Time well spent?

Hi there!

Wow, it's been a long long time since I last blogged, just over a month! I've been a little busy guys, sorry!  It was nice being back in Aberystwyth for a few weeks and just as you settle into an area, it's time to leave! This was very true of 1st teaching placement, and I fear might be true of my 2nd, (which starts on Monday!)

You're going to have to forgive me, but this blog might be a wee bit of a rant.  Like I said I've spent 6 weeks in Aberystwyth, on my second "long" block at University and I have just 6 days to look forward to June, which I fear will just be one week long drinking binge to congratulate myself on becoming Peter...BA (Hons), PGDE.  Yep, really collecting up the letter.  In reality my course ends on 27th April with the submission of my PDP (Professional Development Portfolio.) All throughly dull stuff  I can tell you.

Anyway, lets get cracking!

I realised that firstly I wasn't as active back in Aber as I was in School.  Anyone who knows me, know I've gotta keep myself occupied.  I'm at my most useless when I'm doing nothing! For 10 solid weeks I worked from 8:30am to 4pm.  I'd go home, work until about 6pm. I'd be exhausted, but I'd sleep well and more importantly I was productive! I loved it!  Then came Aberystwyth, 3 days a week for 16 hours a week! Monday and Thursday free. Not good, I felt like a Fresher again, some deadline weeks away and very little else to do except go out and drink. 

  Tuesdays were great, 9 to 5! Four hours of History and three hours of Games! Excellent, Tuesday's were my favourite days! Until the timetable started to moved because of two reasons. Firstly, the snow...which didn't actually affect Aber but seemingly ground the whole of Ceredigion to a halt and secondly, the Timetable kept getting changed.  I wasn't need to go in Tuesday, but I was required all of Wednesday.  Suddenly, my timetable was thrown up in the air, I wasn't sure what I was doing on each day, (to be honest I think my tutor didn't know either.)  I don't like it when things are moved around and changed, probably some mild form of OCD I know! But I felt like, the idea of the last three weeks was to run down the clock.  A few other students felt the same.

  I'd fully understand, if the tutor had put their hands up and say "I've not got much else left to teach you, come in on this date, this date, and this date.  Other then that, go do your essays, lesson plans, or in my case find somewhere to bloody live for Teaching Placement 2!"  But no, we were subjected to Four hour workshop sessions, which had 30 minute breaks in the middle, followed by go to the Computer Room for 30 minutes and read this...and so on.  In fact, in one Four Hour workshop myself and a colleague worked out, we did on 90 minutes work! 90 minutes in Four hours! Waste of time, perhaps?

  I hate to say it, but I was seriously considering thinking is this University's course a waste of money?  There are some bad points "built in" to the course, I fully understand.  The Geographical location of the University, means I wont see my tutor until about May time now.  When they visit me at my school.  But still, that's fine.  I knew that before I signed up, and my complaint isn't the "detachment" I felt from my University when out on teaching placement.  That will happen, and I do accept it.  Secondly, I felt the PDS lectures on a Friday Morning weren't relevant at times.  A talk on finding a teaching post from the Careers department, was next to worthless despite the fact the speaker was brilliant and engaging.  I know that sounds like a contradiction, but I think a speaker can be interesting and engaging despite not having the material to further interest listeners.  Secondly, a talk from another interesting speaker from a teacher's union was throughly enjoyable, and personally the speaker would have made a great career out of stand up.  But still, little real knowledge was being imparted.  And those were the good lectures!  I won't pass comment on the lectures I received on Health Education, Educational Visits, and Sustainable Development!  

  And then there was the Great PSE lesson fiasco! Two weeks spent planning a lesson on differences, with little guidance from a scheme of work or what we were supposed to! Then arriving at the school in question, left in the staff and the teachers expecting that we knew where we had to go! When the Course co-ordinators told us nothing! I know, I'm a trainee but I was made to look amateur, and thankfully myself and my team-teaching colleague could "blag" enough to complete the lesson and ensure the Learning Objectives were achieved.

I know what you're thinking, and you're right.  I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth, but there were some good points to my time there, I felt the course did miss the role of ICT in History (see History 2.0 blog below, and coming soon a History 2.1 blog) and the Education Act 2006, which means a teacher can use "reasonable force" to restrain and remove a pupil from the classroom, can anyone out there tell what "reasonable force" is? Sadly, I felt this important piece of legislation was missed and needed to be covered.  Perhaps, they needed a "Teachers and the Law" module.  But that sounds way too clever.

I do apologise about my rant, but I left I needed to get it off my chest.  I'm off to Teaching Placement 2 on Saturday, and start on Monday. I'm really looking forward to tackling a new school and wealth of different problems and issues that school will face.  I miss my First school, it was great and the staff were terrific, if the staff are half as good then I will have an excellent time.

Next time, an update to my History 2.0 blog.  History 2.1 and a further dive into the role of VLE's, Podcasts. iMovie (or Movie maker for PC), Discussion boards, and the joys of Promethan.

See you soon,

Peter.

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Top of the League?

Hey!

Happy New year! Hope your well and fabulous! Well, School Experience 1 is all over! I was very sad to leave my school, but now I'm back in University until Mid-Feb.  So I should hopefully have a bit more time to give this attention and push up it's profile a little.  But hey, I enjoy it!

So, what I am discussing today?  As you can see, it's League Tables! Yes, dreaded DREADED league tables!  Every headmaster has the same nightmare when they are published to see how well they are doing in their LEA (local education authority.)  

Firstly, let me get my opinions out of the way.  League tables are a terrible thing! Wales scraped League Tables a while back, and it's a great idea.  So why do they do it in England?  Don't get me wrong reader, I'm a deeply competitive man (as my girlfriend will attest to!)  But Education shouldn't be competitive.  Who the hell are you trying to beat in the first place? I think it's wrong to publicly humiliate schools.  Plus, League Tables don't give much context.  For example, you'll find Grammar Schools always at the top of a table.  Then after that, the table has no context.  For example, pupils who live in a "poor" catchment area are surely going to be near the bottom.  Where another school, within a more affluent area will score a higher level.  Furthermore, there is no provision on League Tables describing the amount of pupils on the school's SEN register! Some school will have around 10-15% of pupils on the SEN register.  However, no school I've applied for as 45% on the SEN register! Nearly 50/50! Insane!  Moreover, there's always no provision to tell you how many pupils speak English as an Additional language, now that's a big problem for a very obvious reason! 

Long and the short of it, the League Table is a lot of..."cock" frankly to quote James May.  Education Secretary Ed Balls, wants school to have a minimum of 30% A*-C 5 GCSE grades, otherwise they will face closure.  Now, to the great unwashed (those outside of the Education Profession) think 30% isn't a lot!  But I'll show you my home LEA of Sandwell.  It has currently 22 Secondary Schools, Academies and Colleges.  If the 30% rule came into effect, immediately.  6 schools would be closed right now! With another 4 schools within a 2% margin of dipping below 30%!  Incredible!  I'll bite my tongue, and just let you have a think about that?  What will happen to all those pupils in those schools.  The School I attended as a child has a 32% 5 A*-C GCSE grade rate.  I remember when I left, it was 40% and the local papers were called in! To celebrate the results!

But, before I go completely destroying League Tables, there is one shining light within them! Just one, but I think it's good. It's the "level 2 CVA (contextual added score.)"  This shows the "improvement" of the middle ranked pupils at the school.  How much does the school get the most of its pupils potential.  Any school with a score over 1000, is above the National Average.  Now surely, the area I live must be bad right? It's results are 16.1% behind the National Average for GCSE grades.  Sandwell's average is 998.8  Just shy of the magic 1000 point score, but two schools in the top 5% of schools across England for its added score!  Yeah, League tables suddenly look more ridiculous!  But if you're going to use League tables to look at schools in your area.  Check out its Level 2 CVA score.  It's probably the best thing going in the League Table System!

In my opinion, I'd scrap League Tables.  But I would allow parents to know the school level 2 CVA score.  But if you really want a really good idea to what the school is like! Read it's Section 5 Ofsted (Estyn in Wales.) inspection.  Again inspections have there bad points, it's to easy to pick out a school's weaknesses.  But I think strategies should be offered to help that school improve.

So there you have it, hope you enjoyed reading!

Until Next Time,

Peter

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Tests, Exams, and assessment!

Hi! 

Firstly, Merry Christmas! Hope you all well, and recovering from the masses of chocolate, turkey, and wine that comes with our beloved holiday season! 

Right down to business, I thought I'd blog once more this year in between that black out week between Christmas and New Years! I can never recall what day of the week it is, during this time! I've been reminded half a dozen times that it's Saturday! Shocker I know!

Right, so I decided to end the year a big issue that surrounded Education over the Summer break, when Education Minister Ed Balls scrapped Key Stage 3 SATS test! Now any UK reader, will of course with mention of SATS only speak of them with dread and bad memoirs! I hated the SATS tests, being assessed at 14! What a JOKE! Furthermore I was assessed at 7 and 11 years of age! Makes you wonder why I wish to become a teacher!

My opinion of SATS, they were always a bad idea! And although Ed Balls, did the right thing of scrapping them in England (they've already been scrapped in Wales.)  His reasons behind scrapping them were totally wrong! If he had come out and decided they were useless, unfair and put young people under intense stress, then fair enough! (Warning: This Blog might become a little political; but I'll tell you I am and always will be a Labour Party Voter.  I might not fully agree with New Labour, but better the devil you know, then the devil you don't.)  Ed Balls decided to scrap them because of the ballooning administrative costs and the fact the company were an absolute joke! Outsourcing test markers?? Surely, a line to far?

So what might we have in replace of the dreaded SATS in England? Single level testing?  Well, that's just the SATS tests tarted up for the 21st Century.  Plus in many SATS papers, the Papers cover many levels.  If you fail a single level paper, which you can do! Then you won't receive a level!  Quite a scary prospect, if you're thrown into a level 5 or 6 single level paper!

No, no, no! Single level testing? Bad, bad idea! A paper like that will surely ramp up the pressure on a child.  Plus there is no chance of showing a cascade of achievement. And of course, Exams are one-off events, like Cup Finals! If you show up not at 100% then, that could make all the difference between a level 5 or 6.  And could furthermore, put you at a disadvantage when taking your GCSE's.  The most important thing in a 14-16 year old's mind!

So, what can we possible replace them with? Modular Exams? Well no, again! It's a hard for an Undergraduate to revise for a University module they might have only had 10 hours access to! Surely, the same might apply to a teenager!

Coursework? Hmmm....Maybe! But in many studies Coursework favours Girls then Boys, and well...let's not talk about the Girl/Boy divide at the moment in Education! Surely, that's for another time!

To me, the answer is "Continual Assessment."  No one-off exams, Or two/three week projects.  But setting and asking children to complete tasks as homework/classwork.  And marking the work throughout the year, and give a level at the end of the year based on the averages.  Yeah, ok! I admit, not perfect! But then Education is the pursuit of Perfection! Over the course of a year, no one knows a pupil better then his/her teacher! Not an external marker 100's of 100's of miles away sitting in a study over the summer, listening to Radio 4!

Continual Assessment! Simple, cheap and effective!  Or is it far too much like common sense for those in the "know" to take on board!

Ah well, Rant Over!

Happy New Year,  See you in 2009!

Peter,

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The Wider Remit

Hi everyone!

It's nice to see my blog is slowly gaining in popularity. I'd appreciate it, if those who read this would share it with others.  But if I'm honestly, I just enjoy spouting off some spiel about whatever takes my fancy within the sphere of Education.  

Before I start, my apologies...I promised to blog twice last week.  But School being School, something at the last minute came up, which needed taking care of.  But I'll try to blog later in the week this time...Last week of term and all that, might be as late as the Sunday.

As you can see the title is called "The Wider Remit."  What does that mean? Well to me, this discusses the role teachers play as Pastoral tutors.

Of course, when your hired as a teacher.  You're simply not hired to teach your subject, or in my case Subjects!  You are usally 90% of the time, attached to a Tutor Group.  To play a secondary role as Pastoral mentor or Form tutor to 25-30 kids.  This involves a lot more then merely spending 30 minutes a day with them, taking the Register and handing out notices about Room Chances, Football club and of course....Staying off the grass at breaktime.

Your role to this group of kids is huge! Firstly, and obviously you've got them for 5 years and even possibly 7 if they reach the Sixth Form.  Whether you like it or not, you are a Role Model to them now.  Not quite a Pseudo-Parent.  After their immediate family, its you they probably spend the most time with in a week.  I worked it out to 2 and half hours a week you spend with them.  So basically 10 hours a month...You're getting close to the 100 hours mark per school year.

In my opinion the role you play as a Group Tutor, is MORE important that right i'll say it again MORE IMPORTANT then you're role as a Subject teacher.  I'd be wary that if you wish to enter the Profession if you want to play no role in being a Pastoral mentor to children.

So sadly, you have to be flawless during your time in school and out in the wider area.  In the local pub by the school you can see a real mix of children with or without parents whether they are having food there or not.  You'd be surprised how quickly you become the topic of conversation if you walk past them on your way to the bar.  A few friends from the staffroom who like a smoke, suddenly don't feel the need to light up when out, if someone in their form or class is in the area.  It's that idea of living up to your role that you have on the children's life.

Think about it now...How many of you can name your favourite and least favourite teacher at school? I bet it comes to you like *snaps fingers* that!  For me, it's Ms. Watkiss (My College History Teacher) and Miss Parry (Home Economics and ICT) respectively.  In fact, in the comment box below tell me who your favourite and least favourite teachers were at school.

There you go, The Wider Remit!  You'd never think it but there's a lot to this teaching malarky! Yeah I know, I said Malarky! In fact done it twice now.  Right I'll wrap it up there!

In case, I don't blog later in the week.  I'd like to take this moment to wish you a happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year!

Peter 

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Classroom Management

Hi there,

Thanks for dropping by.  Apologies for the length of time since my previous post.  I've been frantically busy with school and essays and the such.  Plus I turned 23 recently, so I've been enjoying my birthday.

Anyways, enough of the waffle lets get on with it.

I've been thinking a lot recently about "Classroom Management."  Yeah, I know! It's the Zen of Teaching.  How do you keep the little bleeders from playing merry hell within your classroom, well its surely a topic that encourages a lot of debate.

Of course, I'll try right at the beginning.  The Cane!

Right, of course.  I'm completely against Corporal punishment, it's been rightfully banned many years ago.  But in a strange way, it's removal as triggered a great debate.

How do you control a classroom now?

Well, there are a few different ideas and strategies.  My personal idea on it, is to use your personality.  I'm quite a casual and informal person, but I draw the line at a very defined point.  Something which  took a few weeks to get over well enough, and do I'm getting some good world out of the kids, pity I'm finishing teaching with them this week, eh?  But there are some down-points to this type of classroom management:

1. You can't get instant rapport with your class.

2. They can see it as a chance to play hell with you.

3. Your attitude can be misunderstood as a chance to relax and doss during the lesson.

But I feel, that this type of style is probably the best way to go.  I recently the SENCO of my school, teach a bottom set year 10.  With incredible control, she was empathetic, informal and showed great humour with her class.  But they knew they couldn't dare step out of line!  Now if I ever had control of a class like that, I know I've done well!

The other main school of thought, is the strict and sold type of teacher.  The "Thall shalln't not f*ck with type!"  A type of teacher focused on delivering the lesson, under strict conditions and impose hard penalties on misbehaviour.  Now there are three big faults in this style as well

1. Children become bored, and therefore disruptive!

2. Children might be afraid to ask question, therefore might not learn!

3. Children might rebel and your control is out of the window straight away! 

I've observed lessons with this type of style, and although it does have it's really good points! I found it dull and boring, and I struggled to be motivated or interested.  But that's just me, of course!

The way I see it, every class is different.  For example, I'm more strict with a year 8 of mine then a year 7.  I put it down to the personalities and their potential to "blow up." There is sadly, no "one size fits all" type of classroom management.  But I think you're going to "make it" as a teacher, I'd suggest you need three things to get through "Classroom Management"

1. A Personality - You need to be able to hold children's attention.  You need a Personality to impress your own style on exposition and control.

2. A thick skin - Children can be cruel, don't let them see you crack, otherwise you lose! BIG!

3. A strict set of rules - whether your formal or an informal teacher, pupils need to know where the line is! Blurred lines can equal big trouble, fairness is critical!

Well, I think that's it for now! Tell you what, I'll give you a two for one deal this week and blog for you later in the week!

Til then,

Peter 

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History 2.0

Hi there,

I received some post today from my girlfriend! She sent me two really interesting articles, one on the introduction of PSHEE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) becoming compulsory in all Secondary School.  I thinki it's important that we install important life skills into pupils at an early age in order to best help them later on in their adult life.

But the other was titled "How the future can shed light on the past."  Published in The Guardian on Tuesday 25th November written by Mick Archer.

It spoke about the unique chance History has to fully intergrate ICT within the Subject of History.  Like Mick Archer, I agree that History perhaps has a really unique chance to fully use and harness the power of ICT in the classroom.  For example, I'm a firm user of Powerpoint or Keynote as it is called on my Macbook.  Powerpoint/Keynote is a great teaching aid, you can build animation, video, audio into slides which save countless amounts of carrying videos, dvd's, cd's, etc...  Plus Powerpoint/Keynote has the ability to allow you to give structure to a lesson and to set tasks and leave them on the board instantly, rather the turning your back on the class (which can be a BIG mistake to make!)  

I've thought a lot on ICT in History, and believe that change is coming and the age of the textbook may finally be in its death-throws.  But we can develop ICT into History much further.  I'm in the unique and somewhat privileged position to have a girlfriend (sorry I hate the word, Partner.) who is learning to become a journalist.  So I get all the cutting edge ideas from her and her trade.  Something that has been banded around recently is the idea of web 2.0.  The rise of social networking sites, Facebook, Myspace, bebo, I could go on and on. 

But I recently thought about a "History 2.0" a subject fully intergrated with ICT.  The idea of VLE's (Virtual Learning Environments) isn't a new concept.  VLE's really interest me, because we now have the power to use massive servers to access and store a wide range of sources, still pictures, audio sources, visual sources would all be now within the reach of anyone with a computer.  A lot of videos I use to classes I find from "Youtube."  This is potientally a great font of material to show pupils and really interest them within the subject of History.

My idea of "History 2.0" goes beyond the virtual classroom and into much wider realms and ideas.  Something that recently came up during an INSET was the GCSE/A-level revision classes after school and who is going to supervise and manage them.  Why not do away with that, and introduce podcasts of revision lessons.  How many times as a pupil or student have you thought you wish you could re-visit something said in a classroom after you've left? Go on raise your hands? Ok, put them down.  Well recording and podcasting revision lectures is something that also interests me.  How many children have iPod's or MP3 players.  (I'm finally getting an iPod at Christmas!)  They can download the lesson and listen to their revision lesson again and again.  Look at that we now have "History for the iPod generation" imagine that! 300 year 11 pupils walking to school with your revision lecture blaring through their iPods on their way to and from school, at work, whilst travelling! Maybe I'm an idealist, but this idea surely needs exploring!

I recently came across Apple's plunge into the Education scene with iTunes U.  (iTunes University, basically!)  Where they have lecture series from Ivy League professors!  Another University student in the world can go on the iTunes store and immediate have access to an Ivy League Professor!  I understand that this is purely for students at Higher Education.  But why not have "iTunes High."  I'm sure the sheer thought of this sends shivers down the spines of many teachers and head teachers.  An expansion of ICT is surely the next step in Education! 

Secondary Education is crying out for money to thrown at it! I think the idea of a fully ICT merge into the Subject of History is critical to the survival of the subject.

So how would "History 2.0" work?  Well allow to give you a "best case ideal scenario."

Let me introduce Michael, he's 15 and in year 11.  He's studying GCSE History, and it's after christmas and his exams in the summer are coming closer and closer with each passing day.

His project is on the rise of Hitler and Nazis.  He uses the computer to access the History VLE, and can surf the internet to find what he's looking for.  For example, an interview of a former Nazi Youth member when discusses the "Cult of Hitler" a very important factor of his rise when talking about his rise.  After accessing the interview and making his notes in for his essay.  He can of course go away and type it up onto his computer.  Furthermore, he can't make the revision class tonight, so he goes into the School's podcast zone and downloads the exposition of the revision session so he can listen to it on his walk home.  Also, he doesn't need to print his essay out and waste paper, he can merely electronically submit.  His feedback is then emailed back to him or discussed when back in school.

I know that's a very basic and simple case. 

But surely it's worth investigating and exploring, right?

History 2.0, coming to a classroom near you! (I hope!)

Until next time,

Peter

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Introduction to Teacher Training Experience

Hi,

My name is Peter.  I'm currently going through my PGDE course to gain my QTS (Qualified Teacher Status.)  I thought Id share my experiences with you.  Don't be fooled this won't be a blog where I come and vent about staff or pupils.  I have an entire staff room for all that!  

But the ins and outs of teaching.  Although I understand I'm merely training and not at all qualified or in any way experienced.  I believe a fresh set of eyes onto a certain subject or matter, will surely interest some people out there.

Just a few things before I continue.  I will tell you that I'm training to History at Key Stage 3 and 4 and post-16 level.  (Basically up to University entry level.)  I won't tell you however, which schools I train at, any staff, pupils, parents, caretakers, whoever I come into contact with, for quite obvious legal reasons.

I hope to do this once a week or so now, and hopefully when I get my First post, I'd love to be able to keep blogging away then.

So enjoy and I hope you enjoy this as much as I will typing it,

Peter.