#ukedchat Archive
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Thursday October 13, 2016
It's 8pm. Time for , exploring "Making Learning Relevant" 6 Questions to follow. Please reply A1, A2, A3 etc and chat away 😀
Q1:
What aspect of your teaching are you able to make T&L relevant to your pupils?
A1 Lesson Outcomes (WALT/WILF, must, should, could, etc) can also include real world context, easy to do for STEM subjects
A1 Numeracy. Explaining why we need to count, reason and order in real life situations
Yes, would agree, that's a great place to start, if possible.
Primary/EYFS? Yes, and easy to show real life modelling
Totally And should always be a consideration, rather than a focus on passing a exam.
Question 1:
Making Learning Relevant - What aspect of your teaching are you able to make T&L relevant to your pupils?
Some subjects are easier to relate to real-life than others?
A1 connecting content to real life situations eg teaching speed ect using F1 and roller coasters
Yes, especially Maths and English! https://t.co/GreUIRJ30z
Some subjects are easier to relate to real-life than others?
all areas of the curriculum should be relevant to pupils everyday lives or give appreciation of the wider world
Thank you for following, Renny! Stay tuned for tweets about , , , and more!
developed my lesson plan to include a 'context' box so every lesson I could answer the question 'why do I need to know this?'
Some areas easier than others?
Drawing comparisons with current news stories and the learning; Lennie and Harambe,
I'm not sure the people who write the curriculum agree with that
We have something similar - essential to give pupils real life contexts to fully engage them in the learning
Important not to confuse 'relevant' with 'familiar' if we want to widen horizons?
Q2:
How do you help make connections between T&L and daily lives, when the curriculum is narrow?
That's a really good idea
As a primary teacher always reading the latest children's books to keep up and engage your class
All schools can develop a bespoke, exciting curriculum based on experiences and real life contexts.
A2 Use examples from my own life and experiences to help pupils understand why it needs to be taught to them
Hi all sorry late you have to embed real life experiences into it - comparisons and relevance A2
Absolutely, and relate it to local life, stories and environments too
And it's been added to the list of things to look into
possibly - but why would you teach kids something that has no real life relevance? And why would they want to learns it?
All learning regardless of subject matter can be compared with a similar life experience - that's crucial A2
A2 "make connections between T&L and daily lives" - best teachers will in every T&L situation anyway, regardless of the curriculum
We need to ask the policy makers that question
haha possibly - but no point in teaching things that don't have real life applications for pupils
is it up to schools, individual teachers to be creative then?
It's got to show the students that there is a point to it all otherwise you have disengagement A2
Do you think that teachers, therefore, should have more experience of the real-world, to be able to make the connections?
Agreed - they need to be held to account - our Curriculum for Excellence was a direct response to business' needs
All my maths topics start and finish with 'Here are the real life applications of what we're learning' so important for engagement
"relevance material" - I've seen one school use Friday afternoons learning how curriculum ties in with life, skills and real jobs
totally agree - it should just be part of teaching a topic/context in any area of the curriculum
Guiding learners using mini plenaries can help them access relevant problem solving activities- top tip I learnt today!
we have a substantial part of the Maths curriculum taught with videos of a maths teacher using landmarks to teach concepts.
the data shows this material is loved by students
it's amazing how pupils will tackle work differently when they can see the point in it
https://t.co/Bu93Jan7wF
curriculum is only narrow if we choose to make it so. Can be used to give children experiences they don't have in daily lives.
no value in learning for learning's sake then? Not everything has an obvious(to kids) application, quadratics?
A2 if you focus on the skill and use the curriculum as the vehicle you can make it relevant
for 30+ years I always focused mainly on developing the skills in the subject & provided activi… https://t.co/sSIe60ULJX
https://t.co/3Q5lOjnkFh
as much as poss as it allows students to consider if the issues of the novel are apparent in today's world
https://t.co/A0dO8cHgEQ
free indirect narrative and the flexibility and multiplicity of perception: empowering to students, makes reading real.
e.g., when using scratch for programming your teaching children to problem solve
that sounds interesting - are the videos freely available?
Absolutely. Stories and books at the heart of the curriculum. Narrative worlds as well as real ones!
A2 focus on the skills students are developing and how they are transferable
Teacher knowledge of high quality books is essential.
I think everything does have an application and if kids can see it they engage much better - esp at primary
Q3:
How do you respond to pupils when they complain, “Why do we need to learn this anyway”?
personally I like learning for learning's sake but not many kids do - they like to know why they're doing it
e.g., when using scratch for programming you're teaching children to problem solve
A3 Giving them a detailed example of then they might need to use it themselves
Point, purpose, relevance and application to life https://t.co/d4KGClgLBt
it's amazing how pupils will tackle work differently when they can see the point in it
https://t.co/ZJCcvZqK3w
yes, as the ancient Greeks believed "knowing is knowing" therefore education does not have to be instrumental
https://t.co/JyJjD6Z2Mk
arts subjects are also about taking children to new imaginative places that my not link to the obvious.
https://t.co/6gHmtcnnIZ
Set a challenge for pupils to find an article linked to the lesson eg:Moral responsibility in An Inspector calls
A3 Fortunately, I used to teach subjects (Eng/German) and still am teaching a subject (academic Dutch) for which this is no probs.
A3: I think delivery is all wrong if you get a child asking that question
far more challenging higher up the school, quadratics become "relevant" only at ug level really
https://t.co/NYfpmb3dNQ
it helps, many of the best teachers at bringing relevance to the classroom are those with prior experiences outside of teaching
A3 Reminding them that they will never know when they will need to do certain things as life is varying and challenging
Of the curriculum is right they will know why. It gives reasons and purposes for learning.
Apologies everyone I have to leave right now will try and come in again before the end
A3 What students actually mean by this question is “How will I benefit from the lesson you’re about to put me through?”
https://t.co/deDpKDqCf9
connecting students to high quality literature and the social and conceptual power it contains... That's a purpose!
the pinnacle is to move them away from that mindset and by pandering to a need for relevance we feed the beast
I would be happy they were thinking about how they learn!
It’s tricky though as the advice I received in my teens didn’t prepare me for doing my job now 🤔
that's very true - I do think some STEM contexts at hS level are harder to contextualise
I agree narrative has universal truths which are always relevant regardless of other real-world/modern contexts.
"we know electron shells aren't really relevant to life but we like them because you do" actual quote from y10
Unfortunately you have to teach what will come up on the exam
absolutely - that's so important as Einstein said Immagination is more important than knowledge
sometimes attempts are made to contextualise such concepts but often end up feeling contrived
There's going to be set content in the exam at the end, you can be creative with the content but stick to it
I always rejected the pressures to confirm to the straight-jacket by ensuring the students did… https://t.co/SvJk9Q8Z6o
But the straight jacket can be the exam!
A3 Recommended strategy 'Shall we just leave it out and hope it doesn't come up on the A level / GCSE paper?' .... never fails.
https://t.co/3uyKwl9t5N
Q2 in literature,there is always a possible link between characters and pupils - they can always empathise if you set up properly
I think this is where PS is very different to HS - most of our curriculum lends itself to be contexualised
A3 point out how it could be useful in later life
Yes, but we're talking about making learning relevant to real-life Does that response do your subject justice?
true in HS but we have more space to be creative in PS and can find engaging contexts for pupils
A3 I actually ask myself am I teaching the right way or in an engaging way and put the ownness back on the learners
its right up there with knowing how to carry out belt transects
I began in 1974 as a PE (& Maths) teache so kept focused on enjoyment as a key factor in all le… https://t.co/uppaAvooUv
A3: Sometimes it's good to ask ourselves this too. If no good answer, may need to adjust approach.
That could be disingenuous to a pupils who has set their sights on a particular path in life?
I'm sometimes very jealous
Hi ! Amy popping by while I babysit the copy machine. I teach middle school band in Michigan.
Q4:
We are teaching pupils for their futures. How can we make learning relevant for these futures?
Yes - but then I am (in my admittedly biased view) very lucky, as my subject is Biology
Ok, so how did you feel when adults told you that when you were growing up?
A4 They say "60% of jobs in future are yet to exist" regardless of whether we believe this myth, we cannot allow T&L to dumb-down
Totally agree. I would ask my self "how could I make this more engaging so they can see relevance?"
A4 Aim to teach life and social skills not just the curriculum
Indeed. Creative skills, personal skills, life skills.
A4 Focus on the pupils as a whole rather than just academic results
A3-I'm always honest with my students about assessment criteria-sometimes it's a means to passing, getting the grade.
So point out that they shouldn't be shutting doors as they don't know what's going to happen in later life
A4 By preparing them today for tomorrow's world, i.e. anticipating the future, e.g. in education!
big one this, digital literacy massively undervalued. A huge issue.
But you therefore need to put yourself in that position again & explain in a way they understand Like you needed
I have a friend who carries out belt transects for a living :-)
A4 Plan activities which test and challenge their problem solving/team working skills, persistence and determination
teach them to be adaptable, open minded and have a healthy cynicism
I didn't know that was 'spamming' sorry
*Correction A3 Giving them a detailed example of when they might need to use it themselves
A4: Needs to be less about google-able knowledge & more about experiences. Collaborative work, problem solving, etc.
Totally. Is there space for this in the curriculum? https://t.co/Tlno6Bh74z
teach them to be adaptable, open minded and have a healthy cynicism
So, are you assuming all pupils have the same mindset as you did as a student?
A4 set the pupils projects to learn about relevant global issues where learning will cross lots of subjects & present bk
A4 we are lucky enough to have 1:1 chromebooks. Revolutionises the way pupils learn & prepares for adult life
A2 PreC19th = being able to develop critical opinions/interpretation. All curriculum can be relevant if taught well.
Collaborative problem solving and communication skills must be right up there, developing immagination is essential too
A4 teach children to challenge ideas, each other and you.
Makes a big difference in the ability to use and access different resources 👍🏻 https://t.co/gJS28CqmzR
A4 we are lucky enough to have 1:1 chromebooks. Revolutionises the way pupils learn & prepares for adult life
And possibly the skill of being able to adapt easily to other situations that may present themselves
Q5:
What is the most fundamental part of learning for your pupils, and what works best for them?
I don't think you find that in the curriculum, it's how your values and how you teach
A4 Make sure students are developing skills along side learning content
A5 Problem solving. Self assessment and reflection usually works best for them
Question 5 What is the most fundamental part of learning for your pupils, and what works best for them?
A4 We can teach creativity, adaptability, resourcefulness-we don't know exactly what their future will need from them.
You like literature? How does this work with subjects that don’t lend themselves to lit?
We teach Critical Literacy to kids - question everything they read, separate fact from opinion and debate
Q5 learning to enjoy learning, value mistakes and reflect on their learning. Identifying their own next steps.
https://t.co/lQr1Z8ypx2
there's an element of futureproofing, what's relevant now may not be in 10+ yrs so brain stretch is good
Dare I ask about secondary?
My philosophy is that if kids leave PS with a love of learning and an understanding of how to teach themselves then my job is done
I agree-I teach the time and life of the writer first! Context and building curiosity before content!
Q6:
What role can outside agencies/companies play in making learning relevant?
definitely - transferable skills should be taught throughout the curriculum
A4, teach them to challenge themselves everyday, relevant or not, challenge the accepted norms(not behave badly though!)
fantastic. Children will come from a place of compliance if you don't push them to challenge -and give them the language.
I think we too often forget this with our accountability and performance measure gone mad! Love of learning = success!
Agree. Do we do that though?
Q3 they are learning how to think and solve problems and that we probably don't know yet what problems they will face
Potentially a very nice response
A5 that they are engaged by what they are learning so they will learn for themselves
I love it when kids question what I tell them - lets me know they're listening and thinking
https://t.co/cSpDREjBSP
sometimes that "skill" is getting your head down into something that is really hard and seems irrelevant
yep - perseverance is a skill that kids seems to have less and less of these days
Tricky, but not impossible. Possible more joined up thinking required?
they need regular opportunities to work on tasks that really challenge them without support
A6 A massive role. I work for and we have hundreds of Health Mentors making learning fun
As a leader you are still part of the team - so role model to others in the team
Final question is asking, “What (if any) role can outside agencies/companies play in making learning relevant?”
hard to get kids to challenge themselves esp teenagers at a time when their bodies preoccupied with more primitive tasks
I pose my lessons as a workplace "I am the employer and you are the employees". Gets students thinking differently.
A6 outside agencies can be amazing! Bring learning to life, inspiration beyond the everyday and creating a real buzz!
A6 we at have been working in schools for 13 years and we have impact because we listen to the Teachers
that's one of the challenges - teaching them to question and challenge respectfully
completely agree, also the low hanging fruit of Dr Google is a constant distractor
Yes, but do we challenge them to challenge the accepted norms in society?
A6: important we take a role in this particularly being and with students engagement increasing on devices
I think we are often too quick to intervene, being "stuck" is good
A6 their pupils and their needs. We work with innovative learning partners to support pupils health and well-being
haha - it's amazing how if something comes from a Google search then it 'must' be true!
A6 Sometimes new ideas can help engage learners. Something different like or
it does make the students think about what I've said. If we develop thinkers then I consider that positive
Completely agree. Schools need to open up to the opportunities around them, for the benefit of students
https://t.co/1vtwyxA0q2
Definitely. It would really help transition and keep children engaged and enthusiastic learners. Needs open minds.
A6 Whenever there is an opportunity to provide pupils with a valuable real life context for something the… https://t.co/rjvYwhYeB7
Not at all just sharing how proud I am of the work I do
yep - I love watching kids struggle with something and finally make a breakthrough
