the school entrance doors and step in to St. Peter’s the children are asked to imagine themselves taking daily steps down Progress Avenue. Progress Avenue is endless; • it does not seek to limit someone to a predetermined potential. • it does not assume a natural talent or predisposition. • It recognises that hard work and effort will lead to greater outcomes and achievement. • It starts with you and takes you as far as you want to go. This philosophy has helped our staff to open their minds to the meaning of inclusion and avoid limiting beliefs, both for themselves and the pupils. By building a belief that anything is possible, you just have to take the first step, towards achieving it, the children have been given the power to determine their own destiny. @stpetersfarn Bolton, Lancs - Headteacher
Developing Numerical Reasoning using The Clash of Clans
Clash of Clans is a really engaging game and very popular with children of all ages. I am the leader of The Mighty Roma clan, the one with the purple shield and yellow flame, if you want to join it! I created the clan so that my children could play with a chat free from blasphemy and bad language, but the game offers immense opportunities for numerical thinking. For example, each troop has a different cost in elixir and each village you raid has certain amounts of gold and elixir available for looting, though it is not guaranteed you will get it all, unless you demolish all their storages. So, one easy way to develop numeracy is to get learners to work out different combinations of troops to take into battle and their costs. Then, pupils can justify the decision to attack a particular village based on the amount of gold and elixir they can loot. @Collaborat_Ed Cardiff - Independent Consultant Sibling IQs For a while now I have been teaching children to swim and normally I teach them in families to make sure the younger ones are comfortable in this new environment. Seeing the children in this environment, it strikes me that the older sibling tends to answer for the younger child. This got me thinking about the IQ difference between siblings and why this may arise. Research (bit.ly/uked15aug02) has suggested that, especially in boys, the IQ is higher by 2.3 points in those that are older siblings rather than the younger siblings. This slight difference can have a huge impact on performance in exams and the classroom so is worth looking into the cause of IQ differences. However there has been dispute over many years as to whether this difference occurs due to birth order or to how they have been raised. Furthermore perhaps the different cultural backgrounds have a huge impact upon the way children are taught to think about things and therefore their overall intelligence. But this opens up a bigger question – Is intelligence born or made. I feel to understand truly whether siblings have differing IQ’s we also need to understand what proportion of intelligence is born or made. @emma_rachels Southampton - Undergraduate Student ukedchat.com/magazine 05
Spelling
m a t t e r s .. . When it’s actively taught! By Jackie McKay The vision and starting point was realised following an initial diagnostic test at the start of the new session back in August 2014. Results from testing learners on their spelling ability versus spelling ages left many gaps that I, as their proactive and target driven teacher, had to do something about.
Many resources were introduced to encourage a ‘bums off seats’ environment (multi-sensory approach as it is officially known), some of these being: Alphabetti Spaghetti, Interactive White Board, Chalkboards, Magic Fingers, Comics, Cereal and Rice, to name a few. My belief in ensuring ICT was utilised to reinforce and compliment inclusive learning allowed learners to further explore various iPad applications, digi-cams and voice recorders. The programme was also encouraged by parents who have shown great interest in supporting their children in homework tasks. Throughout term 1, I observed a very vibrant, energetic and noisy environment with a class full of very engaged ‘buzzing’ learners. That ‘buzz’ continued and children actually looked forward to their weekly tests, which from experience is usually one of the most daunting times for some pupils. Weekly test scores were recorded into pupil files and a class target displayed with incentives attached.
The class, consisting of 25 mixed ability Primary 4s and p5s, were showing ‘room for improvement’ and my plan came to me, as many other teaching ideas do, at 3 o’clock in the morning!! The plan, to deliver a consistently constructed spelling programme that was measurable daily. Having only known these pupils for a few days I felt it paramount that my previous studies and academic interests be brought to the forefront very quickly to help address the poor results achieved. Relating to theorists: Gill 1992, Ehri 1986 and Henderson 1990, I was aware from their work that two important learning processes occur during the teaching of spelling. Firstly, children learn to spell using predictability and secondly, spelling memory is best exercised using knowledge of written and oral skills. Having identified a clear pathway, I commenced the plan and reiterated the phrase ‘spelling matters’ which was soon to become the children’s motto within every day in class. Pupils were introduced to a series of differentiated word lists in a timetabled slot. These words were taught, learned and definitions explored to ensure an understanding of the words was clear to all. Every Monday a brand new spelling strategy was introduced to promote active learning and to be honest this is what triggered the response, that pushed them to learn.
Even at any early stage, there was a direct correlation between the results achieved and the children’s’ chosen learning modality, which was clear to see through progress in age variance and spelling accuracy graphs. At the end of term 1 (October 2014), having evaluated the progress made, I knew I had to continue with the then ‘project’, which was now just becoming ‘the way we do things in P4/5M!’
Using comics to inspire learners 06 UKED Magazine
Spelling accuracy had increased tremendously with the biggest variance with the poorer spellers. Spelling ages in learners initially showed that the majority were 3 years below actual spelling ages, but now with dramatic increases for all.
Problems encountered during the process were mainly my concerns about specific learning patterns and how retention levels would be sustained. Many pupils have preferred sensory needs and, in general, display low global learning levels. In addition, many pupils receive additional support needs (ASN) assistance and require ‘chunked’ lessons, but to my surprise and theirs, they adapted exceptionally well and were able to transfer their learning of spelling across the curriculum developing literacy skills in other subject areas very well indeed. One pupil demonstrated exceptional levels of spelling ability and was already scoring 4+ years above his actual spelling age. My challenge for him was to continue to increase the complexity of his words, but ensuring to keep him within a social group to ensure strategies were explored equally as per other learners. into a huge improvement science project which the children were encouraged to take ownership of from the onset. Pupils have enjoyed visiting other classes to share their learning and celebrate success. The ultimate results: Based on the excellent effort and commitment shown by the pupils, the overall results were far greater than original anticipated. Spelling age variance: P4s rose by 37.35% and P5s by 28%. A whole class increase of 33% Spelling accuracy:
P4s rose by 139% and P5s by 73%. A whole class increase of 106%
The success of the programme has been commended and will be delivered to colleagues during in-service day training with aims of rolling it out across the school next session. I would urge all practitioners to give this project a go, you may be surprised that by, thinking small may end up with huge benefits and if anything raising awareness for the need to teach a structured spelling programme highlighted and this will make a difference to the confidence and growth mindset of your pupils. It has in my class! As for me…... I will continue doing things the way I did them last session and emphasise to my new learners that ‘spelling matters!’
To continue with the project in term 2, I decided to use core reading genre and produce a bank of relevant words and continue to reinforce previous strategies taught. Children were now in a routine for their spelling programme and success was shared with them on a daily basis. The children had now completed two further diagnostic tests and were able to set their own next steps and review these prior to their final test in June 2015. Throughout the project ‘pupil voice’ has been the paramount motivating factor in raising awareness of the importance of teaching spelling. What started out as a hunch developed
Many thanks to the pupils of P4/5M for their commitment, dedication and belief in themselves. Also thank you for the ongoing support from Mrs Audrey Ross, Head Teacher at Bannockburn Primary for believing in my projects.
Jackie McKay @JMcKay1972, Innovative, highly creative Class Teacher and active promoter of #growthmindset at Bannockburn Primary School, Stirling, Scotland. Image credit: https://flickr.com/photos/manoftaste-de/15757663772 by Christian Schnettelker used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License. https://flickr.com/photos/sidelong/2465617714 by DaveBleasdale used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License. ukedchat.com/magazine 07
Sharing a
Good Book
Ever considered a Teaching Book Group? No? Well hopefully this article will inspire you to start considering setting one up. We have both set up teaching and learning book groups in our schools and would like to share some thoughts on why it is such a good idea, as well as some points to consider if you decide to go ahead and set one up.
By Debbie Light and Mel Aberson
Is it worth it? If in doubt about whether it’s a good idea, stop doubting. It is. A book group is amazing for more reasons that you may have thought. It makes staff feel valued: They get books of their own, an opportunity to learn something new, to consider different viewpoints and share ideas. It will set off a buzz: There may be things people strongly agree or disagree with, techniques people have never thought of before or research that completely changes the way they think and teach. This buzz will spread as teachers start discussing things they have read or sharing ideas they have tried out. It is ongoing CPD: Much better than sitting in the hall watching another presentation! However you set the group up, the outcome is that throughout the year, each teacher will spend a considerable amount of time reading, trying out something new or reflecting. This is like being an NQT again but hopefully without the constant feeling of exhaustion (I don’t think that was just me!) Our book group has been composed of staff from a range of backgrounds and experiences, including a member of SLT, but all have thoroughly enjoyed the injection of thought –provoking reading and discussion. It is great value for money: Yes, there is a cost implication but when it boils down to it, you are investing in your staff and when you compare the cost of buying a few books to the cost of a day’s external training, factoring in the cost of cover, it is actually pretty cheap. 08 UKED Magazine
It can work across phases: The books we have read would be relevant for teachers from any phase. They may be thought-provokers, such as Carol Dweck’s ‘Mindset’ or Graham Nuthall’s ‘Hidden Lives of Learners, or more focused on classroom practice, like Doug Lemov’s ‘Teach Like a Champion’. If you are a school that includes a range of phases, or even if you are a Secondary wanting to build stronger links with a feeder Primary, perhaps a cross-phase teaching and learning book group could be the answer! Points to consider So having run a book group for a year, there are a few points that it would be useful to think about: 1. Budget: One of the selling points already mentioned is that a book group offers good value for money, but there is still a cost implication. We started by working out the cost per person based on a range of books, including a couple that were more pricey and others that were midrange. The next question is where the budget will come from – does it come under CPD, or is there a library budget that could cover some of the cost? 2. Keep or loan: The ideal scenario is for the book group members to be rewarded for
Debbie Light and Mel Aberson share the Twitter account @TeacherTweaks. They are passionate about teaching and learning and their first book ‘Lesson Planning Tweaks for Teachers’ was published by Bloomsbury in June 2015.
their investment of time by being able to keep the books, but if the budget is really tight, perhaps you could buy a smaller number of each book and have a couple of smaller book groups that run on a rotation basis? That way, when they books are finished with they could end up in the library for other interested staff to refer to. Perhaps if this is the model you decide is best for your school, you could allow each book group member to choose their favourite book to keep at the end of the year. An alternative to keep the cost down might be to team up with a couple of local schools and agree to each buy a couple of sets of books that are shared between the three schools. 3. Structure: If you’ve never been part of a book group, you may not know how they tend to work. You need enough people to get a decent discussion going without getting out of hand; we’d suggest between 8 and 15. It is also recommended that there are questions prepared in advance of the meeting to focus the discussion. We started off providing these ourselves for the group, but found it better to ask members to submit their own questions a week or two before the meeting. 4. Rules: This can be a tricky one. The idea of setting up the group is that the members are agreeing to commit to reading a book per half term or term but this has not always been possible. Staff may leave, take on a new responsibility or just not stick with it and this can be quite frustrating for whoever is leading the group. It isn’t possible to avoid this completely, but it may be better to order the books after each meeting rather than buying them all in at the start of the year. We have also made a point of ensuring that the meetings are arranged and books distributed with a holiday available, for those people who don’t read as much during term time. It is also helpful to send out a reminder email a couple of weeks before the meeting for those last minute crammers!
Read our review of Debbie’s and Mel’s book at ukedchat.com/magazine/july-2015/8
5. Book selection: This can be the most fun aspect but it is worth doing a bit of research before choosing your book each time. You may want to take into account the particular development priorities in your school, the areas of interest of your group members or the type of book that you read previously. As mentioned above, you may wish to order the books throughout the year and this can give you a chance to ask your book group to vote on the next book they would like to read. 6. Sharing: Think about how you can share the findings from the book group. This is a fantastic opportunity to ask book group members to write a short article for a staff bulletin, post resources on a sharing board or even to ask people to run a short CPD session (like the Fifteen Minute Forum discussed by @shaun_allison in his fab book ‘Perfect Teacherled CPD’ bit.ly/ukedperfectcpd). Another really effective strategy is setting up a blog for the book group so that staff can share their thoughts on the books with the rest of the school. See reviews of CPD books at
ukedchat.com/category/book ukedchat.com/magazine 09
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Gojimo Apple: bit.ly/uked15aug07 Android: bit.ly/uked15aug08 Hats off to these guys, as they have worked amazingly hard to design a great app. Just about every external exam from post-primary to higher education is covered in this quiz based platform. Every subject is broken down into topics and you can test yourself with the multiple choice questions. Instant feedback with explanations and a final grade. My Study Plan Apple: bit.ly/uked15aug09 Do you need help to make a study plan? Well then use ‘My Study Plan’… of course! Add dates of the exams, prioritising the most important items, set the ideal time frame and let this app work its magic. Allow the notifications to ‘poke’ you into action every morning and tick off what you’ve (honestly) done. Watch the hours of revision build up. There’s also a nice section with exam tips. Exam Pal Apple: bit.ly/uked15aug10 Android: bit.ly/uked15aug11 Nothing ever compares to the horrendous experience of taking all those exams at GCSE level. No-one should ever have to try and cram what seemed like a quadrillion exams into a 6 week period. As inhuman as it seems, we all have to do it and this app holds out it’s helping hand to get you organised. It’ll search through the database of GCSEs and A-levels across multiple boards to find what exams you’re sitting and sync it up to your calendar. Dr Jaz Does Past Papers Apple: bit.ly/uked15aug12 I’ve only just started using this app myself. Past papers are a wonderful revision tool and this app puts them all in one place. What’s more Dr Jaz has made it much more accessible than most exam board website. Mash all four of these apps together and you have the making of the ultimate student support for revision. @danmicksee Ballymena, N. Ireland - Physics Teacher
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Padlet: Live sharing in class It could be a struggle to ensure that all students share their ideas and/or input in class to get your feedback. This is where Padlet could be of use. It allows teachers to create walls (no limit) which have unique links. When a student visits a wall’s link, they’ll be directed to a webpage (an empty wall) where they can freely (and anonymously if you want) share their input, and see other’s input as they come in. And, when all is done, you can export that content into PDF format for archiving purposes, or just revisit the wall whenever needed. I’ve used this tool in class to ask to submit answers to questions, share their thoughts on a discussion topic, and form sentences and proof-read each other’s work. Students liked the fact that I can see their responses as they are entered, which allowed for immediate feedback. @mssebah United Arab Emirates - English faculty
In Brief
Study skills and the helping hand of mobile devices Exam season is finally over and this time around was the first time I began hunting down apps that assist with revision. While I’m not convinced anyone has quite nailed it yet, but many have had a good attempt at it. The designers of the perfect revision app need to take a look at those trendy health apps and ‘borrow’ some ideas, as I believe revising needs to be reinvented as training supplemented with coaching. That’s where a student app will thrive and do wonders for all us teachers! Until then, here are a few of my recommendation for revision app, in no particular order.
Pre-School Children’s Experiences with Touchscreen Technology From the existing body of literature on children using touchscreen technologies, the majority of these experiences appear to be in the home environment. However, children are now beginning to use a range of touchscreens in their early years settings and touchscreens have become an additional tool on which to play and learn. Whilst Early Years practitioners are sharing technological experiences with young children, there remains no formal support on how to effectively support children using technology. Since recognising this gap in research and literature, I am writing a PhD focusing on the experiences two to four year old children have using touchscreens and how these experiences can support a social learning environment where children benefit from a range of interactions with others. As a result of observing these interactions, I aim to begin to reduce the gap of appropriate touchscreen use, combining data from surveys, interviews with early years practitioners and observations of children’s experiences to produce guidelines for each early years setting involved with the aim of establishing good practice using touchscreen technology. . @ShannonLudgate Nuneaton, Warwickshire - PhD Student at Birmingham City University Going Beyond the Textbook In November 2014, Tim Oats wrote a paper ‘Why Textbooks Count’ which prompted the now Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, to call for a “renaissance” of high quality textbooks in England’s classrooms. Textbooks are certainly to be found lacking in this country. I would argue that it is not a ‘renaissance’ which is needed, but banishment. One of the issues I have found teaching Philosophy within the framework of Secondary Religious Education is that textbooks over-simplify material. It is a problem which goes beyond my subject. As teachers, getting the best out of our pupils means spending time extending and reinventing existing support materials so that our lessons might give them access to their content in an imaginative and relevant way. One textbook I, regrettably, handed out to my Year 11 group last year stated in its blurb that, by using it, both teacher and students can be ‘absolutely confident that they are learning what we want them to learn and following the course as our examiners intended’. It is a sad but telling summary. Textbooks are prescriptive, containing lifeless information designed for passing the test. What love of learning is that? @MissAVECarter Derbyshire - Teacher of Religious Studies ukedchat.com/magazine 11
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Top Educational Blogs 2015
As nominated by the UKEdChat Community
View a fully hyperlinks list at bit.ly/topedublogs2015 UK* Educational Bloggers
http://9picsaday.blogspot.co.uk by @Jobaker9
http://clerktogovernors.co.uk by @ClerktoGovernor
http://acaseforbooks.com by @acaseforbooks
http://createinnovateexplore.com by @rlj1981
http://alexbellars.wordpress.com by @bellaale
http://creativestarlearning.co.uk/blog by @CreativeSTAR
http://benwaldram.wordpress.com by @MrWaldram
http://curriculumni.wordpress.com by @curriculumni
http://bex-trex2teaching.blogspot.co.uk by @BexNobes
http://davidrogers.org.uk by @daviderogers
http://blog.geoffbarton.co.uk by @RealGeoffBarton
http://debrakidd.wordpress.com by @debrakidd
http://calamityteacher.blogspot.co.uk by @calamityteacher
http://debsgf.wordpress.com by @Debsgf
http://carryonlearning.blogspot.co.uk by @shelibb
http://digitalclassrooms.co.uk by @bekblayton
http://catalystforlearning.wordpress.com by @TaffTykeC
http://digitalleadernetwork.co.uk by @DigitalLeaderUK
http://cavmaths.wordpress.com by @srcav
http://domsmflpage.blogspot.hk by @dominic_mcg
http://changing-phase.blogspot.com by @valleseco
http://dontwasteyourtime.co.uk by @hopkinsdavid
http://cheneyagilitytoolkit.blogspot.com by @astsupportaali
http://educationechochamber.wordpress.com by @TheEchoChamber2
http://cherrylkd.wordpress.com by @cherrylkd
http://edulike.blogspot.co.uk by @murphiegirl
http://classroomtm.co.uk by @mrlockyer
http://elanimcd.blogspot.co.uk by @elanimcd
* bloggers who are from or based in the UK.
It seems fitting that we are publishing our 2015 list of the UKEdChat community’s favourite blogs in this research special. Exploring blogs is a wonderful way to draw upon the ideas and expertise of fellow educators. For two months we’ve been asking our community to nominate their favourite UK and International educational blogs, and the results are in and listed in alphabetical order. Thanks to the 813 people who nominated blogs. Blog badges are available for any listed blog. Contact us via ukedchat.com/contact to get yours.
Re-blog your posts to UKEdChat.com
ukedchat.com/reblogging ukedchat.com/magazine 13
UK Educational Bloggers (continued) http://emmalbell.com by @El_Timbre
http://learningspy.co.uk by @LearningSpy
http://engagedlearning.co.uk/?page_id=10 by @davidpriceobe
http://lightbulblanguages.co.uk by @LightBulbLangs
http://excitededucator.com by @missedutton http://ezekiels.co.uk/eylan by @eylanezekiel
http://lisibo.com by @lisibo http://literacyshed.com by @redgierob
http://frogphilp.com/blog by @frogphilp
http://livinggeography.blogspot.co.uk by @GeoBlogs
http://governingmatters.wordpress.com by @5N_Afzal
http://magicalmaths.org by @magicalmaths
http://hamfordteachingandlearningblog.wordpress.com by @rkenda7
http://magpiethat.com by @magpie_that
http://headguruteacher.com by @headguruteacher
http://martynreah.wordpress.com by @MartynReah
http://heartoftheschool.edublogs.org by @HeartOTSchool
http://mathematicalmagpie.blogspot.co.uk by @chk_ing
http://huntingenglish.com by @huntingenglish
http://michaelrosenblog.blogspot.co.uk by @michaelrosenyes
http://ianaddison.net by @ianaddison
http://michaelt1979.wordpress.com by @michaelt1979
http://ictevangelist.com by @ictevangelist
http://michaeltmerrick.blogspot.co.uk by @Michael_Merrick
http://ishouldbemarking.wordpress.com by @mwclarkson
http://miketidd.com by @tiddtalk
http://jodebens.com by @geodebs
http://milesberry.net By @mberry
http://johndavidblake.org by @johndavidblake
http://mishmashlearning.wordpress.com by @aknill
http://johntomsett.com by @johntomsett
http://misstrainee1.wordpress.com by @miss_trainee
http://justmaths.co.uk/blog by @just_Maths
http://mjbromleyblog.wordpress.com by @mj_bromley
http://jwpblog.wordpress.com by @mrpeel
http://mrbunkeredu.wordpress.com by @Mr_Bunker_edu
http://lab13network.wordpress.com by @Lab_13Irchester
http://mrmcenaney.wordpress.com by @MrMcEnaney
http://learningfrommymistakesenglish.blogspot.co.uk by @Xris32
http://mrsgowersclasses.wordpress.com by @monkswalkmusic http://oliverquinlan.com/blog by @oliverquinlan https://othmarstrombone.wordpress.com by @JamesTheo http://onbeingagovernor.wordpress.com by @clare_collins
14 UKED Magazine
http://outstandingcareers.co.uk/careers-defender-blog by @CareersDefender
http://talkingdonkeyre.blogspot.co.uk by @iteachre
http://pedagoo.org by @pedagoo
http://teachertoolkit.me by @TeacherToolkit
http://peteyeomans.me by @retiredgrinch
http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com by @oldandrewuk
http://primary-ideas.blogspot.co.uk by @primaryideas
http://teachingofscience.wordpress.com by @teachingofsci
http://primarylearningandteaching.wordpress.com by @AdeleLBamber
http://teenlibrarian.co.uk by @mattlibrarian
http://reflectivemaths.wordpress.com by @reflectivemaths
http://theheadsoffice.co.uk by @theheadsoffice
http://releasing-the-magic.blogspot.co.uk by @chrisedwardsesq
http://themodernmiss.wordpress.com by @TheModernMiss1
http://sandagogy.co.uk/learning/index.php?q=blog by @Sandagogy
http://theprimaryhead.com by @theprimaryhead
http://suecowley.wordpress.com by @Sue_Cowley
http://thequirkyteacher.wordpress.com
http://simonhaughton.co.uk by @simonhaughton http://solvemymaths.com @solvemymaths http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.co.uk by @stevewheeler http://tabletsforschools.org.uk/category/blog by @T4STweets http://takenoheedofher.blogspot.co.uk by @Gwenelope
http://thereeddiaries.blogspot.co.uk by @reedyreedles http://thisismyclassroom.wordpress.com by @MrNickHart http://totallyrewired.wordpress.com by @Chri5rowell http://whiteboardblog.co.uk by @dannynic http://wilsonwaffling.co.uk by @iwilsonysj ukedchat.com/magazine 15
International Educational Bloggers http://alicekeeler.com/teachertech by @alicekeeler from USA http://aussieed.com/blog/ by @AussieEd from Australia
http://biljanapopovic.wordpress.com by @BiljaPopovic from Serbia http://coolcatteacher.com by @coolcatteacher from USA http://dianeravitch.net by @DianeRavitch from USA http://freetech4teachers.com by @rmbyrne from USA http://kbkonnected.tumblr.com by @kbkonnected from USA http://kleinspiration.com by @kleinerin from USA
http://langwitches.org/blog by @langwitches - USA-Argentina-Germany http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org by @Larryferlazzo from USA https://myfriendlucy.wordpress.com by @lucylibs from New Zealand http://thenerdyteacher.com by @thenerdyteacher from USA http://yollisclassblog.blogspot.com by @lindayollis from USA Image credit: https://flickr.com/photos/sagesolar/17050225387/ by sage_solar used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License. https://flickr.com/photos/carlescv/4714383143/ by Carles Ca単o Valls used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License. https://flickr.com/photos/lofink/5263546615/ by David Lofink used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License. https://flickr.com/photos/15216811@N06/14158246545/ by Nicola used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License.
Whilst many teachers and leaders are enjoying a well deserved break, we are launching our 2015 Twitter Use Survey again over the next month, as we explore how educators are using Social Media to improve learning experiences within their classrooms. The research is part of a Doctorate Study with the University of Glasgow, with this stage of the research openly welcoming educators from around the globe. Visit bit.ly/uked15twittersurvey On average, the survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete
Recently on UKEdChat.com
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No Way I’ve Already Done It! by @funASDteacher bit.ly/uked15aug17
Using the SAMR Model to Guide Learning by @ ThatEdTechGuy bit.ly/uked15aug19
Leading ‘Real World’ Learning by @ GarethLewis76 bit.ly/uked15aug21
Beginnings and endings by @mistershankly75 bit.ly/uked15aug23
Gamification vs. Game based learning vs. Game design by @clcsimon bit.ly/uked15aug18 Modelling electric circuits by @Mr_Gillett bit.ly/uked15aug20
Using Google Apps for Education by @primaryreflect bit.ly/uked15aug22
Teaching with badges and stickers (The digital way) by @clcsimon bit.ly/uked15aug24 ukedchat.com/magazine 19
Questi oning
Consistency By Martin Burrett
Consistency in all things seem to be the holy grail of education currently. Sounds very laudable. Educators doing the same thing as other colleagues to provide the same learning opportunities for our students. Collectively, we can raise standards and inspire our pupils together.
walk through the door with new ideas, moods and social interactions. It is easy to say the students should conform to the expectations of the teacher, but every teacher knows that they adapt aspects of their lesson to tailor them to the needs of the pupils. There is also a danger that a focus on consistency can hinder differentiation which However, the profession should be very clear about can maximise learning opportunity through optimising when monochrome uniformity is warranted and the the level of challenge. majority of situations when it is the very last thing that is called for. As educators, we plan lesson and attempt to foresee every contingency. Yet it seems that some of the best Every teacher has a unique skill set and brings a lessons arise from welcomed surprises which we didn’t bespoke learning experience, environment and ethos. expect. A student asks a superb question. A digression It’s vital that educators realise their weaknesses and take leads to new learning. A pupil brings in an artefact from measures to improve it. But because not everyone can be home which makes the learning real. As educators we the best at everything, is it possible to ensure consistency should not be afraid to seize upon such surprises if they are of provision without ‘dumbing down’ our teaching to the deemed to be advantageous, without worrying whether lowest common denominator? I’ve seen this mentality your colleague’s class had the same opportunities. first hand. When working in a north Essex island community school the head told me to stop teaching There is a vast range of schools in the UK – Some such advanced computer skills to my year group, as the follow a National Curriculum, while others create their other teachers couldn’t teach to the same level. Needless own. But beyond this, a curriculum of any shape can be to say, I no longer teach at that school. Team teaching and delivered in a multitude of different ways even within subject specialisation can in part plug the gaps, but the the same school. The teacher has a duty to explore the fact remains that if every teacher is performing at their educational research, know their students well, and use best, there will always be inconsistencies in provision. their knowledge and set-skill and many other variables Concerns over consistency should never stifle innovation to deliver the content of the curriculum to maximum and great teaching. effect. A consistent approach across a school or every a year group is not necessarily the best way to teach for Attempting to uniformly provide CPD training on a the students nor the teacher and the curriculum must whole staff may not be beneficial in many cases and be interpreted and co-constructed by the teacher and educators should seek their own learning opportunities, students for whom the curriculum was designed for. utilising social media and un-conferences to further their skills and expertise, once again diverging in from a shared Behaviour management is often hail as an area when skill set and knowledge based. Teacher must be the consistency is all important. But this simply isn’t the case. main driver behind their own improvement and this may What students and teachers want is a fair system, not a take a myriad of directions and forms. Furthermore it is much more difficult to move a whole staff forward than individuals, and schools can easily fall into the destructive cycle of “We’ve always done it this way.” Every class of students is different from every other and will continuously change and evolve from day to day and moment to moment as the individual students 18 UKED Magazine
consistent one. Individual differences should never be used to allow poor behaviour, but a teacher dealing with a behaviour management issue needs to assess what is poor behaviour for that child. What you sanction a child with Tourette Syndrome for calling out in assembly? Would you sanction a child for interrupting the teacher to alert them that their friend was having an asthma attack? Once again, the teacher needs to know their students and make a professional judgement of what constitutes poor behaviour and the situating in which it has arisen. Then there is the question of whose consistency we follow. I am an optimist and believe that most schools and colleagues collectively agree and compromise on a way forward, signed off and supported by a benevolent leadership team. This has been my experience for most of my careers, but there have been exceptions when a drive for consistency has been used so individual can get their own way.
The idea of being consistently just Mr Burrett, on many levels, is unpalatable and not compatible with my job description. Being adaptable is a fundamental attribute of all teachers. Consistent doesn’t mean equal access and opportunity for teacher or pupils. The times when three or four way differentiation are beginning the fade and bespoke learning opportunities based on need of the pupil to challenge them just outside their individual comfort zone to move forward. Technology and self directed learning have made the idea of consistency ludicrous in most cases. If it isn’t consistent, don’t be deluded and say that it is. Schools should no longer be educational production lines and should take a long look at where consistency should and shouldn’t be pursued to allow pupils to develop, with guidance, in the way which is right for them.
One of the great pleasures of being a teacher is that no Share your thoughts on this topic on Twitter using the two days are the same. As a primary teacher I have the #UKEdChat hashtag. added bonus of rarely being the same person. Sometimes I am a storyteller on the high seas immersed in the lives of pirates for hundreds of years ago. Sometimes I am an alien with no concept of how to make a sandwich. But then I’m also a philosophy posing unanswerable questions about the furthest reaches of the multi-verse and beyond.
Book Shelf
Reviews by Kieran Dhunna Halliwell @Ezzy_Moon
What if everything you knew about education was wrong? by David Didau @LearningSpy
Didau’s book has created quite a storm on social media, gaining both a hashtag and a Twitter account of its very own. The publicity surrounding its launch and the forewords from Dylan William and Robert Bjork have cemented its academic credentials before one begins reading. As a teacher, I initially looked at David’s book with interest but felt it too ‘meaty’ to engage with; at 408 pages long with every page pressing the reader to think, challenge ideas and find a riposte to those that David presents, the book demands time to be read to its potential. If you are able to put aside that time, it is well worth the investment. Despite the somewhat cocky yet catchy title, it is clear from the onset that Didau is not aiming to talk down to his readers. His opening line of “this is a book about teaching, but it is not a manual on how to teach” sums up the next 400 pages perfectly; the book wants to critically examine ideas and plays devil’s advocate by facing the fact that there is potential for us as educators to hold incorrect beliefs, whatever our reasons. This is an uncomfortable thought. If any of my beliefs about education are fallible, what does this say about me as a teacher? Have I been letting my learners down?
View on Amazon at
www.bit.ly/wrongbook
The style of the text is rather yin and yang. This is a text about the good, the bad and the unknown, which together make up the any educational landscape. David invites you to preserve your own ideas if they can stand critical examination and to engage with his if you cannot find fault with them. I think what makes this a hard-hitting book is the acceptance that there are commonly established practices such as the way we currently do lesson observation or the way we measure progress that could be giving false impressions. These practices are so integral and ingrained within the profession to conceive that they may be frail inevitably has repercussions. He also discusses some of the most topical issues around education at the moment such as grit, creativity, motivation and praise, offering insightful analyses supported by clear, rational thinking. The reasoning is presented so effectively that in places, it is easy to allow yourself to be led by Didau instead of critically engaging which ironically is not what the writer sets out to do. A main aim of the book, in Didau’s words, is to raise our awareness of “concepts and ideas that we accept so unquestioningly that we’ve stopped thinking about them because we think with them”. As readers, the responsibility lays with us to remain on point and think about what David is discussing, not simply agree with his view without due consideration. When reading this tome, it is hard not to take the unwavering focus on validating your own ideas personally, even though the author invites you reciprocate with his own views; as readers we bring our identities to the pages and without realising offer one of the most personal parts of ourselves to the author’s narrative; our psyche. With this in mind, it is easier to see why Didau’s book could cause annoyance, despite the fact it shouldn’t. Nobody likes to have their values questioned do they? Although there is a fair smattering of psychological principles throughout the text and several studies discussed, it is dubious whether this can be considered a criticism. Teaching in the current climate is requiring a variety of roles such as counsellor, social worker and healthcare assistant to name but a few. Knowledge of psychology and how our own psychology influences our practice ought to contribute to us becoming better teachers, regardless of whether we agree with them or not the fact is we will be informed enough to know which ideas are relevant to us and which ones aren’t. Personally, I found this a challenging yet necessary read. Although it is of an academic disposition, I recommend anyone who has been involved with education for two or more years reads it. It is for educators who are comfortable with being uncomfortable and open to remoulding their stance should they find their views melt under the heat of David’s fire. Without realising, our beliefs and values can start to bed in a little from this time; based on previous experiences we become more self-assured about the jobs we do and how we do them, our classrooms have our ‘stamp’ on them and routines in our educational lives are more established. These reasons are precisely why this book is a worthy read! Our professional identities require stimulation. If we do not take the time to consider what we think and why, what does that say about us as educators? What if everything you knew about education was wrong? by David Didau is published by Crown House Publishing, and is available from Amazon in paperback (£23.75*) and Kindle (£15.19*). *Correct at time of publishing. 20 UKED Magazine
Teacher Geek by Rachel Jones @rlj1981
View on Amazon at
www.bit.ly/teachergeek
As a teacher, I’m usually a bit wary of books written by other teachers suggesting how I could teach because books can sometimes come across as though teachers don’t know how to do the job properly. This book is does not take that stance. If anything, it has captured the sense of community that can sometimes get forgotten in education and can be perceived as a motivating, positive read. As I worked through the introduction, which muses on what a Teacher Geek is, it feels as though I was in the author’s living room sharing a cuppa and bouncing ideas; the energy that can be generated through dialogue is alive in the pages of Teacher Geek. It is written in an accessible style, picks up on themes many teachers will identify with and offers an abundance of ideas and tips to try out in classroom practice, with a good balance between analogue and digital suggestions. A powerful aspect of Teacher Geek is that Rachel offers examples and experiences from her own practice which creates a relationship with the reader. I get the impression that Rachel has not made a concerted effort to do this but rather that it’s a positive side effect of her writing what she’d probably say if she were with you in person. She is clearly a creative practitioner who isn’t afraid to try out different ways of doing things such as reading texts aloud in darkness or building exam writing technique collaboratively through musical chairs. Humble, Rachel notes that the activities she suggests are based on her experience and viewed through her lens as a practicing Teacher - she doesn’t advocate it as exceptional outstanding practice but supports her ideas with what she has observed in her own setting. For example, when discussing the reading of texts aloud she recognises that although she can’t be inside her students heads the writing produced from this exercise is of good quality. The mixture of ideas supported by anecdote and discussion of practice generally all contribute to the conversational, rather than dictatorial, impression of the book. Personally, I find the examples interesting and useful but my review is influenced by my primary background and perhaps a lack of exposure to working creatively. However, I think Teacher Geek is a refreshing read for all practising teachers. As someone newer to the profession, I have found it an interesting read with plenty of content to inspire my own practice. If you’re classroom based, I’d recommend. I don’t usually enjoy hints and tips style books but this was a pleasant surprise and will certainly be useful for future reference. Teacher Geek by Rachel Jones is published by Crown House Publishing, and is available from Amazon in paperback (£16.99*) and Kindle (£10.44*).
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The
Aerodynamics
of Research by Kieran Dhunna Halliwell
How do you feel about flying? For me, it’s a little petrifying. Whenever travelling, I make a conscious effort not to think about how a tin can manages to stay up in the air for sustained periods because it seems impossible that humanity has the capacity to make that happen; my lack of understanding for how this marvel is possible leaves me bewildered and frightened. Flying, fear and researchers So, how does a paralytic fear relate to research and the educational community? I have watched the developing conversations surrounding the direction of research and who should be leading it with interest, particularly in the bubble of social media which has created a space for people who wouldn’t necessarily cross paths in reality to intersect. This offers opportunity to see a range of perspectives on issues currently faced by education, one of them being research. I’m not sure when or why research became a hot topic, just that it has and conversations have turned into a kind of tussle for ownership of the direction it should take, often discussed as a Higher Education vs. practitioner stance. Dialogues can appear terse with groups taking up opposing positions, each trying to persuade the other of their view. There is a fear of what a research informed
The academic position Until recently, research has traditionally been designed and carried out by universities and HE individuals with qualifications. Some of the arguments I’ve seen for a more academic-led research arena include knowledge, experience and time. An interesting point is that those involved in academia are subject specialists; if Teacher research becomes as valid as academic, how does this reflect on them? What does this say about the years of effort, money and time they have given to their fields? Those employed within HE have worked hard for their positions, often dedicating themselves to years of study that have focused on an area of interest in considerable depth. They have developed critical and analytical skills when reading and are well-versed in methods of research and measurement. Although Teachers may have potential to develop the
same kind of skills and understanding, it is worth reflecting on whether they will be able to do so or apply this at the same level as those who work in HE.
profession may look like and even more so of what a Teacherled research informed profession will yield. Just as being in a tin can hurtling through the air leaves me unnerved, the unknown plain of teacher-led research has sparked whispers among the educational community with ripples of fear casting doubt on the credentials of those involved in the act of research. 22 UKED Magazine
The engaged practitioner position Yet here, in 2015 we are sitting on the crest of a wave that is inevitably changing not only the relationships between schools and academic institutions but also the expectations of them from each other and by society. With routes into teaching such as Teach First, School Direct, B’Ed and PGCE’s offering practical research skills on their courses Teachers are becoming more able to utilise the skills learned in their own settings.
Perhaps Teachers have always carried out informal research, perhaps the passion for research in schools is fuelled by their efforts not being recognised or having the same merit as an academic paper, who knows? The supposition is irrelevant. The fact is not only do we have teachers more openly and systematically researching, we also have schools developing roles such as Research Leads and clusters creating Research Hubs to cater to and formalise the growing interest in this area. There is no doubt that the profession generally is seeking to take more ownership of practice.
Kieran Dhunna Halliwell is a primary Teacher currently based in Milton Keynes. She likes to explore different approaches to education and has undertaken research projects. Kieran is active on social media as Ezzy Moon @Ezzy_Moon. Find her blog at kdhculturechat.blogspot.com Image credit: flickr.com/photos/mmichaelis/10006567624/ by Mark Michaelis used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License.
The aerodynamics At 2000ft in the air I had an epiphany, which may have been fear induced, but nonetheless it was an epiphany. As I gripped the steering column with more might than The Hulk, the instructor noted that the pitch needed correcting or we’d nosedive; pitch is a wonderful term in aviation that essentially means the plane’s balance. In order When working in tandem, it is likely that leadership from those involved will vary. For example, Teachers may be more apt to lead within schools, rally teams and offer insightful observations based on knowledge of setting and pupils whereas those who are institution based may be more apt to lead on networking schools, selecting relevant studies and analysing findings. This is not to say Teachers and Academics shouldn’t be involved with the things the other takes the lead on, far from it; the whole process would work best collaboratively but with each playing to their own strengths. If discussions become focused on whether research should be practitioner-led or institution-led this will be impossible and resentment will brew, leading to the research element in our sky of teaching to drop out of the air!
to maintain a steady, comfortable course, the plane holds a neutral position made possible by elevator flaps on the tail that cause a drag effect in part, to counteract the surging force of the nose. Whilst it’s important to consider whether you want to be part of the surge or the drag (unfortunate terms) it is imperative that there is both a respect and understanding for the part each plays in ensuring something continues to move forwards. The drag is not a negative force; it facilitates motion and keeps the nose focused forwards. Likewise, the surge isn’t It is positive that the profession is becoming aware negative either; it cuts through the air, holds energy that research is not for HE only; surely this can only lead and drives the power of the plane. to improvements in practice? There are some fantastic Applied to research, the Teaching profession needs to partnerships existing already such as Leicester’s rapidly recognise that both academia and practitioners have growing networks for Lesson Study, SLOW education value and are needed in order for sustained, steady and various action research projects and Glasgow’s progress. In theory, they are each able to conduct strong links with LEA’s. Whilst the ambition for more research independently of one another, but without teacher led research shows promise, it is important access to each other’s knowledge and resources, to remember that academic institutions have been research produced is in danger of becoming relevant designing, conducting and overseeing research for a only to certain sectors or within a given setting. More significantly longer period than schools; it would be Teacher agency is certainly a good step but it will not foolish to think that one could conduct sound, informed be of use without the support and expertise of those research without the other. with experience of the HE sector.
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