Using technology for group work: Making a How to... video

The shooting session on the field could have been better organized. Putting such a eight Y3girls together (especially some strong headed ones) and expecting them to cooperate in shooting a video was too much for them to handle. I tried to salvage by stepping in to be director, but the whole vibe was pretty rotten towards the end.

- If two groups work together, make sure there is someone in charge to direct.

- Confine them to a limited area, not run all over the field.

- Make it clear to them what they want to capture.

- Impose consequences that a group was simply messing around, and praise groups who managed to shoot useful footage.

For video editing:

- Should have made sure all the ICT was setup beforehand, instead of wasting half of the lesson connecting to the server.

- Using the iPhone as a recorder was a great idea for groups which didn't have a computer.

- The biggest problem was how to record their voiceover over the noise. Taking the laptop outside was one solution.

On the whole though, the project will be successful once it's finished. Too bad it just takes so much time with Y4s.

Civilization project / End of teaching Prac

Despite the huge amount of preparation - formatting 17 handouts (4 civilizations, 4-5 topics per group) really paid off. Students were focused throughout all 3 sessions, and I think they were really proud of their finished work. The poster design also allowed gave early finishers something to work at.

Having a quick recap/short presentation was a great idea - 1 fact per student. Also, giving them 3 minutes to prepare what they would say was very helpful. However, I forgot to give awards out for their poster... I should have taken notes on which group worked cooperatively etc.

Praising groups who were doing the right thing really seemed to work well in motivating other groups.

If it is clear that what you've planned isn't working

Stop and regroup. Pens down. On the carpet. All focus on you.

• Assess the problem - students may not tell you right away they don't understand. Have them chat with their neighbour about what they don't understand.

1. If you feel it is possible to salvage the lesson:

• Start from square one, assume they know nothing.
• Teacher model the task if necessary.

2. If the task you have planned seems far too difficult (or easy) even with teacher modelling, abandon ship.

• Switch to Plan B - something which requires no prep. A good idea is to ask students to write something related to the topic/instructional goals. e.g. write me down 3 facts and 3 opinions about ________.
• Have students discuss / check each other's work. This will be a useful gauge on their current level.
• Link that lesson's work to the next class - revisit the topic at the appropriate level or use that writing as a new starting point.

Classroom management tips

• Remind them of the rules at the start of the lesson.
• Give praise to students who are behaving / doing well.
• The fish analogy - rein the net in if your control is slipping. Never try to raise your voice above theirs. Make them wait and issue threats/warnings if necessary - and praise the good ones.
• Before students set off on a group / independent task, set a time limit. Have something ready for them to do if they finish early.
• Have fillers up your sleeve in case of technical mishaps or you need time to setup. E.g. Talk to your neighbour about 3 things your know / learned last lesson about, demand that they be ready to share it after the time is up.

Train wreak: World cup reading comp

When a class is going well, you know.

Students are engaged in their work, they are on-task, they are responsive to your questions...

The Y3 board game design class worked extremely well - it worked great for a number of reasons:

• students found it meaningful, they could play the game they made!
• it was approximately the right level for the class - challenging for some, but gave enough room for creativity in the high ability ones.
• it was well scaffolded

...and things were as smooth as clockwork.

But Y4 today was another story. I had the vague sense last night that it wouldn't be a great lesson, but at least not the complete train wreak which it turned out to be.

Obviously, things in the classroom can fall apart when:

• Students don't understand or find it too difficult
• Students are bored or think it is too easy
• Students are not interested in a topic
• You cannot manage a classroom
• Technology fails and students are just waiting with nothing to do

...and I think I had all these issues today.

The problems started right away from the third minute. A Powerpoint wouldn't load. I was trying to hold the discussion together whilst praying that the PPT would start. As it dragged on, some of the boys got bored and started poking each other and tattertailing. I tried to ignore them and prayed that the PPT would load - big mistake, it didn't and things got out of hand. I had to shout. Luckily, my class teacher intervened and took the troubling students outside.

Threatening to take away lunchtime etc only stems the tide... and increases the bad atmosphere. In retrospect, I should have stopped the lesson right there, admitted my faults for not being prepared instead of trying to carry on, and ditched the Powerpoint.

Without activating background information, the rest of the class never improved. The reading task was pitched at a level too high anyway, and with only a quarter of the students showing vague interest, I should have ditched the whole exercise instead of trying to ram it down their throats.

In the end, the problem lay with poor planning - choosing a poor topic, didn't generate student interest, and the inexperience of being able to salvage the lesson on the spot.

Learning to live and learn together. I get it.

Ways to control a shared reading discussions

Being able to balance student participation and teacher talk is a fine art of communication during reading discussions. How do you prevent students from all shouting all at once, and yet you want them to give their opinions?

-If asking for an answer to a question, explain beforehand that they need to explain WHY or HOW they found the answer. This will stop students from shouting out answers without thinking. (Thanks to the class teacher for suggesting this).

-If a discussion gets out of hand, say "We are too noisy" - get all the students to settle down before continuing the discussion. Stay in control.

-Avoid rhetorical or extremely easy questioning. Students become unsure if you are asking for an answer or not.

-Instead of saying "Who agrees with _____", say "If you agree with ______, raise your hand."

-If a student doesn't give the answer you are looking for.

Paperclips idea - To encourage even participation, give each student a set number of paperclips. To encourage fair participation, each student MUST use up their paperclips by the end of the class. If they've run out of paperclips, they cannot answer more questions.

Other suggestions?

Tips for being observed

Teaching observations are perhaps the most stressful part of a new teacher in training. Here is a guide to acing your teaching practice. Don't make the same mistakes I made today in my TP (like the photocopier not working).

Lesson planning:

-If you're "borrowing" a class, communicate with your class teacher in advance what you're going to teach, as he/she may be able to provide good ideas or resources.-Make sure you are VERY thorough with your lesson plan. Proofread and spell-check it.

-Follow the framework required (e.g. if task-based learning is required, make sure you have all the components - pre-task/while-task/post-task. Even if you are not going to cover all the parts in that session, include it so that your tutor can see you know where the lesson will be heading.

-Consider your class abilities. If you are teaching an easy well-behaved class, use the opportunity to try something new and interesting. It is your chance to show off your teaching skills. Conversely, a tough class will be your chance to demonstrate your classroom management skills.

-Send in your lesson plan a couple of days in advance (or whenever it is required).

-Print a spare copy of your lesson plan just in case.

-Have all your materials prepared well in advance. You never know if the photocopier will break down the morning before your class.

Whilst teaching:

-Make sure the technology works. Test it beforehand. You really don't want a technical failure to ruin your lesson.

-Try to memorize what you're going to teach, avoid glancing too much at your lesson plan or reading out loud from it.

Other tips:

-Dress smartly.

-Arrive early if possible to show your observer to your class.

-Introduce him/her to your students when you enter.

An experiment with making tea

Technology works best if it is intuitive and unintrusive.

Today's lesson on making tea was an excellent example. A simple flash site on how to make tea integrated extremely well with the activity. I printed out the cards for each group, and they had to put it in order and fill it in by hand. Then having it on the interactive whiteboard and letting students drag them in the right order was simple, clear and a great point for discussion. The entire class was focused.

My biggest mistake was running out of time and trying to make another cup of tea for the class teacher whilst letting another student put the answers in the right order. I even forgot to say well done to the student for getting it right, so absorbed was I in making the tea.

If time had allowed, I should have let students do a hands on experiment to figure out the right order. Discovery learning is great too.

Art instructions / A system for tidying up

Today's mega art / instructions session wasn't too bad. The pack of activity cards "50 things to draw and paint" was a great resource.

Everyone had something to do, and the finished collage of their drawings looked great.

At the start

Need to focus more on giving clear instructions for an activity

- Set clear goals (e.g. We are going to put together a collage for display)

- Give clear instructions, write them out on the board, especially for EAL students.

Cleaning up

One sink, 22 students.

After an art activity, a good clean up system is needed when there are paint brushes, ink, paper and glue everywhere.

-What could be a more efficient way of tidying up?

-What about students who have already tidied up? How to keep them occupied?

Wrapping up

I forgot to ask 2 crucial questions, probably for any activity

- What had they learned from the activity

- How they could improve it if they did it again

Great short stories / novellas for teaching Year 5/6 (Key stage 2)

Here is a list of my personal favourites and the sorts of writing techniques you can teach in literacy lessons.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl

A lesser known Roald Dahl tale I use as a basis for writing a 4-part story. It's rather lengthy, but good for advanced readers to tackle at home. The 4-part story focuses on:

- character description

- story-in-a-story narrative techniques

- monologues

- narrative twists

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The original text is really tough, but there is an simplified version at eslreading of the beginning I use for teaching how to use "show, not tell" to introduce a character.

Fat Lawrence by Dick King Smith

A silly tale about a super-obese cat who tries to lose weight.

- Narrative voice (using interjections and asides)

- Colloquial language

- Writing in the conditional tense

The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

This book is a hilarious postmodern retelling of many "classic" fairytales.

- use of irony

- fairytale conventions, fractured fairytales

- effect of different graphics, letter styles