5/8: Taking the Focus Off Content

Meeting with Alex 

Friday 5th August

Last week I met with Alex regarding key points she is starting to pick out of my lessons. These included:

• instructions given
• teaching to make students confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners rather than focussing on content

Over the past week Alex has given me some key points to work on in regards to giving instructions:

• keeping instructions concise (she demonstrated an example which included repeating instructions 3 times to students and it only took 2 1/2 minutes for instructions to be given and students to be working on that task)
• checking for understanding e.g. body language (glazed looks) rather than asking
• repetition of instructions (repeating 2-3 times)
• demanding of attention e.g. use of whistle, making sure all girls are paying attention (off screens, not talking)
• use of "when I say go..."

In regards to teaching to make students competent future learners, Alex got me to watch a video Ken Robinson - Creativity in Education (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFubmeHDtII) or full length video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY). 

Key points I took from the video:

• education killing creativity?
• children aren't afraid of being wrong but by the time they become adults they have lost this
• we are educating people out of their creavity as we are taught that mistakes are bad
• due to being afraid of mistakes we are less likely to be creative/original
• we grow/are educated out of our creativity
• intelligence is diverse, dynamic and distinct

Alex expressed her concern that I am too busy focussing on the content that I am teaching rather than focussing on creating competent learners (which is the key different between the new and old curriculum). We then looked into the 2007 curriculum. She pointed out to me that within the curriculum strands that they don't specify certain topics that need to be covered in either PE or Health throughout the year, they are only a method of reaching the aims within the strands. She then pointed out the main aim of the curriculum is expressed through the vision, principles, values and key competencies. To make myself concentrate on achieving these rather than focussing on the content and context of the lesson Alex has asked for me to highlight how I am supporting and developing these 21^st century competencies within each lesson by writing them in my plan book.

To help me with this focus she has given me a list of things she would like me to use within my lessons for the week:

• Padlet
• Kids to create a video
• 3 different ways of getting people into e.g. pre planned groups, similar background etc – be able to explain why
• Question dice
• Post-it
• Students to reflect in 3 different ways e.g. think-peer-share, exit slips, email
• Students to teach