8th March 2010
Congratulations to all at Bradford Academy on their journey, milestones, challenges well-met and dedication. VP Linda Marshall has a unique and memorable way for describing the school's immense value added over the handful of years for which it's been open:
The evolution of some of the learners - words & stature:
Year 1: Heads down, eyes down, pushing past staff, letting doors go in faces, swearing or ignoring greetings
Year 2: Heads down, nodding or grunting back to greetings, eyes raised now and then, waiting for staff
Year 3: Heads up, eyes engaged, responding to greetings, shoulders back
Year 4: Holding doors open for staff and each other, initiating greetings, walking with pride
PS - many did the Year 4 thing in Year 1
This is the only outward sign you need of inward progress. It is testament to the sheer hard graft and toil of all learners (teen and adult) in not giving up - on themselves, on each other, and on their potential to shake from life the successes they all deserve.
(Go visit) |
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3rd March 2010
This error is easily fixed:
Here's how we publicly and offically value our learners from age 3 to 5:
By teacher assessment of their
attitudes and dispositions;
emotional development;
social development;
communication, language, literacy
problem solving, reasoning, numeracy
knowledge of the world
Physical development
creative development
Here's how we publicly and officially value our learners aged 11:
By written tests and teacher assessment of their
Literacy
Numeracy
Here's how we publicly and officially value our learners aged 16:
By written exam and controlled coursework of a string of imposed and chosen subjects
Here's how we publicly and officially value our learners in the world of work:
By employer appraisal against job-specific criteria
EYFS have got it right. The foundation stage profile should progress right through a learner's life. Emotional development doesn't stop. Creative development always grows. Knowledge of the world expands and diversifies into the humanities.
Each thread of the EYFS profile weaves itself into the cloth that becomes a worthwhile and valuable human being. Let the cloth grow. Don't cut it off to make a nice pair of curtains. |
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2nd March 2010
Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (and similar in other parts of the world) are asked for by employers and asked of teachers when planning lessons. All over the UK I hear secondary teachers saying, "I know why PLTS is valuable, I believe it should be an entitlement of all my students, but I have so much pressure on me to 'deliver the content." This is a real and valid response.
Many other teachers are already infusing PLTS - using it to deliver the content. They can do this because either:
a) they or their school have invested time 'training' learners to learn in more collaborative ways, or
b) they inherited 'teachable', skilled-up children from their feeder primaries
But this is only part of the picture. If PLTS is so valuable (and I believe it is) then it should be publicly valued alongside GCSE grades.
I propose two additional GSCE-equivalent grades: Employability and Learn-ability, for which pupils can get grades from U to A*.
Think about this: a pupil with 9 A*s (subject), a B for Learn-ability and a D for Employability. Then imagine a pupil with a scattering of subject grades (C-A*) with Learn-ability and Employability both A*. I know who I would choose (as an employer myself).
But how can we assess these 2 'subjects'? Amanda at Clayton Hall Business & Enterprise College knows how - it's all there in the BTEC assessments - PLTS infused throughout - a small step from the progression grids to a grade. Call her up - but wait till Friday (Ofsted visit).
If PLTS is so valuable and teachers are beholden to their grades, then make PLTS a grade.
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8 Feb. 2010
Rationale & resources from the NI curriculum; a few years ahead of the rest of the UK? Certainly teachers here have made great practical progress in the last year (comparing the classroom audits they did for me this year and last). |
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3 Feb 2010
In NI all week - what a gold mine of talent it is. Here's an exemplary C Reading task: Thinking Skills, Personal Capabilities and subject aims all rolled into one. And the girls earned themselves a sticker.
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27th Jan. 2010
Monday: Changing classroom practice across a whole school
Tuesday: Changing self-knowledge & skills of 130 Y8s
Wednesday: Changing behavours & skills of a leadership team
Thursday: Changing my web presence
Friday: Changing mind set for the weekend
Try seeing each day in terms of what you change rather than what goes right or wrong. Is this a useful way of seeing?
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18th Jan. 2010
Potential annual salary for CEO of RBS: £9 million
UK government aid to Haiti: £20 Million
Go figure |
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18th Jan 2010
Implicit in both Labour & Conservative education announcements today is a devaluing of most professions. Teaching must be elitist; Law & Medicine populated with a more even class demographic. What does this this imply?
1. Only a few vocations are worth aiming for
2. High academic success equates with exemplary teaching skill
Both are wrong. Both parties' thinking is flawed and inspired partly by the desire to be (re-)elected rather than providing what's best for teachers and learners. How about this:
Ensure that each learner finds the place in life best matched to their unique knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. Visited two SUPERB playgroups today where exactly this happens: structured freedom allows disciplined 2-3 year olds to freely and confidently explore, learn and grow. Where does it go wrong? |
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