<![CDATA[Innovative Education.org - Blog]]>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 20:11:17 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[The Principle of Legitimacy in the Classroom]]>Fri, 14 Apr 2017 12:05:43 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/the-principle-of-legitimacy-in-the-classroom
One of the greatest attributes that generates a successful and purposeful classroom environment is a teacher's professional behaviours, as this is fundamental in positively influencing behaviours of others and building resonance. 
 
In society when it comes to commanding compliance and conformity we have come to believe in the conclusions drawn by Leites and Wolf - who wrote “influencing popular behaviour requires neither sympathy nor mysticism, if you want to impose order, you don't have to worry about what those whom you were ordering about thought of you, you were above all that”, however Leites and Wolf, had it backwards; legitimacy can't be dictated. 
 
Order in the classroom is essential for learning to take place, which is as much of a product of the teaches planned activities, experience and expertise as body language, pitch of voice, tone, mannerisms, and beliefs. Commonly lessons begin well, students are perfectly well behaved, they are attentive, receptive, and show eagerness to learn, then during the course of the lesson the conduct of many students begins to deteriorate. Even students who are diligent learners across the school and consistently demonstrate model behaviour, can in some subjects frequently become uncooperative and disruptive. Misbehaviour of students can be a result of the behaviour of the teacher, crises can be caused by the classroom authority, by underestimating the good nature of students.
The following video of Mr Garvey, a supply teacher with twenty years experience in inner city schools, demonstrates the negative impact being overly disciplinarian has on the classroom atmosphere.  Although the clip is highly entertaining and comical in its portrayal, it highlights the failing of a heavy handed approach in developing professional relationships and conformity. The classroom climate can deteriorate as a direct consequence of the behaviour of the teacher, who perceives the stern, iron fist will “conquer all” approach is the most applicable.
In order to ensure behaviour is conducive to learning, there needs to be a shared purpose, there needs to be pace and challenge, there needs to be rhythm. If these are lacking classes can languish. We often think authority is a response to disobediences of our learners, a student acts up and is reprimanded, however disobedience can be in direct response to the authority. If students do not buy into the learning, and lack confidence in the teacher's ability to deliver a lesson which is captivating or effective in terms of progressing skills or acquired knowledge, students can become rebellious, and we call what is happening behavioural issues. From observing countless lessons what we term behavioural issues in many instances are more a consequence of limited engagement. Instead of a mindset of what can I do to control you, a teacher needs to consider how can I do something captivating and interesting to make you want to behave in the first place.
 
When people in authority want a collective group to conform, it matters first and foremost how they behave. This is called the “principle of legitimacy”.
 
Legitimacy is based on three criteria:
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  1. People who are asked to obey authority, have to feel they have a voice, and if they speak up their thoughts, ideas, suggestions and opinions will be heard, respected and considered
  2. Expectations have to be reasonable
  3. The authority has to be consistent, fair and all groups of individuals are treated in exactly the same way. The “laws” of the class have to be predictable.
 
When applied to classroom situations a simple example is having students compose a set of rules, rewards and expectations is highly advantageous. Developing a class charter creates a sense of ownership and belonging and has huge benefits throughout the year as the authority is sanctioning the students in accordance with their own expectations. In order for a calm and purposeful classroom climate to be established students must become allies to the learning through clarity of standards, modelled and applied by the teacher who is reflective in their own practice and possess an innate belief in the positive potential of all students.  

References:
Leites, N. and Wolf, C. (1970). Rebellion and authority. 1st ed. Chicago: Markham Pub. Co.
Gladwell, M. (2015). David and Goliath. 1st ed. New York, NY: Back Bay Books.​​
]]><![CDATA[BIG Question Science QR Codes to Engage Students. ]]>Mon, 31 Aug 2015 12:00:19 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/big-question-qr-codes-to-engage-students
QR codes are now common in todays society, primarily for advertising purposes. First designed in Japan for the automotive industry in 1994, they have, in recent years established themselves are a very useful and effective tool in education to move learning beyond the classroom and the world into the classroom.  

The following is one example of how I use QR codes to engage students and to stretch and challenge the most able of students. I provide students with a BIG question, such as "How can folding paper get us to the moon",  and ask them to compose their own scientific theory with evidence. This can be either an individual or small group task. The students then scan the code using a mobile device or tablet, watch the video, and evaluate the content and then compare and contrast this with their own model.   
This activity works well as a starter, a differentiated task or most effectively enabling students to understand the meaning of the term hypothesis and the thought process scientist go through to generate a new theory.  Additionally printed on to coloured paper they make interactive visual displays for classrooms. 

Click here for the BIG question files. 
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]]><![CDATA[A survival guide to thriving in your first week teaching ]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2015 23:49:24 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/a-survival-guide-to-thriving-in-your-first-week-teaching
You’ve completed your minimum 24 weeks of teaching training, through either a university based postgraduate, undergraduate or school based programme, and are about to embark on the first week of your career as a fully-fledged teacher. From your first day back you will be responsible for educating, inspiring, managing behaviour, rewarding, and the wellbeing or potentially 30 students every hour for 20 hours per week. In order to ensure you flourish in your first week, and thrive and not just survive, I’ve put together some tips I was given as an NQT and others I’ve picked up along the way. 
Get to know your students 

As much as possible get an insight into the students in your class. If you have access to the schools data management system such as SIMS, access the SEND requirements of your students, previous academic progress and current attainment and social, emotional, medical and behavioural information. Know who the potential difficult students. With this said it’s vital that you begin a fresh and open view of each student, and have no preconception of how they will behave which can prime your influence of them.  If you have an iPad, I would recommend purchasing iDoceo, an excellent app for managing seating plans, student data, calendars and an electronic planner.    

Prepare a seating plan 

Your seating plan must take into account the academic, behavioural, social, meotional and medical details of the students and maximise your classroom to make the most of the space you have. This may mean placing students into groups or separating them apart depending on their needs. A seating plan will assist in you in getting know the names of the students and their characters.

Read and understand the policies and procedures 

The majority of institutions have the school policies on their website or can be accessed via their secure staff area. Ensure that you are aware of the key policies such as child protection, behaviour, reward, uniform policy the and timings of the school day. This you can read up on in the days running up to the big day back.

Plan ahead 

Prepare all your lessons and lesson plans for the first week – this will reduce the amount of further preparation you need to do in your first week, with just tweaking of resources and activity plans and enable you to relax in the evenings. I would also recommend tat you have a medium and long term plan established so you are aware of where your day-today teaching fits into the big picture. Have your detailed lesson plans and lesson resources fully prepared for your first week. It is far better to sacrifice a couple of days over the holiday’s to elevate the pressure and workload on your during your first week.  

First impressions 

You want your students to feel confident in your ability, value your support and guidance and respect you.  The way you conduct yourself, dress, sound and your mannerisms in your first lessons are essential.  In 2005 Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book Blink, about the theory of thin slicing. Thin-slicing’ refers to the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behaviuor based on very narrow slices of experience. Your students will form an opinion of you within the first 30 seconds, we all do as a human trait when meeting someone for the first time. 
Argyle and Alkeman (1971) studied the impact of verbal and non-verbal communication and concluded that non-verbal signals, including pitch, and tone of voice had a bigger impact than the interpretation of the message itself. In a separate research by Apple, Streeter, and Krauss discovered that pitch and speed rate have a direct correlation to the honestly and potency of a speaker. Do consider both what you do, how you behave and the manner in which you perform these.  

Wellbeing 

Drink during the day; drink plenty. You will be on your feet talking for most of the day, which is tiring work; make sure you stay hydrated, water helps to maintain normal body function, reduce the causes of headache and migraines, and will increase your energy levels. Teachers are renowned for drinking tea and coffee during the day, this is for good reason, the fluid will keep you actively functioning and the caffeine is a welcome boost.  Eat well, during the day and when at home. Prepare evening meals in advance and freeze them, or get someone to cook for you, again this will reduce the amount of energy excursion you need to do during the evening. Make plans to see friends, play sports, go to the gym, or continue with your weekly socialising. Its important that you maintain a balanced work life balance and make a president of continuing to have a social life from the very start. 
Download an editable copy of my classroom rules here.
Establish routines and make your expectations explicit 

From the very first lesson, introduce yourself and explain succinctly your class expectations and rules, it is vital that you establish a productive and challenging working environment from the very start. 

Meet and greet students at the door, have a positive approach, start each day with a clean sheet,  and apply sanctions with care, consistency and fairness. I would advise against playing “getting to know you” games and activities, these can portray a sense of casualness. You will get to know the students with time; it does not need to happen in the first lesson, or few weeks for that matter. 
A fundamental part of establishing a diligent and effective learning environment is through reward and praise; your students need to feel they are valued for and their conscientious efforts are acknowledged.  Positive reinforcement and encouragement is a huge motivator, do prise manners, courtesy as well as achievement and work ethos.  

A document produced by Paul Dix titled Managing Behaviour Positively and Reducing Exclusion: A Checklist of Steps You Can Take, is a very good on e page document detailing techniques that should be adopted to promote 
virtuous conduct.
Complete one task at a time 
 
It is often said that women can multitask and men cannot. Regardless of gender focus on, and complete one task at a time, this will ensure you make progress in accomplishing your workload. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help or guidance 

Make sure that you ask, and seek the answers for all queries you have; its vital you are aware of your duties and how to go about them efficiently and effectively. 

Familiarise yourself with the school 

Know where the nearest toilets are, how to get to the staff room from your classroom, and where reprographics is or the nearest photocopier.  

Get there early

Photocopy and organise all your material and resources for the day, and prepare for your lessons ahead and take time to relax before the day ensues. This will also give you an opportunity to speak to other colleagues and seek any last minute advice and insights into your classes or teaching as a whole.

Finally its important to remember, you are not alone. The vast majority of staff will feel trepidation towards their first day back from the most experienced staff downwards, particularly after a long relaxing summer holiday. Every year there are new staff starting from Headteachers to NQT's all of whom will take time to settle in, as with any new start, seek support from your colleagues and embrace the start to a rewarding and continually enlightening career. 
References:

Gladwell, Malcolm (2005). Blink: The power of thinking without thinking. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Argyle, M., Alkema, F. & Gilmour, R. (1971). The communication of friendly and hostile attitudes by verbal and non-verbal signals. European Journal of Social Psychology, 1, 385-402

Apple, W., Streeter, L.A., Krauss, R.M. (1979). Effects of Pitch and Speech Rate on Personal Attributions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 715-727.

Ambady, N., & Rosenthal, R. (1993). Half a minute: Predicting teacher evaluations from thin slices of nonverbal behavior and physical attractiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 431-441.
]]><![CDATA[The PiXL Club – an introductory guide ]]>Fri, 21 Aug 2015 19:00:46 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/-the-pixl-club-an-introductory-guidePicture
What is the PiXL Club? 

The PiXL (Partners in Excellence) Club are a collaboration of over 1300 schools across the UK and abroad, who share a common goal to raise standards and inspire students, through purposeful and vibrant conferences, networks, training opportunities and sharing online resources. To join the club an annual subscription of just over £3000 is required, and this gives full access to the PiXL’s expertise and network. This cohesive approach has lead to significant improvement in headline figures.

PiXL was founded in 2008 by its current chair Sir John Rowling, a former teacher with 40 years teaching experience, 19 of which as a high performing Headteacher. The PiXL Club comprises, primary and secondary schools, as well as sixth form college’s, international schools, and PRU’s. 

PiXL's numerous acronyms include: 

RSL - Raising Standards Leaders
PLC - Personalised Learning Checklist 
(also called Covey Compelling Scoreboard)
WTM - Walking, Talking Mocks

QbQ - Question Behind the Question
DTT - Diagnosis, Therapy and Testing
AOPE - Aims, Objectives, Purpose, Evaluation
MAT - More Able and Talented Scheme
KPI - Key Performance Indicators

TRIP - Tough Realities Improvement Performance
PPEs - Pre Public Examinations

WIG - Wildly Important Goal
PAT - Progress and Attainment

MSiG - Marginal and Significant Improvements Group
 
The PiXL website is in essence a portal to booking courses and conferences, contains case studies and has a link to Huddle, a cloud based platform that contains all the shared resources for Maths, English, Science, History, and Geography. Additionally the website contain other useful material such as example PLC’s, motivational presentations, PPE’s and data tracking proformas. The most recent development is with a student website for English, Maths and Science, which contains interactive PLC’s for Maths and Science. 
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The PiXL Club aims to support the promotion of excellence for pupils. One of the strategic approach’s PiXL promote within every day teaching, is through effective use of data to sharpen the focus on the key gaps in students learning, and then the implementation of specific personalised intervention for each student to enhance standards. This is achieved through, what PiXL term DTT (diagnosis, therapy and testing) and is essentially a cohesive formalised AfL approach across a department and the whole school.

Students are given a PLC (Personalised Learning Checklist), which is a tracking sheet that contains the key content and skills objectives for a subject, which the students have to achieve. An example of a science PLC is available here. Students complete an assessment(s) or tasks termed knowledge tests to ascertain the extent of their knowledge and understanding, this is the diagnosis aspect. With reference to the PLC students will be given specific guidance, teaching and questions to complete. This is the therapy component and is the intervention stage, which I’ve personally found is most effective when integrated into lessons, or personalised homework, supported by parents throughout the year. 

Other therapy models include out of classroom hour sessions during lunchtime or after school, which are incentivised through refreshments, use of iPads and mobile devices, which can inaccessible during the school day through being booked out for other lessons, house points/merits in line with the schools reward policy or more tangible rewards such as gift vouchers, if a sustained degree of progression is demonstrated. One of the greatest advantages of holding out of hours sessions is that students have the opportunity to seek assistance from a range of teachers and specialists. They can work in groups who share similar difficulties, regardless of setting and year groups. The climate is more relaxed and highly focussed, and the students can choose how they learn, be it through a whole range of independent methods or a more teacher interactive approach. Therapy may also mean covering the topic again if the students have large gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions. 

When the students believe they have mastered the concepts they are given an assessment task (the final T, test). From experience I have found short and extended past paper questions the most suitable, as it can be levelled and directly corresponds to the subject specification and exam format. In order for the students to truly demonstrate they have achieved each objective, students must successfully complete the testing component of that object multiple times. The testing of which should be different questions but relate to the same objective. This indicates student have a very secure knowledge and understanding, as opposed to superficial recall over the short term. To make DTT successful, the students must buy into the principle and rationale. The PLC is a powerful mechanism for enabling the students to recognise their achievements over the short, medium and long term.

PiXL gives support and guidance on many other learning strategies, some of which are marginal, small improvement gain, others are more significant, and have a greater impact. The following are some examples:

  • Walking talking mocks, students guided through a mock paper explaining how to approach each answer, and how to answer it. There is a PiXL You Tube channel for these 
  • Collapsed timetable days to complete controlled assessments, extended pieces of work or in depth study, weekend revision days or Easter school or sessions during half term
  • 1:1 targeted sessions 
  • Sharing of strong teaching and learning practice and expertise from across the school and local area, through teacher professional development, 
  • Focusing on exam technique 
  • Effective use of student achievement targets in staff Appraisals, 
  • Investment in a data expertise team and a RSL (Raising Standards Leaders), 
  • Use of fine level grading 
  • Making mock feel real - followed up with student specific targets and creation of the results day
  • 7:30 exam warm up sessions – pre-exam session to remind students of the key components of the exam and format  
  • Visible leadership as motivators, a celebrators of success, enforcers of standards and expectations and advocate of achievement through dedication, perseverance, and determination 
  • Getting the exam room right – nothing is left to chance, students to be fully aware of the exam duration and behavioural expectations 
  • Communicate the strategy with parents – essential for forming a supportive community of positive achievement
  • Instilling and reinforcing a strong sense of moral purpose across all staff
  • Study residentials, specifically for English and Maths
  • Strategic and tactical KS4 curriculum offer
  • Effective tracking system for every measure (5ACEM, PP, 3+LOP, 4+LOP, Progress 8)
  • Using volunteers to support – local universities, former students to share experiences, businesses, local professionals
  • Internal exams in all year groups – particularly important in light of the removal of modular exams, and the need for students to prepare for lengthy terminal examinations
  • Master photo board to track headline progress of students – communicating to the staff the vulnerable students in terms of achievement 
  • Pizza revision classes – evening revision sessions with refreshments
  • Parent revision support sessions – demonstrating to parents what we provide to the students to revise, what material and techniques are available and how they can support the revision process at home 
  • Providing refreshments before the exam – free water and fruit given to the students 
  • Exam dates in students phones – ensures students are fully aware when each exam is, the duration and the topic (Google Calendar is very good for this). 
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PiXL are leading the way for a whole school consistent approach to enhancing achievement, by identifying marginal and significant levers to improve individual attainment, data driven with a huge array of strategies and collaborative approaches involving students, parents and teachers. PiXL have produced case studies on how to implement the more complex (core) and involved strategies, along with an indication of the impact each one has. All of which has shown positive results within their member institutions.

Recommendations are to focus on two or three high impact core strategies, and then build in the marginal gains when the high impact approaches have been fully established, and implemented. 

There is a huge array of items that can be implemented to improve outcomes, and the above is only a selection, and a brief overview, none of which is revolutionary by itself, or novel by any means, but consistently implemented can lead to success. With the radically new educational reform upon us, schools need to provide students with the maximum support they can, through an ethos of “we will succeed together”, to assist them through a more  rigorous curriculum, which unfortunately does not meet the needs of the 21st century learner or society. 

]]><![CDATA[Surviving and enjoying your first year - advice for NQT's]]>Tue, 18 Aug 2015 23:39:27 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/surviving-and-enjoying-your-first-year-advice-for-nqtsPicture
You will have no doubt of heard countless horror stories about teaching during your training, and been given advice such as, don't smile before Christmas, and shouting is the best method of classroom management, as is shows you are in control and will frighten the student into working. Neither of these are true or should be endorsed. 

The following are snippets of advice I would give to new teachers entering the profession that will enable you to progress towards becoming the best teacher you can, and enjoy your chosen career choice. I truly believe teaching is one of the most rewarding vocations that exists, students will surprise you every day with their outlook on life and conceptions. It is a profession that will keep you young, challenge you every day, and make you smile. 
1. Pedagogy practice  - approach all new theories and school initiatives with an open mind. Staffrooms are full of cynical folk who emanate negativity towards anything new. Form your own opinion based upon your experiences an practice

2. Become involved in the school community – make a point of introducing yourself to the staff, visit the staff room regularly. All too often staff huddle in their own areas and it’s too easy to just converse with your department. Join the staff sports teams, go for a drink after work on Friday with your colleagues, they will become your closest allies and friends. Volunteer to assist with clubs and trips, get to know the students who you don’t teach, one day you may, and these relationships are invaluable. 
 
3. Cherish the positives – keep all cards, gifts, letters of thanks from parents, staff and SLT and tokens of appreciations close by. This will remind you that you are making a difference, you are valued, and what can seem like a thankless vocation at times is worthwhile and highly important. 

4. Be tidy, be organised – having a clean and tidy learning environment portrays a sense of pride and care. A classroom with visual and captivating displays, not only provides stimulation for the students but instills a positive learning purpose. Ensure all graffiti and vandalism is removed and fixed, the broken window theory is very relevant to teaching, and if left will only encourage more undesirable conduct. Make good use of your planner, make notes from every meeting you attend you will be bombarded with information of a daily basis. 

5. Accept you will sometimes be wrong – Making the odd faux pas is inevitable. Never hide this, its important to accept your error, as it will demonstrate you are only human and reasonable, and will be beneficial, enabling you to build professional relationships with your students. With that said don't make it a frequent occurrence!
Respect is built through fairness, positivity, warmth, expertise and an ability to inspire and motivate. 
6. Plan, PLAN! – one of the single most determining factor into the success of a lesson is planning. Ensure you prepare engaging, challenging and exciting lessons; this is how you develop your reputation. Plan for progress, stretching and supporting all students. Initially plan a sequence of lessons together, so if the students complete all the set work for your intended lesson, you will have back up and extension work. You will hear staff saying I’m going to or winged that lesson, by that they mean they used the resources and plans that they have built up over years of experience.  We’ve all been there trying to fill in and adlib for the final 10 minutes, praying for that bell to ring.

Planning will consume the majority of your first year of teaching, but pays off in future years when you will have a bank of resources to use. The 5 minute lesson plan by @teachertoolkit (https://www.5minutelessonplan.co.uk) is useful, although will take longer than 5 minutes to complete initially. It will come into its own towards the end of your training when you are able to refine your planning process, summarizing the key components. Ensure you seek advice and guidance from other staff when planning, you are not alone. 

7. Develop your own style – be yourself, watch others, learn from them, but go with your strengths and your true personality when teaching. It is important to be in your comfort zone whilst teaching, you are being observed by 30 students every hour. You will meet and observe staff who are highly extravert and extremely exuberant; some will sing to their classes, and are very captivating. It takes a certain person to carry this off, it this is you great, if not be cautions it can end in embarrassment. Be the teacher you are. 
8. Unplug and switch off – it can feel as if the working day is never over, there will always be more books to mark, more lessons to plan, more resources to prepare and more emails to answer. You must have a life, learn to say “That’s it, I’m finished for the day”. A healthy well-being and varied interests outside of work makes you more productive, efficient and an interesting person.   
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9. Create a physical learning toolbox – simple items that you can deploy, either planned or on the spur of the moment, to enhance engagement or change the pace and learning climate are advantageous.  Examples are, Post It Notes (http://goo.gl/tiHvqm), Lego (hundreds of uses), game show buzzers, brilliant for quick competitive group questioning (http://goo.gl/GWPtPp), balloons, Show Me Boards, coloured card, a ball or fluffy animal to use as a throwable question picker, fly swatters use for splat, a stop clock for timing activities, reward stickers. Many more you will build up over the year. Become a frequent visiter to the The Pound Shop, there are so many items that can be adopted into your teaching.  

10. Don’t feel you need to reinvent the wheel – your time is limited and valuable, and although producing all your own resources is commendable, adopt, tweak and build upon what is available.  There is a huge amount of resources out there to assist you, such as The TES Resources website, which is the first port of call for many teachers. There are thousands of teachers with websites that contain excellent resources, bookmark the best and refer back to them frequently.  Amjad Ali (@ASTsupportAAli) has a fantastic website containing hundreds of useful teaching and learning activities and ideas http://cheneyagilitytoolkit.blogspot.co.uk, so does Danielle Kohlman’s Magpie and Try website http://magpieandtry.blogspot.co.uk. Don't reinvent perfect!

11. Observe others regularly – use your protected non-contact time to watch other staff teach, from within your department and across the school. Everyday there will be outstanding lessons delivered, by excellent practitioners, observe this, gather as many tips, techniques and strategies as you can. Watch drama, music and science teachers to see how they manage group work and students moving around the class. Watch history and RS teachers to see how they manage discussions, and English and mathematics teachers to gain experience of delivering and enhancing literacy and numeracy.  

12. Value and maximize support staff – Use teaching assistants to your full advantage, get to know them, incorporate them in your planning process, they are an extra set of eyes and ears and will take guidance from you. Give them an indication of what will be covered in the next lesson, via your lesson plan or a conversation.
Technicians are priceless; from a science teacher’s point of view they are the font of all knowledge, and the foundations of the department, possessing a huge amount of knowledge and experience. Seek their opinion, tap into their wisdom, and ask them to show how to carry out practical’s correctly and safely.    
13. Keep learning – this applies to both your subject knowledge and classroom practice. In your initial stages of your teaching career your personal focus should be on your subject knowledge. There will be whole school training on BfL, AfL, differentiation, marking, feedback and many more. You are to some extent, left alone to develop you own understanding of your chosen subject. Take time to read up on your subject as part of your planning. Subject knowledge is key to becoming an established practitioner, ensure you are the expert in your field. Complete past papers yourself under exam conditions, this will give you a huge insight into what the students are going through, the marking criteria and your level of competence. 

Attend TeacherMeet sessions, these are free CPD session organized by current teachers for teachers across the country within region (either a city or county) to share teaching ideas and practices, all of which are free. In some cases you will even walk away with a goody bag!! Sign up, you will walk away inspired. 
14. Use social media with moderation - social media such as Twitter has been a revolution to teaching. Each day I find new and exciting methods and resources to use. It extends your access to guidance, enables you to build a network of like minded professionals sharing resources and ideas. Find and follow teachers in your subject, but a word of caution, don't latch onto everything you read, there are thousands of wonderful techniques tweeted each day, you cannot incorporate all of them into your lessons. This is a list of 101 top teachers to follow on twitter.  http://goo.gl/3lpSrw. #NQTAdvice is a useful port of call.
 
15. Use technology - technology will never replace teachers or be a substitute for them, but teachers which use technology effectively will replace teachers who cannot. Students relate well to digital technologies and use them everyday, we all do. Your Year 11's will be younger than iTunes, and have grown up with mobile devices and social media. Used well it saves a huge amount of time, engages students, and prepares them for careers in a rapidly advancing technological society. 

16. Go armed with a seating plan - a seating plan will enable you to learn the names of your students quickly, and  ensure you establish a productive learning environment. You must have the latest in-depth data of each student when composing your plan, so you can separate undesirable combinations of students, are aware of SEND considerations and academic data so you know how to pitch your lessons. A seating plan is the most fundamental tool in the behaviour for learning toolbox. Do not let students sit where they want; you are in control of the class, you decide where students sit based upon the most effective learning arrangement. Make it clear to the students from the very start, that you reserve the right to move any student, at anytime if you deem them are not working effectively. 

17. Be enthusiastic, be positive, be passionate – times will be hard, you may feel that there is no end to the demands of you, but the gusto for what you do is paramount. Your optimistic zeal will spread resonance, priming good feeling within the students you teach. By creating a reservoir of positivity that frees the best in your students, inspires, and arouses a passion within them, will enable you to be successful in ensuring they fulfil their potential, and enjoy the experiences within the lessons. 
]]><![CDATA[Poll Everywhere]]>Mon, 16 Jun 2014 23:55:37 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/poll-everywherePicture
Poll Everywhere is an audience response system designed for mobile phone and table use through the web, twitter and text messages. 

Poll Everywhere can be used to gauge the level of understanding of the students in your class through real time individual responses, in addition to a useful alternative tool, for enabling the whole class to answer the same questions. Polls, or questions can be set up in PowerPoint of Keynote where students response via their mobile device, the response is instantly displayed on the poll. 
An alternative to setting questions is through an open ended word cloud where students can post their questions or thoughts during the lesson. All the comments are displayed on the board and can be addressed throughout the lesson by the teacher or the students supporting each other.

I have found Poll Everywhere particularly effective as a brain storming activity again using the open ended format. Students them post their ideas and thoughts which are again displayed in real time, which facilitates the most timid of students to response and submit a response. 

The video opposite is a short how to guide of how to set up and run a Poll. 
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]]><![CDATA[Augmented Reality]]>Sat, 22 Feb 2014 02:11:15 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/augmented-realityPicture
In the future it seems as if we are going to be moving away from information contained within a mobile device such as a smart phone to information displayed in the real world. This technology is termed augmented reality and was first introduced on a global scale in the movie Minority Report where Tom Cruise interacted with information on a virtual screen in, what at the time was a unique way. The inventor of this interface in the movie John Underkoffler who gave a truly captivating presented at TED in 2010, which is included at the bottom of this page. 


Augmented has the potential to change the way we access information in our everyday lives and has huge potential within education, with the use of mobile devices to display information and deliver activities. 
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Head mounted augmented reality hardware is not a new concept but has become more well known in recent months with the development of Google Glass, the wearable computer with a head-mounted optical display. 

Augmented reality apps have been on the market for some time such as Word Lens, which translates text through the phones camera. By simply holding the camera up to a piece of text such as a menu and the app will translate all the text overlaying it onto of the original. Word Lens is still one of the most effective apps for modern foreign language translation. 

A similar app is Pocket Tutor Math, which recognizes simple arithmetic and will calculate the answer and can even mark your calculations for you. 

Augment

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Augment was an app originally created for interior design by enabling homeowners to place virtual furniture around your home to find the best location.

I created some 3D images using Google Sketch Up, initially simple shapes and then molecular models, which I uploaded onto the Augment website to use a teaching tool with their free app.  The aim was to enable my A-level chemistry students to visualize and explore the six shapes of molecules, which is a difficult task without being able to see and manipulate the molecules. The application of augmented reality in this context allows the students to revise and study the shapes anywhere they choose without the eliminating the issue of accessibility to physical molecules. 

By scanning a tracker with the app, which is an image that is assigned to the molecule, that can be a picture or QR code, the object will appear in front of you. It can then be manipulated such as rotated, enlarged and flipped by touching the screen of the smart phone or tablet. This allows students to investigate the number of lone pairs, bonding pairs and bond angles of each molecular shape, and with one marker card and a smart phone to have all six molecule shapes in their pocket. The video below shows how the 3D images are viewed. 
Shapes of Molecules
File Size: 182 kb
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Cube Marker
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I've included below other examples of augmented reality apps that are useful in the education, the majority of which are related to science. 

I first heard about augmented reality after a SSAT conferences some years ago, where I was shown a demo of the internal organs by AR Learn. By placing a marker card on your chest and holding it up to a webcam through the AR Learning website the organs appear.  This is a really powerful application of augmented reality and allows the internal organs to be viewed close up and in the correct position within the body. 

AR Learn. http://www.arlearning.co.uk/#home
AR Learn Biology Marker
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Sponholtz Productions - molecular modelling

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Sponholtz Productions uses a webcam to scan a tracker to show 3D molecules. The tracker can also be downloaded from the website.  http://sponholtzproductions.com/3d/






The Brain AR App by Harmony Internet Limited

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This app explores the human brain in layers. This app is more of a mimic than having a strong educational value, but does generate questions and enquiry of the anatomy of the brain.  
3D Brain
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Anatomy 4D by Daqri

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Scan the marker and view the different human body systems. This is a useful tool for Key Stage 3 through to 5 for students to look at each organ system.
Anatomy 4D.pdf
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]]><![CDATA[Google Countdown Timer]]>Fri, 21 Feb 2014 21:33:36 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/google-timerPicture
This feature has just returned to Google desktop. The countdown timer can be used to time any number of classroom activities and is always a useful tool. 

Simply type in timer followed by the duration required;  on pressing enter the countdown will begin. At the end of the time an alarm will sound. 
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]]><![CDATA[Lyric Sequencing]]>Wed, 19 Feb 2014 22:11:54 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/music-lyric-sequencingPicture
This activity can be used as behaviour for learning (BfL) activity to relax students at the start of the lesson and get them into learning mode, a literacy exercise where students have to highlight nouns, pronouns, verbs, transitive verbs, adjectives etc. The activity also enhances listening skills and is particularly effective for EAL students. Finally is can be used as the introduction and foundations of a lesson, where the basic lesson content is delivered through a song. 

Cut out each line of the lyrics, the students then have to place them in the correct sequence on hearing the song. This requires complete focus and silence and is most effective as a paired activity. The activity can be applied to any song, but I recommend that is has a low tempo as it has a calming affect on the students and they will need to find each line of the song before the next one is sung.  

They Might Be Giants the, '90's band of Birdhouse in Your Soul fame have produced many songs which are education related, their album and DVD Here Comes Science is an excellent resources and contains 19 tracks on various science topics which make really useful starters. 

I've included some of the tracks I've used many times which has had positive outcomes below. Songs that the students are not fully familiar with work best as they are then forced to listen intently to the track as opposed to just using their memory to complete the sequence. 
Meet the Elements - They Might Be Giants
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Close To Me - Kaki King
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Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner
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Chasing Cars - Snow patrol
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Titanium - Madilyn Bailey. Low tempo
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ROY G. BIV - They Might Be Giants
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]]><![CDATA[Marking & Feedback Stickers]]>Mon, 17 Feb 2014 22:19:25 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/marking-feedback-stickersPicture
A collection of stickers to provide praise to students and used as marking feedback. the stickers range from plaster format to highlight fundamental errors in work which can be easily corrected (as devised by Mike Beavis) to blue and green iPhone-esque speech bubbles used to establish student-teacher dialogue. Also included are SOLO stickers which are placed on students work to indicate their level of thinking and learning.  


Most of the stickers are composed in Microsoft Word rather than publisher so are Mac compatible and can be easily customised for individual use. The majority of the stickers are in 3 x 7 format, which can be printed onto L7160 sticker paper. 

I give scientist Merit stickers (Publisher) to my students for excellent work and they have to collect all 25 to gain a commendation certificate. Each famous scientist has a different message of praise, a selection are shown below and they are available for download, along with all my other feedback stickers here.
SOLO Levels
File Size: 540 kb
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iPhone Feedback Bubbles
File Size: 99 kb
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What Went Well Stickers
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Plaster Stickers
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]]><![CDATA[Differentiation Strategy #5 - Post-it Starter]]>Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:35:15 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/differentiation-stratagy-3-post-it-starterPicture
Using the template below questions are printed out onto Post-it Notes. The colour of the Post-it Note corresponds to the level of difficulty of the question.

The Post-it Notes are then placed onto the desk of each student before they enter the room; the students then have to answer their question as their starter activity. Post-it Note starters enables the teacher to differentiate the question each student receives to challenge them, but at the same time make it achievable. I use the five different colours of Post-it Notes for five levels of difficulty. 
Post-it Template 3x3.docx
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Post-it Note 1x3 Template.docx
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]]><![CDATA[Entry & Exit Cards]]>Thu, 06 Feb 2014 23:56:14 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/entry-exit-cardsPicture
Entry and exit cards are effective in measuring the amount of progress a student makes during a lesson by both, the teacher and the student. For the teacher walking around and seeing what each students writes down is useful for informing and differentiating the learning for that lesson. 

When the students come into the room they are handed an entry card, which can be structured like the Boarding Cards or open ended like the iPhone cards. With the lesson objectives shown on the board the students have to write down everything they know about this topic. This can be key words, phrases or descriptive information. This information will then serve as a bench mark to measure learning against, and is useful when used in combination with SOLO. 

At the end, or at a intermediate plenary session during the lesson the students are given the exit card to complete. This activity does work well and the students are clearly able to see their progression during the lesson. At the end of the lesson I collect in both the entry and exit cards (they are usually printed back-to-back on card) and hand them out again the following lesson as the students enter the room as a reminder of the level they were working at last lesson. 
Boarding Departure Cards
File Size: 3226 kb
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iPhone 3Gs Cards
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Entry Exit Card
File Size: 199 kb
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iPhone 5s Exit Card
File Size: 433 kb
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]]><![CDATA[Thinking Skills Starters]]>Sun, 02 Feb 2014 23:06:54 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/thinking-skills-startersPicture
At the start of each lesson I place a thinking task on the board for my students to answer. This starts the lesson off with a challenging but fun task and gets them in the correct frame of mind for learning. The tasks vary from lateral thinking, memory, mathematical and literacy questions. The website skoolio.co.uk contains hundreds of Brainteasers of varying difficulties and are also good to get any lesson off to a positive start where students have to apply System 2 thinking as described by the Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman in his book Thinking Fast and Slow. System 1 thinking is quick and automatic and requires little or no effort, while System 2 thinking is required to solve complex problems of mental tasks. 

I've produced several PowerPoint presentations over the years with questions to challenge students thinking which are available from my GoogleDrive. Other activities such as Thunks are also good at getting students in the deep thinking zone!
Lateral Thinking Questions.ppt
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File Type: ppt
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]]><![CDATA[Pot Black - Learning through Games]]>Sat, 25 Jan 2014 21:33:58 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/pot-black-learning-through-games
Pot Black.pdf
File Size: 132 kb
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Part of the series of learning through games activities. Print off the snooker table and laminate. Prepare 21 differentiated questions from grades E to A* on a topic to correspond to each ball. These questions can be compiled over a sequence of lessons from the content covered. 

In small groups students compete with each other to accumulate the highest score by potting (answering) the balls (questions) using the rules of snooker. The person at the end of the game with the highest score is the winner. 

This activity requires tactics as choosing as the higher coloured balls requires a harder questions to be answered correctly, so students may opt to choose the lowering scoring balls to extend their go and maximse their score The game also enhances mathematics skills by the students having to use mental arithmetic to add up their score. 
]]><![CDATA[One Size Does Not Fit All - Intervention]]>Sat, 25 Jan 2014 11:57:24 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/one-size-does-not-fit-all-interventionPicture
Intervention refers to putting in place strategies to help students to rectify any underperformance as soon as it is identified through regular, short focussed guidance and support. The most effective intervention is led by the subject teacher who has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the student’s barriers to achievement and strategies they can focus on to improve their attainment. 



Common Barriers to Progress Include:

·       Low attendance 
·       Social difficulties- poor self-esteem, difficulty working with others, feeling stressed or anxious
·       Lack of academic aspiration
·       Large misconceptions
·       Lower progress as a result of inappropriate teaching methods, which don’t meet learning needs
·       Poor behaviour
·       Lack of challenge resulting in boredom and a lack of focus
·    Underdeveloped learning skills – features such as poor listening, easily distracted, problems grasping    cognitive needs in a whole class situation, poor literacy or mathematical skills

The diagram below highlights intervention strategies that can be implemented to enhance attainment, the majority of which can be employed during day-to-day teaching.  
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Characteristics of Effective Intervention

Struggling Students Benefit from Classroom Intervention Strategies that….

1. Include explicit, well-organized (systematic) instruction as well as opportunities to consolidate information;
2. Are provided in small-group or one-on-one formats;
3. Small timeframe provision on a regular basis
4. Provide extended opportunities for practice, including guided, independent, and cumulative practice with teacher feedback;
5. Are provided in addition to regular classroom practice;
6. Include continuous progress monitoring.

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Tier I – Classroom Interventions are designed for All Students, and they should reach approximately 80% of students
Tier 2 – Strategic Interventions should help Some Students, an additional 15% of students.
Tier 3 – Intensive Interventions should target A Minority of Students, 5% of students
Tier 4 – Extended Intervention will apply to a Few Students, approximately 2%

Intervention Strategies:

Oral Feedback
A suggested sequence for giving individual oral feedback in a planned review as intervention
  1. Plan feedback which is positive and specific
  2. Reinforce the value and importance of the pupils’ contribution
  3. Focus on recent learning objectives and learning outcomes in the context of pupil targets
  4. Give the pupil(s) time to reflect and respond
  5. Encourage the pupil(s) to ask questions to clarify their understanding of the progress they have made
  6. Identify and agree the most important next steps in learning and revise pupil targets if necessary
  7. Agree immediate and longer-term actions. Clarify when these will be reviewed, by whom, and what evidence will be sought 

Written Feedback:
In order to improve the quality of feedback there must be explicit expectations about it. Teachers need to explain to pupils that, in line with whole-school policy:

  1. Students receive feedback on their work periodically and selectively
  2. Feedback focused on key priorities [the learning objectives]
  3. Feedback identifies what they need to do to improve 
  4. Seeking help is an essential part of their learning and leads to useful discussion about ways of learning
  5. Feedback will require interactivity/action by the pupil
  6. All feedback needs to be positive and specific.
  7. Feedback is even better if linked to curriculum targets eg grade requirements.
  8. Taking the time over constructive comments reaps rewards with student performance. 
  9. Mark less to achieve more!!!

Target setting:
The purposes of target setting:

  1. To use sources of information, including attainment data, to focus plans on raising standards of pupil attainment.
  2. To ensure pupils’ prior attainment and achievement is built upon throughout the key stage.
  3. To identify and focus teaching on areas of underperformance.
  4. To actively support improved learning outcomes for underachieving groups of pupils.
  5. The majority of GCSE subjects have pre-published sheets to aid students with their revision, using curricular targets.
  6. Checklists can be created for all units of work and are helpful in reinforcing grade differences.
  7. Persistent use of revision booklets reinforces good revision habits in students
  8. Students need to be encouraged to set, and record, their own curricular targets.
  9. Students need to be given opportunities to self-assess their own coursework and make any amendments if required.
  10. It is vital that coursework pieces, once marked, are shared with the students so that they know how to improve on any future pieces

]]><![CDATA[Flipped Learning - turning traditional teaching on its head!]]>Sat, 25 Jan 2014 11:37:18 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/flipped-learning-turning-traditional-teaching-on-its-headPicture
The current model of teaching where students sit in rows facing a teacher who stands in front of white board dates back to the 19th century and the time of William Edward Forster. The teacher will spend a proportion of the lesson disseminating knowledge such as key terminology to the students, while they passively copy this down form the board. 

At the end of the lesson students are given their homework which usually consists of answering questions based upon principles covered in the lesson. The students may have not understood some of the concepts leaving them to go home and struggle to complete the homework assignments, unable to ask questions or work collaboratively with others. The results of which is demotivated and passive learners. Classroom practitioners and educational innovators are developing ways to personalise learning using new technologies and strategies that are tailored to the needs and the learning habits of the students. 21st century education must prepare students for their future in a rapidly changing world in careers that may not exist yet. The current education model cannot address these needs. 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/victorian_ britain/victorian_schools/
The flipped classroom is a model of learning where the knowledge component of the lessons are delivered outside of the classroom learning space using video or other modes of delivery and presentation. Class time is then freed up and dedicated to providing hands on learning, collaboration work with peers, and more time to address the individual needs of the students giving guidance and inspiring them. 
When I first read about flipped learning I felt inspired by a teaching method that could lead to more independent learning, collaboration work and give students more control of their education. There is no single model for flipped learning and is widely used to describe almost any class structure that provides pre-distributed lesson content followed by in-class exercises. The lesson is focused around applying concepts, giving feedback and puts more of the responsibility for learning on the shoulders of students placing them in the centre of learning process while giving them greater impetus to experiment and question. 

The flipped classroom is not just about watching videos before a lesson, yes videos are a useful tool, but they are not the only medium that can be used.

First Steps

When I started experimenting with a flipped classroom I began with giving the students access to my lesson PowerPoint presentation, summary notes which contained all the definitions of the key terminology and information about the topic along with learning outcomes and success criteria. The rationale for this was to gradually build up a routine in which the students prepared for each lesson at home, and the dissemination of knowledge such as key words would be eliminated from the lesson. I would ask each student to summarise in no more than 150 words the "pre-homework" and the lesson starter was used to check understanding through questioning from, and of the students. The students would then be arranged into differentiated groups, based upon their preferred learning style and their knowledge and understanding of the topic. These groups would change from lesson to lesson depending on how well the students mastered the principles and the type of activity they wanted to carry out to demonstrate their progress and attainment. In the majority of instances the students would choose which group they wanted to be part of (five in total) and effective teams collaboration groups soon built up. 

Placing students in small groups was, and is highly beneficial as the students in the groups as they usually share the same misconceptions and difficulties which can be addressed collectively, and they felt more confident in asking questions in smaller groups with students of the same ability. 

With time I began to develop and record my own videos in addition to using videos from You Tube. There are some very good clips which cover the general topic but I needed videos to be more specific to my lessons and the learning objectives so began to create my own. Initially these were very basic just my voice and freeware annotation software to draw diagrams. The key is for the videos to be short and precise, I found videos longer than 7 minutes the students seemed to loose interest. 

The tools needed to create your own videos are:

1. Annotation software such as Smoothdraw 4, Google Drawing (both of which are free) or ActivInspire which is the interactive white board software.
2. Screen capture software to film your computer screen. I use Camtasia which also allows you to edit the videos you make but has a one off payment. Free software such as Screencast-O-Matic, Jing, and Explain Everything, Show Me and Educreation for the iPad are equally as good and free. Expain Everything and Educreation have the ability to record your voice as you speak and import pictures to annotate.
3. A webcam is always useful to film yourself whilst recording the videos to personalise your productions and maintain the teacher-student connection
4. A microphone if you don't have one inbuilt with your webcam. These are now relatively inexpensive and connect via USB
5. A shared area such as the schools VLE or a Cloud storage drive such as GoogleDrive, Box, Dropbox or Copy for the students to access all the  videos, Powerpoint, worksheets etc. All of these are free and vary in the amount of storage they offer. 
Link to the Prezi presentation http://goo.gl/f14KXD
The main advantages of flipping a classroom are:

1. Students will never miss a lesson
2. Students are able to pause and rewind the "lesson" allowing them to process information at a pace appropriate to them
3. Increases student-student interaction
4. Changes classroom management
5. Enables real effective differentiation
6. Allows teachers to know their students better
7. Parents can become part of the model and support the learning on a daily basis
8. The learning is transparent
This video gives a precise explanation of what flipped learning is not. A common misconception is that flipped learning involves watching videos particularly from Khan Academy. Although this is a good place to start flipped learning is  more effective if the content is specifically aimed at the needs of the students and addresses your learning objectives and are created by you so there is still the students teacher connection. 

The amount of time recuperated during my lessons by flipping has been invaluable. I have vastly more time to converse with the students assessing their understand in addition to assisting them. Flipping has also built up a more productive climate for learning where students are responsible fort their learning, and are at the centre of the learning process.   
]]><![CDATA[Liquid Chalk]]>Thu, 23 Jan 2014 00:44:23 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/liquid-chalkPicture
Used as a creative task for students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in a fun way. The pen can be picked up from most stationary stores or internet auction sites and come in a variety of fluorescent colours. 

Students really enjoy writing on the windows and the activity can be used to summarise a topic, a plenary exercise, used for small group teaching as an additional white board, and an opportunity for students to enhance literacy.
]]><![CDATA[Giant Chalk ]]>Sun, 19 Jan 2014 20:11:37 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/giant-chalkPicture
Giant chalk puts the fun into mind mapping, drawing annotated diagrams such as cells in science and allows students to display their creativity. A tub of 15 pieces can be picked for about £1.00 form discount stores. 

Give the students a selection of 5 different colours of chalk and an area outside on the concrete. In small groups they have to produce a piece of art work to demonstrate their understanding of a particular concept or topic. 




]]><![CDATA[App of the Month - January]]>Wed, 15 Jan 2014 00:32:45 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/app-of-the-month-januaryPicture
Quizlet. From a learning point of view this is one of the best app I've come across in a long, long time. It's comparable for all types of mobile devices and accessible as a desktop version. The app is fantastic at engaging students into learning key terminology and enhancing their literacy skills. 

Simply type in a term and the corresponding definition, which is the saved under a topic title of your choice. By pressing on either term or definition Quizlet will speak the phrase back to you in a human manner. This enables students to hear the correct pronunciation for complex terminology. 

There are different activities that can then be undertaken from flashcards, to speller where students spell the key word from either reading the definition or hearing it being said. 


Scatter is an activity where you have to match up the word to the meaning by pressing the matching pairs against the clock, and finally test, which Quizlet automatically generates a series of written and multiple choice questions. The scores of all the activities are feedback to the teacher and the student, eliminating the need for marking! 

You are able to create a class and then assign students to and set as a homework activity. There are currently thousands of different quizzes already available, which can be found by searching, or simply build up your own Quizlet during the teaching of a topic as and when new terminology appears. 

The app is so simple to navigate and intuitive to use, Quizlet is brilliant tool for all key stages and engages the students through fun activities which will improve spelling and understanding of key terminology.  

http://quizlet.com
]]><![CDATA[Key Words Scrabble]]>Mon, 06 Jan 2014 23:56:13 GMThttps://www.innovativeeducation.org/blog/key-words-scrabblePicture
Key Words Scrabble - revision or equally a starter or plenary activity. Students have to make as many words as they can from the Scrabble letters given using each letter only once. 

I have printed these sheets onto A3 paper and have them laminated so the students can cross off the letters they have used. The activity is good as enhancing both literacy and mathematical skills. 



The activity can be completed in small groups or individually and a time limit can be given for added pressure!
Key Word Scrabble.pdf
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