teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk

The BBC report on a recent report that condemns the current designs of new-build UK schools for being tied to a view of learning from a bygone age. Instead of ‘more spaces where children could learn through computer technology and more “social spaces” in schools where pupils could follow independent study in a less formal environment’, classrooms are being built on a minimum-area-per-student basis which scuppers active learning and pretty much anything than other than desk work. My current classroom is too small really to have it arranged in ‘islands’ of desks as I do. But I refuse to have it in rows because of my teaching philosophy. The shocking thing is, some classrooms in new-build schools are actually smaller than my current classroom! :o

Before you go any further, it’s wise to have read the previous two posts in this mini series: 01 – Introduction, and 02 – Making your data usable. Done that? Good! In this post I’ll be looking at ways in which you can use the ‘quadrants’ on the graph produced via the procedure outlined in the second step to inform the activities you engage in with your students… :p

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Over at EdTechRoundup I’ve posted about TeacherTube, a YouTube-like site for educational videos. If you’re currently frustrated by blocks in force on your school network, it might be worth a look!

It seems to be received wisdom that the current youngest generation can ‘multitask’ – do many different things at the same time – more effectively than their older counterparts. A New York Times article entitled Slow Down, Brave Multitasker, and Don’t Read This in Traffic presents findings from a series of studies – Vanderbilt University, Oxford University, and one by Microsoft that seem to argue against this theory. This goes against a TIME magazine article that argued that multitasking is in fact easier for younger people.

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I’m going to assume two things in what follows: a) that you have read the first post in this mini-series, and b) that you have the Verbal and Non-Verbal elements available from a CAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) your students have taken. All present and correct? Let’s continue then…

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In a move which I have very mixed feelings about, the UK government is planning that children entering secondary school this year will be the first to be fined if they are not in some kind of education or training up until their 18th birthday. According to BBC News, those who refuse to participate will be served with an ‘attendance order’, the breach of which will be a criminal offence. Now if, and we’re dealing with unrealistic fantasies here, the education by 2015 is such that there are many real alternatives those currently on offer in schools and colleges, then – coupled with EMA payments – this could be a good idea. However, being a tad cynical, I doubt this is going to work and in effect we will not only end up failing some children educationally, but then, to add insult to injury, criminalise them. :(

I get a fair few requests to promote various websites via this blog. Those from people I don’t know, those purely out for profit, or those which I don’t think are particularly useful don’t get mentioned. Bearing that in mind, I’m pleased to link to Johannes Ahrenfelt’s two new sites: InnovativeHistory.net (for interactive ways of teaching History) and FlashEducation.net (how to use Adobe Flash in various educational ways). Keep up the good work, Johannes! :D

I know I said a while back that teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk was going to be an ad-free zone, but inspired by Chris Craft and my recent cheque from the Google Adsense programme for historyshareforum.com, I am going to relent slightly. From now on, a small, fairly unobstrusive link will be visible on this site to bluehost.com. I use this company for my web hosting needs and have found them cheap, reliable and flexible. As I currently recommend them to all and sundry for free in any case, I might as well get some of my web hosting bills paid by endorsing their services! :D

In this mini-series of posts I’m going to show you how to use CAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) data effectively to improve the way that you teach. As with everything I post on this blog, I’m no expert in the field, but I have found what I present useful in planning for my day-to-day interactions with the students in the classes I teach. It’s also useful for those wishing to jump on the ‘personalising learning’ bandwagon…

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I’ve just posted a quick review of the features of tumblr at edtechroundup.com- a quick-and-easy blogging solution that I think has real potential for use with students. Check it out! :D