In this video you will see a glimpse of the practical element of Drama. These Standard Grade pupils are working on a Voice unit and this lesson focuses on Tone. The young people are involved in a mixture of Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic activities, to maximize involvement and understanding and to keep lessons fast-paced. All pupils get the chance to devise, rehearse, perform and evaluate, so they are constantly strengthening and sharpening their creative, cooperative, presenting and analytical skills. Standard Grade actors also present their performance work to audiences from lower years, which in turn, is a chance for S1 and S2 students to experience the Standard Grade Drama course for themselves.
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English – Good Practice
Edith McCabe – English Teacher
Active Learning strategies-keeping your pupils on the ball.
It is well known in the world of teaching that active learning strategies are extremely effective. Having pupils actively involved in the learning process ensures that they retain information much more effectively. The very simply strategy of throwing a ball is incredibly beneficial; it focuses and engages even the most reluctant learners. They can’t seem to resist chucking a ball about the room! I have since discovered however, that a balloon is even more useful (noone can get hurt!). Other teachers in the deaprtment have used the balloon strategy since hearing the noise and laughter coming from one of my lessons-controlled noise of course! I usually get the pupil holding the balloon to think of a question for the person who catches it. It beats the whole class methodically answering questions that I have formulated. Often they come up with very probing and insightful questions and they learn so much from each other. It removes a lot of the attention away from the teacher and encourages them to take responsibility for their own learning.
Pupil Centred Learning – Chartered Teacher Professional Enquiry
Sally Cameron – Health & Technology Teacher
The Health and Technology staff, together with their pupils and parents, carried out a study into pupil centred learning approaches. We had identified that homework was being poorly completed by a number of pupils, was not being completed at all by some pupils and was doing little to promote learning. Research suggests that there is a substantial link between homework and attainment and our aim was to enhance the learning via the creation and implementation of a pupil-centred approach to homework in S2 H&T.
As partof the study we tried to answer 3 questions:
• Can a pupil-centred approach improve homework returns and quality?
• Can parental involvement in a pupil-centred approach improve the number and quality of homework returns?
• Will a pupil-centred approach to homework improve learning?
Teachers worked closely with their pupils to develop a new approach to homework. Over a period of eight weeks, the teachers provided pupils with opportunities to choose and complete several newly designed, fully inclusive, creative homework activities. Pupils, together with their parents, were asked to comment on, and sign, each completed homework task.
Continue reading Pupil Centred Learning – Chartered Teacher Professional Enquiry
Engaging all learners in practical lessons
Sally Cameron – Health and Technology
This video shares some of the techniques we use to motivate and support the progressive, fast-paced learning of all pupils in Health and Technology. Fifty minutes is not a long time to welcome students, share learning targets and success criteria, deliver teacher led demonstrations of key skills, reinforce points of health and safety, support pupils through a practical task whilst still ensuring there still time for peer and self-evaluation, never mind the most important task of tasting your creation! You get a real sense of this in the video as you see an early S1 class making healthy pizzas.
Skills for Work: Laboratory Science
Laura Watson – Biology/Science Teacher
St Margaret’s Academy Science Department, this year, introduced a new course available for S5/6 pupils called Skills for Work: Laboratory Science. This is set at Intermediate 2 level and has been a huge success since introduced in June.
Skills for Work: Laboratory Science is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills which are required for employment in laboratory science
Throughout the course the students explore a variety and range of industries and services, and the career opportunities in science laboratories, in a local, national, and global setting. At this point in the course the students attended a work based placement at one of the local scientific companies which helped support the material they have been learning in the class and provided them with the opportunity to speak to people who work in a laboratory setting.
University of Stirling Professional Enquiry
Laura Watson – Biology/Science Teacher
Postgraduate certificate – Professional enquiry
Over the last year I have undertaken a postgraduate certificate carrying out a professional enquiry at the University of Stirling. The first module in this course looked at professionalism in practice and involved researching and critiquing different aspects of current educational policy. The second module involved enquiring into ideas within current educational policy such as interdisciplinary learning, active learning, outdoor learning and technology enhanced learning. Both modules required us to undertake self study tasks, reading educational literature and carrying out tasks to critique this. These self study tasks informed the tasks that were carried out on the taught days, which took place once a month. During these taught days the tasks that were carried out provided us with an opportunity to carry out discussions with other members of the cohort. Continue reading University of Stirling Professional Enquiry
Knowing your ABCs is just as important in H&T
Raising Literacy within Health and Technology
Anne Keenan – Health and Wellbeing
As part of the department improvement plan to focus on the raising attainment we decided to focus on the opportunities to develop literacy skills in S1. Pupils in S1 currently complete a Hygiene & Food Safety project. Mary Gibson observed a series of lesson and identified several methods that teachers can use to improve the quality of learner feedback.
Prior to this our feed back focused mainly on the subject contents and the presentation of their work. Following Mary’s input we have been able to identify and implement several changes that will help pupils to set targets for improvements relevant to their own literacy needs.
Steps identified include:
- Produce a standardised format illustrating how to compile a report
- Encourage pupils to make use of H&T key words displayed throughout department to expand pupils’ vocabulary and comprehension
- Set standardised comments to be used for pupil feedback by departmental staff
- Lunchtime opportunities for pupils to discuss with staff their learning needs for completion of project
The opportunity to work closely with Mary has enabled the department to self-reflect on current practice, update approaches to ensure all pupils are receiving effective feedback and importantly having clear targets set.
R.E. Inset Day
Frank Quinn – Principal Teacher R.E. Department
As part of the school’s plan in implementing “Shining the Light” and “This is Our Faith” (T.I.O.F.), it was decided that some time should be spent looking at part of the document “T.I.O.F.” by the whole staff during an Inset day. The school believes the way forward with “T.I.O.F.” and the school’s Religious Education programme is to approach it as a whole-school responsibility, like Literacy, Numeracy and H&WB. Each department should be aware where there are opportunities for them to contribute to the R.E. in the school.
Consultation on the Revision of the Professional Standards
The General Teaching Council for Scotland are currently consulting with all stakeholders with an interest in Scottish education regarding their Revision of the Draft Framework of the Professional Standards. As such they are inviting your views and suggestions with respect to the attached draft Professional Standards. To participate in the consultation process which closes on October 31st please click here.
S3 Profiling and the Profile – Presentation
Frances Laing (Senior Head of House)
The S3 Profiling and the Profile Presentation aimed to engage staff in the profiling process. It aspired to share the key messages contained in building the curriculum 5 a framework for assessment about the profile and the process involved in producing it. There is a requirement for pupils at key transition times to create a profile and our present S3 cohort will be our first year group to experience Broad General Education and move into the Senior Phase of the new curriculum.
We in our classes should be aware that for our young people to create this profile they have to experience opportunities in their day to day learning that allows them to reflect and realise their achievements. This is part of learning and teaching and should be ongoing through S1 to S3. Below is an example of what this profile may look like. Further information from Education Scotland can be located here.
