Innovative ideas from an international consultant on leadership, careers, science and use of the new technologies from around the world. Observed many distant learning lessons during lockdown and shares her learning with educators across the world.
Innovative ideas from an international consultant on leadership, careers, science and use of the new technologies from around the world. Observed many distant learning lessons during lockdown and shares her learning with educators across the world.
As Senior Leaders prepare to return to their school buildings and get ready to address and solve Post pandemic problems these documents are designed to help understand what has been happening to learning. The documents are based on current monitoring of over fifty Distance Learning lessons in a wide variety of schools, across all ages and abilities.
The resource consists of a series three audits; one for parents, one for students and one for teachers. These will help you to identify some problem areas and some positive areas on which to build! This one is for parents.
One for teachers; one for students
Further help is available
Advice to parents
Benefits of distance learning – after lockdown
Catch up after lockdown
As Senior Leaders prepare to return to their school buildings and get ready to address and solve Post pandemic problems these documents are designed to help understand what has been happening to learning. The documents are based on current monitoring of over fifty Distance Learning lessons in a wide variety of schools, across all ages and abilities.
The resource consists of a series three audits; one for parents, one for students and one for teachers. These will help you to identify some problem areas and some positive areas on which to build! This one is for teachers.
To find audit for parents. To find audit for students.
Further help is available
Advice to parents
Benefits of distance learning – after lockdown
Catch up after lockdown
What is post pandemic teaching going to be like when we are back to school? What have your students learned without you? Where have they learned it from? Use this tool to find out. The resource is a knowledge audit. Finding out where students actually learned from during lockdown.
Use this knowledge to help you: plan your catch up curriculum, reflect on learning in a post pandemic world and update your knowledge about what information sources actually appeal to your students.
Other resources to help
Benefits of distance learning – after lockdown
Catch up after lockdown
SEN modifications for distance learners
Family projects3
Audit student
Audit parents
Audit teachers
Preparing to return to your school buildings? Ready to address and solve Post pandemic problems? These documents are designed to help senior leaders. Distance learning has catapulted teachers into the 21st century. As in many other professions, teachers have had to rapidly learn new skills and adjust their approaches in a few short weeks. School leaders have discovered many benefits of distance learning which must NOT be lost when schools return to their buildings. These advantages are listed here and need to be discussed by senior, middle and aspiring leaders to ensure they are not swamped by the practicalities of social distancing and virus eradication.
There are five main benefits of distance learning seen during the lockdown: possibility of learning anywhere/anytime; students can take control of their own learning; there is an increase in the diversity of learning opportunities; greater involvement of parents in the learning process; real life experiences of working in the world of work.
• Why not use the checklist to see how far your school has journeyed into the world of distance learning?
• Ask different stake-holders to complete the document and compare their scores.
• Complete the audit when school re-opens, then at the beginning of the next two terms. What does the result tell you?
So your students are back! How do you find out what happened to their learning during lockdown and how are you going to help them catch up? This resource help you clarify your thinking and produce an effective strategy to help students catch up as quickly as possible according to their learning needs. By using the three tools provided you can take simple steps to identify the best groupings and strategies needed. Use the triage concept favoured by hospitals:
Step 1 Use Student Audit to find out about learning. Provided in WORD so you can customise to your student’s age and your setting
Step 2 Use Blank triage sheet to classify them into three groups and clarify your thinking
Step 3 Use complete triage sheet to get ideas and strategies for your nine subgroups.
Other post pandemic resources available:
Audit parents
Audit teachers
Advice to parents
Benefits of distance learning – after lockdown
Catch up after lockdown
Family projects
Knowledge audit
International learning opportunities
SEN modifications for distance learners
Software to enhance distant learning
Virtual biology lab
Virtual visits
Find out what happened during lockdown! KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! What has happened to students’ learning; teachers’ skills and parents’ perception of education during lockdown? HOW did students learn? Use this series of customisable audits to help you.
So you students are back! How do you find out what happened to their learning during lockdown and how are you going to help them catch up? This resource help you clarify your thinking and produce an effective strategy to help students catch up as quickly as possible according to their learning needs. By using the three tools provided you can take simple steps to identify the best groupings and strategies needed. There is detailed guidance to use the triage concept favoured by hospitals:
**Step 1 **Use Student Audit to find out about their learning during lockdown
Step 2 Use Blank triage sheet to classify them into three groups
Step 3 Use complete triage sheet to get ideas and strategies for your nine subgroups.
Other post pandemic resources available:
Audit parents
Audit teachers
Advice to parents
Benefits of distance learning
Catch up after lockdown
Family projects
Knowledge audit
International learning opportunities
SEN modifications for distance learners
Software to enhance distant learning
Virtual biology lab
virtual chemistry labs
Virtual physics
Virtual visits
. Ideal for catch up post pandemic. Contains a basic and an advanced template which are differentiation tools to stretch more able students. PLUS an additional word cloud idea to add fun to learning
NOW WITH ADDED TEACHERS’ GUIDE! Idea for Catch up after lockdown .
This is ONE of a family of 14 resources aimed to encourage independent research skills for more able students. There is a blank template and example topics including: a.c. generation batteries, electromagnetism, graphene, industrial processes, magnetism, metals, nanotechnology, newest elements ( atomic numbers over 100) manufacture of polymers, rocks, solar energy, wind generation.
This is one of many differentiation tools available to teachers. Research topics can be done in class, with books, in libraries, in rooms with computers or tablets. These topics would make an ideal cover lesson.
Research could be published in a school newsletter, the school website or blog or in student publication magazines and blogs.
Duration: This depends on the age and ability of the students. For youngest students it could be for a week’s homework. As students get older the tasks could be set for half a term, even a whole term, could be linked with a science fair, STEM activity, open evening, assembly or business or commerce event.
There are four reasons for using the ‘What is the Question technique:
(i) it encourages students to develop their thinking skills
(ii) through discussion, students use and therefore internalise technical, scientific language
(iii) as the method is not used in classrooms frequently, it is more engaging
(iv) it is fun and there are no right answers therefore students make more of an effort to find suitable answers.
The resource consists of a single PowerPoint slide with six ‘answers’ related to graphene. Students are asked ’ If this is the answer, what is the question?’
It is a powerful tool to develop students thinking skills.
Possible answers are provided but there is no right and wrong.
There is a second visual version with images instead of words. ? It will be helpful to students with difficulty reading words; it will be useful to students who are visual learners; it provides an alternative approach for other learners.
This resource is designed to develop students’ ability to think and question.
Now contains: pedagological guidance for teachers to use the resources across a wide range of ages and abilities; a visual version and a blank template for students to design their own answers and questions and possible answers for basic, intermediate and advanced level students.
Why use what is the question?
Traditionally the teacher is the centre of attention, the owner of knowledge and information. In this situation the role becomes more a facilitator than an instructor. Students who learn to ask their own questions become more curious, take ownership of their learning, and demonstrate greater comprehension of challenging content the students are thinking and doing more, rather than the teacher.
Socrates wandered around Athens asking questions to get at a deeper truth. Since then teachers have used questions as a way to get students to think more deeply, rather than giving them the information directly.
Is applicable to all specifications, curricula and standards
**Duration: **
Can be used: as a five-minute starter at the beginning of a lesson to assess prior learning; a test of understanding in the middle of a lesson; an exit task at the end of the lesson or a homework.
As long as the question gives the answer on the slide it is correct.
Differentiation: Teachers can encourage older and more able students to re-phrase and re-formulate their questions, perhaps using a thesaurus.
Can be used in a wide range of curriculum.
Why not download a FREE solar energy lesson?
Advice for students wishing to gain the highest grades in chemistry exams. This worksheet is one of a series of three, covering physics, chemistry and biology. It is for students aiming for the highest grades in their science examinations. These students may be part of a STEM programme.
The resource is suitable for GCSE science, chemistry, A level chemsitry in the UK, International Baccalaureate (IB) and other international curricula.
The sheet could be given to students at the beginning of their courses in electronic format and students encouraged to try references that interest them. There is a checklist to enable students to keep a note of what has been tried and how effective it is . This information should be regularly shared with others in the group.
The resource is particularly useful as this information is not readily available to students (or their teachers).
This simple worksheet explains to students (and possibly their teachers) how to make a creative word cloud using text relevant to a lesson or series of lessons.
It can be used as a differentiated activity for a whole range of students. More able can import text from an essay, a SOW, a curriculum document.
Suitable for all curricula e.g. UK, USA, IB
Word clouds can be used for displays, section dividers in folders. Images can be simple clouds or a whole range of shapes which are seasonal, topical or just attractive.
This simple worksheet explains to students (and possibly their teachers) how to make a creative word cloud using text relevant to a lesson or series of lessons. In this case - careers. Subject teachers need to advise students about possible careers in their subject. There is a list of physics careers available here
It can be used as a differentiated activity for a whole range of students. More able can import text from an essay, a SOW, a curriculum document.
Suitable for all curricula e.g. UK, USA, IB
This worksheet is one of a series of three, covering physics, chemistry and biology. It is for students aiming for the highest grades in their science examinations. These students may be part of a STEM programme.
The resource is suitable for GCSE science, physics, A level physics in the UK, International Baccalaureate (IB) and other international curricula.
The sheet could be given to students at the beginning of their courses in electronic format and students encouraged to try references that interest them. There is a checklist to enable students to keep a note of what has been tried and how effective it is . This information should be regularly shared with others in the group.
The resource is particularly useful as this information is not readily available to students (or their teachers).
ac generation - differentiation tool - revised. This is one of a family of 14 resources aimed to encourage independent research skills for more able students. Now with added teacher guidance notes. There is a blank template - other topics including: batteries , electromagnetism, graphene, industrial processes, magnetism, manufacture of polymers, metals, nanotechnology, newest elements ( atomic numbers over 100), rocks, solar energy, wind generation.
This a one of many differentiation tools available to teachers. Research topics can be done in class, with books, in libraries, in rooms with computers or tablets. These topics would make an ideal cover lesson.
Research could be published in a school newsletter, the school website or blog or in student publication magazines and blogs.
Duration: This depends on the age and ability of the students. For youngest students it could be for a week’s homework. As students get older the tasks could be set for half a term, even a whole term, could be linked with a science fair, STEM activity, open evening, assembly or business or commerce event.
After lockdown, when people return to school, suddenly digital literacy has become really important for both students and their teachers. As education is catapulted into the 21 century digital skills are at a premium and are developing rapidly. This resource provides a series of audits for schools derived from the UK government Essential digital skills framework which defines the digital skills adults need to safely benefit from, participate in and contribute to the digital world.
There are 12 FREE documents in the series:
• Digital Foundation skills audit for teachers
• Digital Foundation skills audit for students
• Digital Communication skills audit for teachers
• Digital Communication skills audit for students
• Digital Handling Information and Content skills audit for teachers
• Digital Handling Information and Content skills audit for students
• Digital Transaction skills audit for teachers
• Digital Transaction skills for students
• Digital Problem-Solving skills audit for teachers
• Digital Problem-Solving skills audit for students
• Digital Being Safe and Legal Online skills for teachers
• Digital Being Safe and Legal Online skills for students (this one)
The wording for teachers, as the adults, is taken directly from the framework and turned into a checklist for schools to use. In the students’ checklists the wording has been slightly modified and the changes, made by the author, shown in red. The documents are in Word format to allow teachers to easily simplify and modify for their settings.
Also available is detailed teacher guidance about how these documents can be used in schools, including strategies to develop skills gaps found through the audits and ideas about comparing and addresses mismatches between teachers and students’ digital skills.
After lockdown, when people return to school, suddenly digital literacy has become really important for both students and their teachers. As education is catapulted into the 21 century digital skills are at a premium and are developing rapidly. This resource provides a series of audits for schools derived from the UK government Essential digital skills framework which defines the digital skills adults need to safely benefit from, participate in and contribute to the digital world.
There are 12 FREE documents in the series:
• Digital Foundation skills audit for teachers
• Digital Foundation skills audit for students
• Digital Communication skills audit for teachers
• Digital Communication skills audit for students
• Digital Handling Information and Content skills audit for teachers
• Digital Handling Information and Content skills audit for students
• Digital Transaction skills audit for teachers (this one)
• Digital Transaction skills audit for students
• Digital Problem-Solving skills audit for teachers
• Digital Problem-Solving skills audit for students
• Digital Being Safe and Legal Online skills audit for teachers
• Digital Being Safe and Legal Online skills audit for students
The wording for teachers, as the adults, is taken directly from the framework and turned into a checklist for schools to use. In the students’ checklists the wording has been slightly modified and the changes, made by the author, shown in red. The documents are in Word format to allow teachers to easily simplify and modify for their settings.
Also available is detailed teacher guidance about how these documents can be used in schools, including strategies to develop skills gaps found through the audits and ideas about comparing and addresses mismatches between teachers and students’ digital skills.
After lockdown, when people return to school, suddenly digital literacy has become really important for both students and their teachers. As education is catapulted into the 21 century digital skills are at a premium and are developing rapidly. This resource provides a series of audits for schools derived from the UK government Essential digital skills framework which defines the digital skills adults need to safely benefit from, participate in and contribute to the digital world.
There are 12 FREE documents in the series:
• Digital Foundation skills audit for teachers
• Digital Foundation skills audit for students
• Digital Communication skills audit for teachers
• Digital Communication skills audit for students
• Digital Handling Information and Content skills for teachers (this one)
• Digital Handling Information and Content skills for students
• Digital Transaction audit skills for teachers
• Digital Transaction skills audit for students
• Digital Problem-Solving skills audit for teachers
• Digital Problem-Solving skills audit for students
• Digital Being Safe and Legal Online skills audit for teachers
• Digital Being Safe and Legal Online skills audit for students
The wording for teachers, as the adults, is taken directly from the framework and turned into a checklist for schools to use. In the students’ checklists the wording has been slightly modified and the changes, made by the author, shown in red. The documents are in Word format to allow teachers to easily simplify and modify for their settings.
Also available is detailed teacher guidance about how these documents can be used in schools, including strategies to develop skills gaps found through the audits and ideas about comparing and addresses mismatches between teachers and students’ digital skills.