Category Archives: 2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding

Tennis and Mathematics

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The obvious mathematical concept involved in tennis would be counting. The scoring system in tennis is unusual as it doesn’t go up in units of one, or even units of the same amount. the follow picture depicts the different scoring options that could take place during one tennis game. As you can see, the first two scores (if won by the same person) go up in units of 15 (15-0, 30-0). However if the same person won the next point, one would presume it would be 45-0, however, due to the unusual scoring system, the new score would be 40-0.

http://mycodehere.blogspot.co.uk/2011_02_01_archive.html

http://mycodehere.blogspot.co.uk/2011_02_01_archive.html

Are there any deeper mathematical concepts embedded in the game of tennis?

Analysing statistics is a vital aspect for anybody involved in professional sport. Statistics can help players identify individual strengths and weaknesses and also the weaknesses of their opponents, which might inform their strategy and tactics for future matches. Percentages are the usual way of comparing players. In tennis, the typical statistics you see after each set include: first-serve percentage, service games won, break points saved, second-serve return points won, break points converted, unforced errors, forehand winners and so on.

 

 

MURRAY

http://www.changeovertennis.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/matchstatsmurraydjok.png

 

Before Andy Murray takes to the court to play a big semi-final against Djockovic, members of his training team will have analysed Djockovic’s match statistics from that specific tournament so see if they can identify any trends, likely predictions of play and any areas which are particularly weak so that Murray is stepping onto the court with informed information. This may not alter how Murray chooses to play, however if the match is not going as he would like, it would make sense that he would draw on the information he had been given to try and change up his tactics and play more aggressively to his opponents current weaknesses.

What about geometry?

Could tennis just be a problem of geometry? When playing a game of tennis, your aim is to win by the point by hitting the ball hard over the net, with spin, to a position where you opponent cannot return the ball. Is geometry involved in this process? In the path of the ball? The position of the player? The spin on the ball? It has been said by many commentators and some of the greats of the game that tennis is about controlling the middle of the court, cutting of angles and geometrical concepts support players in achieving this.

www.google.co.uk/tennisangles

www.google.co.uk/tennisangles

An attacking shot in tennis why relies on the play having a knowledge of angles is the angled approach shot. Hitting a short angled ball over the net forces your opponent forward, scooping up their return which should theoretically leave you with an easy volley to put away. You create a greater number of steeper angles when you step into the court and this forces your opponent to move around playing less confident and challenging returns. The following article discusses some of the geometric concepts in tennis further and provides some interesting food for thought for the next time you step out onto the tennis court.

Geometry and the Art of Tennis

What about the impact of top spin?

www.google.com/tennisbounce

www.google.com/tennisbounce

The ball bounce can greatly affect how an opponent returns your shot. Two properties which are involved in this process are Coefficient of restitution and Coefficient of kinetic friction. These two elements involve mathematical concepts such as ration, speed, distance and angles. The above diagram shows the bounce of a flat shot with no spin. The angle of incidence is approximately equal to the angle of reflection. This means the angle at which the balls impacts the ground and which the ball leaves the ground are almost the same. The ball slows down after it bounces due to the impact when hitting the surface.

www.google.co.uk/tennisbouncespin

www.google.co.uk/tennisbouncespin

The diagram above shows that when a ball is hit with top spin the angle of reflection is lower than the angle of incidence. The ball is not affected by the friction when impacting the surface of the court and the forward spin pushes the ball forward with greater speed after it bounces.

The following link is great for describing the effect different spins have on the ball bounce and how the different spins change the velocity, speed and direction of the ball.

The Physics of tennis 

 

Learn for Life – Our new curriculum!

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Mindmap of our new curriculum

Mind-map of our new curriculum

In our education studies lectures, we have been have been looking at the education policies of the different political parties. We were then posed the question “If you could scrap curriculum for excellence and make up an entirely new curriculum, what would it be?” and additionally “Why have you come up with the curriculum you have chosen? What are the incentives, the morals and the underpinning values and missions behind it?”

During our discussion, a main point that was widely agreed on was the introduction of ‘Life Skills’ into the curriculum. By this we mean: Cooking, Health and Safety, First Aid, Animal care, Environmental care and Parenting Skills. Now I know the latter point is a contentious one. We understand that this is a delicate issue however, we educate our children about sexual health, alcohol and drug abuse and in doing so, we are not encouraging the behaviour associated with these things. We are exposing the dangers and the negative effects being involved in these activities could cause. With the teenage birth rate in the UK at 37.7% per 1000 population in (NHS, Information Services Division, 2013) there is a need to make teenagers and young people aware of the demands and skills required for parenting. The emphasis on sexual health and family planning will of course be a priority in the delivery of health and wellbeing section of the curriculum.

Another element that we were all keen to introduce was ‘Moral Skills’. We think it is extremely important to instill respect, kindness and generosity in our pupils. We want pupils to have firm and respectful relationships built within the community and work together to provide good public services to support people who are in less-fortunate positions. It was suggested that children could be regularly involved in volunteering with local charities and homeless shelters within the community. Classes and year groups could work on projects throughout the year to help raise money or awareness for things they feel strongly about in the community. The idea is that these projects would be student initiated and student led. They should feel a strong sense of independence and have the majority of control in order to work together to achieve something great.

We highlighted team building and school trips as a brilliant opportunity to introduce more outdoor and active learning experiences. No matter the weather, we want children to have hands-on educational experiences outside, working together to problem-solve, overcome challenges and develop real-life skills. I discussed the benefits of outdoor learning in a previous blog post about education in Sweden, and I feel passionate about bringing the attitudes and values towards outdoor learning into the Scottish curriculum. Children rarely get the opportunity within school to go to outdoor learning facilities and take part in air obstacle courses, abseiling, water sports and team building challenges and if they do, it is once and year and considered to be a luxury or reward. Why should it be like this? The learning experiences that children leave with after trips like this are rich, varied and can be applied in their day to day lives.

We decided that we would maintain all of the curricular areas, however there would be major adjustment to the topics being taught and the relevance of learning. We want children to be educated about things that will help them to live their lives when they leave school.  I believe we are still teaching children topics that were being taught in the 1970’s. Although the introduction of technology changes the way children are taught, the basis and reasoning behind these topics being taught is still the same. We discussed Maths as being a topic which is essential to daily life. However, in schools we do not use maths in a way which helps children develop the mathematics skills needed once they leave school. Children are not educated in budgeting, mortgages, loans and interest and even if they are, it is out of a textbook,not from real-life examples. Children are not encouraged to make the connection between the importance of school maths and the maths they deal with in their personal lives. This is a gap that our curriculum would aim to focus on.

The final area we discussed was ‘Work Experience’. One member of the group brought up a very important point. At 17/18, the majority of students apply to go to university to specialise in a subject or profession. This is a massive decision to make and most students only receive a 2- week work placement opportunity from their school to help them make their decision. We don’t believe this is enough. We want pupils to have the opportunity to take part in regular and varied work experience to introduce them to a variety of professions which they might be interested in. We want to build good connections and relationships with employers, apprenticeships and businesses in order to provide these opportunities. We thought that a morning or afternoon a week from 14 years of age would be extremely beneficial for students. It would build confidence, self-esteem, motivation and it would help many students who are unsure of the profession or subject they wish to study at university. Additionally, students who didn’t want to go on to further education would have a wealth of experience in difference areas which would help them to make an informed decision about  which career they wished to pursue.

After the discussion we reflected on what we had written and we could see that the connecting and underlying theme between all of our points was the notion of ‘learning for life’. We are educating our children so that they are prepared and ready to leave school and live successfully in the world. What they learn at school is relevant and helpful to what they will experience and need to know in the future. Our Learning for Life curriculum provides the foundation of knowledge that children and young people will need to flourish and be successful. There is no taboo about this curriculum, everything we do!! 🙂

 

Souces

NHS, (2013) Information Services Devision. Available at: ahttps://isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Sexual-Health/Publications/2015-07-07/2015-07-07-TeenPreg-Summary.pdf?21798342467 Accessed 30/10/2015

Modern Languages – Isolated or integrated approach?

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If I am honest, I have always felt more comfortable with the thought of a specialist language teacher delivering the modern language curriculum to my class. My justification for this was that these teachers have specialist knowledge and understanding of the language which would allow them to teach the language more effectively than I could. The children would then get an informed and specialist educated professional delivering the lessons and their learning experiences would be greater than what I could offer. I think this train of thought is encouraged by my lack of confidence in modern languages and the fear that I would teach something incorrectly.

After leaving my first Modern Languages tutorial, I was surprised at how much French I could actually remember from school and I was happy that I could follow most of the discussions. This tutorial gave us some brilliant teaching strategies for a beginners language class and the emphasis on ‘why these strategies were effective’ was really valuable. Some of these strategies were: repetition, voice modulation, clear and precise dictation (providing a good speech model), mime, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and games. It’s all good and well choosing a teaching strategy, but if you don’t know ‘why’ and ‘how’ it is going to help pupils learn and develop, then you will not be able to deliver your lesson effectively.

After some reading and research into the strategies used to develop a modern language (ML), I have been able to identify some criticisms of my initial ‘Isolated-approach’ method delivered by a specialist. As a result of a ML being taught by a language specialist, there is very little room for embedding modern languages into the curriculum as teachers wouldn’t have the knowledge or skills to provide cross-curricular learning experiences. There is also limited opportunity for children to learn the target language in meaningful contexts as all language learning would be restricted to small slot in the timetable.

“Pupils need to encounter, process and use new language in different, meaningful contexts in order for it to be embedded in their minds.” (McLachlan and Jones 2009)

As my understanding in this field has grown, I now consider a whole-school approach as being vital to the success and effective delivery of ML.  By this, I mean that class teachers have the support of their management team and other members of staff in promoting Modern Languages around the school and embedding it within daily routines. For example, this could be ML display boards in the school reception promoting welcoming phrases and increasing the status of languages for parents and visitors. Simple classroom routines such as the register, instructions, behaviour management and timetabling could be introduced in the target language. Welcome and introductions in assemblies could be done in the target language which would create a positive whole-school attitude towards ML.

“A clear and shared vision for the whole school’s present and future language provision will considerably enhance the initial classroom teaching.” (Hood and Tobutt, 2009)

This approach could be hindered by teacher’s lack of confidence in Modern Languages. Being able to provide cross-curricular learning experiences in the target language can be challenging and a daunting experience for members of staff and this could work against the integrated approach which schools are aiming for. A way in which schools could tackle this issue would be promoting professional development opportunities in Modern Languages. Schools need to give teachers the opportunity to develop their own knowledge and understanding of the languages being taught which would increase their confidence and would take a step in the right direction for embedding language in the whole curriculum. Another option would be to work with a Language Specialist, or another teacher who is particular competent in languages, to plan cross-curicular learning experiences and work through some lesson plans to ensure the class teacher felt secure in delivering them. Collaborating with other professionals is a valuable experience and one that allows you to share good practice, come up with new ideas and benefit from each other’s strengths.

An important point to consider when teaching a new language is, should my lessons be delivered only in the target language? Or, should I be using the english language to teach the new language? Teachers have differing views on this issue. Some say that the english helps to establish meaning in the target language and will prevent students from getting lost and de-motivated during lessons. Others say it doesn’t make sense to learn a new language by speaking your native tongue language. I fall in-between these two statements with a slight tendency to lean towards the latter. I do believe that children should be immersed in the target language and be able to develop the four language skills through this immersion. However, I agree that in the early stages of learning language, it is appropriate and often necessary to return to english to establish meaning, to cover tricky grammar rules and instructions and to check for your pupils’ understanding.

The video below is an interview with an experienced language teachers and she discusses her views on using the target language when teaching ML.

 

For my 2CM6 assignment, I am going to do further research into the use of singing, rhymes, games and story-telling to develop the target language. I want to develop my understanding of why and how teachers are slowing moving away from rote learning in ML acquisition to strategies which introduce Knowledge about language, language exploration and language comparisons.

References

Hood,P. and Tobutt, K. (2009) Modern languages in the primary school. London: SAGE Publications

McLachlan, A. and Jones, J. (2009) Primary languages in practice: a guide to teaching and learning. Maidenhead: Open University Press

I’m moving to Sweden! Part 1

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I left one of my recent lectures on comparative education ready to pack me and my son up and book the next flight to Sweden! Why? They have absolutely nailed early years education and after doing further reading and research, there is no doubt that I would love my son to experience pre-school life out there.

The pedagogy within pre-schools is built on the concept of experiential learning and developing the whole child. Social interaction plays a vital role in children’s development and the learning is based on interactions with each other as well as the adults and teachers involved in education. The pre-school environment is very welcoming for the children and very much resembles the home environment. There are sofas, game rooms, kitchens and the children even take their shoes off at the front door (that is one of my favourite bits – don’t you always feel more comfortable in a place where you can take off your shoes!). When children develop this sense of security, they are able to flourish and their development soars. The children also have the freedom to go and get a snack and drink when they need to without the permission of an adult (I’m not sure this aspect would work for my son as he would probably never be out of the kitchen! )

OUTDOOR LEARNING!!! And I don’t mean Scotland’s version of outdoor learning where we are outdoors until the first speck of rain falls and then it’s a rush back into the classroom because we can’t let the children get wet and drag their muddy boots back into the school!! Heaven forbid!! Pre-school education in Sweden is outdoors! The majority of the day is spent outside running through forests, climbing trees, playing by lakes, playing in parks, climbing hills and experiencing learning in a meaningful, hands-on context. The benefits of learning like this are HUGE! Children develop independence, awareness, self-esteem and resilience. The benefits really are endless. What do you think the answer would be if you asked a 4 year old what they were most proud of: learning how to decode and read the word cat, or finally managing to climb that big tree in the park? I bet it would be the big tree! They develop a massive sense of achievement when they finally have accomplished something which they have been attempting to do for ages! They develop intrinsic motivation and they learn about challenges in a real life context. They are doing exactly what 4-year olds should be doing! I hate it when I pick my son up from nursery and I see his clothes in the clean, pristine state they were in when I dropped him off 8 hours earlier. I’m one of those parents who would be overjoyed to see him with a muddy trouser leg and little rip in his jumper from playing in the bushes, or having to buy him a new pair of welly boots because he’d worn down the soles of his ones from playing outside all the time!

One of the notable differences between our education system and that of Sweden’s is the compulsory school starting age. In Sweden, children do not start school until they are 7. There is an emphasis on the freedom to play and for children to acquire their knowledge in a playful way without the pressure of formal education. By no way does this mean that children are not involved in meaningful learning experiences. The teachers have a very important role in observing, questioning and developing the children’s understanding of the activity they have chosen to do. Teachers work with the interests of the children to develop knowledge and extend their learning. By waiting until the age of 7 to start formal education, children have been involved and immersed in quality experiences and they have developed knowledge in real life contexts. This really supports the notion of waiting until the child is ready. When a child is not ready to learn, they will not learn. When a child is ready to learn, they will learn more, and then some.

I will be doing another post on Swedish Education which will discuss The National Curriculum, the goals of Swedish Edcuation and the implications for teachers. I just wanted to share with you my views on the Swedish system from a parent’s perspective! I just love it!

Maths Anxiety!

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I was diagnosed with ‘math anxiety’ when I was 13. Albeit, it was a self-diagnosis, the symptoms were severe and have left me fearing the topic. I struggled with maths in primary school and beyond; always being in the bottom set and not having the confidence to ask for help. I would absolutely hate being put on the spot by teachers when they would ask a question. I would panic, my chest would get tight and I would end up not even trying to work through the processes we had been taught to find the answer. I chose this elective in order to change this. I want this to be a fresh start and the beginning of my math’s journey. I want to find confidence and competence in the subject and be able to say that I truly enjoy maths by the end of this module. I believe that from having this negative maths experience in school, I will be able to be a better teacher of the subject. I know how it feels to be one who struggles to remember the correct formula to work out the circumference of a circle, or the one who forgets how to deal with inverted fractions. I will use this to ensure that I am a better practitioner, a better facilitator and a better supporter in the classroom for my pupils.

Maths AnxietyHow my anxiety works

In order to reduce my anxiety in maths, I need to revise fundamental maths topics. This revision approach will include online activities, academic reading, engaging with the online numeracy assessment and discussions with my peers about different learning/teaching approaches. I will repeat the maths anxiety mind-map at the end of this module and I hope to see a dramatic difference in my confidence and competence levels.

Can we teach ‘Reading for pleasure’?

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Reflecting upon today’s lecture, it has become clear that ‘Reading for pleasure’ cannot be taught. It is my role as a teacher to create a culture in my classroom that introduces, encourages and supports learners in embarking upon their reading journey. Personal preference plays a big role in this and it is vital that I take this into consideration when trying to encourage reading for pleasure. I can model my love of reading and make sure that I immerse myself in children’s literature to ensure that I have sound knowledge of the books my pupils might be interested in. I need to have an open attitude to the types of literature and reading that my pupils might want to read. I can support them in their choices and try and advise appropriate reading options but it is ultimately their decision and it is important to not take away their right to choose.

‘The Rights of the Reader’ poster by Daniel Pennac clearly outlines the important factors of reading for pleasure. Looking at the factors from a critical point of view, I am slightly concerned about the implications some of these may cause for the classroom. For example: the right to read anything. There are some genres of books that I feel would be totally inappropriate for primary school aged children. Although these couldn’t be accessed in the school environment, teachers do not have supervision of the types of books children have access to at home. The right to not finish a book is an interesting factor. I believe that this is correct and that children should not be forced to finish a book of their choice if they are no longer enjoying it. However, I would be concerned that this attitude could begin to penetrate other areas of their learning and children may start to decide not to finish classwork because it is ‘their right to choose not to finish.’

When I am a teacher, I need to ensure that I create a reading culture within my classroom that encourages children to have free choice over books. I would like to have a section of time during the week where children could share what they are reading with the class and make recommendations to each other about books that they like. I feel that this would encourage reading for pleasure as children would be given the time to voice their opinions and be listened to. It would also be nice for children in class to know what each other are reading and it could create good discussion opportunities.

The Guardian Article

My Educational Philosophy

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I value education as it has the opportunity to support and guide children through their learning and development with the aim of producing confident, independent individuals who are able to contribute effectively to society and the economy.

Many people have differing views on the purpose of education. My belief is that its primary role is to provide an equal and active learning experience for all children and young people regardless of gender, race, religion or social classification. It is important that schools adopt an ethos which encourages pupils to have a sense of belonging to a community; with children feeling united and part of something great. Through achieving this, schools and education will be able to combine academic learning experiences and the transmission of morals and values with the intention of creating a fair and more egalitarian society.

It is absolutely critical that children are at the heart of the education process. They deserve to have a voice and play an active role in their learning. This differs from the idea that education is consumed and that it involves the creation of accepting minds rather than creative individuals. Having looked at practices such as Montessori schooling, I can see the benefits of children having the freedom to engage in activities which interest them and how this can support their development. I also like how the focus is on the process of learning and not the end result. Children are rewarded on effort and not by test results or grades. I believe that this approach is a crucial aspect of intrinsic motivation and one that will result in confident, independent thinkers who are not afraid of facing challenges.

In summary, education plays a vital role in creating  ethical, independent  and  successful individuals. It is a teachers role to provide an engaging and stimulating learning environment which allows children to grow and explore through social and environmental interactions. It is absolutely critical that this opportunity is provided to all children and young people.