Sciences assess footage for the role of language and ways to visualize abstract concepts

Here is the feedback from the Sciences group (Masimba Murungweni, Nhlanhla Phakathi, Elias Ditshwene, Siya Dzingwa, Ian O’Donoghue and Sarah Taylor).

We discussed 2 broad focuses:

1. The role of language (particularly in a second language context) in teaching Science
2. The ability (or inability) of students to visualise abstract concepts

We then decided on the lesson that we were going to observe:

• Elias is teaching Light to his Grade 8s next week so we thought that this would fit nicely with the second of our focuses.
• He is going to conduct a lesson on Light (Reflection – the relationship between the angle of incidence and reflection of a ray of light on a mirror) next week.

We will plan his lesson in more detail in our next cell meeting so that we can refine exactly what it is that we are looking for in the lesson. 

The Art/Lech/Language Cell

Onnica has volunteered to do a class for Grade 9 Setswana. She will email the cell tomorrow once she has decided on a focus. Next week we will assist in planning the lesson, film it and then watch and dissect it the following week.

Mathematics hungry for more time

This is the most exciting thing that happened. Teachers could choose their cells for the first time and as a result many so positive and ready for it.  Thank ^10000000 you!

Please give us more time, preferably until the 9 September. I find it almost impossible to create a detailed lesson-study process in less time than that.  Pretty please, m.

Oh yes our plans is to design an Accounting lesson, Grade 9.  To be taught on the 10 September. 

Mentoring in Grade 1

Portia and Rachel planned a Shayer lesson today, which Portia will deliver on Friday morning.  Having discussed the lesson in detail together, Portia is going write out the plan and we will meet again on Wednesday to review her plan and talk about any issues that may have arisen as she thinks through delivery of the lesson.

Intermediate Phase focuses on the Summative Assessment of their Unit

The IP (Grades 4-6) met to decide on our way forward. We are going to focus on the summative assessment of Unit 5. Teachers have already planned this together so we want to use the next week to study the actual assessment process versus the planning. 

Each grade will then prepare their reflection of the process highlighting the positives and negatives as well as a plan for improvement. It will also give us an opportunity to work through the reflection part on our Unit Planner.

The Setswana teachers will review their TD planner and report on its execution. Each group will have 15 minutes to share their findings on Monday 2 September.

Engaging senior Art Theory students with PPT

Our newly configured group is made up of: Ronelle, Elize, Thea, Sandra, Martinette and Amanda. We discussed the following in our group this afternoon:

• "Method in our madness" - how we are going to move forward, as we have a mix of Science, DT, Art,  Music, Afrikaans and English teachers in our group.
• This could prove to be an advantage, as we could focus more on refining techniques (praxis?) and less on content (more of the same: planning lesson, observing, etc.)
• Thea identified a specific challenge: How to keep a small group of 6 matric students engaged when doing an Art Theory lesson?
• She has tried something different: for Wednesday the matrics each have to prepare a presentation on a specific genre (period) of art and present it to the class.
• She will record the lesson and then the group will discuss the lesson next Monday.
• She does not want members of the cell group present in the class, as she feels the students will react differently when there are five teachers in class.
• The question of PowerPoint presentations came up and Sandra suggested a way to keep students engaged. Each group of students come up with two multiple choice questions relating to the slide/s. They have to email them to the teacher, who will collate and use them as a CFU (check for understanding).
• Amanda and Ronelle felt that they would rather require students to set one lower order and one higher order thinking question, as Languages do not lend themselves to multiple choice questions.
• Ronelle, Sandra and Thea will all circulate their versions of Bloom's taxonomy - for us to see what works best for each of us.

All in all it was a positive, fruitful discussion and we agreed that the present way of doing Staff Development is much more appealing to us, as we became bored with the previous process.