Literacy, Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Skills

Moderation and Assessment of Reading in St Margaret’s Cluster

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Mary Gibson – St Margaret’s Cluster Development Officer

On Tuesday 12th February all primary staff from across St Margaret’s cluster, representatives from Cedarbank School  and teachers from the English Department met to embark on the first of a two stage exercise to moderate and assess reading at Early, First, Second and Third level. Early and First level meetings took place in Howden St Andrew’s and St Nicholas’ primaries while Second and Third level staff worked in St Margaret’s Academy. The overall aim of this exercise was to establish a standard across the cluster of “secure” learning in one outcome.

The process involved using a template* to plan and deliver lessons to pupils who were secure at Lit1- 19a, Eng 1-19a, Eng 2-19a and Eng 3-19a. Passages were provided for selection according to the needs of the pupils involved. Continue reading Moderation and Assessment of Reading in St Margaret’s Cluster →

Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized

Drama – Good Practice

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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.

Literacy, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized

English – Good Practice

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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.

Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized, Vision and Leadership

Pupil Centred Learning – Chartered Teacher Professional Enquiry

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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 →

Health and wellbeing, Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized

Engaging all learners in practical lessons

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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.

Continue reading Engaging all learners in practical lessons →

Skills, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized

Skills for Work: Laboratory Science

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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.

Continue reading Skills for Work: Laboratory Science →

Self-Reflection, Skills, Teaching Pedagogy, Uncategorized, Vision and Leadership

University of Stirling Professional Enquiry

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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 →

Interdisciplinary learning

Animation in action

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Diane Plenderleith – Art & Design

In the summer of 2010 I attended a week long  Animation CPD at Edinburgh College of Art funded by West Lothian Council and St Margaret’s Academy.  Throughout the week I learned various really interesting techniques in Animation and produced my own Animations. I collaborated and shared ideas with various teachers and artists and found this a really worthwhile CPD opportunity. The following year 2011, through CPD,  I invited Jim Stirk from Red Kite Animation to visit the department and provide a two day event. On day one I was introduced to some of the technical aspects and shown how to create animations and on day two this information was shared with my colleagues within the department. Having learned these skills I have now introduced Animation to S3 Level 4 as a Design Unit. The pupils have been fantastic and have responded to the course with enthusiasm. This is a new venture and they are delighted to be part of it. Evidence of their Investigation and Research work as well as Development ideas can be seen above and they look forward to filming their work in the very near future. Watch this space!

Self-Reflection, Skills, Teaching Pedagogy

Felting CPD

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Diane Plenderleith – Art and Design

I decided to select Hat/Headgear design in order to enable pupils to apply the techniques and use the materials I had learned how to manipulate through my CPD. The results produced were fantastic and I feel pupils achieved better results and enjoyed studying hat/headgear design as a result. Included are examples of Headgear from 4 pupils who have added comments in support of their learning and achievements. Continue reading Felting CPD →

Interdisciplinary learning, Literacy, Responsibility of All, Self-Reflection, Skills, Teaching Pedagogy

60 Seconds News Brief (IDL – Social Studies)

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Dermot Doherty – Social Subjects

Following the Inter disciplinary learning (IDL) review I began to think about my practice and look for lessons that may be IDL.

As part of the first year social studies course pupils create a 60 second news brief (Modern studies section).   I teach 3 groups of 1st years and did this lesson a few weeks ago with one set, it went well and pupils really enjoyed it.

I realised this lesson could be IDL with English as pupils are practising their extended writing skills, and after speaking to Mrs Neild in English she informed me pupils cover the 5w’s (Who, when, where, what, and why) when they do their own news reports. This link to English was strengthened by also covering the 5w’s as part of our task.


Continue reading 60 Seconds News Brief (IDL – Social Studies) →

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