Archive

Why do I need a teacher if I've got Google and a granny?

Dec 04, 2011 | Category: learning

NB - Having reviewed the evidence, I am now thoroughly convinced I was wrong about all this. Instead, try reading Is it just me or is Sugata Mitra an irresponsible charlatan? Over the summer I watche...

#Carol Dweck #Ian Gilbert #SOLO taxonomy #Kenny Pieper #Sugata Mitra #granny clouds #iPads

Reading List

Feb 16, 2012 | Category: reading

Am in the process of trying to digest a number of education texts at the moment. Here is my current stack of reading courtesy of the lovely people at Crown House:My thoughts so far:The Little Book of...

#Crown House #David Hodgson #Nina Jackson #Will Ryan

The ultimate teaching technique

Feb 14, 2012 | Category: learning

UPDATE: I no longer agree with any of the following. It remains on my blog as a warning against hubris. June, 2016 Maybe it's just me, but I seem to be encountering an awful lot of people railing agai...

#group work #Phil Beadle #home & expert groups

Creativity, analysis and comparison

Feb 11, 2012 | Category: English

English teachers have a tough gig. We need to constantly hone the hard-edged skill of analysis whilst simultaneously encouraging the fluffy stuff of creativity. There’s a lot said and written about cr...

#creativity #Sir Ken Robinson #grammar #analysis #comparison #Dickens #dumbing down #Toby Young

Who inspects the inspectors?

Feb 05, 2012 | Category: Featured

Are Ofsted fit for purpose?This week Dylan Wiliam threw a wet leather gauntlet in the face of monsieur d'Ofsted, saying, "Ofsted do not know good teaching when they see it”.If this is true (and how wo...

#Ofsted #Dylan Wiliam #Sir Michael Wilshaw #Daisy Christodolou #ER #TES

How effective learning hinges on good questioning

Feb 04, 2012 | Category: assessment

Hands up who likes asking questions?Questioning is an essential part of helping students to make progress but only if it causes thinking or elicits evidence that informs our teaching. And the thing wi...

#AfL #Dylan Wiliam #Darren Mead #questioning #hinge questions

SOLO taxonomy training

Jan 30, 2012 | Category: SOLO

UPDATE: I no longer think SOLO taxonomy is worth spending any time on. Here is why.A few weeks ago I rather rashly offered to present on SOLO taxonomy to the North Somerset Aspire network. As always w...

#AfL #SOLO taxonomy #hexagons

Hexagonal Learning

Jan 28, 2012 | Category: English

The mantra of all successful lesson observations these days is that students should be seen to be making progress. Perhaps the best way to show that you’re having an impact on their knowledge and unde...

#Geoff Petty #Tait Coles #Daniel Willingham #Carol Ann Duffy #Chris Harte #Damian Clark #hexagons #Macbeth #Simon Armitage #SOLO

Doubts about Dweck? The problem with praise

Jan 27, 2012 | Category: learning

Back in 2010 I was introduced to Carol Dweck's research into fixed and growth mindsets and the scales fell from my eyes. It was an epiphany. A veritable Damascene conversion. And like Saul before me,...

#Carol Dweck #mindsets #John Hattie #Effort #Peanuts #praise

Is it better to be told, or to discover a fact?

Jan 22, 2012 | Category: learning

I've read a lot of blogosphere twaddle about why students don't learn effectively in groups and the only effective method for teaching is direct instruction. My view is there needs to balance in all t...

#group work #Hattie #direct instruction #spelling