Tag Archives: Health and Technology

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.

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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.

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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.

Learning is a box of chocolates!

Ruth Thomson Health and Technology Department

A great example of Inter-Disciplinary Learning (IDL) and collaboration between subjects can be found in the joint Maths and Health & Technology (H&T) activity currently being run with S1 pupils. In H & T pupils are making chocolate truffles while in Maths they are learning how to design and create presentation boxes for the truffles.

However, as I was to discover through observing three different S1 Maths lessons, pupils are being exposed to a wide range of concepts, skills and experiences not just in relation to H&T and Maths, but in literacy and business too. Continue reading Learning is a box of chocolates!