'Active' learning strategies engage students best

This week two teachers reported back using the video clips that focussed on disengaged students. It was more interesting to follow two particular students in a lesson rather than do another class overview. The dissection of the learning was also more fruitful. We agreed that we probably could not change the periods of disengagement that occurred with the students because it was linked to their preferred way of learning. What we did learn is that it is important to use various strategies during a lesson so that students experience the various modalities that include their preferred method. The recordings showed that  ‘hands on’ learning and group problem solving does keep the highest number students engaged at one time. 

Elements of Music - Audiovisual Analysis

In the Arts cell, we have tried to come up with a template or document that might help us to direct and structure our feedback sessions better. Thea, Gareth and I were alone last week and the discussion was around how to structure feedback sessions in such a way that we all feel we benefit from watching the video material. This week, Thea and I constructed a feedback template to trial at the feedback session next week. The lesson plan was presented and the feeling was that we want to shift focus on HOW and WHETHER learning took place, rather than to invest most of our time on planning collectively. There is a general feeling that we can learn more from analysing the video material with direction and structure, than to just have an open, rather random discussion about what is happening in the classroom.

Grade 9 Music lesson will therefore be videotaped tomorrow and with this document and an edited version of the video of the class, we hope to have a much more focused discussion around what we observe in the classroom.

Different perspectives on substance abuse

Today in the LO/ Accounting lesson study cell group we focused on finalising part I of our lesson script to facilitate understanding of the dangers of drug and substance abuse.

We added a front cover to the script, making clear the due dates and the outcome. We refined the main group work task that students will engage with. It was felt that students needed to be prompted to think from various perspectives about substance abuse. For example: Policeman – Think, legally and Parent – Think, concern, protection, care. We also carefully thought through the actual procedures of facilitating the “Do ow”, “We time -group work” and “I time” or exit ticket.

The lesson will be piloted with Gr.9A on Friday 3 May and videotaped. Brian Slater will handle the videoing of the lesson. Brian and Hanno will download, edit and prepare the video material for next Monday. In next Monday’s CPD session we will look at the data and try and interpret and learn from the data what we can. We will also look at the completed lesson scripts as part of the data to try and engage what students are, in fact learning from this lesson.  

Multiplicative relations - Let's Think Maths in Gr.2&3

Two weeks have been dedicated to planning and going through this Shayer Lesson. As our Intern will be teaching it, we have gone over each possible scenario to support her as best we can. We are looking forward to observing our children whist she teaches them. She will facilitate  the same lesson in both classes. We will record both lessons to be used in our discussion next week.

Teaching strategies should match content and objectives of lessons

Most of the discussion focused around the delivery of the lesson. After a while we realised that the teaching strategy we wanted to implement did not really suit the topic. We originally wanted to do a “station based” practical activity as an introduction. This realisation then sparked lively debate around suggestions as to what strategy will then work. We debated a normal hook, an introductory video clip, teacher demonstration, because this suited the topic that we were focussing on.

During the Cell time, we refined the worksheet and questions as well as the time management strategies to manage the students’ focus on different tasks during the lesson.

What we have learned from this experience: The teaching strategy should match the content as well as the objective for the lesson. We are going to experiment with time management strategies during this lesson and see whether it works better for this type of lesson.