March 4, 2016
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Comments Off on LFL Placement: What am I ‘Learning from Life’?
“What? Why? That doesn’t make sense when you’re training to become a Scottish Primary Teacher?” – A common response when I explain to my friends and family that my second year placement cannot be within a Scottish primary school. At first I shared a similar opinion, studying Languages and Science and Mathematics modules, then going […] Continue reading
February 25, 2016
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Comments Off on To VARK or not to VARK, that is the question
There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to teaching! Throughout planning, implementation and reflection, it is essential for a primary teacher to recognize that every pupil is an individual. This means that there are numerous learning approaches and preferences throughout any class. In 1987, Niel Flemming devised categories of learning in order to encourage teachers and students […] Continue reading
February 24, 2016
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Comments Off on Keep It Short
Language is a key element of our surrounding culture and it is vital that we get this message across to our pupils. Literacy is one of, if not, the most important subject of Curriculum for Excellence. I found today’s workshop on writing very interesting and loved this idea of writing a micro story on our Twitter pages. […] Continue reading
February 23, 2016
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Comments Off on Bloom’s Taxonomy
Tricia asked us as part of our questioning and discussion to come prepared to the second workshop with a context and questions to follow this context. When looking at this I felt extremely nervous as it looked a lot more difficult than she had explained. However as I got started it was such a straight […] Continue reading
February 22, 2016
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Comments Off on Scientific Literacy
AC1 – Maienschein, J. et al. (1998) states that there are two main definitions for science literacy. The first emphasizes a huge focus on gaining units of scientific or technical knowledge. Second emphasizes scientific ways of knowing and the process of thinking critically and creatively about the natural world. Knowing about science means that you […] Continue reading
February 22, 2016
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Comments Off on Excited…
In the technology workshop with Richard we discussed the crossing of curricular areas. This was something that I hadn’t put much thought into in terms of lesson planning however after this workshop I can’t wait to try this more often. We discussed food textiles and how one of the experiences and outcomes could be chosen […] Continue reading
February 22, 2016
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Comments Off on Craft, Design and Hot Glue Guns
Many people that know me would agree that me going near a hot glue gun isn’t necessarily the safest or most sensible option. BUT! On Tuesday I was given my own shot when we made these.. Mother’s Day Plant Pots. Richard (our tutor) basically gave us free rein to create whatever we wanted with the intention […] Continue reading
February 21, 2016
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Comments Off on We Need More!
Health and Wellbeing. This is a subject which I strongly, strongly believe should be introduced more throughout every single year spent within school. I understand that a lot will be covered within this as it is a main focus within the curriculum however personally I find that many teachers are too shy or uncomfortable with […] Continue reading
February 21, 2016
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Comments Off on Technology Lesson
During technology input myself, Danielle, Erin, Katie, Ailsa and Lucy worked collaboratively to come up with a lesson plan that involved an area which we weren’t too confident about. By the end of this workshop I realised that planning a technology lesson wasn’t as daunting as I first thought and it’s something I would love to experiment with […] Continue reading
February 20, 2016
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Comments Off on The Importance of Health & Wellbeing.
Health and Wellbeing is becoming more and more prominent in the Scottish curriculum and is strongly embedded across all the curricular areas. Curriculum for Excellence aims to ensure that all children and young people in Scotland develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they will need if they are to flourish in life, learning and work, now and […] Continue reading
February 19, 2016
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Comments Off on Why is Teaching Health and Wellbeing Important?
Firstly, I would like to say how strongly I feel about the importance of teaching children about Health and Wellbeing from a very early age. I think it would be ridiculous to teach children about fractions and symmetry but not educate them at all about looking after themselves. Health and Wellbeing focuses on many different […] Continue reading
February 18, 2016
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Comments Off on Creating Motivation
What is Motivation? There are so many ways we could define motivation. The Oxford English Dictionary states that motivation is a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a certain way. It also states that it can be a desire or willingness to do something. In other words, motivation is enthusiasm to do something. […] Continue reading
February 18, 2016
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Comments Off on Health and Wellbeing – One girl’s opinion
In my opinion Health and Wellbeing is one of the most important areas in the Scottish curriculum. It is where students are able to learn about and discuss relationships, physical education and wellbeing, mental wellbeing, emotional wellbeing and social wellbeing just to name a few. In the principles and practice document for the Scottish curriculum it […] Continue reading
February 18, 2016
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Comments Off on Classroom Organisation and Management
I was given the task to design a classroom layout for a class of 28 pupils; 23 boys and 5 girls. This is the classroom layout I designed; I would really like to have a smart board and a white board so that demonstrations can take place in different areas of the classroom. I have heard of many […] Continue reading
February 16, 2016
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Comments Off on Scientific literacy
Recently we were set a TDT for science which involved becoming part of a group and creating a shorter essay on scientific literacy. I feel like this was a great opportunity to work with others who I may not have necessary gotten the opportunity to work with otherwise. I felt like my whole group really […] Continue reading
February 16, 2016
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Comments Off on Scientific Literacy
Group One Lucy Allen, Corrie Donaldson, Eildih Lamont and Skye McLauchlan Assessment criteria: AC1 – Explanation of the concept of scientific literacy – Skye McLauchlan AC2 – Analysis of an example where a lack of scientific literacy has led to inaccurate media reporting. AC3 – Discussion of how teaching fair testing in school science links […] Continue reading
February 16, 2016
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Comments Off on Why this way ?
Having been asked to design a classroom for a class of 28 pupils- 22 boys and 6 girls, my initial reaction was excitement. I then developed a sense of nerves- how will I set up a classroom with that amount of boys? What if this was the case in reality? How can I make it […] Continue reading
February 16, 2016
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Comments Off on Reporting Science
Scientific Literacy Group TDT John Muir, Shaun Finnigan, Danielle Mackay, Rachel Billes The term ‘Scientific Literacy’ is one that can often be heard in academic conversation but what does it actually mean? To be literate is having the “ability to read and write” (Oxford Dictionary, no date), therefore it would be assumed that being […] Continue reading
February 16, 2016
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Comments Off on Drama conventions …
… So, What is a convention? Well…. Normally a convention is a way in which something is carried out. There are agreed rules and criteria which make up the convention. A drama convention is where the actions of an actor/actress are decided by the writer or director and are done so to have dramatic, or […] Continue reading
February 15, 2016
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Comments Off on Science Literacy
Richard Holmes asked us for our science TDT, to look at science literacy and focus on the concept of scientific literacy; an example where a lack of scientific literacy has led to inaccurate media reporting and discuss how teaching fair testing in school science links to scientific literacy. Oxford University Press describes being literate as, “the ability to […] Continue reading
