Category Archives: Teaching Pedagogy

Teaching Pedagogy

Pass the Parcel – AifL

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Laura Williamson Modern Languages Department

I recently observed a colleague in the Modern Languages department using a rather novel and fun way of assessing pupils’ knowledge. The activity, as the name suggests consists of a box that is passed around the room while music plays. The box is filled with sentences to translate, when the music stops the pupil holding the box must open the box and pick out a random sentence to translate.  This activity works well because it is fun and the pupils do not realise they are practising their language work. It also helps the teacher avoid always picking the same pupils to answer whilst helping more shy pupils to be become more confident.

This is a great activity for revision and consolidation. The sentences can be of varying difficulty and tenses to suit all learners. The chosen phrase if translated unsuccessfully or answered incorrectly can then even be passed to other pupils, this promotes peer learning. This type of activity can be utilised in other subject areas by substituting the sentences with questions about specific topics.

Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, Vision and Leadership

Working Together for Better Science Learning – a Cluster Approach to CPD

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St Margaret’s Academy Science department has been approached by SSERC to develop the transition process in science. The rationale and outline of this programme: “Working Together for Better Science Learning – a Cluster Approach to CPD programme” can be downloaded here. Myself and colleague Keith Varty along with one of our primary colleagues Jennifer Currie were invited along to the first workshop of the Armadale cluster to see how this works and if it is something that we would be interested in leading across our cluster. Each cluster primary school had sent at least two representatives to this event and Armadale Academy also had members of the science department there to help support their primary colleagues in the science tasks carried out during the workshop.

Continue reading Working Together for Better Science Learning – a Cluster Approach to CPD →

Responsibility of All, Teaching Pedagogy, Vision and Leadership

Using CAT data effectively – Presentation

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John Slavin Faculty Leader Raising Attainment

This was a brief introduction to how the CAT data that the school has for each pupil could be used to aid teaching and learning.

Initially, I explained that there are three batteries of tests: Verbal examples, Non-Verbal examples and Quantitative examples and briefly described examples of each. Pupil profiles are generated from this data and strengths / development needs can be identified.

Data for whole classes can be graphically represented in a Scatter graph to give a powerful visual interpretation of the results. The results can be analyzed with the help of the scatter diagram.

I have produced such scattergraphs for each class in S3/4 and will do likewise for S2 in time. If anyone is interested in looking at CAT data and how it can be used to highlight achievement / underachievement, Dr. Ben Doody and myself (John Slavin) are running a workshop on 07 September 2012. This will provide teachers with an opportunity to gain further experience of using this data and can hopefully aid the identification of the pupils’ needs.

Responsibility of All, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized, Vision and Leadership

Pets in the classroom

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Andy Wilson (TLC Dept), Maddy Quinn (TLC Dept) and Keith Varty (Biology/Science Department)

After watching a Horizon programme which focused on the theory that dogs evolved the way that they did in order to appeal to man and also studies linking the release of oxytocin in humans with working with dogs, Miss Wilson and Miss Quinn chose to do some professional reading of research describing the benefits of using pets in the classroom.  Some of this research claimed that school pets have been found to:

  • motivate pupils to think and to learn, as children have a high level of natural interest, enthusiasm and enjoyment of animals
  • encourage a respect and reverence for life in pupils and thereby improve their relationships with other pupils, parents and teachers
  • foster a sense of responsibility in children
  • teach children to nurture and respect life
  • improve academic achievement

Further research showing that teachers have also found therapeutic benefits for children with special needs and how pets in schools also have social benefits for the school community can be accessed here and here.

This professional reading led to Mrs Wilson and Mrs Quinn organising a day where Mr Varty would bring his well trained, placid dog Laika to the TLC to deliver a lesson focusing on the responsibilities of having a dog.  This lesson provided pupils with the opportunity to ask questions observe and participate in obedience training whilst continually interacting with Laika.

After reflection pupils made the following quotes about having a dog in the TLC for the day:

“It was very well trained and it was a very good feeling to have a dog in the class because she was very friendly.”

“It was a cool dog and it made me happy.”

” If we had a dog regularly in class it would make us more motivated”

” if we had a dog regularly in class it would make us more peaceful”

Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, This is our Faith, Vision and Leadership

Health and wellbeing – Values Workshop

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Frank Quinn – Principal Teacher R.E. Department

This workshop combined several areas for development within the school: continuing work started by the Chaplaincy team on the school mission statement, highlighting some key values stressed in “This is our Faith” and the Experiences and Outcomes of Health & Wellbeing.

We wanted to raise awareness of the key values which lie at the heart of our School Mission Statement and which emanate through all areas of the school, especially the relationships between staff and the young people and between colleagues. The first part of the workshop, the scenario, was set up to encourage discussion over professional methods and the values which staff demonstrate. The second part of the workshop raised the awareness for all staff of the values expected of them as part of the St Margaret’s community.

The PowerPoint used in this workshop can be accessed here whilst the Mission Statement of St. Margaret’s Academy can be accessed here.

Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, This is our Faith, Uncategorized, Vision and Leadership

Using Positive Rewards and Praise Workshop

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Karyn Reilly and Sonia Ryan (English Department) delivered a workshop on Using Positive Rewards and Praise which aimed to share the wide range of systems and strategies that departments and faculties within St Margaret’s Academy use to celebrate success and reward pupils.  This workshop provided staff with an opportunity to collate ideas of ongoing practice in individual classrooms whilst allowing staff to reflect through discourse surrounding the idea of ‘praise’ and ‘reward’ and its impact on pupils.  The Powerpoint used in this workshop can be located here.

This workshop stemmed from Karyn and Sonia’s working group which aspires to further develop the positive reward system in the school.  Karyn describes their work as

“We are trying to come up with a whole school approach to reward all pupils.  We went round most departments to see what they were doing and what individual teachers were doing; we aim to use some of their good practice in the whole school system. We now need to collate all the thoughts and information we collected on Tuesday and use it to help us develop it.”

The image gallery below shows the responses that staff produced to set questions after a period of time discussing these questions.  Larger images can be obtained by clicking on each image.

Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized

Active Learning using Tarsia cards in Science

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Mr Varty’s S2 Science class have recently been learning about plastics as part of the Chemistry Compounds unit that they have been completing.  One of the learning intentions from this lesson was that pupils should be able to identify the name of  a plastic when provided with the name of the monomer.  Pupils were formatively assessed using Tarsia cards that required pupils to work collaboratively with their peers to match the correct monomer to the polymer that it could form.  If successful each side of every triangle would have a correct match.  The following video shows two groups working on this activity.

Here is an example of one groups cards that were about to be formatively assessed.

Tarsia cards for any subject or activity can be made using the software from the following website that can be accessed by clicking here.

Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, Vision and Leadership

Learning Rounds Glow meet

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Isla MacLennan (Social Subjects) explains the Learning Rounds model being piloted in the St Margaret’s Academy Cluster. St Margaret’s Academy already had an established program of Learning Rounds and it was hoped that by including the six associated primaries the cluster could foster greater links between primary and secondary practitioners, open up discussion and enhance transition links. In this GLOW meet Isla explains the project, the challenges she faced and the resulting impact on staff and pupils.  Click here and click on Sharing Practice Learning Rounds to watch the recorded Learning Rounds Glow meet.

Click here to watch the recorded Learning Rounds Glow meet.

Click here to watch the recorded Learning Rounds Glow meet.

Click here to watch the recorded Learning Rounds Glow meet.

Interdisciplinary learning, Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, This is our Faith, Vision and Leadership

Welcome to the Professional Learning Blog

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This blog is an area where all members of staff in St Margaret’s Academy can contribute and share a variety of information about their professional growth. For example:

  • Professional reading
  • Curriculum Developments
  • CPD opportunities
  • Useful resources/weblinks/etc
  • Tips for teachers
  • Good practice

By choosing suitable categories for posts and tagging them appropriately, it should be easier to find out what professional growth is happening across our schools and how our young people benefit from this. It is easy to provide a link from a post to a Glow Group or website.