Good evening folks! It's time for #CASchat, the weekly #Computing teacher chat hosted by me, Alan Harrison, CAS Master Teacher in #Manchester. Please introduce yourself and answer this question: what was the most fun you've had at work this year so far?
Question 1 is live!
Q1. Thinking about Lesson Planning and Preparation, what tricks, tools and strategies could reduce your workload?
Answer A1 ... and include the hashtag: #CASChat
#caschat evening all, the most fun I've had so far this year has been the #HourOfCode - pupils absolutely loved it and blew me away with how quickly they picked up concepts.
Actually, today was a really good one where we introduced all the new features of Scratch 3 to some yr3's, they liked it so much they were all so quiet...#caschat
Hi Bradley from East London π I have had lots of fun exploring the @busythings update that we have just launched from @LGfL π especially the new coding units #CASChat
A1: Well I'm not sure if I could shave any more time off planning as I do it all at home anyway and I only teach primary but i am open to new ideas π #Caschat
Question 1 is live!
Q1. Thinking about Lesson Planning and Preparation, what tricks, tools and strategies could reduce your workload?
Answer A1 ... and include the hashtag: #CASChat
Take the Emirates route over the river. Calmer than the dlr, and scenic to boot. Also get a show discount fare on the day if you ask. #bettchat#caschat
In reply to
@ICTEvangelist, @clcsimon, @Henry_Platten, @KatieHenryDays, @garyhenderson18, @s_dench, @AlKingsley_Edu, @ReallyschoolK, @DepHead_Jones, @esafetyadviser, @Lanny_Watkins
A1 Well-planned lessons; content youβre familiar with; good resources; consistent curric. Not having to report on each yr grp twice a yr & attend pointless Parents Evenings which are only attended by the βgoodβ students #caschat
A1 workload management is all about prioritising what matters. High quality planning and excellent teaching should be prioritised, there are shortcuts you can take in other areas of practice #CASchat
Now here I feel your pain, but I am a bit lucky as I have free reign on the whole subject, and we do actually teach it a little differently, but yes stability would be good #Caschat
#Caschat a1 in a recent survey I did with over 200
Primary teachers I found @BarefootComp the most commonly cited resource followed by @Baggiepr - but 80 Other lesson planning sources were mentioned !!! + most combos were unique ... so few teachers had the same sources
A1 #CASChat I love @showbie! To be able to walk into school with little/no photocopying and know that all children will have access to the materials needed saves me so much time & I can set up whole terms of work & just tweak along the way. #PaperlessClassroom
A1 using Google Classroom has been the biggest game changer for me. On the go assessment, links to resources - children accessing it on their gaming devices! #caschat
A1: You donβt have to reinvent the wheel, donβt start from scratch there are some brilliant resources out there which you can scaffold your own topics/outcomes with #Caschat
So if @teknoteacher was here for #Caschat Q1 he would undoubtedly say "A1 keep it simple at KS3, teach the same three themes each year and just build knowledge and skills up repeatedly".
A1: You donβt have to reinvent the wheel, donβt start from scratch there are some brilliant resources out there which you can scaffold your own topics/outcomes with #Caschat
Hi #caschat ters probably just stalking tonight as trying to investigate game creation in Roblox with my middle daughter whilst also trying to learn Welsh...
#caschat a1 continued ... therefore not sure how we generalise answers for primary! For secondary what goto resources do you use for planning and where do you get your underlying learning objectives from ??
#CASchat A1 I've started using a lot more online resources for starters and main activities, saves prep time. Sharing practical task files direct with pupils gets activities started quicker than getting them to access a network drive.
This year I've made a lot of changes but the biggest revamp has probably been the A-level content... I tried to make as many of the OOP tasks themed as possible like national speak like a pirate day... it's always easier when it's fun to plan! #CASchat
A1 Find resources that suit you and your stdnts and stick with them. Same content each year for each Yr grp means planning is simple and skills/knowledge for each Yr builds on previous #caschat
A1 from me: co-planning is great, also Lean lesson planning (search the book on it) 5 minute lesson plan etc. and buy, beg, steal or borrow resources. #caschat
#Caschat a1 in a recent survey I did with over 200
Primary teachers I found @BarefootComp the most commonly cited resource followed by @Baggiepr - but 80 Other lesson planning sources were mentioned !!! + most combos were unique ... so few teachers had the same sources
Evening, Beverly here, dipping in and out while following the BREXIT updates....Most fun has been delivering KS3 creative computing courses last week #caschat
A2. Whole class marking is great. Look at everyones. Take pictures/screenshots of the best and give the challenges! Some students will need specifics but most will just need the general bits #caschat
A2 Use automated marking e.g. SAM Learning/ Google Forms; mark once every 3 or 6 wks; set out expectations of stdnts re deadlines for hwk & your feedback & set a time limit for stdnts to respond. Assmnt once every half term #caschat
A2. automating some marking of simple programming tasks using tools like @replit is really useful. using comments and getting students to respond on documents has made it much easier to keep track of my @OCR_ICT A Level project students #CASChat
Oh great point! One of the best things I've done is actually sort and label all my resources that's been super helpful! Also colleagues doing the same...turns out we have loads of great things π#caschat
A2 I don't mark homework at GSCE. Self marked and feedback on. Lots of mastery. at KS3 Specific bits get marked but peer and self assessment every lesson #caschat
My A2 on marking:
I auto mark as much as possible using @HelloEedi#Quantum, @socrative, Gsuite, MS Forms etc.
Live feedback in class is much more effective than book marking. Whole class Feedback.
Low-stakes quizzes & lots of self- and peer-. I rarely mark books now. #caschat
A2 unashamedly stolen from primary school, hi-lighter marking! Green for growth, pink for perfect dm me if you want me to ping you some examples in action #CASchat
A2: Unless it's a long term project like making a school website like we are doing now myself and my co-worker in crime try to do it the next day as we are very streached so any other ideas would be goodπ§π #Caschat
A2: I keep pushing @just2easy_com toolsuite to schools, it is a cloud based platform where you are able to create, store and assesse Computing all in one platform, you can even record verbal feedbackπ
It is a game changerπ
#CASchat
A2 #CASChat Again, I have to say that @Showbie saves me lots of time. The ability to add voice note feedback cuts down marking time (as long as you have somewhere quiet to feedback!). You can also copy & paste comments & insert support videos etc too where needed.
A2: I keep pushing @just2easy_com toolsuite to schools, it is a cloud based platform where you are able to create, store and assesse Computing all in one platform, you can even record verbal feedbackπ
It is a game changerπ
#CASchat
#CASchat A2: We have a "looking good/keep working on" stamp which limits space for written feedback. As a chronic woffler, it's cut my marking time in half for most lessons as we are expected to show evidence of feedback in books for every lesson... 1/2
A2 The add narration button is fab in powerpoint. Give students with literacy issues audio feedback. They can even reply to your questions with the same button. BTW all our "books" are a shared powerpoint. #caschat
I quite like Google Classroom but don't like not being able to mark work complete even when I am marking it. we use @Showmyhomework in school for most year groups and I much prefer the interface and the way marking works. (plus can automate tests) #CASChat
In reply to
@misskteague, @KJSICT, @Seesaw, @GoogleForEdu, @Showmyhomework
A3 This surely has to be a deeper school wide system question. In my personal practice, I think that the key to workload is to understand what time you have, whatβs the most important, where you can shortcut with no loss of impact where you waste time 1/2 #CASchat
I'd recommend @replit set your own programming tasks (with example code and help text if you want) and tests (basic I/O matching or unit tests) to automatically check programming tasks #caschat
A3 Stop focus on data! Are stdnts happy/Safe? Contented/ Working well? So much focus on mental health but nothing done as costs ££s &canβt be quantified/measured. Not forgetting parent/home influence -often feels we βfightβ parents who donβt value childrenβs educatn #caschat
Just starting to try this with 6th formers, will roll it down the school when I know what I'm doing! I had been using Runestone Academy but the interface is clunky. #caschat
A3 I love spreadsheets me. So exams i don't write on the students work just enter everything into excel and then everything is generated from that. I was taught a cool trick to show question level analysis in 2 minutes. Pick off the hardest questions in lesson. #caschat
#Caschat a1 in a recent survey I did with over 200
Primary teachers I found @BarefootComp the most commonly cited resource followed by @Baggiepr - but 80 Other lesson planning sources were mentioned !!! + most combos were unique ... so few teachers had the same sources
2/2 (Keeping a work diary can help with this so you can see how much time is wasted). If you can work until 5.30pm and donβt take any work home and switch off emails when marking or planning #caschat
A2 self marking microsoft forms for summative. All progs submitted via @OneNoteEDU for review and feedback if needed, love the stickers especially office drama ones! Lots of walking round the room and talking woth students as they attempt problems.
#CASchat
A3 Bit of a shout out to @purpleMash here - theyβve released a load of assessment stuff for computing to go along with their other resources - worth s look if you have PM in your school #caschat
A3. We use an app called Doddle Learn. It is a mixed blessing but allows RAG ratings to be given for skills. It is excellent for showing progress and can be used for feedback too. It isnt a silver bullet though. #Caschat
Would love to use more tools Bradley but budget is a bit in the negitive so we have to be a bit creative if you know what i mean and.."cough" borrow some stuff..#Caschat
A3 Stop focus on data! Are stdnts happy/Safe? Contented/ Working well? So much focus on mental health but nothing done as costs ££s &canβt be quantified/measured. Not forgetting parent/home influence -often feels we βfightβ parents who donβt value childrenβs educatn #caschat
Also like @plickers for quick feedback and low stakes quizzes. used to use the Ativhandsets but getting all the devices out to students was a bore, not they just hold up a QR code (stuck in book) to give answer and i use my device to scan from front of room #caschat
In reply to
@tech_magpie, @DdR333, @replit, @plickers
A2: In Primary I think we have to work out what data we are gathering and on what? Assessment is the elephant in the room for computing in Primary, once we get that sorted we can think of next steps #CASchat
i think so but for some reason still only lets the student say work is complete, only a small thing but really bugs me for some reason (especially once i have marked work and it still sits there saying it isn't done #caschat
In reply to
@Bob_Higham, @misskteague, @KJSICT, @Seesaw, @GoogleForEdu, @Showmyhomework
Most fun I have had is watching pupils get real agency over conditionals through roleplay and algorithm writing before coding as this has been a big aim for a while. #Caschat
Also like @plickers for quick feedback and low stakes quizzes. used to use the Ativhandsets but getting all the devices out to students was a bore, not they just hold up a QR code (stuck in book) to give answer and i use my device to scan from front of room #caschat
In reply to
@tech_magpie, @DdR333, @replit, @plickers
Most fun I have had is watching pupils get real agency over conditionals through roleplay and algorithm writing before coding as this has been a big aim for a while. #Caschat
I see it in schools I visit everyday budgets are tight, but some technology and investments can help save schools money, itβs part of @LGfL charitable aims to help schools save money #CASchat
A3 what we need to avoid is gathering data for data sake; teaching does not equal stat! The data must work for us and our learners and not the other way round. We often collect lots of data but then do nothing with it! #caschat
#caschat A4- I try to do a half-termly newsletter, covering what ss have been doing, links to as many resources ss can access at home as possible ( I try to use free, open source ) along with any relevant esafety info
A3 what we need to avoid is gathering data for data sake; teaching does not equal stat! The data must work for us and our learners and not the other way round. We often collect lots of data but then do nothing with it! #caschat
A4. We have vertical tutor groups. I have 5-6 students per year group. Students reflect on their progress and present to their parents in form classroom. Each student gets 15 mins. KS4 is the usual marathon. #Caschat
Ok, matey, I will look into it and I have to believe you as it seems your in the place where I originally come from, big up to the pie n mash if its still there in the high street ππ€ #Caschat
Agreed, I think (hope!) now the initial βWeβve got to tech coding π±β craziness has passed and staff confidence has grown, unplugged, well planned and thought out CS is taking its place #caschat
Most fun I have had is watching pupils get real agency over conditionals through roleplay and algorithm writing before coding as this has been a big aim for a while. #Caschat
A4: We are in the very rural area at my main school so we tend to verbally talk to all parents about their children's progress when and where appropriate to be honest, if I was at a larger school it would be different I imagine. #Caschat
A4 #caschat I shared a broad dashboard view of my class progress with all students and parents and weekly sent home bulk texts on a Friday to share their successes.
So I use @edmodo with KS3, it's like a class "Facebook" designed for education, and parents can see what they are doing. Just launching parent codes this term - why not check back with me in a few weeks! #CAschat
#CASchat A3 Reliable, consistent data gathering, accurate targets calculated from subject baselines, single point of entry instead of redundancy, portability into Excel to automate collation for analysis.
A2 Iβm going to be controversial and say that automated marking should be used like a seasoning not the main meal. All students post KS3 have handwritten exams with from 1-12 mark essay questions and reading and assessing answers as a teacher is just so important #CASchat
One of my colleagues uses a great add-on to calculate results on the spreadsheet behind the quiz... I'll ask her tomorrow what it's called as I can't remember #caschat
In reply to
@ItsMiasTweets, @Bob_Higham, @PiVangelist, @KJSICT, @Seesaw, @GoogleForEdu, @Showmyhomework
I use our school Twitter account to reard ss good work. I let them compose their own tweet to share pictures or short videos of their projects #caschat
We share lots of #eSafety advice etc too - So handy! Love that you can get work from online profiles @purpleMash@showbie & share with parents. #CASChat
In reply to
@tech_magpie, @DdR333, @Twitter, @purpleMash, @Showbie
We use a half and half system where some questions are closed ended but we always include a peice of longer writing where we can! I don't think it's controversial I think for a lot of people, especially if they are on their own, it's the volume of marking it produces #caschat
A5 Hours gained!! Is that like βleft-over wineβ? Maybe find time to finesse/tweak/ refine resources. Search out interesting/fun websites to share with stdnts. Get around to researching & signing up for fab things like CyberDiscovery #caschat
#CASchat A5 craft, compose, practice, gig, and SLEEP! After doing all the other paperwork and finishing the NCCE CompSci Accelerator course, of course βΊ
A5: Well apart from having more time to brew beer ( I know don't judge me guys!!) i would love to get some more funding for hardware so we can run better aplications for the whole school and make it all fit together if you get my drift ππππΊπ»πΉπ²π±π° #Caschat
Please join me in thanking @tech_magpie for an awesome job hosting tonight. #caschat will be taking a break next week due to #BETT3019 but will be back on the 29th for a #SaferInternetDay2019 special.
