September 2010 - Posts
After 6 weeks of 'CPDing' there is little doubt in my mind what is the most beneficial use of that time: observing other teachers. And it really doesn't matter what stage. I am P3, but I have observed, in my own school, P2, P5 and P6. My deputy head also arranged for me to visit another school where I was able to observe my own stage, and they were sooo nice to me(!) They said come back anytime. Only my bookie normally says that. It was incredible.
The only downside was I found it left me feeling quite humbled and like an inadequate gonk just out of University (you are - Ed). Why was Miss X's class so quiet? How many plates was Mr P spinning at once? You pick up tips, strategies, looks, lesson ideas, ideas for quick finishers, vocabulary that works, good jokes, bad jokes, blue tac and sweets. Obviously I love my 6 hour lectures on the importance of not befriending five year olds on Facebook, and how to suck an egg, but for sheer usefulness it has to be an observation.
WHEN CAN I GET A USERNAME!!?
Imagine this scenario. You take your class to a sweet shop. A fantastical, beautiful sweet shop packed with all the goodies under the sun. There are cream eggs and dream eggs and white chocolate mice,
and a great big selection box that looks rather nice.
There are Minstrels and Munstrels and Pineapple Cubes,
and tablet and fudge and something called 'Frubes'.
There's gum you can bubble and gum you can chew.
there's gum that you'll find on the sole of your shoe.
There's just one problem children "You can't have any of it. HA! HA! HA! But you can watch me stuff my face."
Well that's GLOW for me.
1. Apparently it's got a personal space for each user. Brilliant! Somewhere I could store my lesson plans, powerpoints, images and ideas, because one day I will forget this memory stick that I carry from home to school and back again every day and I'll be a dead man.
2. Apparently all the content on GLOW is Scottish Curriulum based. Yipee! No more trawling for stuff on the web and finding what looks like a useful piece of kit, only to discover it's been developed for the Primary sector in New Zealand, Utah or Timbuktu.
3. Apparently there are some pretty cool programs on GLOW which are fully licensed and free to teachers. Goodbye to half-baked, 30 day trials and 'teasers'.
I learned all of this and more at my last CPD day where of 30 attendees, only 4 had user names. Would you want to deliver a writing lesson to your class with only 4 pencils?
Come on guys, if you want us to impress you, let's have a level playing field, eh?
The Lesson - Functional writing.
Learning Intention: to write instructions.
(the context: a children's game e.g pass the parcel, musical chairs etc.)
Anyway, as an attention grabbing introduction we play 'pass the parcel'. Then using my best acting I come in as Zig from the planet Zurg. I'm trying to get to the point where the kids agree it would be better to write down the instructions for this game. The conversation goes like this:-
Teacher (as Zig) - Hiya. What you doing?
Wee Girl (happy she's been asked) - playing Pass the Parcel
teacher - what's that?
Wee girl - it's a game.
teacher - how do you play it?
Wee girl - well, you get a present, wrap it in some paper, put on some music, pass the parcel round until the music stops (and so on)
(here I come again this time as Zag from the same planet)
Teacher (as Zag) - Hiya. What you doing?
Wee Girl (frowning) - playing Pass the Parcel
teacher - what's that?
Wee girl(sighing) - it's a game.
teacher - how do you play it?
Wee girl - well, you get a present, wrap it some paper, put on some music, (etc.)
(now i'm Zog)
Teacher (as Zog) - Hiya. What you doing?
Wee Girl (not happy now, and beginning to raise her voice) - playing Pass the Parcel
teacher - what's that?
Wee girl - it's a game.
teacher - how do you play it?
Wee girl (had enough now) - LOOK I'VE JUST TOLD YOUR TWO PALS. WHY DON'T YOU ASK THEM?!!!