Skip to main content

Update, SPC, South Africa, Primary Challenge....

Well yet again it's been a while since my last posting! Events have been very rapid lately so I thought I'd just update. I've just got back from the GA SPC meeting in London. It was food to see a few faces again! It is clear that the issue of fieldwork and assessment at GCSE and A'Level is a major issue. I am wondering if a model based on the GCSE Art examinations may yield an acceptable solution? Perhaps pupils could design a research task, undertake the primary data collection and then develop a written response during a longer exam, say 5-10 hours? What do others think?

South Africa Link

A lot of my time recently has been devoted to this. I have been very frustrated with the lack of progress. After evaluation this has been down to a number of factors including failing to agree specific targets to work towards! However, this will soon be rectified as the first reciprocal visit starts a week today. The main aim is to ensure that we have a number of targets and agreed points to share work. It will be vital to agree how to share this information also.

One key issue has been the difference in technology and skills between the UK and South Africa. I am hoping to address this by training the visitors. The initial Blog idea is still viable, but we will need to arrange a structure to work to.

This whole experience so far has taught me to ensure that agreed and realistic targets are present at all stages of a project!

Primary Challenge

It is great news that the Geography department of PCS has been working with Year 6 pupils at Red Barn Primary School. I have been very impressed with the amount of independence shown by the Year 6 pupils. I will post in more detail about this, including the structure and activities, when we have completed the project and evaluated the outcomes.

AST

A new development is that I have been going through the process of applying to become an AST. I am pleased to report that I have successfully navigated past the application form stage of the procedure and am now awaiting an assessment date. In the meantime I am busy creating the portfolio of evidence needed to support my application!

On top of the above it is also DofE expedition time and I will soon be waist deep in examination papers as I am marking the Avery Hill paper 4 again this year! I am also helping to develop fieldwork opportunites or next year that include a trip to the Dorset coast and a river study.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

High Impact, Low effort

This month is the start of the #29daysofwriting challenge.  I enjoyed this last year and will be using my Staffrm account to post.  I'll also be reporting here, both to give a little more detail and to keep a log of what I have written. The challenge developed a great sense of community last year, which is why I'm choosing to write on Staffrm. What I would say to those who are new to writing or don't want to run out of ideas is: Write for yourself. Clarify an idea, write something out loud. The process of distilling thoughts into writing is immensely beneficial to your practice. If other read, comment and respond, that's a bonus. Ignore the muppets who know nothing of your context, style or students. Mix it up - I like to read about real stuff from real classrooms and schools and also about other stuff.  If we always write about school, how does that work for workload? If you've nothing nice to say, don't say it. So, the following has been 
5 comments
Read more

What makes a learning experience profound? Personal reflections and possible implications for classroom practice.

I have recently begun a Leadership Pathways journey.  As part of the first core day, we were asked to reflect on a profound learning experience. This got me thinking about how many profound learning experiences I have both been involved in, and how many I have been able to give to others.  Our group came up with a huge long list, but these are my five. Emotional Connected Demanding Reflective Collaborative As always, these are personal thoughts and quite mixed up.  I put them here so that I can look back on them (plus they’d get lost inside my world-cup-free brain) 1. Emotional I can’t think of a time where deep learning hasn’t engaged my emotions.  From being awe inspired to that tingle feeling when a student gets a light bulb moment.  From this-is-the-happiest-day-ever, to I-think-I’m-about-to die.  How often do we engage the emotions of those we teach?  Here, I would argue that having a safe learning environment is not always conducive to profound
4 comments
Read more

The danger of Teaching and Twitter conversations: poorly formed bipolar arguments.

Sometimes in life, there really are only two options.  Get the wrong one and you can look like a muppet.  Take this useful sign for the toilets in Morocco.  I successfully navigated it, choosing the right option.  The result? No egg on my face.  As a mountain leader, there are many right or wrong decisions that I’ve faced, as there are all over life.  It’s not a good idea to let inexperienced young people walk themselves down Snowdon.  They may die or be seriously injured.  If someone is showing the signs and symptoms of hyperthermia, you need to treat it fast in a specified way.  There is no real arguing with this sign: Other options are less obvious.  Take this sign recently spotted near to where I live: Now, I wouldn’t consider sleeping in a bin.  However, faced with a sub-zero night, I could see the appeal.  The danger? Being tipped into one of those huge lorries with a compactor. (by the way, I only really considered all of this thanks to questions from my four year old boy).
1 comment
Read more