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January 2016
Issue 25
How will
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Digital Age?
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15 Teaching
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From the Editor
4 The Emperor’s New Tablet Computer
Julian S Wood tells us a cautionary tale about tablet computers, and how not to use them.
6 Creating a Appy School Community
Martin Burrett explores how a Piota School App can enhance communication and understanding in the school community.
8 Apps to Support Dyslexic Learners
Rachael McAuley explores a range of iPad apps that she has used to improve learning and access for her students with dyslexia.
10 Mastering Mindset
Martin Burrett examines the two biggest educational philosophies at work in UK classrooms, and how they can married together.
13 ICTmagic EdTech Resources 14 Teaching Scratch
Scratch expert James Abela writes a guide to get you started with teaching Scratch, with links to resources and videos to help you along.
16 Developing Digital Citizens
Craig Nicholson discusses how introducing iPads into teaching has been central to turning his school around to become outstanding.
17 The writing’s on the table
Fiona Turner writes about how simply changing the way pupils record information can make a big difference to motivation and assessment.
18 Digital Technology with Prowise screens
Using your classroom tech effectively is a priority for many teachers, and Prowise showcases how their range of products can help.
20 Book Shelf
Busier, faster, more chaotic. The world and the pace of life is continuing to accelerate. We are seemingly driven by the drum beat rhythms of the email ping, the tweet alert and the text message notification. What is the tool? The technology for us, or us for the technology? It is an cliché of modern life. At the end of every digital message there is human intent, whether directly or programmed into an automated system. Don’t match to the beep of your device. Take control and have the will-power to use technology when it is beneficial and not because you are compelled to. In this issue of UKED Magazine we delve into the diodes and tease out the transistors to examine how technology can enhance learning and augment your teaching. Martin Burrett - Editor @ICTmagic @UKEdMag editor@ukedchat.com
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There is Another Way by Ian Gilbert
22 Adventures in iPads
Chris Eyre shares his five favourite iPad app for the classroom and beyond.
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Contributors Julian S Wood @Ideas_Factory Martin Burrett @ICTmagic Piota School Apps @PiotaApps Rachael McAuley @mcauleymiss James Abela @ESLweb Craig Nicholson @N_O_P_A Prowise Screens @ProwiseScreens Chris Eyre @chris_eyre
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The Emperor’s New Tablet Computer By Julian S Wood
nce upon a time there lived a vain Emperor whose only worry in life was to impress his subjects with the extraordinary quality of his use of Technology.
disclosed the incredible news. The Emperor’s curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see the two scoundrels.
“As you are at the forefront of technological knowledge, you will, no doubt, have heard of the tablet computer, your Highness.” The Emperor nodded, for he had heard of these mystical devices, but had yet to see them for He spent thousands on the latest laptops and gadgets. himself. The Emperor developed new ways to demonstrate his “We sell such a device, it contains a camera, a video computers almost every day and loved to show them off camera, a web browser and you have access to thousands to his people. of apps - just by having the tablet computer in your hand But as the years passed the Emperor’s coffers began to everyone will marvel at your scientific knowledge, your dry up. His beloved computers became slower and their subjects will be amazed by its benefits and you will look vast memory became full. The vain Emperor became like the most technological genius in the entire world! As a frustrated with his computers lack of speed and his lack matter of fact, this hardware is so good that most of what it does will appear invisible to anyone who is too stupid of money. and incompetent to appreciate its great quality. For a bag Word of the Emperor’s frustration spread over his of gold coins we will agree to sell all 30 of them to you.” kingdom and beyond. Two scoundrels, named Jonny and Bill, who had heard of the Emperor’s vanity, decided to The Emperor couldn’t believe his great luck and believed take advantage of it. They introduced themselves at the every word the two scoundrels had said. In fact he was so convinced that the tablet would solve all his woes that he gates of the palace with a scheme in mind. failed to ask quite a few very important questions. “We are two very good technology sellers and after many years of searching we have found an extraordinary method The Emperor gave the two men a bag of gold coins in of computing that is so advanced and automated in its exchange for 30 tablets to use in all of his many residences design that it almost completely eliminates the need for and offices. any serious creative effort on your part, thus allowing you The Emperor switched the tablet on, although he didn’t to use technology in more amazing ways than ever before. have WIFI and he couldn’t connect to the internet, he As a matter of fact, this hardware is so good that most didn’t know how to download apps and he couldn’t of what it does will appear invisible to anyone who is too understand the camera either, but he believed what Jonny stupid and incompetent to appreciate its great quality.” and Bill said and felt that just by holding the tablet he was The chief of the guards heard the scoundrels’ strange a technological genius. story and sent for the court chamberlain. The chamberlain He called the Prime Minister in for a preview and showed notified the prime minister, who ran to the Emperor and him the tablet. “See Prime Minister look what a genius
I am. Look at the wonderful things that are happening around me now I am holding this tablet computer!” “That’s strange, ” thought the PM. “All I can see is a home screen and nothing else. Where is the innovative use of technology that made the Emperor so famous?” But before querying this with the Emperor, he thought again: “If all I see is a home screen, then that means I’m stupid! Or, worse, incompetent!” If the prime minister admitted that he couldn’t see a thing, he would be discharged from his office.” What a marvellous use of technology, Emperor,” he lied. “So amazing, it makes you look like a genius.” Encouraged by this positive response, the Emperor set about giving his new tablet computer to all Government departments and soon almost all the government’s time was spent trying to work out how to use the Emperor’s new tablet computer’s to do all their work too. No-one could criticise the Emperor’s use of the tablet or ask for help without being accused of stupidity and risking their job. Soon most of the Government departments came to a complete standstill trying to work out how to use the tablet computers to do their work for them. One day, a schoolchild on a work experience scheme was invited to sit in on one of the Emperor’s presentations. Bored silly by staring at the home screen and nothing else happening, aware that most of the audience was losing consciousness, he couldn’t help but remark to those around him: “Eh! He’s just showing the home screen! He has no idea how to use this tablet, in fact there isn’t even any WIFI!” “Fool!” his supervisor snapped. “Don’t talk nonsense!” He grabbed the child and took him away. But the boy’s remark, which had been heard by practically everyone except, luckily, the Emperor, who was too busy marvelling at the home screen, was repeated over and over again until everyone cried: “He’s right, you know, he’s just showing the home screen! He has no idea how to use this tablet, in fact there isn’t even any WIFI! And you know what? They were right.
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Julian is a Primary Deputy Headteacher who loves using New Technology to create, inspire & provoke. He considers himself a life-long learner & loves finding new ways to add to his pedagogy. Julian shares his ideas on his website ideasfactory.me. Julian is @ideas_factory on twitter; he loves connecting and sharing with educators around the world.
Image credits: Bachground image by Martin Burrett commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Page_43_illustration_b_in_fairy_ tales_of_Andersen_(Stratton).png by Helen Stratton and en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Initial#/media/File:Conversation-saints_01.jpg by Leinad-Z as public domain images.
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Creating a
AppySchool Community
Martin Burrett recently discovered the benefits of school apps when his son’s school implemented a system that proved extremely effective in streamlining communication between teachers and parents, and is now about to implement a Piota school app in his own school. Maintaining and improving communication between home and school is always a high priority in schools and it is usually high on the list for any school improvement plan. Yet the seemingly easy task of giving effective, simple and non-threatening means of two way communication is difficult to get right for everyone. Face to face communication is the best form of contact. One of the delights of teaching at key stage one for me was those few seconds of interaction with parents as they drop off or pick up their child. Sadly, this is not always practical, and as the child becomes more independent, the parents appear at the door less and less, until they leave the playground altogether. This is how it should be as pupils mature, but it means that communication between home and school becomes harder. Many schools are very good at broadcasting school life into the community via email or letters, and parents may have a wealth of information. Yet other parents may feel bombarded by so much information coming through their inbox or in their child’s bag especially if they cannot filter what is relevant to them. Social media has helped, with many schools using Twitter or Facebook to bring about better communication, yet not
every parent has, or wants, a social media presence. Many schools are reluctant to engage in two way discussion with parents in the public arena of social media. I was delighted to see that my son’s school has found the perfect solution. Almost every parent will have a smart phone these days and the school has designed an elegant Apple and Android app together with Piota. As a parent, I’ve been using it since September and I have been very impressed by what it can do and, being of a geeky-techie nature, I wanted to find out more. I talked to the school about the reason why they have retired their email based system. ‘Engagement’ was the answer. While there was uptake of around one third of parents when the email system was introduced, this had fallen as parents cancelled the emails and even more simply didn’t read them amongst the clutter in the average bulging inbox. Because up-take was low the school felt that it needed to continue sending out paper letters and bulletins in addition to emails, making the whole enterprise redundant. Now engagement has risen with over two thirds of families using the app, more joining everyday, and in many cases both parents, grandparents and even social workers and other agencies downloading the app.
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My son’s class teacher is delighted with it. Parents can set filters so they only get information specifically for them. Each teacher has a login to the web-based management system, which means that they can send out information to parents of just the pupils in their class, such as homework details, trip information and even permission slips forms, which the parents can electronically fill in and send back through the app. Posts can include formatted text, images and links to other websites so they can be crafted and customised as much as is needed.
I was so intrigued about the possibilities for my own school, that I contacted the developers. I met with the Piota team and they talked me through the management system. The online platform is reminiscent of school virtual learning environments and adding content was just like writing an email. The management system looks similar to the app with each of the same sections across the top of the webpage, so the interface is intuitive and easy to use. The app can save time in the school office too. It has an events calendar which can be fed automatically from the main school calendar and filtered to what is relevant to a particular parent. New information and news from the school’s website can be automatically published to the app and filtered by the software’s artificial intelligence to the right sections. Schools can highlight new or important content with an alert in the phone’s notifications area so important messages can never be missed. Schools can also create new content, messages and alerts, which do not appear on the main school site. I immediately thought about publishing the best posts from my class blog to the app to make it more accessible to parents. The app isn’t just a broadcast system. The Piota team are continually developing the app and parental voice is a key area. Parents can already respond to surveys and they can contact the school via forms within the app. For example, my son’s school has an ‘absence report’ form so parents can notify and give information to the school if their child will not be in. In a few months Piota are adding a function to allow schools to send messages to individuals and also allow individuals to reply. Soon schools could send dinner money receipts, parent’s evening times, and quick updates about a pupil’s good work or behaviour in class. I would be excited to shift the home reading record onto the app so parents can easily state which books have been read and how many times, rather than sorting through their homework diaries and making notes, which is a task which takes up far too much of my time. With per pupil prices starting from not much more than the cost of a homework diary, I hope that the diary can be replaced altogether. There are plenty of opportunities for secondary schools, with specific homework tasks and reminders sent to the system, which could be personalised to each group of pupils, and reminders or notifications to their parents. With exams looming, it could be easy to send revision reminders, notes or questions through to pupils, to help focus them on a particular strand which needs further practise. Key reminders about school events, parent’s evenings, awards and progress could easily be added within the system, helping bridge the continually difficult lines of communication between schools and home. Our pupils are with us in school for a small fraction of the day and creating continuity and understanding between home and school to improve their learning opportunities is essential to ensure pupils reach their full potential. Only with superb communication between home and school can pupils do their best. As a parent the app has brought me closer into the school life of my son, and the school is doing more in less time, more effectively, at reduced cost, with less headaches. Apps are the way forward for school communication and I’m looking forward to introducing a Piota App in my own school.
www.piota.co.uk 01702 780051 @piotaapps
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Apps to Support Dyslexic Learners by Rachael McAuley Last academic year, our SENCO set me a challenge – to work with a few dyslexic students who are given additional access to iPad as part of their statement, and to teach them how iPads can be used to improve their study. Having never used an iPad myself, I was unsure of where to start with this task, and so I asked the question – what types of apps are going to best support dyslexic learners? The most obvious answer was to turn to e-reader apps. Dyslexia is, after all, fundamentally a literacy difficulty, and so apps which read aloud are naturally going to improve access to printed material for these students. Having used Read & Write Gold software (bit.ly/uked16jan01) with a number of students the previous year, I instinctively headed straight for their iPad app iReadWrite (bit. ly/uked16jan02) with the intention of training the students in its use and not going much further. This seemed like a good plan until I started asking questions: What would this teach the learners? How would it improve their literacy skills? How would it support the development of their study skills? In fact – would it actually hinder any progress, causing them to rely solely on the e-reader and so neglect all other forms of study and revision? A major component of my job is writing Individual Education Plans for learners, and so I am used to writing strategies for teachers to use in support of dyslexic learners in their classrooms: • Break all instructions into smaller steps and display these visually. • Limit the amount of written work to be copied down. • Encourage the use of mind maps and other visual learning techniques. • Allow the student to make an attempt before committing it to paper. • Support the development of time management and organisational skills. I therefore set myself a challenge – to take these most common strategies and work out how to use apps to support each of them. In doing this, I discovered a wealth of apps which these students have been able to utilise to support their learning in different ways. One of the students I work with has particular difficulties
with copying written information accurately from the board. We are currently looking into the use of Splashtop (bit.ly/uked16jan03) to mirror the interactive whiteboard on his iPad screen, allowing him to take screenshots of the information and so have it recorded accurately when it comes to exam revision time. I have used apps such as Inspiration maps (bit.ly/uked16jan04) and Popplet (bit.ly/ uked16jan05) to teach summarising skills, giving them another method of revision aside from just reading the notes. This can then be imported to My Homework (bit.ly/uked16jan06) where they can create a colour-coded timetable and add tasks, complete with attachments such as images or notes, and so keep track of their learning. Using just two or three apps, we can have a massive impact on so many areas of development for these dyslexic learners. And it doesn’t all have to be boring, either! My students love using Doodle Buddy (bit.ly/ uked16jan07) because, to quote one of my Year 8s, “Its name sounds like you’re not doing work.” One of my favourite features about it is the fact that whatever you have written disappears as soon as you shake the device. This is perfect for dyslexic learners who have poor self esteem - I get them to attempt answers on this before writing them in their books, and they are much more confident at having a go when they know how easily they can get rid of any mistakes. I have also learnt not to be afraid of using games on the iPad to teach certain skills. One of my students is now slightly hooked on WordStreak (bit.ly/uked16jan08), and would much rather play a round of it than look at spellings. Little does he know I’m watching every word he attempts to analyse his spelling errors! Another game I find fantastic is Kitchen Scramble (bit.ly/uked16jan09) – for a game that appears to have no educational value whatsoever, it is fantastic for developing working memory, time management and the ability to multi-task. The advice I would give about using apps to support dyslexic learners would be don’t be afraid to try something new. Think outside the box. Be guided by the learner’s specific difficulties and don’t just stick to e-readers! Now, if anyone wants me, I’ll be over here playing level 415 of Kitchen Scramble…
Rachael @mcauleymiss is a qualified dyslexia teacher who is currently working as a Learning Support Assistant in a large Secondary school in Northern Ireland. She's not quite sure how she fell into a specialism in assistive technologies, but she has developed a real passion for development in this area. Read her blog at mcauleymiss.wordpress.com Image creadit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad#/media/File:IPad_1_PSD_Mockup.png by Justin14 used under Commercial Creative Commons 3.0 License.
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Mastering Mindset by Martin Burrett
Challenging pupils is a thorny issue. A debate is raging about how to push students. Whether the teacher differentiates, or should the learner adapt and develop their thinking to the subject matter. Whether exposing pupils to a prescribed set of keys can unlock their learning, or whether pupils, with assistance from their teachers and peers, need to find their own key. Whether motivation and gauging success is intrinsic or extrinsic. The growth mindset terminology has seemingly been enthusiastically adopted at every level of the educational world. But a wind is gently blowing in from the east which is set to upset the mindset. Too many people have summarised, stripped down and co-opted the originally growth mindset ideas for me to do it yet again here, and you can read the UKEdChat feature article on this very point in the September 2015 issue bit.ly/uked16jan00. However, you may not have heard of the mastery by name, but you would have certainly felt its impact and you will hear it everywhere soon. Perhaps comparing the growth mindset mentality (an attitude to challenge) and mastery (a classroom approach) is not fair, but each carries an ethos of values and educators will be trying to marry these two ideas together in their classroom. This article examines whether this is desirable or even possible. The mastery method of teaching and philosophy of education is based on a notion of how schools in Asia are generically thought to teach. Television programmes, such as the BBC Two documentary Chinese School, have confirmed in the public mind that schools in China are brutal and dispassionate exam factories. Yet many educators and policy makers have seen the possibilities and potential gains of taking some of the advantageous elements of this system into UK schools, and has been the basis for many of the changes to the National Curriculum for England. 10 UKED Magazine
There are a few problems to address first. I have worked in many schools in China and visited even more, and while the creative spark of students is still tempered compared to in most schools in the UK, China has been moving away from teacher focused model for the last two decades. Things have moved on, and it would be the same as representing the English education system today with the National Literacy Strategy and catering for the learning styles of each of your pupils. In fact, China is importing many ideas from the west and group work, creative problem solving and collaborative investigation are common practice. To grossly over generalise, China’s education system is more academical rigorous than the UK, but it is also modernising to improve the social and creative skills of its young people which has been lacking in the past.
However, by far and away the biggest issue is the attribution of success. What you never hear about Chinese education is the work ethic of the culture. The admiration for knowledge and self improvement has been embedded in the Chinese culture even before Confucius elegantly portrayed it in his great works. As such, the majority of students are intrinsically motivated and their parents, or more often grandparents, ensure this with extrinsic encouragement. This is the reason why Shanghai tops the PISA league tables. However, that doesn’t invalidate the mastery curriculum which has been inspired from this notional eastern system and it may have elements which UK teachers can use in their teaching alongside the other prevailing philosophy, the growth mindset mentality. Just make no mistake that it is not an eastern invention.
Probably the starkest departure from teaching methods often seen in UK schools is the vast reduction or complete absence of differentiation in the purest form of the mastery approach. The rational has two components: the teacher believes that every child is able to learn anything if the right method is found; differentiation is such a difficult element to get right for all the pupils in your class, and instead a systematic approach of repeated attempts to unlock understanding should be used for every pupil until the door of understanding is wide open”?. The teacher will come at the lesson objective from many different angles, questioning, prodding, prompting and commenting, so that each pupil with have a good chance of accessing and succeeding with one of them. Every child is presented with the same multi-faceted input from the teacher and is given the same resources and expected to meet the same goals. Expectations are high and academic rigour is unyielding. The individual starting points of pupils is largely irrelevant as the cohort has moved through the curriculum together. Therefore the teacher can assume that the majority of the cohort will have the same basic knowledge or skill.
schools is just one example of this. A growth mindset mentality is completely complimentary to delving deeper into a subject or skill set, as the direction of learning is not important, but one’s attitude to it when a challenge or stumbling block is met. Failure is treated very differently in each system. Where failure is seen in both systems as something that is expected, the response to failure by teachers and the students themselves is very different. In the mastery system a wrong answer is met with a blunt response “wrong!” There is no sugar coating or evangelising of failure, and the philosophy is one of neutrality and an error is simply not a success. In classrooms with a growth mindset, mistakes and errors are seen as inevitable steps along the way to success, with the mantra of “You haven’t got it right... yet” cheering pupils on to the next opportunity to succeed. A hot topic for debate in education is the role of praise in the classroom. Praise is something we do naturally in everyday life and it can be a difficult tool to tame as a result. The growth mindset mentality does not stipulate much about its use, other than if it is used it should reference to the effort of the pupil, not the work or the pupil. However, in the mastery analytical language is used to common where the pupil needs to improve and what the next steps are to master the skill or concept. Therefore praise is not used at all and praise is seen as something that needy students might get accumulatively addicted to, rather than the real purpose of improvement.
Challenge is of paramount importance in a growth mindset based classroom, yet that challenge is different for each, pupils who are pushed to their personal next level and the lesson is tailored to the individual needs of the pupils. Instead, the mastery students are apprentices seeking enlightenment from the teacher and from their peers. The pupil is expected to adapt to the needs of the learning, rather than the learning being adapted for them, which supporters argue is how things work in the An important part of the mastery approach is that the pupils should see the teacher as a scholar and a role world outside of schools. model of learning. It would seem very unconformable to Perhaps there are two things to take away from this. many of us, but mastery teachers are expected to inspire Firstly, that instant, real-time and continual assessment their students through demonstrations of their own skill for learning is essential for the teacher to know what and knowledge as something for the students to aspire is working and which doors remain closed. Secondly, to, but only if they work hard enough. The students will no child is left behind. The teacher and students will be invited to attempt a similar feat. continue to work towards and returning to the goal, attempting different approaches to explain and learn the Ultimately, the fundamental ethos the mastery and subject matter or skill until every pupil has reached the growth mindset philosophies in their purest form goal. Therefore the class move through the curriculum are incompatible. The mastery mindset attempts to together with the students who master the lesson quicker completely master a skill, fact or activity, where as a helping their peers to succeed. However, this does raise growth mindset believes that one can never truly master interesting questions for the provision for students with something, as there is always something new to learn specific and profound special needs where particular about it and one is simply on a one stepping stone along barriers to learning need to be addressed if the mastery the learning journey. Yet, like many educational ideas and ethos is to be used. The mastery mentality is to believe methods, there is a time a place for almost any approach. that any student can progress and understand anything Polarised views lead to entrenched dogma and elements of both philosophies can improve the learning of our if the right key is found. pupils, along with the myriad of other techniques, ideas A fundamental aspect of mastery is the depth of study. and approaches that teachers use from their toolbox Critics of the previous National Curriculum for England every day. have observed a shallowness of some areas of learning and the new curriculum has been developed to provide There are no barriers to learning, and improvement deeper learning. ‘Fewer things in greater depth’ has that cannot be overcome with determination and the been the battle cry. The introduction of the Spelling, drive to continue. Punctuation and Grammar strands and tests at primary ukedchat.com/magazine 11
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Teaching By James Abela
Scratch enables teacher to create highly interactive presentations and learning games. This tool is widely used in the teaching of mathematics, physics, computing, engineering and storytelling. In the UK there is an expectation that all key stage 2 classroom teachers should learn to use it as part of their teacher toolkit. We would recommend this course for all tech-savvy teachers and because of its self-paced nature the course will fit around you. Scratch is capable of great things. You can make: • presentations (bit.ly/uked16jan23) • cartoons (bit.ly/uked16jan24) • games (bit.ly/uked16jan25) • explain concepts (bit.ly/uked16jan26) ... on a wide range of subjects. Find lots of ideas at the Starter Studio. View the video at bit.ly/uked16jan27 for a great overview of the possibilities Scratch offers.
1st steps
1. Please go to the Scratch Website http://scratch.mit.edu 2. Create an ID for yourself 3. Then go to Google Docs and Create a Scratch Journal 4. Complete the first video exercise at bit.ly/uked16jan28, save it online and add it to your journal.
First Challenge
Today we’re going to play with a very small piece of code to show you how easy it is and to give you the smallest taste of what’s possible. A. You are going to be given the chance to make a character dance. B. To do this visit: bit.ly/uked16jan29 and have a go! Have a look at the code by clicking “See Inside” Make Scratch Cat dance by himself to the music included. Do this by dragging the code. Don’t feel you have to work alone. (If you really desperate you can cheat with the video at bit.ly/uked16jan30. C. Once you have made the dance, copy the web address and put it in your Scratch Journal.
14 UKED Magazine
Debug It! One - Activity Overview
Help! Can you debug these five Scratch programs? In this activity, you will investigate what is going awry and find a solution for each of the five Week 1 Debug It! challenges. Then, share your debugging solutions and strategies in the discussion forum. Debug each of the 5 Scratch programs in the Week 1 Debug It! studio at bit.ly/uked16jan31. bit.ly/uked16jan32: When the green flag is clicked, both Gobo and Scratch Cat should start dancing. But only Scratch Cat starts dancing! How do we fix the program? bit.ly/uked16jan33: In this project, when the green flag is clicked, the Scratch Cat should start on the left side of the stage, say something about being on the left side, glide to the right side of the stage, and say something about being on the right side. It works the first time the green flag is clicked, but not again. How do we fix the program? bit.ly/uked16jan34: The Scratch Cat should do a flip when the space key is pressed. But when the space key is pressed, nothing happens! How do we fix the program? bit.ly/uked16jan35: In this project, the Scratch Cat should pace back and forth across the stage, when the Scratch Cat is clicked. But the Scratch Cat is flipping out -- and is walking upside down! How do we fix the program? bit.ly/uked16jan36: In this project, when the green flag is clicked, the Scratch Cat should say ‘Meow, meow, meow!’ in a speech bubble and as a sound. But the speech bubble happens before the sound -- and the Scratch Cat only makes one ‘Meow’ sound! How do we fix the program? See the debugging guide: bit.ly/uked16jan37.
Debug It! Two - Activity Overview
Conversations Here’s our checklist for this activity... See inside the Penguin Joke project (bit.ly/uked16jan38) and observe how the conversation is animated using wait blocks. Remix the Penguin Joke project using with the broadcast, broadcast and wait, and broadcast and receive blocks to coordinate the conversation. Answer the following questions in your Google Doc (Design notebook) after you have completed the activity. Be sure to include a link to your project and write a brief reflection on the experience. How would you describe Broadcast to someone else? When would you use timing in a project? When would you use broadcasting?
Scenes
What’s the difference between the Stage and sprites? In this activity, you will create a project that experiments with backdrops, like a story with multiple scenes or a slideshow. Choose, paint, or upload backdrops into an existing or new Scratch project. Experiment with blocks that facilitate switching backdrops, which can be found under the Looks andEvents categories (and are featured in the project at bit. ly/uked16jan39). Try manipulating scripts in the Stage and in sprites to initiate backdrop changes in your project. Then, share your Scenes project to the Scenes studio bit.ly/uked16jan40.
Help! Can you debug these five Scratch programs? bit.ly/ uked16jan41 In this activity, you will investigate what is going awry and find a solution for each of the five Week 2 Debug It! challenges. Then, share your debugging solutions and strategies in the discussion forum at bit.ly/uked16jan42. Not sure how the Debug It! activity works? Check out the Week 1 Debug It! activity overview video at bit.ly/uked16jan43. Debug each of the five Scratch programs in the Week 2 Debug It! studio at bit.ly/uked16jan44. bit.ly/uked16jan45: In this project, the Scratch Cat teaches Gobo to meow. But when it’s Gobo’s turn to try -- Gobo stays silent. How do we fix the program? bit.ly/uked16jan46: In this project, the Scratch Cat is supposed to count from 1 to the number the user provides. But the Scratch Cat always counts to 10. How do we fix the program? bit.ly/uked16jan47: In this project, the Scratch Cat is doing roll call with Gobo’s friends: Giga, Nano, Pico, and Tera. But everything is happening all at once! How do we fix the program? bit.ly/uked16jan48: In this project, the Scratch Cat and Gobo are practicing their jumping routine. When Scratch Cat says “Jump!”, Gobo should jump up and down. But Gobo isn’t jumping. How do we fix the program? bit.ly/uked16jan49: In this project, the scene changes when you press the right arrow key. The star of the project -- a dinosaur -- should be hidden in every scene, except when the scene transitions to the auditorium backdrop. In the auditorium, the dinosaur should appear and do a dance. But the dinosaur is always present and is not dancing at the right time. How do we fix the program?
Read more at bit.ly/uked16jan50 James Abela @ESLweb is lead Computing teacher at a school in Malaysia. He was awarded 21st century teacher of the year in 2014, is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Raspberry Pi certified educator, Google certified innovator and Mirandanet fellow. When he’s not tinkering with computers he enjoys spending time with his own two children. Read his blog at jamesabela.co.uk. Images used in line with the Scratch policy document at https://scratch.mit.edu/info/faq ukedchat.com/magazine 15
Developing Digital Citizens By Craig Nicholson
‘The academy’s use of information and communication technology is exceptional and permeates all of its work. It is used effectively to help improve teaching, communicate with parents and extend pupils’ opportunities to learn at home. Pupils’ information and communication skills are outstanding as a result.’
during the school day and in any lesson. The children were now being more independent in their learning. This brought with it engagement like we had never seen before and significant changes in behaviour and attitudes; children were becoming more intrinsically motivated to succeed and focus in on changing their mindsets.
That was the view of Ofsted earlier this year after All of our Key Stage 2 children now have access to iPads an incredibly journey which saw our academy gain on a 1:1 basis and our vision of producing ‘21st Century ‘Outstanding’ status just 2 years after being told we Digital Citizens’ is embedded and very much on display! ‘Required Improvement’. Reflecting back on what we as school leaders and the children were passionate about was key in driving forward the vision of the academy; not just to meet the requirements of Ofsted, but to make North Ormesby Academy a truly inspiring, fun and exciting place for our children to learn and achieve.
We decided that the implementation of iPads and technology across the academy would be a key driver and steer the direction of travel for future improvements. Our first decisions were how many iPads? Where should we target them? More importantly, why? We decided on a ‘top down, bottom up’ approach to begin with - 6 iPads for a group of children, plus a teacher iPad in Year 6, with the same in reception, as we wanted to see the possible impact at all levels. Constant review and evaluation of the use of the iPads and their impact by pupils, staff, senior leaders and Governors led to big investment and seeing us soon with a minimum of a set in each class across the academy. This vision was now seeing the positive impact on both teaching and learning and beginning to drive up standards and outcomes. The removal of the ICT suite and the decision to embrace mobile technology meant ICT could happen at anytime
Our project-based and S.O.L.E (see Sugata Mitra @Sugatam) approach to learning means the children are always engaged in the analysing, processing and synthesising of information through the use of technology. Content creation is at the heart of all sessions with children now able to produce videos, presentations, animations and graphics across the curriculum, which they can publish, share, store and even display around the academy using QR codes and Aurasma. They access learning ‘beyond the classroom’ too; online and app-based tools such as Sumdog, Skoolbo, Spag.com, Times Tables Rockstars, Edmodo and Google Classroom are all accessible to the children to ensure that their learning never stops! Time spent learning and progressing beyond the academy day is now the norm. Computer science is ‘rolled out’ across the curriculum, whether it be discrete lessons on programming and coding using some of the coolest iPad apps and newest equipment (like Sphero, Ollie, Dot & Dash or our Parrot Rolling Spider drone) or producing games and programmes based on the Ancient Greeks, Saltburn beach or being a vet! The children have also now become competent in building their own websites and applications – Protopage is a superb online starter page set up for building simple websites and ‘Touch App Creator’ works very well for producing information-based apps.
We’ve worked very hard, particularly securing the finance, to provide the children with what we believe are some of the best technological resources available and we are now really seeing the benefits. We have a team of digital ambassadors made up of Y5/6 children that help us with the dissemination of all of this information and training to other academies in our trust and schools in our local authority, and we hope to be certified very soon as an ‘Apple Regional Training Centre’ as well as offering the OCR Entry Level Computing qualification to our Year 6 children.
In Brief
The writing’s on the table
In an attempt to make distance-time graphs memorable for year 7, without teaching the lesson wearing a pineapple on my head, I decided to ditch the textbooks and exercise books. Instead of putting pencil to the gridded maths book we put whiteboard pen to desk and drew graphs to represent a travel scenario. The benefits of this change in medium were instantly noticeable; increased engagement in what the question was asking, more care taken in deciding on the scale to allow students to represent all information given in the question and more risks taken as a result of knowing that they could easily erase any errors. Knowing, given the size and location, that their work could be easily seen and assessed by their peers also encouraged some students to work at a faster pace than usual. At the end of the activity students moved to another desk and assessed the work in front of them using answers on the board while I circulated taking photos of the completed graphs which I then printed and students stuck in their books. @FionaMaths Maths Teacher and Middle Leader
Craig Nicholson is the current Vice Principal and ICT lead at North Ormesby Primary Academy @N_O_P_A based in Middlesbrough in the north-east of England.
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Images provided by Craig Nicholson
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If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that we don’t all agree on everything. We all come with different ideas; expectations and values that make a ‘one size fits all’ approach to learning impossible to subscribe to. Making learning accessible to all isn’t about making it more complex, it’s not about more bells and whistles - it’s about flexibility. No individual piece of hardware represents the future, it’s the ‘solutions’ that the technology offers for learning that’s vital. Is it accessible to all? Does it promote interaction? Does it reflect the world we live in? Can it be personalised? Prowise isn’t just hardware or software, it’s both, working together in synergy. On face value Prowise gives you a beautiful, robust, antireflective touch screen in your classroom (anything between 42” and 84”). But before you have nightmare flashbacks of trying to tune in your TV, the Prowise Touchscreen is simple to operate because it’s designed with the end user experience in mind. One plug, one power button, auto calibrating, USB sockets, 4HDMI.
The Prowise screen has an impressive ten point touch and pen tool that recognises the pen nib and not the heel of your palm. On it’s own bespoke lift system, the screen can be lowered for younger users or those in wheelchairs and reclined to form a interactive table for real collaborative work. Prowise have also created Presenter – a free library of tools and learning content, created and developed by curriculum advisors. There are quizzes, voting tools, mathematical and geographical tools, 3D explorations tools and much more. It’s growing too, because it’s attached to the Cloud, so class material can be uploaded and shared at the drop of a button and software updates happen automatically. Such is the success of Presenter that last year educators across the globe uploaded over 600,000 lesson plans!
View from the Editor As a teacher who uses technology a great deal with my pupils, I know the importance of a reliable, intuitive interactive screen. The teacher’s whiteboard is often a window to far off places. I was delighted with the user experience of the Prowise Touchscreen and the Presenter software in particular. Far from being an add-on, the Presenter is a remarkable product with allows the teacher and learners integrate their ideas with just a few clicks. The collaborative power of the software left my mind buzzing with a plethora of lesson ideas and I can’t wait to use the Prowise system with my class. - Martin Burrett @ICTmagic
at Oswaldtwistle School Oswaldtwistle School, in the heart of Lancashire, is a unique learning facility with a unique set of students. Some students are referrals from surrounding mainstream schools, while others have considerable health requirements for which a mainstream location is unsuitable. All are extremely vulnerable young people.
Key Features • Two-way interaction with any tablet • Send Screen, Votes, Quizzes, Word Clouds • 10 Point Interactive Touch Screen • Loud Integrated Sound System • Create, Share, Deliver Lessons from the Cloud • 5 Years Warranty! Prowise went a step further and made their technology interact with any other device that has internet access. They called it Pro Connect and it’s an app – free to use, easy to download. For schools without huge IT budgets, this makes entry level tablets (rather than expensive iPads) a viable option as well as the possibility of BYOD. Students can interact with the on-screen content from their own mobiles, tablets and laptops, whether that’s a maths test or a class vote. It’s not just a fun application; this level of personal activity transforms learning in the classroom for staff and pupils. It gives a voice to even the quietest of students and keeps everyone, not just the front row students, consistently engaged in the class. Prowise have developed a complete 360 degree solution but they’ve remembered to keep the user experience at the forefront. There is no moment when you’re left with a large cardboard box and a 500 page instruction manual. The onsite demonstration and free training from the friendly, jargon free Prowise Screen team is as invaluable as the technology itself. If it doesn’t get used, then it isn’t worth a penny. As well as the free demonstrations and training, Prowise have an online ‘Discover & Learn’ library, which offers handy, bite-size tips and hints to help users make the most of their equipment. Teaching is changing just as fast as technology. As educators become ‘learning facilitators’ it’s enormously important that they feel confident not just to use the Prowise equipment but to use it to it’s full capability. Only if they realise the technologies full potential, do their students have a chance of reaching theirs.
It is the challenge for Headteacher Mark Bocker to help each and every child with their own learning journey, to assist them at their own speed and in their own way. Technology would seem to offer a flexible and accessible solution, the current screens were the old projector type and really didn’t engage the students in a way that kept their attention. Prowise Screens understood the requirements of a challenging educational facility. And came and gave a demonstration of the screen. Oswaldtwistle School we’re amazed at integrated solution and decided it was perfect for them. Mark Bocker said: “The installation was no problem at all. It all went very smoothly and it was very straightforward. We had training from which was absolutely spot on. The key teachers who wanted to be involved took part in the training, and it was just what we needed, because it was very practical and to the point.” Dave MacDougall from Prowise Screens said: “We knew Prowise would be the perfect fit for Oswaldtwistle School. The Touchscreens are very strong which makes them accessible to all, especially children, as they are virtually indestructible. Teachers can create lessons online and then login using the touch screen to run them. “The children can interact with the Prowise screen with their tablets and PCs, which they really enjoy. It brings the lessons to life which is fantastic for both staff and students alike.” Mark added: “The main thing is the children love it! They love technology, they understand it and really enjoy seeing how it works. It also fits with everything we use in school already. I would absolutely recommend the Prowise screens to other schools. It’s got longevity and sustainability. The Prowise screen is a tablet and a multimedia device all in one. It integrates with any device, from tablets to PCs and it’s just so easy to use.
For more information visit:
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Book Shelf There is Another Way - The Second Big Book of Independent Thinking by Ian Gilbert @ITLWorldwide
Following on from the resounding success of Ian Gilbert’s Independent Thinking book (see our review at bit.ly/uked16jan51), the educationalist is back with his Second Big Book, challenging that we, “Insist that your children look ‘beneath the surface’ and are given space, encouragement and skills to think for themselves”, and intact, that we challenge everything - superiors, job titles, systems, everything that you feel is getting in the way of all children achieving what they are truly capable of. Inspiring stuff? Well, isn’t that what we all dream of - but always seems just out of reach. Along with a plethora of contributors, this book aims to give hope, liberation and respect back into teaching and learning, challenging the very core of the Western Educational Systems who are moving away from progressive, skills-based, child-centred, discovery-driven approaches. Noam Chomsky gets mentioned, who said that education for the hoi polloi has always been about ‘passivity and obedience’, whereas education for the elite is all about creativity and independence. Why should creativity be exclusive to the elite few? Gilbert advocates that, through critical pedagogy, we should challenge students to dig beneath the surface, and have the courage to justifiably ask ‘why’. What then follows is a collection of short essays, by a group of teacher contributors, that allows the reader to start thinking and developing their classroom practice to make a difference and create the best conditions for powerful learning: Mark Creasy talks about his REVOLT acronym, helping us develop the most effective learning environment for every child; Dave Harris challenges that School
Read many more book reviews at
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20 UKED Magazine
View on Amazon at
www.bit.ly/another_way Priced at £23.75 (paperback) and £22.56 (Kindle) at time of publishing
Improvement is not a numbers game - recognising the individuality of each school; Dr Phil Wood talks of the eternal search of Educational Research, a framework to help question, explore and gain insights into educational problems; Hywel Roberts writes about turning attention to obsession, when pupils ask (for the right reasons) to stay in a break time, so they can continue with their learning, or when students bring in work from home related to the subject that you’re teaching, of which you didn’t ask them to complete; Jonathan Lear talks about unexpected monkey sex. We shall say no more. These bite sized (29) chapters are perfect for quick tips, quick reads, and quick conversation starters, which can easily be recognised in all schools, and although we have mentioned only a few of the chapters, there is certainly something for everyone.
Write for a future edition of the magazine on the theme topic or something else that interests you. Go to
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February 2016 Home/School Collaboration (Homework, parents) Deadline: 18th December 2015
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About 12 months ago at Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College we made the radical move of giving each member of staff an iPad. The iPads arrived to considerable enthusiasm; there were several staff whose speed from the staffroom to the CPD session where they were given out was truly impressive. Shortly afterwards I was given the role of lead practitioner with responsibility for developing educational technology. After a term I did a survey as to how they were being used. This was followed up by staff training where a number of staff were able to share their favourite and most useful apps. Like many institutions it is perhaps worth pointing out that our ILT strategy has evolved over the years; there are a range at times of different devices rather than a clearly thought out move in any direction. We have a couple of sets of iPads, a number of trolleys of chrome books, and as a sixth form College where learners are generally more mature and responsible we feel able to allow students to bring their own devices and use phones in class where appropriate. Hence it is important to us that Apps work on various platforms.
Adventures in
iPads By Chris Eyre
4. Twitter bit.ly/uked16jan55 – is fast becoming the At the time of writing, these are probably the Apps that no.1 source of CPD for the newer generation of teachers. have had most impact: By following key educators and the links they provide you 1. Google Classroom bit.ly/uked16jan52 – We have can ensure that not much is missed. We have set up a @ moved beyond Google Docs and Google Drive! The Google stoke6thTLA twitter feed that is separate from my personal classroom App is proving invaluable for us as we attempt account that aims to signpost useful resources and articles. to do two key things: to ensure that students are working We have at least 25% of our teaching staff active on Twitter hard outside of class, and to save money on printing. A and it is growing. number of us are asking students to upload revision notes 5. Random Name Picker bit.ly/uked16jan56 - it is a and keep an electronic folder. This is helping us to identify little cheesy perhaps but students love the random name who is working and who is not far quicker than in previous generator. The background music is a little embarrassing years. The ability to give verbal or written feedback on the but it this only adds to the fun. The serious point is that they work submitted is allowing us to correct misconceptions don’t know who is going to be asked a question next; in fact in real time. neither do I which often means that I need to differentiate 2. IDoceo bit.ly/uked16jan53 – is an excellent organiser. It allows you to have an electronic markbook, store several seating plans per class and even communicates with the college system. There is also a dice function which allows random questioning. There is a communication function that enables messages to be sent to students and it also links to Google drive. Projecting the seating arrangements for the lesson onto the whiteboard at the start certainly speeds things up.
the question once the name has been picked. However the point is this it keeps all students on their toes!
Initially we wondered if the iPads were of more use as an admin and CPD tool than as a tool in the classroom for learning. However with the purchase of a few leads to connect the iPad to the whiteboard, and a little time for staff to play and become familiar with the technology themselves, I would say that the iPads on the whole have had a good impact on learning in the classroom. It is not 3. Socrative bit.ly/uked16jan54 – has become our go to unusual to walk into the staff room and see staff coaching ‘Assessment for Learning’ App. It has been widely used for each other on Google classroom and IDoceo. In fact I rather quizzes in various contexts. In our subject area it has been suspect that the lead practitioner part of my role may soon used as a starter to check that reviewing of past topics be surplus to requirements! is taking place. It allows quick multiple choice testing as well as offering more open questions where you can see Chris Eyre @chris_eyre is Curriculum Manager for everyone’s answers at once but just the keen student Religious Studies and Philosophy, and Lead Practitioner or the one you pick. To be fair some staff are ditching for ILT at Stoke-on-Trent sixth form college. He is an Socrative in favour of Kahoot but there is probably a place experienced examiner and has co-authored A Level for both. textbooks. He blogs on well being and other issues at chriseyreteaching.wordpress.com Image creadit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad#/media/File:IPad_1_PSD_Mockup.png by Justin14 used under Commercial Creative Commons 3.0 License. 22 UKED Magazine
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Staff Computing Audit
Name:
Which devices do you have access to and use regularly? At Home
At School
Programs & Tools - Give a score (1-5) about tools and programs you feel confident with (5) and which do you require more training on (1): Microsoft/Open Office Video Editing Tools Web Browsers
Audio Editing Tools
Drawing & Graphics programs
3D Design (SketchUp)
Cloud Storage (dropbox, Google Drive)
School information management system
Scratch (& other Coding programmes)
Hardware - Give a score (1-5 as above) about the following hardware: Using an e-whiteboard creatively to enhance lessons Photo cameras Video cameras Science equipment (sensors, e-microscopes etc) IT Control/programming equipment (Beebots, Lego Technic etc.) Websites & Apps - Give a score (1-5 as above) about the following websites and apps: Blogging sites (Wordpress, Blogger etc.) Google Docs/Drive Skype/Face Time (other VoIP services) Social Media – using & online safety (Twitter, Facebook) Which other educational sites do you use regularly?
Do you feel confident about teaching about e-safety? Please give details. What would you like to know more about?
Is there everything else you would like to add or would like further training on?
Staff Computing Audit by @ICTmagic A simple and adaptable audit on staff use of digital technology and tools. Download at http://ukedchat.com/WSR00009
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Supporting the Educational Community
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Winter 2016
Issue 1
Leading the into
Way
uncharted
Territory
04
08 Slow Leadership in Mad Times
Feedback Exit Ticket Emoji by @87history for End of lesson task to allow pupils to reflect on Adults how the lesson went via the medium of Emoji. Download at ukedchat.com/WSR00034
10
What is my Leadership Role?
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Issue 1: Winter 2016
Subscribe by email for free at ukedchat.com/emails Subscribe to the print edition at ukedchat.com/magazine
Leader
3 Creating an Inspiring School Culture for your Staff
In our UKEdChat feature we share eight ways in which school leaders can inspire their colleagues to perform better.
4 Slow Leadership in mad times
Stephen Tierney discusses a range of issues facing school leaders in the current ‘mad times’ in education and what can be done.
6 Guide to Better Recruitment
We take you through the steps to find the best teaching and leadership recruits for your school with UKEd Careers.
8 The Power of Effective Feedback for Adults
Kathleen Sorrell discusses how feedback, while sometimes difficult to take, is essential to improvement and raising standards.
10 What is my Leadership Role?
Jo Debens discusses want has driven her to join the senior management team and what her hopes are for the future.
Are you passionate about school leadership and have an idea for an article? Go to
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From the Editor
Leadership is fluid. Everyone will lead at some point. I lead my class though a metaphorical landscape of learning opportunity, but this can change in an instant if someone spots a interesting feature in the distance which is worthy of further study and investigation. But being a leader is something else. The qualities and characteristics of gifted leaders are not always tangible and not readily learn at an NPQH leadership session. The ability to inspire, empathise and instil trust in those around you are essential. In our first quarterly UKEd Leader supplement we have gathered leaders with all of these qualities and much more. Where will their advice lead you? Martin Burrett - Editor @ICTmagic @UKEdMag editor@ukedchat.com
Contributors Stephen Tierney @LeadingLearner Kathleen Sorrell @SLT_Kat Jo Debens @GeoDebs Jonathan Coward @resilient_kids
The publishers accepts no responsibility for any claims made in any advertisement appearing in this publication. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publishers accept no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Many images have been source under a Commercial Creative Commons License. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/hamed/327939900/in/photostream/ by Hamed Saber used under Commercial Creative Commons 2.0 License.
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8 Tips on
Creating an Inspiring School Culture for your Staff Special Feature
Finding the best teaching staff for your school is no easy task, but retaining this talent is essential in ensuring the ongoing improvement of your setting. With a younger generation of teachers always entering the market, how 5. The School Working Environment is it possible to create a culture that can help and inspire Explore the infrastructure of your school, your best teachers to invest their career paths in your and ask whether it is a ‘nice’ environment to work. Is the tech updated and reliable? school. Is the staffroom a comfortable place to relax? Are there Here are 8 tips: opportunities for staff to catch up on paper work and 1. Flatten your School marking away from the classroom? Have you invested Education is notoriously filled with in the cheapest coffee? We are in the 2000’s now, but bureaucracy, and such mundane tasks can if staff feel that they are still working in the 1970’s (or leave your staff extremely unhappy. At earlier) and it drags the down, then they will leave. the end of the day, they entered their career to teach, Ensuring the little things are done effectively can make but where decisions are needed it is important that all the difference to staff who need to feel valued. everybody is involved in the decision that will affect the 6. Micromanagement school, their teaching and pedagogy. Creating a culture There is little more demoralising that this where staff can share their ideas, and feel listened to, is behaviour from management. Set goals, vital. Try to flatten structures so the opinion and ideas but make them SMART and show some from any member of staff are treated with respect. trust in leaving staff to get on with it, but they should 2. Empower also know that they can happily approach if they need You hired your staff because you believed support. that they can do the job, so trust them to 7. Showing Appreciation do it. Giving staff meaningful responsibility Don’t go around saying ‘thank you’ to is an easy and effective way to help them everyone, all the time, as a genuine ‘thank feel empowered, and is a great learning you’ will seem shallow when it’s truly process for them. Be careful not to over-burden, and deserved - striking a balance is required, but staff need discuss the support that will be available to them. to know that you appreciate the long hours, stress 3. Training and Development and effort that you make. Praise this - staff will truly Meaningful training and development appreciate you observing and acknowledging their is important, but ensuring that staff are efforts. engaged with this training is equally crucial. 8. Appoint a ‘Director of Happiness’ Yes, the school will have priorities for development, and Person! everyone needs to actively engage in this, but individuals Ok, you may not call them that formally, will also want to develop in different ways - perhaps that but happy teachers are productive and will don’t necessarily support the school development plan. stick around. If you are going to put someone into this Showing an interest, and supporting this development, role, then they will need the personality to sit in this is really valuable for the individual, so ensuring that role: someone who is approachable, open, honest and they feel that their learning is valued within your school. supportive. The person needs to really engage with all 4. Community the staff and make sure that they are happy, there’s Support your staff to hang out with nona good culture in the school, and staff are positively work activities, whether it’s for a bowling productive. You could give this person a less trite title, or walking. These social activities can help such as “talent and culture specialist”. We’ll leave that staff connect, not talk about work, and really establish one with you. links with each other which can help prevent feelings of Inspired and adapted for schools from inc.com/christinaisolation. desmarais/8-tips-on-creating-an-inspiring-office-culture.html
Slow Leadership
in mad ti mes By Stephen Tierney
If you work in a school I’m probably safe in saying you are working too hard and doing too many things. Whilst this might appear harsh, you are probably not doing all these things as well as you could leading to reduced impact. Even worse you possibly haven’t spent enough time thinking, in the first instance, about whether all the things you are doing are likely to have a significant impact.
circulating around the World of Education. Take for example the vexed issue of teacher supply. At a time it’s generally recognised that we are going to have significant shortages, many of us think a crisis is a better description, we learn that Cambridge & Oxford University will close their History PGCE courses. More universities will be forced to stop recruiting onto their PGCE courses to ensure more teachers are trained in schools. Artificial limits at a time of a pending recruitment crisis seem madness. I wonder how long before universities just throw their arms up in the air and close all their PGCE courses as they can’t cope with the uncertainty. A bit of extra teacher supply in the system might be quite a good thing for pupils as schools will have a choice of candidates to fill any vacancy; an increasing rarity in some subjects and parts of the country.
This isn’t just a problem in schools it can afflict many public services and private businesses. Too many people are working, and in some cases essentially living, in an organisation where busyness, for its own sake, is seen as a virtue. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman (bit.ly/uked16win01) explains his theory about two modes of thought; System 1 (fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious) and System 2 (slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious). While Modern foreign languages don’t escape the System 1 helps us survive in the jungle it is arguably confusion. Primary schools are required to teach System 2 which is of greater benefit in addressing a modern foreign language though, in what many complex issues. people think of as an English speaking World, they To what extent are teachers and leaders working in can choose which one; serendipity will play a larger survival mode? Operating in a fast moving frenetic part than strategy. Cue eleven years old turning up environment with System 1 thinking and flight, fright at their secondary school some with a smattering of or fight actions and reactions occurring all over the Mandarin Chinese, others French, German or Spanish school. It’s time to slow down or the current madness plus some with no language experience or poor and contradictions which exist in our Education literacy only for secondary schools to be forced to System will wear you down. ignore the lot and start again. The EBacc will attempt Teachers and leaders aren’t being helped by the to make languages a common experience for 14-16 contrary and contradictory practices currently years old students, been here before, only for a lack
04 UKED Leader
of teachers and too many unwilling teenagers to Stephen is on twitter as @LeadingLearner and his make the experience painful for teachers and pupils blog can be found at www.leadinglearner.me. alike. Post-16 Modern Foreign Language numbers are Formerly Headteacher of St. Mary's in Blackpool for too low and there is nothing happening to change fourteen years, he is currently Executive Director of this. No other high performing country seems to only the MAT consisting of two primary and a secondary think about imposing a curriculum from 14-16 which academy - Christ the King, St. Cuthbert's & St. Mary's Catholic Academies. He chairs the SSAT Vision 2040 academies can ignore anyway. Where have all the Group. students who had compulsory MFL up to 2004 gone? They will be in their late 20s and certainly haven’t or staff and ten means massive impact (pulling on the gone into teaching in any large numbers. data, feedback, research and experience to support In terms of accountability and autonomy, academies this judgement) - how many would score a 9 or 10 out are not required to follow the National Curriculum of ten? If it’s not a 9 or 10 out of ten it’s a no. including the EBacc, yet will have key performance Now imagine crossing off all the objectives and indicators published on the EBacc ascribed to their time consuming actions that scored eight or less school. It is like being prosecuted for a law that doesn’t from your list. If this is too scary for you, rather than apply to you. Are we autonomous or not? Ofsted have liberating, write them on another piece of paper but been shown to be unable to recognise a school on the ignore them. Go back to your original list and the few cusp of anything, admitted that judgements favour items which scored a 9 or 10 out of ten; genuinely affluent schools with able pupils and with the DfE and truthfully assess which ones you have time to and Regional Schools Commissioners all wanting to implement or do this year and do very well so they look hard on standards, whilst doing little to improve have the impact required. Each of these items is likely them, workload and unjust damning judgements to have a number of strands so be realistic. Which are forcing people, we can ill afford to lose, out of ones could wait a year or even two? I know they’re all the profession. The increasingly important issue of important but you can’t do everything well so doing Safeguarding against abuse and extremism is checked some well is preferential to wasting time doing many spasmodically and years apart instead of being an things badly. If one thing will improve my leadership, ongoing annual audit process. this is the 10 out of ten one on my leadership list, it On funding, don’t go there. Schools were supposed would be to slow down and focus on doing less better. to be protected in cash terms so I had been working Unless you work in a school which is in total chaos is on an 8-10% real terms reduction only to find the it time to move from System 1 Running Around Like a Education Support Grant, about £140,000 for our Headless Chicken Leadership to System 2 Let’s Build Trust’s academies, wasn’t included in their promise. Slowly and have Real Sustainable Impact Leadership? Fairer funding will probably come to our rescue but as we go up I’m conscious another school will take an even bigger hit. It's always darkest before dawn. Time to slow down; if you were to list all the objectives and time consuming actions you are currently engaged with and give them a score out of ten – one means unlikely to have a significant impact on the learning, care, guidance or support of pupils
Setting up your school account on UKEd.Careers
Before starting, make sure you have: • ‘Abo ut us’ info rmation fro m your scho ol • Yo ur scho ol lo go/badge in JPG o r PNG format
Step 1: Click ‘Register’ to create an account on the site.
Step 2: Registration • Create a UserName (usually your school name), • add e-mail address, • create a password, • select that you are an employer, • agree with the Terms of use, and • click ‘sign-up’
Step 3: Once the account is set-up, scroll down and complete the following information: • School Name • School Website Address • School Description (this is normally taken from the ‘About us’ section from your school website and/or prospectus)
Continue scrolling down to add: • School Logo (JPG/PNG file) • Cover Image (not required, but you can add a generic image of your school) • Any Social Media account links that your school has (not required) Finally, save this information. You are now ready to ‘Post a Job’. 06 UKED Leader
ukedchat.com/magazine 07
Don’t underestimate the power of effective feedback for adults too! By Kathleen Sorrell
There has been such a focus on student feedback over the years. However, we must not forget the adults in this. Giving effective feedback is an essential part of communication and can make such a difference!
school – appreciation postcards (staff to staff, students to staff), staff member of the week nominations, or a quick e-mail that captures this positive message. It makes such a difference to keep all of these, for example, cards on a pin board or e-mails in a gratitude jar, because when you feel a little down (which we all do from time to time) it is far healthier and long lasting (I can confirm) to hit the gratitude jar rather than the chocolate stash! I know this makes such an impact and can really lift your day, week, term or even year. It is also very lifting if you have been responsible for putting a smile on someone’s face. This makes a difference in schools as staff are motivated to go the extra mile, push to the next level…
Different aspects of communication are claimed to be the most important, but in my experience the most important of these is the critical skill of feedback, both Feedback is key to developing performance. Feedback giving and getting. Effective feedback has benefits for the is not criticism, it is a supportive act intended to deal giver, the recipient and indeed, the whole school. This is a with under-performance in a constructive way and to ‘big’ claim – how can it make such a difference in schools? develop performance to a higher level. Sometimes, it One key difference is that feedback is there all the can be hard not to take feedback as criticism. A colleague time. Every time we speak or listen to a student, parent, offered me feedback a few years ago and I was shocked associate colleague or teacher, in our tone of voice, in at what he said. I did not ask for it and I was hurt. I the words we use, in the silences which we allow / do thought he would never understand things from my not allow, we communicate feedback – how far we trust, perspective. I worried. But, I did listen and acted. Acting how much we respect, the degree to which we approve on his feedback, I stopped relying on e-mail so much or even disapprove of their actions / work or lack of it. It and began to communicate with colleagues in difference is impossible not to give feedback. When reflecting on my ways. Due to his delivery, I trusted (slightly begrudgingly own practice I am forced to think about the silences when at first). The language which we use is important here; I observe something that is not so great. The words are not, ‘You didn’t do …’, but rather ‘If you had done this or fewer. Slower. In contrast, when I see something great I that, it would have …’ or ‘The student/parent/colleague am full of praise and want to share this with all. There is a wasn’t very happy. What else do you think you could have big difference. It is possible to ignore feedback and that is done?’ The feedback I received made a big difference in something we must not do because it can be so powerful terms of performance and it helped towards building a to you as an individual and to your team and school. stronger sense of community, which benefits the whole One of the brilliant effects of feedback is that it is an school. Win-win. opportunity to motivate. Positive feedback is another word for praise, and is all about taking the opportunity to express appreciation of a job well done in the hope of inspiring an individual to do many more jobs to an even higher standard. There are so many ways of doing this in 08 UKED Leader
Feedback is also a way to keep learning. I am a firm believer in the only way to make sure we don’t continue making the same mistakes is to get feedback. There is no doubt that this can be difficult and maybe even shocking as an unexpected ‘bomb’ is dropped. I had this very
Goes to School As part of UKEdChat’s Social Enterprise mission, to improve teacher development through social media, we are offering completely free workshops at your school into how Twitter and the online community can aid professional development. The workshop will include: • Staff meeting INSET for getting staff started with using social media professionally and exploring how it can be used for CPD. • Help with getting the school using social media to engage with their community, and beyond. • Co-constructing a digital media policy for school and staff. • Profiling the school as UKEdChat’s featured school of the week.
Followed by a live, after school #UKEdChat Twitter discussion hosted by your school.
Visit: ukedchat.com/goes-to-school to apply experience last year as a colleague revealed that they felt I had no understanding of their role, their priorities or anything to do with that area of school life. I was really taken aback by this – I think I went into shock for a while, but have now invested more time into learning about this area. And, I can confirm that she was right to a degree and this has made our working relationship brilliant. In turn, this benefits all. I know it is worth investing time in asking and learning about how others experience working with you - ‘What do you like about the way I work and what don’t you like?’ You might find it tough to listen to. But it is what it is; an opinion and not a fact. And if people are thinking it, you may not need to accept it, but you need to manage the perception by explaining more about what you do and why you do it the way you do. As DHT I have found that I have been doing more of this so that others understand reasons for decisions / thought processes and the accountability that this role carries with it. All of this takes time, of course. But, the difference that it makes to the smooth running of the whole school makes it totally worth it. So, do not underestimate the power of effective feedback for adults too!
Kathleen Sorrell @SLT_Kat Deputy Headteacher responsible for curriculum at St Ignatius College in North London. She is passionate about leadership and development. Read her blog at katblogs76.wordpress.com. ukedchat.com/magazine 09
Who am I,
and what is my Leadership role?
My name is Jo Debens and I am currently Head of Humanities at an outstanding comprehensive in Hampshire. Previously I was Head of Geography at an inner city comprehensive in Portsmouth where I had taught since my NQT year in 2008. I have loved leading and teaching Geography, as well as being involved in whole school commitments such as numeracy and e-learning, but in January I make the move to senior leadership and relocating to become an Assistant Headteacher at Aylesford Sports College in Kent.
there are so many unknowns about what crops up on a daily basis that it is hard to know what to expect! But I do expect challenges! I know there will be a lot to learn, even just school protocols and procedures let alone the nitty-gritty of a Maths team and curriculum needs. But I will expect a lot from those around me as well. It is my job to support, advise, shoulder burdens, and be the umbrella that shields them...but I also expect them to do their part and do their job well. From what I have seen so far, I am impressed. I expect to be held to account and supported myself by those above me, and the senior team were so professional and helpful when I spent time there one day. So I expect that we will change lives.
What are my hopes? I am hopeful that I will be a force for good. I love being a teacher, and whole-heartedly believe that it is our responsibility to improve the lives of young people. When I applied for the AHT job I was drawn to the school because it has challenges, and because I want to make a difference. I am hopeful that I can make that What will I find most challenging? happen, but I am well aware that this will be a huge Learning new names of staff and students! Learning the new learning curve. procedures. Trying to not run When I was a child I was found by my mother up on before I can walk. I like being part the gabled roof of my grandfather's house (with him) of a team and having good working helping to fix some felt on...and when questioned with relationships, but I am aware this 'what on earth do you think you're doing young lady?' will be different as a member of the replied that I was 'here to help, not to watch'. I am senior team and it will be challenging to strike hopeful that I will keep this desire inside me. That I will the balance between approachable, supportive, be observant and perceptive enough to see what help but holding to account. I will also find it a challenge to students and staff around me need, and that I will not balance work with home life as my father is terminally fail to provide this help. ill. But I have an amazing family, great friends, and the I am hopeful that I will be able to build strong positive ability to consume a lot of cake so who knows...by the work relationships quickly, and to be able to identify end of 2016 I might even be ok at the job! how to support those I line manage directly as well as Why did I make the move? all staff. I love being a Geographer and teaching kids. I love Lastly since I am going to be line managing Maths, Social Sciences, and being Head of Year7 I hope I will pick things up quickly! This is a job that is too important to do badly, so I hope they hired the right person! What do I expect from the role? This is difficult as sometimes there is a hidden 'world within a world' in schools where you don't necessarily see what SLT are up to! I've been part of a leadership group this last year, and have various friends in SLT but 10 UKED Leader
seeing progress and light-bulb moments and kids getting excited about learning. I love seeing them get the results they deserve. What I don't like, is injustice. Kids being served poorly. Kids not getting a good experience in every lesson every day. I made the move because I felt it wasn't enough that I was just providing for children in the small world of Geography and Humanities. Much as I love my subject, it is not the only thing needed in life and it is down the pecking order when kids are not getting their maths and English. I can teach and lead
So I made the change because I wanted to be part of something bigger, and to have the challenge of making a real difference to those that need it. My new school has needs, but I loved how the Head talked about it at interview: "it may look like a school in crisis, but I want us to make this the best school in the world". In staff briefing we heard about two children who had supported a ticket officer who had been violently assaulted outside the station, and then about another child who overhead their parent saying they would rather not have them anymore...these are real kids not 'key marginals' and not numbers on a page, experiencing real hard situations, and needing a real education that sets them up for a great future. This is why I do the job.
Leading Appraisals: Minimum Impact on Teachers Maximum Benefit to Students
In Brief
Geography now with my eyes closed, and can enjoy it, and can lead change and turn results around...but that's not really important in the grand scheme of things.
In the last two years, performance management or performance appraisals have been broadly introduced with the aim of improving overall levels of school performance and, at the same time, making a judgement of leadership and management (Ofsted, 2015). In today’s educational moment where students’ achievement is measured by the impact of the quality of their teachers, performance management has been used as the latest way to improve teaching and learning by filling the gap between teacher performance and organizational expectations. However, implementing such a process is not a straightforward task. It is not an exact science but a complex mechanism that requires the leading of managerial decisions that have a high impact on staff, students and the culture of the school. @resilient_kids London, UK - Deputy Principal
Write an ‘in brief’ article for UKEd Magazine. 200 words or less on any educational topic. Go to
bit.ly/miniuked to submit yours now.
"In any new situation, whether it involves an elevator or a rocket ship, you will almost certainly be viewed in one of three ways. As a 'minus one': actively harmful, someone who creates problems. Or as a 'zero': your impact is neutral and doesn't tip the balance either way. Or you'll be seen as a 'plus one': someone who actively adds value. Everyone wants to be a plus one, of course....but sweat the small stuff, without letting anyone see you sweat...no one is destined to be an astronaut, you have to turn yourself into one..." (Chris Hadfield)
Jo Debens is a newly appointed Assistant Headteacher at Aylesford Sports College in Kent. A Cambridge graduate and award winning teacher, Jo completed her PGCE in 2008 at the University of Brighton and has since enjoyed seven years teaching and leading Geography. She tweets from @GeoDebs and writes at jodebens.com Image sourced from shutterstock.com ukedchat.com/magazine 27
There has been much discussion and concern recently about a perceived teacher recruitment crises striking in England. We commissioned this infographic with ten possible reasons as to why there is a perceived recruitment crises within England.
Here are some possible reasons for this perceived problem of the teacher recruitment crises: 1 WORKLOAD – Despite ministers promising to act on this, the teaching profession has seen very little in the way of action in helping to relieve the constant workload pressures on teachers. This is widely reported, and if you were thinking about going into teaching, this inaction is enough to make you think twice. 2 SCRUTINY – Ministers and inspection quangos have a lot to answer for here. Yes, the teaching profession is paid for from the public purse, and sensible accountability strategies need to be in place – after all, we all want the best for our pupils – but league tables, moving goal posts with inspection regimes, and data-driven judgements are enough to make a prospective teacher have nightmares. 3 SCHOOLS ON TV – Television documentaries in schools want to make story-lines to hook their audience in, and there is nothing more boring than focusing on polite, well-behaved children, of which are schools are packed with. Instead, the ‘interesting’ story-lines are focused on the more challenging behaviours seen in schools. The teachers on programmes show the fantastic profession in situ, and the remarkable skills and patience they have with their pupils. 4 THE COST OF ADVERTISING – We don’t see why schools should be paying thousands in an attempt to recruit teachers or leaders. Passive adverts are no good for people who are not looking for jobs, and social media is now becoming more popular with potential recruits for keeping up to date with new jobs. It also catches the eyes of people who didn’t particularly know they were looking for a job – now, they’re an interesting bunch. We accept we have a vested interest in saying this, but more and more schools and councils are realising this, and working with us to promote vacancies nationally at a fraction of the cost. The money saved? Well that can go on the education of the pupils. 5 BEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOLS – Is it really that bad? Well, yes, in some situations it does feel like a mine-field of hormones, attitude and complex personalities all trying to find their place in life. Do we need a tsar to tell teachers how to cope? Arguably not. Support and consistency from the school leadership wouldn’t go amiss though. Again, the media perception of this has a big role to play.
6 SPREAD OF ITT PROVIDERS – The ‘crises’ often reported is not spread across the whole country. Unsurprisingly, with four significant traditional ITT providers, the North West of England doesn’t have as much of a recruitment crises, compared to areas in the South. 7 HOUSE PRICES & DEBT – Congratulations, you’ve qualified to be a teacher. Following on from number 6 you have graduated from a college in the North West of England with (up to) £50,000 of student loan debt, and there is a fantastic opportunity to teach in the leafy suburbs of Berkshire! Oh! Have you seen the house prices down there? How can newlyqualified teachers even consider moving around the country when the debt and prices are stacked against them? Perhaps schools should consider in-house accommodation for such staff, to help them make a start – but in the 1800’s, didn’t we call them workhouses? There are simple answers to this problem, but would not expect to see the government take any action to support this! 8 TEACHER BASHING – Everyone is an expert. Everyone (mainly) went to school, so they know the education system inside out! Those teachers get all those holidays, and have you seen how much money they actually get? The TV advert says (up to) £70,000! Most of us actually have quite a way to go to get to this magical £70,000 figure! 9 FEARS OVER CHILD PROTECTION – Child protection is critical, and ensuring children are safe and can thrive is the responsibility for all of us in society. But what if you were to find yourself in a malicious claim against you – we are in a blame culture, and some cases are deemed to be malicious and such actions can ruin the lives of people. This is a real factor for people considering teaching as a profession. 10 A LACK OF SUPPORT – This is not the case in a majority of schools, but teaching can be a lonely job professionally, and a perceived lack of support from government, parents, school leaders can all be disheartening. We all need to challenge the focus being too much on results – pupils are humans, not numbers, and too much depends on the end results. Teachers are not social workers, although many of the tasks done in school can sometime make you feel that this is the case.
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