Archive

Testing, testing... why one test can't do everything

May 17, 2016 | Category: assessment

The thing which most seems to rile people about testing is the fact that it puts children under stress. A certain amount of stress is probably a good thing - there's nothing as motivating as a looming...

#Dylan Wiliam #testing #Martin Robinson #Tim Oates

Why study grammar?

May 12, 2016 | Category: writing

Trying to express complex thoughts in simple English ... is demanding, challenging and takes time.Terry Leahy There's been a lot of fuss over the past week about whether it's appropriate to assess chi...

#grammar #Daisy Christodoulou

Improving critical reading through comparative judgement

May 11, 2016 | Category: English

The following is a guest blog from Dr Chris Wheadon of No More Marking.The reformed GCSEs in English present new challenges for pupils in critical reading and comprehension. Teachers across the coun...

#Chris Wheadon #No MoreMarking

What every teacher needs to know about... students who leave secondary school unable to read

Apr 25, 2016 | Category: reading

Many thanks to the good folks at Teach Secondary magazine for publishing yet another of my incoherent rants. This time I set my sights on the lamentable and inexcusable failure of secondary schools...

#Reading #Teach Secondary

What I know about whether 'no excuses' behaviour systems work

Apr 25, 2016 | Category: behaviour

I read John Tomsett's account of his speech at Michaela School's Debate on 23rd April on why 'no excuses' behaviour systems don't work with great interest. As a speech it is well researched, well argu...

#John Tomsett #Michaela School #no excuses

Workload Challenge: Marking

Mar 26, 2016 | Category: assessment

The three areas identified by teachers' responses to the Workload Challenge as particularly burdensome were marking, planning and data and a separate report has been prepared on each.On of the problem...

#marking #Workload Challenge

A plug for Teaching & Learning Conference on 2nd July

Mar 21, 2016 | Category: Featured

The following is a guest post from Anne Williams wherein she promotes the Teaching & Learning conference she has organised on 2nd July in Leeds. I'll be speaking there and so will loads of other rathe...

Walking the tightrope between cynicism and sincerity

Mar 16, 2016 | Category: Featured

Life is either always a tightrope or a feather bed. Give me the tightrope. Edith Wharton I wrote recently about unscrupulous optimism. Mostly this seems to have been understood as a warning against...

#John Fowles #Carl Sagan #Andrew Marr #cynicism #scepticism

The revolutionary wisdom of the tribe

Mar 12, 2016 | Category: blogging

In A History of the World, Andrew Marr suggests there needs to be a balance between new ideas and what he calls 'the wisdom of the tribe': What is the right balance between state authority and individ...

#Andrew Marr #Neo-traditionalist #revolution

Proof of progress Part 2

Mar 11, 2016 | Category: assessment

Back in January I described the comparative judgement trial that we were undertaking at Swindon Academy in collaboration with Chris Wheadon and his shiny, new Proof of Progress system.Today, Chris met...

#Chris Wheadon #No More Marking #comparative judgement