My concern is getting through everything. Due to losing lessons all the time I have worked out I don’t actually have enough lessons left to teach the course and that’s if I only do core practicals and I don’t want to do that. .#asechat
Is it possible to invest more time at KS3 teaching in a way for real understanding of fundamental concepts so that getting through 'content' at KS4 becomes easier?#asechat
Heard from parents, education institutions in other countries, employers & year 9s: "So a 9, is that really good or really bad?"
"A grade 6? What is that in the old grades"
"So a C is like a 4 right? So the school did well cos it got high 4 & above then... " (not quite) #asechat
So I gave my class some past paper questions from the old spec today. I learned they’d be able to do them in a real exam, so I have 7% more confidence. #ASEchat
Really struggling to find time to feedback on tests and homework. My HOD suggested I do extra lessons after school but not all students will come #asechat
Many of the concerns I hear from teachers are about ch. ph or bio GCSE - far less concerns voiced about combined sci GCSE. So why not drop triple? #ASEchat
We are looking at this and have started to include core practicals lower down to make them more familiar to students but does not help with current year 11s or year tens. #asechat
Oh no! We find we speed up dramatically in Y11. But we’re extremely tight for time. Teach some of it well is my husband’s motto for such times. #ASEchat
Knowing about the new 9-1 assessment and exams might be a bit like the kids knowing how to do the required pracs. You have to go through it once, maybe fudge it a bit, then do it a lot better the next time round... #asechat
Can you explain a little more what you mean by cog overload (I do know and understand Swellers cog load theory - just how it is problematic in particular instances?#asechat
In reply to
@Cazalineuk, @ViciaScience, @hrogerson
I have already lost 5 lessons with one class this year as they keep being pulled off timetable for other things and I only see my classes 3 times a fortnight as only teach them the biology. Am fine for time with triple as see them 5 times #asechat
This, last time I heard, was the policy direction of the learned societies. Having one GCSE route into A-level. I can't remember if it was drop combined or drop triple though. #ASEchat
We need to find ways of teaching 'content' through 'practical' when it is appropriate and not see two as separate activities - see Good Practical Science report #ASEchat
#asechat IGCSE 9-1 doesn't seem too different. Only had to add two core practical and tweek a couple of lessons. Maybe an extra 4 double lessons max over 2.5 years
Make sure you log all this lost time, when it comes to the exam debrief!
Be proactive too others up the food chain need to realise the impact on the same children #asechat
This could become a really interesting discussion. Amongst points I would raise are what is the status of exam board guidelines? Seem arbitrary at times #ASEchat
Swings and roundabouts; not having to do CAs frees up a lot of time. V. tough on current Y11, but better to see more practicals- CA rules meant only 3 had to be done (to death, sometimes) #ASEChat
Yes but to do this they have to a good understanding of the purpose of the practical which takes time to explain, then do it, then link to science.#asechat
Indeed..... although maybe that approach (of which we are all guilty at times?) may partly explain the significant shortfall in crop science and other applied plant biology students! #ASEChat
Also in biology the practicals don’t always go to plan e.g photosynthesis and counting bubbles, enzymes and pH etc and then they get confused as doesn’t match the science you want them to figure out #asechat
If real understanding is/has taken place then my experience is absolutely yes and if they really understand but recall a slight issue a quick recap is all that is necessary #asechat
In reply to
@psymonbee, @chemDrK, @ViciaScience, @hrogerson
Oh I have logged it, and spoken to HOD, her response was condense the material and do extra lessons after school. If I condense it gives little time to practice skills and students don’t learn much as too much in one lesson #asechat
I do a lot of language and maths through science - mostly consolidating skills taught discretely but it adds real life contexts and depth #primaryrocks
We've got pedagogical tools to teach for long-term recall (much more interleaving and quizzing), but I'm only gradually catching up- how are others finding it? #asechat
In reply to
@psymonbee, @oboelizzy, @chemDrK, @ViciaScience, @hrogerson
resist the idea of doing extra lessons, doesn’t do anyone any good. Pupils and teachers resent it, and don’t work as productively. Its not their fault! Maybe try a big ideas approach? #asechat
I've heard school leaders ask teachers in several schools to teach lessons out of hours. There should be sufficient curriculum time allocated and teachers shouldn't be asked to give up their own time to compensate for failure in curriculum design #ASEchat
What are people doing about teaching order? We're still following topics in spec 1, 2, 3...; Not sure it's working, but don't have time to rethink! #asechat
What are people doing about teaching order? We're still following topics in spec 1, 2, 3...; Not sure it's working, but don't have time to rethink! #asechat
Hook the content onto one of the big ideas https://t.co/PZWKsoNdmx that way you’ve only 10 things to teach instead of 110. helps with interleaving and recall
#asechat
I have already started doing this, but too many kids not doing homework(poor school policy)so then they are not prepared for lesson and it doesn’t work. Rang home and parents said it’s unreasonable for me to be setting stuff they have not looked at in class #asechat
Means that if you have to miss some things out they can ask “which big idea does this relate to?” and apply this to an unfamiliar situation #independence & A02 win win #asechat
I've taught biology in order so we can stick in a mock half way through and match to exam (That and I 'acquired' a scheme of work from elsewhere that followed that order!) #asechat
What is the purpose of using a measuring instrument and then estimating the value because you chose an instrument that lacked the required precision? #ASEchat
Tell me about it, two doubles and a single lost since half-term with one class. English assessment, careers day, and ironically a study skills session. #asechat
I find that really worrying - I used to ask students to read around on subjects,make notes/pictures from text books etc before I taught sometimes - it enhanced the classroom teaching sessions #asechat
In reply to
@Cazalineuk, @cadenp01, @NeedhamL56, @hrogerson
Watch it though AQA’s big ideas are not quite the same as this work by Wynn Harlen et al. Though its certainly a way of thinking about organising the curriculum #asechat
I've heard school leaders ask teachers in several schools to teach lessons out of hours. There should be sufficient curriculum time allocated and teachers shouldn't be asked to give up their own time to compensate for failure in curriculum design #ASEchat
Yes, starting Y10 combined with KE, GPE etc was a killer. I think l'd start with matter and energy conceptually then pepper in eqns. Perhaps split the Forces monolith. But no time, so it doesn't get changed. #asechat
In reply to
@_theteachr, @RequireImprove, @hrogerson
I suspect I'll be much happier after a few times through. Part of my disorientation is things having moved around relative to each other and how well I knew the old spec! #asechat
If all you teach relates to a big idea then thats where the knowledge sits. Cant think of anything more overloading than a different topic every 1-2 lessons, then on to the next bit. No time to make links #asechat
Old school stuck to spec order. New school have jiggled things so topics with most Triple content taught in Y11. (Sets moved around Y10 --> Y11, and don't want to teach Triple content to kids who ultimately don't take exam!) So e.g. Chem only teaching 3+4 now. #asechat
Sometimes feel like I'm trying to teach mark schemes rather than science - wrote to AQA asking why the correct answer to a qu was 'LARGE[in bold] latent heat'. Wondered why 'large' was in bold - they wrote back eventually and said any word meaning big was ok - sheesh! #asechat
Thank you. I am trying my best and asking for support but not really getting very far. Plus I know others in department have same issue just unwilling to voice concerns #asechat
In reply to
@oboelizzy, @cadenp01, @NeedhamL56, @hrogerson
I had this discussion in another school - if you put your strongest teachers in KS4 you might get better results but could be undermining them in future and locking yourself into this approach :( #asechat
At my old school had 12 hours for combined and 15 for triple over a fortnight. At new school have 9 for combined and 14 for triple. Am really noticing the difference this year with less curriculum time #asechat
KS4 physics stuff off my radar slightly at mo - really need to get up to scratch again with energy! - can anyone recommend accessible stuff for me to read quickly! #asechat
You seen this? I ❤️ the idea behind it - finding connections & underlying principles to help connect different bits of learning (cf schemata) https://t.co/e3MRWd6B4y#ASEchat
Not exactly - IGCSE have few changes to what we were delivering anyway practically as we went beyond the old spec at times. have ensure kS3/4 doesn't repeat but builds key skills and concepts #ASEchat
Maths, yes, really happy. Practical is coming. I want to be more clear on what practical knowledge we’re teaching when and how. Couple of things to adapt regarding precision and reproducibility #asechat
Maths, yes, really happy. Practical is coming. I want to be more clear on what practical knowledge we’re teaching when and how. Couple of things to adapt regarding precision and reproducibility #asechat
Only dipping in to Twitter and #ASEChat briefly at the minute. I think much has been made of this. Concentrate on Stores, transfers and back up with mathematical relationships and key terms and IMHO it’s not much more.
Also when you get into trouble with light or elec not being a store, give it the ‘power’ treatment, ie look at how much energy is transferred *per second* if it’s a pathway #asechat
Imagine how good it would be if every kid left KS3 with a proper understanding of these ideas (taught in a variety of cool contexts)! Yr 7/8 is 12 half terms, so nearly 5 weeks per idea?
In reply to
@NeedhamL56, @HelpfulScience, @Cazalineuk, @hrogerson
PS? Primary School?
I think types is fine at that stage. Build up to Stores and Transfers. My current Y11 learned Types etc in KS3 and have adopted new model with no hassle. Current Y9 down will have had language change in KS3 #ASEchat
It might be good for my students to have struggled for 18 months through the ‘swamp of confusion’ before putting the ideas of science together. #asechat
But, they’re probably put off and have their confidence knocked by this time. Are students going to put the effort in to climb the mountain of understanding? #ASEChat
Something maybe for @MaryUYSEG and @theASE International Group is how energy is referred to outside the UK and if the 'new' way of talking about energy is appropriate. Really interesting to consider if the UK is trailblazing or making a mountain out of a molehill #ASEchat
I know he’s already said it. (@ViciaScience) but we had a great series of sessions with @charlesmtracy at our Northern ASE conference last week. Went down a storm #asechat
I don’t have experience of PS. I think a lot of people have made a huge fuss over the changes to Energy when it is a language change and IMO an improved model #ASEchat
Sorry, yes Primary School - we teach energy at Primary 3 and Primary 7 - understanding different types and that energy is conserved is about the limit of their knowledge #asechat
If you can get to Canterbury, save Sat 3rd March for free Regional Physics Day which will def include workshops on energy & new reqd pracs. Info & book: https://t.co/hPcP0qKHS5#ASEchat
I agree - we should be giving students a sense of achievement in science, not confusion, and not so rushed they have no time to develop confidence #ASEChat (RG - teach a little and teach it well)
I might try this with our Primary 7s this year and see how they cope - it'll need some teacher CPD first though as it's quite a change for non-scientists #asechat
Something maybe for @MaryUYSEG and @theASE International Group is how energy is referred to outside the UK and if the 'new' way of talking about energy is appropriate. Really interesting to consider if the UK is trailblazing or making a mountain out of a molehill #ASEchat
In the spec: the nucleus is less than 1/10000 of atom. This is approximate for large atoms. Nearer 1/100000 for small atoms. Spec is not wrong. Also DfE didn't specify it. I was being a meany. #asechat
