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formative assessment
#FiveWays of Giving Effective Feedback as Actions
If teachers are going to have a significant impact with the feedback they give, it needs to lead to improved outcomes for students. I am increasingly convinced that feedback needs to be constituted less in terms of a review of what has gone before and more in terms of very specific actions that students should … Continue reading
Pedagogy Postcard #17: Exemplar Essays
A series of short posts about specific elements of teaching practice that I think are effective and make life interesting. Some are based on my own lessons and others are borrowed from lessons I’ve observed. As a physics teacher I don’t have to deal with essays directly except for A level research coursework. But … Continue reading
Un-Masking Problems with Learning: Jacardi’s Tale and other Stories
“We did 18s at my old school.” Jacardi Jacardi joined us after transferring from another school. He missed our baseline test, we didn’t receive any other data but we just hoped we’d get up to speed with his needs. He was a bit of a mystery; articulate and outwardly confident but also something of a … Continue reading
Formative use of Summative Tests: Marking #Blogsync
Ever since the idea of formative assessment was expressed by Dylan Wiliam and Paul Black in ‘Inside the Black Box’, one of the practical strategies suggested has been the formative use of summative tests. Typically tests are regarded as something given at the end of a unit of work; often they mark the end point … Continue reading
Teaching MFL: Pedagogical approaches that work.
Modern Languages is one of the great strengths of my school. You can read about our intensive KS3 curriculum in this issue of Learning Lessons by AST and Director of Leading Edge, Jane Breen. It describes how we give students four hours a week in one language in Year 7 and 8, leading to GCSE … Continue reading
New group? New topic? Step 1: Find out what they know already!
It is a strong conviction of mine that far too many students are systematically under-challenged at school. It starts from day one and carries on from there – simply because a) some teachers do not take enough account of what students learn elsewhere and b), even if they do, they find it difficult to cope … Continue reading
Towards Co-constructed Learning: How to get it started.
Having written about co-construction in our Learning Lessons publication (Vol 2/ Issue 8 and Vol 3/ Issue 3), also profiled in this post I was invited to run some CPD sessions in two schools and then to write a summary of the process. It is a fabulously enriching way to approach teaching and learning; here … Continue reading
Marking in Perspective: Selective, Formative, Effective, Reflective
Marking in Perspective: Selective, Formative, Effective, Reflective Context and Motivation I’m feeling relieved, smug and virtuous because I’ve just marked some books. It feels good because a) it was overdue and, hence, was having that ‘albatross’ effect; b) for a change I am looking forward to going into my class tomorrow without feeling guilty and … Continue reading
Teaching and Learning ‘Market Place’ CPD.
A key strand of our ‘research-engaged’ philosophy and practice is that all KEGS teachers are involved in a Teaching and Learning Workshop throughout the year. This is in addition to the CPD that takes place through departmental meetings, individual CPD courses and the routine practice of ‘reflect and refine’. We are looking to explore new … Continue reading
If lessons were like skateboarding…
Wouldn’t it be great!? Off you go kids, have a go, see how you get on and we’ll take it from there…… However, can you imagine what ‘Skateboarding Lessons’ might look like in the real world of routine school: First of all there would be an extended safety briefing…. and another thing…. and make sure … Continue reading
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