ukedchat.

com/magazine May 2017 Issue 41

Supporting the
Educational Community

OUTDOOR LEARNING TEACHING RESOURCES BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

ENGAGING LEARNING
CREATING A BUZZ IN THE
CLASSROOM

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From the Editor
A large part of what educators do is
helping students find the truth. Casting
aside the darkness of ignorance and
guiding their pupils towards enlightenment.
But this is not as easy as it may first
appear and the truth may be obscured
or subjective. Our pupils must be guided
through and become healthy sceptics. My
first encounter with evaluating evidence
came during my secondary school history
lessons (thank you Mr Margiotta) and
educators clearly have an active role to play
in giving pupils the skills to be discerning
about the information they are presented
with, but educators may not be equipped
for the challenges that 21st century media
presents.
Despite the current interest in fake news
and alternative facts, misinformation and
propaganda are not new and information
manipulation has probably had a history
as long as one person has had power
over another. What is unprecedented
is the sheer volume of information and
accessibility to stories, articles, research
and blogs, both real and fake. Algorithm
filtering your social media feed will only get
us so far. How can we make our students
discerning consumers of media and care
enough to dig a little deeper into claims,
rather than take information at face value?
Truth, like beauty, can be in the eye of
the beholder. Naturally, many facts are
completely made up, misleading, or cherry-
picked from a wider body of information
which overwhelmingly points to the
contrary. Yet is perfectly possible for you
to be right, but also for me not to be wrong
at the same time, and perspective can be
Teaching pupils to evaluate evidence
important. Biases and preconceptions
can cloud ones ability to change ones
mind when presented with evidence and
not engage in opposing views and the
arguments for them.
There is also the added complication that
the memory is fallible and two people can
recall the same incident in different ways
which they believe is accurate. Anyone
who has dealt with a playground incident
will know that. Research by Julia Shaw and
Stephen Porter uked.chat/criminalmemory
shows that it is even possible to create
false memories of criminal activity when
none has occurred. No wonder my car keys
are so hard to find!
The idea of the noble lie dates back
to Plato. Are white lies to protect other
peoples ever justified and how should
educators dealt with them, or even use
them? Educators often tell their pupils that
a test is important for them even when
the test is designed to assess teaching
standards, not the child. I give my class
fictitious letters from historical figures and
book characters, which everyone knows
Ive written. A selfless fib in the pursuit of
greater understanding in my pupils is still
a fib.
is vital, but this is no easy task and
corroborating the information that we are
bombarded with on a daily basis would
be a full time job. Perhaps we should also
teach our pupils to be better citizens than
previous generations by engaging and
giving more than a shrug when the sources
of fake information are identified.
Thankfully the
UKEdChat magazine
is a source you can
always trust.
Martin Burrett
@ICTmagic
editor@ukedchat.com

8 16
CONTRIBUTORS
Gary Henderson @garyhenderson18
Sarah Wordlaw @smwordlaw
@digicoled
Martin Burrett @ICTmagic
Matt Roberts @Mroberts90Matt
Gillian Judson @perfinker
Caroline Sherwood @Caroline_Alice_
Olly Lewis @OLewis_coaching
Kathryn Morgan @KLMorgan_2
Jade Lewis-Jones @JLJBusinessed
Eleanor Mears @EnglishEffects
Cover image: depositphotos.com
Tim Milner @timilner
Mario Schiavelli @mschiavelli
Julie Swinehart @SwinehartJulie
Aprajita Ralli @ApraRalli
Clare Maas @Clare2ELT
Subscribe by email
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10
ARTICLES
06 Educational research: True or False?
08 Metacognition - Learning to Learn
10 Podcasting for Revision
12 Implementing Tablets in Schools
14 The Power of Positivity
REGULAR FEATURES
15 Effective Educators Engage
Imagination
04 Research Highlights
16 Affiliation in the Classroom 11 UKEdChat Highlights
20 Educational Visits: Student Success vs 13 ICTmagic EdTech Resources
Teacher Preparation 18 Book Review
22 In Brief... 24 UKEd Resource
The publishers accepts no responsibility for any claims made in any advertisement appearing in this publication. Whilst every
effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publishers accept no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.
12
 Research Highlights
Mathematicians predict delaying school start times
wont help sleep deprived teenagers
Delaying school start times in the UK is unlikely to reduce sleep
deprivation in teenagers, research from the University of Surrey
and Harvard Medical School has found. The research, conducted in
collaboration between mathematicians and sleep scientists, predicts that
turning down the lights in the evening would be much more effective at
tackling sleep deprivation.
The study, which is published in Scientific Reports, used a mathematical
model that takes into account whether people are naturally more of a
morning or evening person.
The research draws attention to light, light consumption and darkness
as important environmental and behavioural factors influencing health.
This has implications for how we design the light environment at work
and at home in our modern light-polluted societies.
Read more at uked.chat/mathssleep
Most teenagers happy with their lives but school work
anxiety and bullying an issue, says OECD
Teenagers who feel part of a school community and enjoy good relations
with their parents and teachers are more likely to perform better
academically and be happier with their lives, according to the first OECD
PISA assessment of students well-being.
Students Well-Being: PISA 2015 Results analyses for the first time
UKEdChat Magazine
students motivation to perform well in school, their relationships with
peers and teachers, their home life, and how they spend their time outside
of school. The findings are based on a survey of 540,000 students in 72
participating countries and economies who also completed the main
OECD PISA 2015 test on science, mathematics and reading.
Many students are very anxious about school work and tests and the
analysis reveals this is not related to the number of school hours or
the frequency of tests but with how supportive they feel their teachers
MAY 2017
and schools to be: on average across OECD countries, 59% of students
reported they often worry that taking a test will be difficult, and 66%
reported feeling stressed about poor grades.
Read more at uked.chat/oecdanxiety
04
Boys from low income families are less active
Parents income and educational level are associated with their childrens
physical activity and screen time, according to a new study from the
University of Eastern Finland. Lower income and educational levels were
associated with less supervised physical activity in particular. In boys,
these were also associated with more screen time.
Parents low income and low educational level were associated with
lower amounts of supervised physical activity in particular. Children
from families with the lowest income and educational levels were two
times less likely to participate in supervised physical activity than other
children. In boys, parents low educational level was also associated
with lower amounts of overall physical activity. Furthermore, boys from
families with the lowest income or educational levels spent had nearly
five hours more of weekly screen time than other boys.
Read more at uked.chat/lessactive
The problems of Smartphone addiction
Excessive smartphone use leads to problems, and females are especially
susceptible to addiction, according to new research from Binghamton
University- State University of New York.
Our smartphones have turned into a tool that provides short, quick,
immediate satisfaction, which is very triggering, said Isaac Vaghefi,
assistant professor of management information systems at Binghamton
University-State University of New York. Our neurons get fired and
dopamine is being released, and over time this makes us acquire a desire
for quick feedback and immediate satisfaction. This process also has
contributed to developing shorter attention spans and being more and
more prone to boredom.
Vaghefi and his colleagues recently surveyed 182 college students and
asked them to report their daily routine of smartphone usage. Based
on the analysis of the responses, they classified the user as one of
the following types: Thoughtful, Regular, Highly Engaged, Fanatic and
Addict. Seven percent identified as addicts and 12 percent identified
as fanatics. Both groups experience personal, social and workplace
problems due to a compulsive need to be on their smartphones.
Read more at uked.chat/smartaddiction

Image: pixabay.com
Girls confidence level, not maths ability hinders path
to science degrees
When it comes to mathematics, girls rate their abilities markedly lower
than boys, even when there is no observable difference between the two,
according to Florida State University researchers.
The argument continues to be made that gender differences in the hard
sciences is all about ability, said Lara Perez-Felkner, assistant professor
of higher education and sociology in the College of Education. But when
we hold mathematics ability test scores constant, effectively taking it out
of the equation, we see boys still rate their ability higher, and girls rate
their ability lower.
The research team found perception gaps are even wider at the upper
levels of mathematics ability among those students with the most
talent and potential in these fields.
Read more at uked.chat/mathsgirls
Parents use of emotional feeding increases
emotional eating in school-age children
Emotional eating eating when you feel sad or upset or in response to
another negative mood is not uncommon in children and adolescents,
but why youth eat emotionally has been unclear. Now a new longitudinal
study from Norway has found that school-age children whose parents
fed them more to soothe their negative feelings were more likely to eat
emotionally later on. The reverse was also found to be the case, with
parents of children who were more easily soothed by food being more
likely to feed them for emotional reasons.
The findings come from researchers at the Norwegian University of
Science and Technology, Kings College London, University College
London, and the University of Leeds. They appear in the journal Child
Development.
When children eat to soothe their negative feelings, their food tends to
be high in calories (e.g., sweets) so they consume more calories. If they
emotionally overeat often, they are also more likely to be overweight.
Emotional eating is also tied to the development of later eating disorders
(e.g., bulimia and binge eating).
Read more at uked.chat/eatingemotion
linkedin.com/company/ukedchat
Children notice what adults miss
Although adults can beat children at most cognitive tasks, new research
shows that childrens limitations can sometimes be their strength.
In two studies, researchers found that adults were very good at
remembering information they were told to focus on, and ignoring the
rest. In contrast, 4- to 5-year-olds tended to pay attention to all the
information that was presented to them even when they were told to
focus on one particular item. That helped children to notice things that
adults didnt catch because of the grown-ups selective attention.
We often think of children as deficient in many skills when compared to
adults. But sometimes what seems like a deficiency can actually be an
advantage, said Vladimir Sloutsky, co-author of the study and professor
of psychology at The Ohio State University.
Read more at uked.chat/childrennotice
Children in danger from being over-protected in the
digital age
Heavy-handed approaches to issues around social media and digital
communication may be damaging to childrens emotional development,
according to new research on childhood in the digital age, by academics
at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) and Plymouth University.
The researchers Dr Sandra Leaton-Gray (IOE) and Professor Andy
UKEdChat Magazine
Phippen (Plymouth University), interviewed children who told them most
of their digital online activities were relatively harmless. The children said
they were aware of explicit images being passed around but had rarely
been personally involved however parents and teachers were often
unnecessarily anxious.
Some children described how their parents would monitor their phones
and emails, doing regular spot-checks or even receiving copies of all
MAY 2017
their texts or online messages. In some cases, the youngsters were even
tracked using GPS. Teachers, too, would examine the contents of pupils
phones.
Read more at uked.chat/protectivedigital
05
 Research
Educational research: True or False?
By Gary Henderson
The other morning I was looking at
Twitter, and I came across a post which
mentioned how a large percentage of
teachers within a survey, 93%, still believed
in the concept of learning styles. The
learning style research which refers to
Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic (VAK)
or VARK where the R refers to Reading/
Writing learners has been debunked as
an educational theory for some time now.
The tweet also referred to Brain Gym which
is also considered as one of a number of
neuro-myths, however I have made use of
Brain Gym in the past and have found it to
work well. This got me thinking.
When I think back to my use of Brain
Gym, a particular lesson always jumps to
mind. It was an observed lesson where
this particular class of students werent
being their usual bubbly self. The lesson
was after lunch, so their changed mood
may have related to something that had
happened over lunch. It may also have
been due to the fact that the class had
an observer. Whatever the reason, it was
clear that their behaviour was not what I
would normally expect. The first part of the
lesson was OK, with the students grasping
the material and showing understanding,
however their overall engagement was less
than it should have been for this pareticular
group. So at this point I departed from the
lesson plan and decided to implement a
little bit of brain gym. After a short five
minutes of brain gym we returned to the
main focus of the lesson with the class
more energised and engaged. My memories
of this lesson are that the students were
also a little more creative in their thinking
in the second half of the lesson.
On one hand, the lesson described above
might be considered evidence of brain
gym having a successful impact on a
lesson, however I think this is a simplistic
viewpoint. As such, I would like to give
UKEdChat Magazine
provided. This was even the case where
the patients were aware that the placebo
medication contained no active ingredients.
So if we tell students that brain gym has a
positive effect, as I had done, then it may
have such an effect through priming. Dawn
Cox @MissDCox in her post, Research in
education is greatuntil you start to try and
use it, uked.chat/researchtryuse mentions
students who told Ofsted inspectors of
the positive impact of brain gym. If the
students believe the statement, which I am
assuming they did as they told inspectors
about it, then it may be that a positive
effect may result independent of whether
brain gym in general actually has a positive
effect.
Secondly, brain gym served to break up
the lesson, introducing a totally unrelated
activity in the brain gym activity in between
two phases of learning. Benedict Carey
in his book uked.chat/howlearnbook
mentions a research study which showed
that having an unrelated activity introduced
into the learning process has a positive
impact on memory especially where an
impasse has been reached. This is very
much akin to hitting a brick wall when
studying or writing an assignment, before
then going for a walk or taking another
form of break. When you return to the
work in hand you find progress comes
more easily. It may have been that I
sub-consciously identified an impasse in
learning when I decided to introduce brain
gym to my lesson.
Thirdly, the physical activity associated
with brain gym may have a positive
physiological effect on the pupils. Chabris
and Simons in The Invisible Gorilla uked.
chat/invisablegorilla suggested that
aerobic exercise improves cognition
by increasing the fitness of the brain.
Additionally, students may see the activity
as fun which would therefore makes them
which may result. Although the specific
theory of distinct learning styles may have
been proved to be false, use of learning
styles with students, including discussion
of the different ways we learn may result
in a positive impact. Although, brain gym
as a theory may be doubted, the act of
using brain gym activities, of discussing
and encouraging students of a benefit and
the act of breaking up a lesson and the
physical activity in a lesson may have a
positive impact.
Within education we talk about a growth
rather than fixed mindset. We should
therefore remember that theories come and
go rather than being fixed on the current
proof. In addition, as Paul Dolan put it in
Happiness by Design, there is no objective
truth only your subjective interpretations.
The way forward is to focus on sharing
approaches, ideas and things that can be
used in the classroom rather than drawn
out discussions of which theories are true
or false at a particular time. We need to be
sceptical of all research findings and how
generalisable and transferable they are
across the vastly differing contexts which
exist across schools.
Gary is an educator with a passion
for educational technology combined
with experience working in the primary,
secondary, further education, higher
education and international schools. Also
currently a Microsoft and Google Certified
Educator and a Microsoft Innovative
Educator Expert. Find him on Twitter at
@garyhenderson18 and read his blog at
techandlearning.wordpress.com.

some consideration for the other reasons
why brain gym might have worked in this
case.
Firstly, consider the priming effect. This
is the fact that just by believing something,
by priming ourselves, we can actually make
it true. Paul Dolan in his book Happiness
by Design uked.chat/happinessdesign
MAY 2017
happier, further aiding learning upon return
to the learning activities.
I believe the key issue is that learning
is not a simple process, it is messy and
complex. We may be using learning styles,
brain gym or some other technique.
However, in doing so we may introduce

variables other than just the use of a new

refers to patients in a medical trial who
were being provided a placebo pill, yet still
experienced a positive effect due to the
belief in the medication they were being
06
technique. As such it is impossible to
separate a particular technique, such as
brain gym or learning styles, etc., from the
consequences, intended or unintended,
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08 MAY 2017 UKEdChat Magazine Learning

Metacognition - Learning to Learn
By Sarah Wordlaw
Image: depositphotos.com
Why are we practising this? How will you
use that outside of class? If you get stuck,
what strategies can you use? Is it ok to
make mistakes?
Have you ever asked yourself why you ask
these types of questions when teaching?
Well, the answer is metacognition the
process of thinking about thinking. John
Flavel, the American psychologist, was
first to introduce the term metacognition
and argued that if children consciously
understood the process of learning and
what happens when they learn something
new, learning would be better supported.
Learning how we learn, and practising
those key non-academic skills creates
successful, resilient learners. Developing
metacognitive skills increases the
autonomy and confidence of learners, and
is essential in education. Those students
who end up being truly successful in not
just school, but in life, are those individuals
who can self-manage, plan and find new
ways and monitor their own learning path.
They do not need constant guidance from
the teacher, in fact, the teacher can stand
back and facilitate the learning. Failure
does not discourage them, they embrace
it. The less independent a child is, the
more setbacks they will experience and
gradually become increasingly disengaged
with learning. Disengaged learners are
often responsible for classroom disruption.
Studies have found that developing
meta-cognition supports accelerated
progress, particularly for struggling
learners. Therefore it is in our best interest
as educators, to focus as much on the
facilitation of metacognition in learning as
taught content in lessons.
How Is This Achieved?
Firstly, children need to know what
metacognition is. They need to know
that you can learn how to learn, and that
everyone learns in different ways. They
need to identify their strengths, but perhaps
more importantly, their weaknesses. They
need to know how to deal with obstacles,
what failure is, and how to use it for good.
Setting personal goals, both short term
and long term is essential, and being able
to review and reflect as to whether theyve
achieved them.
This can be broken down into three steps:
1. Students set their own Learning Goals
2. Students recognise their own Learning
Styles
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Children feel confident in explaining how
they are learning as well as what they are
learning. The learning community ethos
creates pupils with inspiration, ambition
and academic success where pupils are
3. Students Review their Own Learning - passionate about their learning. Through
thinking about next steps their challenge curriculum, pupils develop
a love for the outdoors and learning in
Children need to be taught strategies and
the local environment, being aware that
given time to independently apply them.
They need to know the meaning of learning learning can come in many forms. Children
skills and processes, and what these skills are self-motivated, confident learners, able
look like in practice: to apply their skills and all pupils develop
thinking skills enabling future success
Resilience perseverance, dealing outside of school and in years to come.
with distractions
Ultimately, learning is hard. As educators
Resourcefulness asking questions, we have a responsibility to build learners
reasoning, using imagination who are confident and able to cope in an
ever-changing world. Learners who will
Reflectiveness planning, reviewing,
be doing jobs that dont currently exist.
setting new goals
The only way we can prepare them for
Reciprocity collaboration, empathy, this is to teach them to understand how
active listening to learn; how to be resilient, make links
with what they already know, how to work
Being familiar with these learning
collaboratively and manage distractions. All
behaviours and identifying the processes
in all, Albert Einstein summed it up when he
and skills in order to complete a task,
said Education is not the learning of facts,
enhances childrens learning. The first step
but the training of the mind to think.
of doing this is sharing the learning journey
with children - they need to know what they
already know, and how they can build on Sarah Wordlaw @smwordlaw is a Primary
their current skills. Making reference to Assistant Headteacher and Year 6 teacher.
learning skills and processes throughout Leader of Teaching and Learning with a
the lesson helps to frame the learning particular penchant for Computing, Project-
and teaching children strategies to deal Based Learning and Music and Performing
with getting it wrong, is one of the most Arts.
powerful strategies of all.
The Learning Pit (created by James
Nottingham jamesnottingham.co.uk/
learning-pit) is a fantastic way to help
children to understand that when we find
things hard, it means we are learning, that
we all get things wrong and that mistakes
are proof we are trying. If children are
able to confidently deal with mistakes,
and find strategies to move their learning
forward, address misconceptions and find
new ways, then they are on the journey to
becoming independent learners.
A school which has successfully
implemented this kind of learning as
UKEdChat Magazine
a whole-school approach is @Forest_
Academy in Croydon, South London, part
of the innovative Synaptic Trust of schools
(thesynaptictrust.org). There, they have
2 learning objectives for each lesson; one
learning specific and one learning skill
specific.
MAY 2017
For example:
Can I solve multi-step money problems?
Focus: Perseverance and reasoning
09
 Revision
Podcasting for Revision
10 tips for creating podcasts to support pupils preparing for exams
By @digicoled
Whether your school openly allows
them or not, a lot of pupils rely on using
Smartphones for many social aspects
of their lives. We're all becoming ever-
connected, and it can seems foolish that
educators aren't utilising the technology
that absorbs the worlds of our pupils
to benefit teaching and learning. Out of
school, you only need to glance over at a
teenager, and they'll most likely have a pair
of headphones hooked into their ears. So,
combining our pupils desire to be glued
to their smartphone, with the wish to look
cool wearing a set of headphones seems
a perfect opportunity to provide them
with learning or revision opportunities
- especially when it comes to important
exams.
Technological advances have made
modern-day Smartphones into mini-
recording studios, and you don't need to
invest into much more to create audio
recordings that become easily shareable
as podcasts. Creating podcasts, and
openly sharing the audio files, is a great
way to help students retain, develop, or
consolidate their learning, especially when
exams are approaching, and there are a
couple of methods this can be done:
1 - Test the audio in the room where you
intend to record
So you're not going to be broadcasting
your episode on the BBC World Service,
but improved audio quality will certainly
help the listener maintain attention. Audio
bounces around in most rooms, and
microphones are incredibly sensitive in
picking this up, so choose a small carpeted
room, and record away from windows to
minimise the your voice echoing back
into the microphone. Create a short audio
rehearsal and play it back (wearing a good
UKEdChat Magazine
set of headphones) to check how it sounds.
2 - Consider the commentary length
You may get carried away, and into
the zone in a bid to get the key points
across in the recording, but take serious
consideration how long a podcast episode
MAY 2017
should be. If you are talking about a
complex issue, then consider breaking it up
into episodes, and aim to ensure that each
episode does not exceed 20 minutes.
10
3 - Involve students, where possible
Unless you have a dramatic voice range
similar to the late Robin Williams, having
one person talking all the way through a
podcast can be one of the most tedious
ways of production. Get other people
involved in your episodes. You could have
a 'round-table' discussion with colleagues
from your subject to discuss key aspects of
your topic. Another great idea is to involve
students. As podcasts are audio-only,
gaining permissions is less complicated,
but ensure that students adhere to common
sense policies, and only use first names
when appropriate.
4 - Script
Ensure that everyone keeps on task and
create a script - or bullet points - of the
podcast episode. Creating a script for the
podcast is actually a sneaky revision tool,
as pupils will have to consider the key
point before creating the episode, and then
discuss the issues during the episode. If
you and colleagues are discussing points
for your discussion, then a bullet point
script is a great way of keeping people on
task. It is obvious if you are reading a piece
of text, so try to keep the podcast more
discursive, as it will keep the vocal tones
sounding more natural.
5 - Try to record in one-take
If the planning is done correctly, you
should be good to record. Don't worry
about little vocal errors, as these sound
natural and show that you're human, and
try to encourage everyone to avoid their
monotonal voice - bring the recording to
life. Ensure each person participating
in the recording is near the microphone
(otherwise it could sound as though they
are in another room entirely), and if you
are sharing a microphone or Smartphone,
consider minimising the noise in the
passing around process.
6 - Choose the right app
You have two options - you can record
directly onto a computer, or directly onto
a Smart device (such as a smartphone or
tablet). Let's explore these separately:
Computer - Whether a laptop, PC or Mac,
one of the best freely available apps to
download is audacityteam.org - this is a
piece of software that makes editing and
producing audio files a breeze. You can
live record with Audacity, or edit previously
recorded files. Plug in your microphone
(or upload your audio), and you'll be good
to go. Audacity also allows you to 'export'
your files to versions that make the podcast
available on most devices. To export
mp3 files, you'll need to also download
an add-on Lame file, which is a small and
Image: pixabay.com
simple file that make the whole process
automated.
Smartphones - Most smartphones have
in-built microphones and apps that make
recording audio simple enough, however
you need to ensure that you can upload
the files in a format that will be accessible
to other devices afterwards. Check the
versatility of the in-built 'voice-memo' app
on your device, but if you want greater
functionality, you may need to venture into
your App Store. One favourite (for Apple
devices) is 'Just-press-record' uked.chat/
justrecord, which will attempt to transcribe
your episode (you may need to edit the
text afterwards), allowing for greater
accessibility if you are also publishing
'show notes' to accompany your episodes.
7 - Check and edit
You may consider checking and editing
your episode before uploading. Audacity
will do the trick, and it's easy to delete
those awkward moments of silence, the
'erms' and the sneezes that might have
taken place during recording. You can
also improve quiet voices by amplifying
sound snippets, and altogether ensure
that the sound quality is consistent all
the way through your episode. This whole
process can be lengthy but, if facilities
allow, you could get pupils to do this, as it
makes them listen to the content within the
episode (yay, they're revising, and they don't
know it!).
8 - Upload
It should be simple to upload your
episode directly to your school website,
your professional blog, or onto one of the
many services that can host audio files. A
couple of favourites are soundcloud.com or
podbean.com. These are both free services,
unless you are planning on producing hours
of content each week. If you are wanting
your podcasts to be made available to the
world, these services can also help you
UKEd Podcast
link up to iTunes, making your podcast
episodes freely available and searchable to
the world. Whichever route you choose, it
is important that pupils can easily access
the audio files on their devices, so you may
consider asking them what services are
available for their smartphone.
9 - Consider for all subjects
To be able to showcase complex formulas
or methods, you may consider creating
a screencast rather than a podcast - this
may be more applicable to mathematics
so that demonstrations of methods can
be shown. If you consider that visual
demonstrations are more applicable, there
are many screencasting services freely
available online, and uploading the final
video is simple enough - either your school
website and/or YouTube. The same rules
and tips apply here, and you could get
students to create demonstrations using
xxx whiteboard app on iPad to showcase
methods and formulas.
@UKEdPodcast
Episode 03 - uked.chat/ukedpod03
10 - Take your recordings to the next level
If you are wanting to improve the quality
of your audio recordings, you may want to
invest in some extra equipment. For big
budgets, your school may wish to consider
a sound-proofed room, but if budgets are
more stretched (i.e. every school), then
connecting your Apple device with an
iRig microphone uked.chat/irigmicro is a
great option, or connecting microphones
to a mixer deck, allowing you to target
your audio subjects when it's their turn to
talk. You can then link the mixer deck to
your computer or Apple device using an
iRig connector. You could use sound clips
(freely available online and copyright free),
but be careful not to over-do this, otherwise
it could all get quite comical, unless that is
the intention. There are some great Apple
apps, which work great on iPads, which
also act as a podcast recording suite.
Check out BossJock Studio uked.chat/
bossjockstudio and i-jingle uked.chat/
ijingle.
Episode 02 - uked.chat/ukedpod02
Episode 04 - uked.chat/ukedpod04
facebook.com/ukedchat
One of the main issues encountered
with making podcasts with students is
that some of them will feel self-aware of
their voice, and could be embarrassed by
the whole process. It is important that
all participants are comfortable with the
process, and the role of the teacher is
critical here. If you go on the journey with
them, creating audio files, and listening
back to them with the pupils, you can
model that it is fun, and laughing at your
own errors and mistakes will ease the
pressure from them. If some pupils point-
blank refuse to be part of the recording
process, then you could involve them in
the scripting and editing and publishing
process, as they will still be involved in the
content, and therefore the revision.
You know your subject, and you know how
this could work with the subject matter, so
consider podcasts seriously as a revision
tool, and if you do produce episode, please
let us know via podcast@ukedchat.com so
we can share your work with our audience.
Technology
Implementing Tablets in Schools
By Martin Burrett
As an EdTech specialist, one of the most
common questions Im asked is how to
implement mobile devices successfully
into the classroom. Naturally, every school
and classroom is different, but there are
a number of steps that senior leaders can
take and the implementing coordinator can
do to ensure smooth introduction.
Firstly, your school needs to have a clear
understanding of how tablets can augment
to existing curriculum. Many schools
expect a revolution in learning when they
invest in mobile devices for students and
want to redesign their schemes of work and
planning accordingly. However, revolutions
are rare, and while using any technology
can be transformative, you still need to
continue to improve all the other things you
do alongside using technology. Pedagogy
and the learning should always be your first
consideration. It is too easy to lose focus
and make the app the learning objective.
Limited resources are often timetabled
within schools, and teachers are
sometimes allotted class sets of tablets
during a particular session. This has the
advantage that they are guaranteed for a
lesson, but timetabling means that teachers
often use these is an artificial way, or worse
still, the devices are not used by anyone.
Schools may like to consider a notional
timetable where a particular teacher gets
first refusal, but other teachers can book
them if the named teacher isnt planning to
use them.
When purchasing device, school leaders
need to think carefully about which to buy.
Schools often opt for a monoculture of
devices of one particular brand and model.
However, this does not reflect the rich
ecosystem of devices which your pupils will
use outside of school, plus this can reduce
the overall number of devices a school can
purchase with limited funds. The majority
of things you can do on a 500 tablet you
can also do on a 100 tablet, so adding
some cheaper devices into the mix means
that schools can have a greater pupil to
device ratio. Most school based activities
rarely utilise the full power of a device, and
a much greater bottleneck is inadequate
wifi.
If ukedchat.com/ictmagic does not yield
the perfect app for your lesson, Your staff,
and perhaps the wider school community,
may have some expertise and suggestions
for useful ways to use the tablets and
interesting apps for your lessons. A
growing number of staffrooms have an app
wall where anyone can add a post-it with
the name of an interesting app to try. But it
is important to encourage sharers to give
the context in which an app was use so
others can evaluate whether the app will be
useful for them.
Administrators may wish to lock
the device down - dont! Nothing kills
enthusiasm more than waiting for an app
to be added by a busy technician. Teachers
need to be able to add items to try them
out and experiment. Adding a password or
pin to prevent pupils from doing the same
should be enough. If you are worried about
apps cluttering up the storage on shared
devices, you can hold an app un-auction,
where once a term/year you get together to
decide what to keep. Does anyone want to
keep X? Going once, going twice, delete!
Schools pay tens of thousands of pounds
to buy new devices, but do not allocate
any release time to learn how to use them
well. The most important thing you can
do to ensure your tablet implementation
is successful is to give your teachers the
time to explore the possibilities and share
ideas for how to use them within their
lessons. Providing the digital tools is only
the first step. To make technology have a
transformative impact teachers need the
skills to use it.
ICTmagic EdTech youtube.com/ukedchat

1 2

3 4

5 6

1 2
Earth
A fascinating 3D globe which
shows air currents and lots of
other data. View in real time or
review past data. A must use site
for geographers.
3
CheckIO
A superb online game which
takes learners through coding
activities with Python. Complete
the tasks to gain points to move
to the next area.
Apple Clips
A video clip editor from Apple
with filters, graphics, emoji, music
and more. Use it to make video
feedback, short instructions for
flipped learning, and whatever
UKEdChat Magazine

uked.chat/earthsite uked.chat/checkiocoding else your imagination can create.

uked.chat/clipsios

4 5 6
QR Wild Prodigy EdPuzzle
This site lets you create QR Code A superb maths game set in a A superb site where you can crop
scavenger hunts quickly and vast magical world, reminiscent YouTube and other online videos,
MAY 2017

easily. The basic account is free
and all you need is a smart phone,
any QR code reader and a login
for the site.
uked.chat/qrwildsite
of the early Final Fantasy games.
Complete the challenges and bat-
tle with monsters by answering
maths questions.
uked.chat/prodigymaths
add audio messages and quiz
questions which provide individu-
al assessment feedback to check
understanding of your students.
uked.chat/edpuzzlesite
13
 Interest in the Classroom
The Power of Positivity
By Matt Roberts
In 2014, an eager primary education
student was introduced to a brand new
world. I was finishing my last year of Initial
Teacher Training and I was encouraged
to join Twitter to engage with other
professionals. What I was welcomed
with was a vast horizon of conscientious,
inspirational and outstanding practitioners.
Unfortunately, I slipped off the radar around
the start of my RQT Year due to workload
demands but have been back since January
2017.
However, something is different. The
mood had changed. There has been a lot
of negativity and contention on Twitter.
The topics have been wide ranging from
philosophies, to phases in education to
specific approaches in areas of teaching
and learning. Debate is to be expected;
personal insults and questioning other
professionals morals is shocking. I want
to move away from this mentality surely
we are challenged enough in our day-to-day
school lives? How can we expect to draw
more teachers into participating with other
teachers on Twitter when they arrive they
see poor professionalism between a few?
The golden question to ask is this would I
say that to a fellow teacher at school?
Face to Face
Positive working relationships in school
have, at times, saved my teaching career.
In my NQT Year I would often find myself
floating in to my KS2 leaders classroom
not necessarily because I wanted support
but just to talk about what had been going
on and any advice about any general
things that were on my mind. They were
UKEdChat Magazine
MAY 2017
14
so welcoming and those moments where I
could reflect (without really realising I was
reflecting) made such a difference to me as
a teacher. The power of positivity is such a
tangible force. Recently I have noticed that
when I make the effort to exude positivity,
those days tend to go better. Of course
this has to come from the top-down: a
calm, reassuring Head means a patient,
unpressured senior team which means
empowered, composed teachers. As well
as this, composed teachers tend to lead to
more unruffled children.
Of course, not every teacher will emanate
positivity. Thats highly unlikely, maybe
impossible. The temptation here will be to
join in. Its interesting how two different
people can have two very different
viewpoints on the same events. I work in
such an incredible, forward-thinking school
and yet there are some who still manage
to drain the warmth of positive energy.
The challenge in this situation will be to
continue being sanguine whilst trying to
spread the optimism.
Face to Screen (or, Face to Many Faces)
As mentioned, due to the wonders of
modern technology, online forums such as
Twitter enable a wider audience to absorb
other teachers positivity. This proved
especially important to me in a specific
experience.
I was in my NQT Year as a Year 6 teacher
and had taken part in a Writing Moderation
Meeting cross-school. To save on detail,
it did not go well not necessarily due to
poor planning on my part but a couple of
issues arose. I went home that evening,
my confidence crumpled and tossed in the
corner. What came before that day was a
series of soul-crushing events, which were
now culminating towards the KS2 SATs.
As time went on I found myself going
through the motions of a class teacher. A
week or so later, I found myself on Twitter
and found the #NQTchat, something I
hadnt encountered before. I decided to
stick around and half an hour later I was
enthused! I couldnt wait to get back into
the classroom and shake things up a little.
What happened? The power of positivity.
I was met with a wall of irresistibly
passionate teachersand it was infectious.
What makes positivity a challenge?
Surely, as we have the best job in the
world, being positive should be something
that comes natural to all teachers?
However, this is not easy. As I was
preparing this article, I went into school
specifically with a target to stay positive. I
went into school excited to begin. However,
I found the copying for my lessons that day
hadnt been done. No bother! Then, there
was no colour ink in the colour printer.
Never mind! After that, I realised someone
had taken my guillotine from my classroom
and not brought it back. Okits alright!
But I started to see how easily positivity
can slip away from a teachers clambering
grasp as they strive to provide the best
education for their eager learners. The trial
then is to defy the odds, break the cycle of
negativity and realise that you are changing
lives.
Positivity Pledge
For any that are struggling to find
happiness or comfort in their role as a
teacher now, dont give up. The teaching
profession will miss your influence.
Hundreds of children will have different
lives, they will miss out without your
brilliance to greet them each school day. Image: depositphotos.com
Times will be tough, demands will be
great on you however, there are parents,
teachers and children that stand to await
you and your positivity. Dont get drawn into
negative arguments on Twitter, dont think
that no one cares about you, many around
you want you to succeed. This is why we
teach to make a difference to young
peoples lives, and we get to be the one that
makes that huge difference every single
school day.
Matt @Mroberts90Matt has been
teaching for almost three years as a Year
6 teacher. He has responsibility as a PE
Coordindator, in the Lead Maths Team and
as chair of the Middle Leadership Team. He
is also currently completing his NPQML.
Imagination
Effective Educators Engage Imagination
By Gillian Judson
My advice to all educators: Dont shoot
yourself in the foot.
This is, of course, a fairly gruesome way
of saying dont do something without
intending to which spoils a situation for
yourself (Cambridge English Dictionary).
I offer this advice to all educators who
neglect imagination. If you are an educator
who feels that in your subject area, learning
context, or specialisation, there simply isnt
time or space for imagination, you may
unknowingly be limiting the effectiveness
of your teaching. You may be limiting the
ability of your students to learn. If you are
someone who feels that imagination is a
hook or frill to learning--only for young
children, or for the artsBEWARE. Your
gun is loaded.
I received the same advice from a
colleague: Dont shoot yourself in the foot,
she said bluntly. If you want teachers to
read your blog postsespecially secondary
and post-secondary teachersthen you
should not use the words imagination or
imaginative in your title. An unsettling
number of teachers assume imagination
is for the arts or for young children rather
than vital to our most academic and
advanced subject matter.
But I continue to shout (publish/tweet/
post/teach) about imagination because
I know all studentsand teacherscan
There are many ways you can expand your audience with UKEdChat
benefit if imagination can be given the
credit it is due as a central part of all
learning. Im on a mini-mission to address
the prevalent misconceptions many
educators hold about imagination and its
role in learning. (educationthatinspires.ca)
Support For Imaginative Education
imagination is as necessary in
geometry as it is in poetry. Everything
that requires artistic transformation
of reality, everything that is connected
with interpretation and construction of
something new, requires the indispensable
participation of imagination (Vygotsky,
1998 p. 153)
I have recently discovered psychiatrist
and writer Dr. Iain McGilchrists scholarship
supports my case for imagination-
infused education. In this short, animated
talk Dr. Iain McGilchrist discloses new
understanding about the complexity of
The Divided Brain. The misunderstanding
that one half of the brain deals with
reason and the other half with emotion
is deeply entrenched. We see it playing
out when people talk about topics that
require imagination and others that do not
or students that are imaginative and others
who are not. We see it playing out when
people associate imagination with Arts of
various kinds rather than with the highest
levels of thinking.
Using the latest in brain science research,
he indicates the complex working of
the brain and the role of imagination in
all learning and, especially, higher order
thinking. Dr. Iain McGilchrists message
is clear: Its not true that one part of the
brain does reason and one does emotion.
Both are profoundly involved in both.
Iain McGilchrist: The divided brain | TED
Talk uked.chat/dividedbrainted
Educational philosopher Kieran Egan
situates the imagination at the heart of
all learning as wellhis work constantly
shows how imagination is one of the great
workhorses of all learning. The imagination
represents the ability to envision the
possible in all things. The imagination is
something that we can educate; we can
enrich this capacity in our students as they
learn all aspects of the curriculum.
Maximise student learning and
understandingand dont shoot yourself
in the foot. Learn more about Imaginative
Education pedagogy (PreK-post secondary)
on imaginED so you can bring engagement
and imagination to the heart of your
practice.
Dr. Gillian Judson @perfinker teaches
in the Faculty of Education at Simon
Fraser University, Canada, and co-directs
the Imaginative Education Research
Group (ierg.ca). She runs a blog about
imagination and creativity in education:
imaginED (educationthatinspires.ca). She
is a featured blogger for The Creativity Post
and BAM RadioNetwork.
UKEdChat Magazine
MAY 2017
15
 Learning Needs
Affiliation in the Classroom
By Caroline Sherwood
The need for affiliation is inborn and is
a primary need of humans. Feeling happy,
safe and valued improves your ability to
be more cognitively alert. We all want
our students' brains to function at peak
capacity - and so finding ways they can
decrease cortisol and produce serotonin
is paramount in order to create a positive
environment conducive to high quality
learning. "It pays to treat students as
sensitive and aware human beings (Ted
Talks, Rita Pierson) as a happy brain is
a brain that can grow. "Happy thoughts
and positive thinking, in general, support
brain growth, as well as the generation and
reinforcement of new synapses, especially
in your prefrontal cortex, which serves as
the integration centre of all of your brain-
mind functions." ('Happy Brain, Happy Life'
Teresa Aubele, Ph.D., Susan Reynolds,
2011.
Teach with emotional intelligence
Maslow's expanded Hierarchy of Needs
ranks love and feelings of belongingness
third in the system - and importantly -
ahead of cognitive needs. Your students
need to feel emotionally safe - they need
to feel affiliated; accepted within your
classroom in order to make progress
and reach their full potential. It is our
job to attend to and fulfil students' basic
physiological needs before their cognitive
needs can be met. As the driving force
of the emotional climate in the room,
and as the adults, it will always be our
responsibility to ensure we get this right.
It is the teachers responsibility to value
each and every one of the students in their
class, so that each student feels special
and important (Groundwater-Smith et al,
1998) even the students we think we don't
like. The importance of greeting students
personally - all of them, making frequent
eye contact, acknowledging positive
UKEdChat Magazine
behaviour and using positive language can
not be underestimated. Tell your classes
you love teaching them, introduce them
to visitors as your favourite class, invite
colleagues in to show them off, smile and
laugh with them. In 'All you need is Love',
Andrew Curran explains "if a child is in an
MAY 2017
environment where they are understood
as an individual human being" their self
esteem is improved, with that their self
confidence grows and as a result children
16
engage with the learning. Emotionally
engaged children release dopamine, which
is the main learning neurochemical in the
brain. Curran asks: "The final question that I
would ask you is this what are you taking
into the classroom that is preventing you
and your pupils making good emotional
contact? Change that, and you will
immediately have improved your pupils
potential to learn."
"We missed you when you weren't here
yesterday"
Valuing your students when they are
present is vital, but noticing when they are
not there is just as important. Let them
know that, as a significant and precious
part of your classroom, their absence is
felt. Don't let them bleed back into the
group invincibly - tell them they were
missed.
What's in a name?
Knowing and using students names
recognises that a student exists and
is important, it suggests you care and
it develops trust. When the professor
engages the student in personal
conversation, recognises her by name,
and seems to include her in the domain
of attention, the subject matter seems
more accessible. The non-verbal message
goes out that the student is a part of
the community of people who can do
mathematics, statistics, chemistry, or
whatever the subject is. ('So What is
the Problem?: Difficulties at the Gate',
Willemsen, 1995). Use every student's
name, every lesson.
Always try to be a little kinder than is
necessary: J M Barrie
Any student can be a vulnerable student.
When approached by a boy, who didn't
always get it right first time, at the start
of term in September, the first words he
greeted me with were: "I don't have to
read out loud, do I?". How long had he
been worrying about this in the lead up to
the new school year? A new term gives
teachers the opportunity to see things
differently; to see past the challenging
behaviour and to see a vulnerable 14 year
old who is genuinely scared about reading
out loud. How else to respond, but with
a little more kindness than is necessary?
Kindness nurtures a learning environment
where students can perform at their best.
Focus on language and tone of voice,
remember that words have enormous
power; they need to be chosen carefully
and deliberately.
Consistency
Relationship reluctant children may be
fearful, suspicious or antagonistic. They
may be superficially charming but expert at
keeping adults at emotional arms length."
('Reclaiming youth at risk: Our hope for
the future', Brendtro et al.,1990). We
affect the students we teach; this happens
instinctively and on a subconscious level:
what we do and say and think makes a
difference. Relationship reluctant children
might need more of your time and effort,
but the minute you give up on them is the
minute you've reinforced their belief about
adults: that they can't be trusted and will
give up on them.
According to the 'Teaching Through
Interactions Framework' (Hamre & Pianta,
2007) there are four characteristics
of a positive Classroom Emotional
Climate: a) teacher sensitivity to student
needs, b) warm, friendly, respectful, and
nurturing teacher-student relationships,
c) regard for students' perspectives and
encouragement of active participation,
and d) the absence of abrasive disciplinary
practices and cynicism. Teachers who
create and maintain healthy, affiliative
classroom learning environments are likely
to foster positive student relationships as
well as the appropriate emotions in their
students to support their learning therefore
minimising poor behaviour choices and
promoting progress. School children are
in a crucial stage of emotional and social
development; their schools - and more
specifically your classroom - is where they
look for support and enrichment when
fostering these developmental needs.
We must consciously grow and cultivate
affiliation in our classrooms because our
students need and deserve it.
Caroline Sherwood @Caroline_Alice_
teaches English at South Molton
Community College in Devon, is Pupil
Premium Champion and Teaching and
Learning Lead. Caroline is also an
Specialist Leader in Education with the
Dartmoor Teaching School Alliance and
is Project Director for Women Leaders in
Education in the South West.
 twitter.com/ukedchat

17 MAY 2017 UKEdChat Magazine

 Book Review
Teach Now! Science: The Joy of Teaching Science
By Tom Sherrington @teacherhead
Review by: Olly Lewis @OLewis_coaching
Many of us pick and choose our reading
depending on what CPD we feel we need at
the time, if we need some escapism from
educational literature altogether or if a
book comes out that is a big hit and sends
the twitter-sphere wild with discussion.
Lets not forget the books which are sound
in their merits and rightly deserve more
credit than perhaps they receive at the
initial point of launch. Personally I would
recommend this book to any Science
teacher, as we can always improve our
own practice along and in turn our pupils
conceptual understanding.
I decided to read Toms books as I have
a colleague in my department new to
teaching Science and this book, I felt,
would be a great guide for her. It provides
fantastically practical advice on all areas
of Science teaching from someone who
has a clear passion for his subject. Little
did I know Id be gaining just as much from
the book, if not more than my colleague.
In a time where reforms are happening
nationally, Ive found it invaluable in guiding
my thoughts and planning to ensure we are
heading for better outcomes for our pupils.
Bridge the gap with an app
UKEdChat Magazine
Boost engagement Stimulate feedback
MAY 2017
01702 780051
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While Toms book Teach Now! Science
is geared more towards training teachers
and walking them through all the aspects
of successful Science teaching from
pedagogic ideas, effective assessment
strategies, behaviour management
techniques, curriculum planning and other
areas of the job which we should all have
a mastery level with. Of particular note are
the chapters on planning for differentiation,
classic teaching modes and Science as a
practical subject; each providing clearly
explained examples and where to focus
your attention to ensure optimum results.
I found his advice insightful and
energising, even when Ive been teaching
for a good few years now I still gained
some great guidance and as a result will
implement some new strategies to enhance
View on Amazon at
my pupils learning experience. The book
is packed full of excellent techniques, uked.chat/scienceteach
strategies and tips that help to celebrate
both the joys of teaching science and the
Priced at 15.29 for paperback
wonders of learning science. A must read
for any avid Science teacher, teacher trainer and 13.91 on Kindle at time of
or someone new to the profession. publishing.
- Android and Apple phones and tablets
- One place for all essentials about school
- Fast and easy for school and users
Having an app has brought us firmly into
the 21st century, our parents love the
immediacy of the information and the
layout.
Gail Hard, Headteacher
Improve communications Save time and cost
piota.co.uk @piotaapps
 linkedin.com/company/ukedchat

What Every Teacher Needs to Know About

Psychology
by David Didau @DavidDidau and Nick Rose @Nick_J_Rose

Review by Kathryn Morgan @KLMorgan_2

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine
go down.
The world of education is becoming
increasingly conscious of the importance
of developing evidence informed
classrooms in order for teaching to be
more effective; for learners to be more
successful.
In addition to this, the newly established
Chartered College of Teaching will soon
be releasing their first research journal;
aptly titled Impact to support members to
forge classrooms from deeply considered
pedagogy and practice. As Dylan Wiliam
@dylanwiliam has previously stated, it
matters less about what school a student
attends but instead more about which
classroom they are in.
It is undeniable that you would want to be
in the classroom of a teacher whose core
practice is centred upon inquiring about
what they can do differently to better help
the students they teach learn? What Every
Teacher Needs to Know about Psychology
is a spoonful of sugar that will whet the
appetite of every research hungry teacher
out there.
It is almost impossible to find a teacher
who isnt battling against the issue with
time and juggling an already saturated
working week. How then do we create the
time to engage with the wealth of research
that is out there? How can busy teachers
know which research is worth investing in?
What Every Teacher Needs to Know has
been written with this question in mind,
ensuring that there is a clear balance
between the rigour and relevance of the
For some, the word psychology has
been almost synonymous with therapy
and counselling; the psychology behind
behaviours and how we feel. However,
this book considers the broader science
of the study of the mind and human
behaviour. Psychology research, over the
past few decades, has made real strides
into understanding how we learn. Using
these principles, What Every Teacher
Should Know challenges a lot of traditional
practice and ideas about teaching. If we are
in the business of learning then why are View on Amazon at
we not focussing more upon how we learn
in order to make teaching more effective? uked.chat/teacherpsych
The research and evidence in this book has
the potential to make a profound difference Priced at 17.46 for paperback
on how well pupils learn. and 9.99 on Kindle at time of
The areas of psychology that are publishing.
focused upon have been organised
under three broad headings: learning and
Day in, day out, we make inferences about
thinking, behaviour and motivation, and
learning based on the performance we see.
controversies. Within each chapter there is
However, the chapter goes on to explain
a rich variety of concepts for the reader to
that performance at the point of instruction
dip in and out of and navigate in any order.
is a very poor predictor of learning. Often
It truly is an Aladdins cave of materials
we have provided cues and prompts to
that must be given the time to read,
increase performance. It tells us very
process, understand and consider. Where
little about what they might be able to
connections can be made, the authors
do elsewhere and later. The book doesnt
draw your attention to these with helpful
claim or indeed even try to provide quick
suggestions for navigation but it really is
and easy answers to the complexities of
up to you.
teaching and learning but it does provoke
Part 1 begins by addressing the considerable reflection and support us
fundamental question, how students learn in asking better questions about our
and think. It looks at the three related classroom practice.
aspects of learning: retention, transfer and
There is no denying that on-going,
change and merges these with the concept
quality professional development is at
that thinking must be conscious and
the heart of effective teaching. What
active. From the onset it explains that for
Every Teacher Should Know is a powerful,
UKEdChat Magazine

science of psychology, whilst making
clear connections in the research to
its implications in classroom practice.
Teachers should take it in a small spoonful
at a time and come back to it as both a
point of reference and inspiration. Engage
with the concepts and materials; consider
teachers to truly gauge the extent to which
something has been retained overtime
and transferred to a new context, we need
to look at what students can do later and
elsewhere.
With this in mind, a very clear distinction
between learning and performance is
handy, non-nonsense reference book that
busy teachers can dip in and out of to
support their practice and professional
development. The added benefit is that
because it is so accessible, it can be
readily shared with colleagues to widen
the discussion across teams, departments
MAY 2017

your own pupils and predict an outcome
that is both meaningful and measurable.
Carry out some classroom enquiry; reflect.
Evaluate; repeatbut come back to it.
made. Performance is what the students
can do. This is all we can ever observe.
Learning takes place in a students mind
and as such cannot be observed directly.
or whole schools, creating a network
of evidence informed classrooms. The
possibilities are endless but to begin with,
you need to take your first spoonful.
19
 Field Trips
Educational Visits: Student Success vs Teacher Preparation
By Jade Lewis-Jones
Everyone loves a trip! Be it for a day
or a week, everyone gets some form of
stimulation, from leaving the classroom
and putting what we know into practice
or developing our understanding further
through first hand experiences. For those
that haven't planned a trip before, yes there
is a lot of work for us as teachers, be it
local or far, but it is worth it. There is no
better feeling as a teacher than knowing
you have given students the opportunity to
do something they may not have been able
to do if the trip had not gone ahead.
Students will be given many opportunities
throughout a trip to build relationships
with other students that they may not
necessarily know, this is particularly true
if you go somewhere with another school,
or students who dont ever have the same
lessons, or different year groups. Its great
to see how the dynamics and friendships
of the group grow and change over the
course of the trip. It also allows students
to get to know the staff too, and vice versa!
Outside the classroom allows for far more
opportunities to get to know students
that you might not have in your classes.
Not only that, it allows for students to
experience new smells, new surroundings,
develop some adrenaline for exploring
somewhere new and take in some fresh
air (which some dont have enough of
nowadays due to social media or game
consoles).
Going away on a trip without parents,
carers, siblings or family members is
exciting for students regardless of their
age. It allows students to develop their
independence, organisation, time keeping,
teamwork and social skills. It is a time
where students work hard to overcome
their own barriers and grow from children
UKEdChat Magazine
into young people. It is becoming more
common now that schools have a
residential or skills week at the end of the
academic year encompassing a variety of
activities that students can participate in:
theme parks, camping, canoeing, project
based learning, city breaks. All of these
MAY 2017
opportunities have potential for memories
to be made. Memoirs that can be looked
back on when students talk reflect on their
school life year-on-year.
20
Ultimately, the aim of any trip is to allow
students with an educational opportunity
that will assist them at some point in
the future, be that exam answers or life
skills, for example. Those that learn
kinesthetically or visually may find the trip
far more valuable than learning inside the
classroom. Yes, some may argue that you
can show students photos, youtube clips,
use applications and even virtual reality
nowadays but as good as technology
is, nothing is as good as the real life
experience of visiting the place for yourself
and seeing it with your own eyes. It allows
students to develop a more in-depth
understanding. If there is an organised
tour with a specialist of the area then
students can get more in depth answers
and knowledge of the surroundings.
This is also beneficial for the fact that it
is not the teacher who they are used to
informing them, but someone else. This
can occasionally increase engagement,
attention and interest in the subject or area.
Those of you thinking to organise a
trip further afield will additionally enable
students to experience new cultures,
different traditions, exotic cuisine and
unique architecture. All of these aspects
developing each student as a whole,
impacting their individual wellbeing and
educational experiences no end.
As teachers and educational
professionals, we get a lot of comments
from our non-teacher friends 9-3 job or
on holiday again, we all know that we
put in the hours and do our best for the
students we teach. Were not afraid of
hard work. So hopefully some of the tips
about planning a trip are not off-putting.
If anything, it should encourage you when
you know how much the students get from
it! A well-organised trip is always very
well received by students and is far less
stressful than you might think.
So what kind of work is involved?
1. Writing Risk Assessments
Make sure you have thought about all
possible scenarios and that there is a plan
in place should different circumstances
occur. I know a lot of teachers who would
rather avoid the trip experience on the basis
of the significant amount of responsibility
that taking a group of students away
entails, but if everyone is well informed,
this stress is minimised!
2. Gathering Medical and student details
It's really important to have more than one
print out of student lists, contact details
and medical information. As much as we
rely on technology these days, you don't
want to be caught short with no battery
when the wellbeing of students whilst
under your supervision is paramount.
3. Planning an Itinerary of the day/s
Its a fun part! Let students know what's
happening! Keep them informed, tell them
what they will be getting up to! It will
increase enthusiasm, and you can tie it
into your lessons prior to going away. This
way it can also encourage students to want
to go on the trip, as well as identifying to
parents/carers the skills and opportunities
that they will experience.
4. Arranging Staff assistance
If you are a solo member in your
department this shouldn't put you off
organising a trip! Team up with another
department or another nearby school!
Art & Languages trip to Paris or History &
German trip to Berlin. More often than not,
staff will be happy to accompany you on
the trip so dont be afraid to ask. Meet with
staff prior to departing and, delegate roles
or small jobs to take the pressure off you.
Dont overload yourself - they are there to
help you!
5. Organising Travel arrangements
Whether there be buses, trains, taxis,
planes, walking routes involved, all should
be planned out in advance, with all aspects
considered, the what if situations too!
Make sure you buy tickets in advance this
keeps costs down and avoids any language
problems.
6. Identifying how the learning objectives
will be met
As much as all students love trips for the
fact they get out of class, they want there
to be a purpose to the trip. They know and
expect that while they are away they are
going to learn something. How can you
ensure that they learn what they have gone
there for? Have you assisted students
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learning in some way? As much as you can,

allow as many opportunities to make the Get involved with UKEdChat
trip meaningful and memorable!
7. Keeping the cost down to make it Write for the UKEdChat Magazine
accessible to as many as possible ukedchat.com/magazine/submit
One of the hardest tasks is keeping costs
down. You need to think about how many Blog on the UKEdChat website
students will potentially go, and use this
buying power to your advantage. Good ukedchat.com/register
deals are out there for those hagglers
amongst us. There are many companies Browse and submit teaching resource for our free listing
nowadays that do everything for you.
Alternatively you can do it yourself, but
ukedchat.com/resources
ensure you are confident in speaking the
local language and have visited the place Support UKEdChat on Patreon
before. It will be a lot different when you
have the responsibility of a number of
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excited students.
Students will be forever grateful to you Create courses on UKEd Academy
for giving them the lifetime experience, ukedchat.com/academy
the unforgettable memories and the
educational opportunity so if you havent
organised an educational visit in your Add yourself to our directory of educators, schools, events & businesses
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MAY 2017

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21
 In Brief...
STEM in English
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and
Maths. From an English teaching perspective, it may initially seem
tricky to encourage and integrate these subjects and ideas into
our lessons.
The arts and literature stimulate and give inspiration to the
STEM subjects. We are preparing students for a world that doesnt
really exist yet, particularly when it comes to technology, therefore
its not a case of trying tousetechnology; its about reading about
it, talking about it and investigating it further. Here is a list of
books I would encourage students to read to inspire the STEM
within them:
Timekeepers, Simon Garfield
The Bubble Boy, Stuart Foster
The Stone Lion, Gwen Dandridge
Hidden Figures (young readers edition), Margot Lee Shetterly
Walking the Nile, Levison Wood
Plenty of my lessons, particularly KS3, focus on extracts chosen
from a range of novels that have elements of STEM subjects
within them. Many students are often considered either good
at Maths and Science and therefore weaker at English or vice
versa. Students who feel they are at home with STEM should be
encouraged to express their knowledge through creative writing,
contextual exploration and also through inference using their
wider awareness of the STEM subjects.
@EnglishEffects Head of English - South West, UK
Learning to Be and Not to Do
Generally, young students do not capture the formative value of
learning. They are oriented towards learning as an unavoidable
and obligatory instrument for life. Learning to do and not to be.
On the contrary, most adults study out of curiosity, passion and
personal growth. That makes a big difference at the time to learn
and memorise.
Now, knowing this how can we use this fact as educators, for our
youngest students?
Encouraging them to study not just because it has to be done
to get a good job, but also to enrich their souls, their spirits.
Learning must be interesting and exciting. It must highlight all the
wonderfulness and wideness that knowledge implies. Knowledge
has to be seen as luxury, as a quality of life, as a true beauty.
It must be a pleasure to teach and a pleasure to learn. That way
we can achieve our first connection with students, which is to
UKEdChat Magazine
share the same vision, the same motive in every meeting.
A meeting that will always has to be pleasant and satisfying.
@mschiavelli Educator - London, UK
MAY 2017
22
Image: pixabay.com
Behaviour Management Has No Place in My
Classroom
Management; the control of people, processes or things to elicit
specified outcomes. Management is about repeating things that
have been done before in order to get a known outcome. Do we
really want to manage the behaviour in our classrooms? Do we
want to manage what our students do?
As educators, we want our students to do their best work. Thats
all we ask. And by best work, I dont mean neatly underlined date
and title, all answers correct. I mean, their very best work that
has been incited by inspirational and creative educators. Beyond
where they thought they could go on their own.
I lead my students because I want their best work, not mine.
Leadership is about establishing expectations, empowering those
you lead and then allowing them the freedom to do their best
work. Their best work, not ours. And certainly not a regurgitation
of learning-past. The diverse needs and abilities of our students
demands that we lead them.
I lead. Because behaviour management has no place in my
classroom."
@timilner Teacher & Speaker - Lancaster, UK
Elements of Workshop in a Traditional Classroom
Im a whole-hearted supporter of the workshop model because
of the increase of positive interactions with my students, and
because those interactions seem to be more deliberate and of
a higher quality than they were when I taught more traditionally.
Plus, students seem to learn more.
I have more regular conversations with my students, and those
conversations are more accountable, authentic, and academic
than ever before. Its less about behavioral issues and more about
who they are as individual learners.
I encourage teachers of all subjects and grade levels to pick up
two of the strategies that are employed in the workshop model:
Regular check-ins with students regarding their progress
in the form of quick conversations. Its rich and quick
formative feedback.
Student voice and student choice whenever it is possible.
Students are more likely to try something new and dig in
deeper when they feel theyve had agency in the decision
about what they are studying.
Its not necessary to entirely jump into the workshop model if
a teacher is feeling hesitant, but these couple of strategies can
make a big difference in the classroom culture.
@swinehartjulie Teacher - Amman, Jordan

I learn as I teach
I had been teaching for 15 years transacting the curriculum of
the national board in India. This was 6 years ago. I realised I used
Differentiated teaching techniques and adopted an interactive
mode of learning and teaching. Feeling that I needed to make that
paradigm shift I moved from the CBSE to an IB school where we
also have the IGCSE board.
There was a huge difference in the ways of doing things here in
the new organisation. The class size to begin with was so small,
the School provided for all infrastructure a teacher could dream
of. Students and teachers were expected to be tech savvy and
each one had their own devices, which were configured to the
school servers.
A huge difference from my past experience where in we had
one audio visual room and a lesson once a week to integrate
technology into our teaching methodology. So with much
excitement I went into class and started the unit. Half way through
I was bombarded with questions from this boy from Malaysia.
He had never studied Indian History and found the names and
terms quite difficult to comprehend. So, patiently I kept taking him
through the lesson that day and few lessons post that.
One day I saw him with his laptop open as I spoke. I enquired at
the end of the class what he'd been up to. What he said shocked
me : "Miss, I was checking what you were saying on Google. I even
found the site you were speaking from".
It was that day I learnt that students don't need teachers to
just rattle off information and show case their knowledge, but
teachers must engage students to showcase their learning and
understanding. That teachers are not and cannot be custodians
of knowledge and it's never too late to unlearn and relearn. Six
years down the line, today I have my students engage in their
own process of learning and evolving. That ownership is very
important to make the students interested in your subject was my
key learning and I now successfully guide, mentor and facilitate
while my students lead, engage and empower themselves and me.
@ApraRalli History Subject specialist - NCR Delhi , India
instagram.com/ukedchat
What makes good materials?
No textbook will ever entirely cover the needs of a group of
learners, and so teachers often spend time making their own
supplementary materials. But what do we need to bear in mind
when creating materials?
Good Materials should
1. be based on an understanding of how learning works.
i.e. of theoretical models of learning, for example from
psychology, and methodologies derived from them.
2. guide learners to discover and practice language items and
skills. i.e. not just tell, but show and allow space for
learners to notice by themselves, by guiding them in logical
steps.
3. lead to as authentic communication as possible. i.e. they
should learn to do with things which they are realistically
likely to have to do outside of the classroom.
4. gain and maintain learners interest. e.g. by involving
higher-level thinking skills, provoking affective responses,
dealing with topics relevant to the learners.
5. expose learners to taboo topics in a constructive manner.
i.e. to prepare them for and encourage open discussion of
potential taboos and critical perspectives, which may also
develop inter-cultural communicative competences.
6. allow for differentiated output. i.e. grade the output, not
necessarily the input, so the same material can be flexibly
employed with various groups of learners working at
different levels or focusing on different skill areas by simply
adjusting the output tasks accordingly.
@Clare2ELT English Language Lecturer - Trier, Germany
UKEdChat Magazine
MAY 2017
23
UKEd Resource Flowing Planning uked.chat/WSR00044 by @ICTmagic

Planning Flow
Previous Lessons/Experience
What have your pupils been learning about recently and how does this relate to this lesson?
What have your pupils found difficult previously which will need to recap on during this lesson?
What went well in previous lessons and what needs to be improved in this lesson as a result?
Who excelled in previous lessons and can help their peers if needed?

Lesson Focus & Things to Remember

What are the key points that your pupils should take away from this lesson?
How does this lesson fit into the wider learning sequence and how will this lesson matter to the next?
What aspects of your own teaching practice are you currently trying to improve?
What will turn this good lesson into a great lesson for you and the pupils?

Meeting the Needs of All

What additional support do you think may be needed in this lesson?
How will you give additional support to those how need it and how will additional adults support?
What are they key questions, and who will they be targeted towards?
What behaviour management strategies will you employ to maximise learning for all?
Lesson Assessment & Resources
How will you determine whether your pupils have maximised their learning during this lesson?
How are you going to assess your own performance?
How and when will you assess during the lesson? How will answers to key questions be assessed?
What resources will you need for this lesson and what will need to be set up before the lesson begins?
First Lesson Section
What activities will be used during this section of the lesson and how do these relate to the main focus?
What will engage your pupil during this section and how will you maximise pupil participation?
What do you need to remember and what things do you need to avoid?
How will you transfer to the next lesson section and maintain pace?

Second Lesson Section

What activities will be used during this section of the lesson and how do these relate to the main focus?
What will engage your pupil during this section and how will you maximise pupil participation?
What will you be doing during this section of the lesson and how will this assist the learning of your pupils?
How will the pupils use and build on their knowledge/skills and what will they produce?
How will you transfer to the next lesson section and maintain pace?
Third Lesson Section
What activities will be used during this section of the lesson and how do these relate to the main focus?
How will you make this lesson memorable and how will you assist your pupils to summarise their learning?
What follow-on learning will the pupils do to consolidate the ideas, skills and knowledge from this lesson?
How will you relate this lesson to the next lesson?

Reflection & Moving Forward

Which activities worked well and not so, and why?
How will you implement improvements for the next lesson?
How has this lesson altered the learning sequence?
What do you need to make a note of or action now to make the next lesson more successful?