LA - The Student-Led Navigational Lesson

Hi all,

First of all, let me direct your attention to this article written by emergingedtech.com - click here to access it.

In summary:



However, there's one use that wasn't explored during this research... "Using blogging to create a Student-Led Navigational Lesson".

This is a concept I started developing last year with my GCSE cohort - in principle, it proposes the idea that "students undertake the learning at their own pace as you give them access to all of the information they need in order to achieve the lesson objectives - almost like an online course".  

This of course, suggested that the most important part of the lesson is the "Be Able To" where students undertook a task to evidence that learning did in fact take place.

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I must admit, it took a little while for students to get used to this way of delivering content but some of the results were:

- Students became more independent and proactive in terms of filling in gaps in their knowledge.

- Students became more interested and engaged in the content of the lesson because they learnt it at their own pace.

- Students became more accountable for their own learning.

- Students became more resourceful and empowered in terms of establishing how they learnt best.

- Lessons became more task-driven as these were designed to enable students to scaffold their learning throughout the lesson... my script became: "don't do activity 3 without having undertaken activity 2... It's not a race, it's about making sure you leave the lesson having learnt/achieved the learning objectives".

BUT the most challenging element for me was that I had to adjust my teaching practice to suit the lesson dynamics.  My lessons became more about showing students how to navigate the "Class Blog", how to "Navigate the Lesson of the Day", and ensuring that expectations were adhered to throughout the lesson. 

This, in turn, allowed me to attend to all students in the class individually, giving verbal feedback on how their learning journey was taking place, often giving them a question to extend their learning.

THE FEEDBACK RECORD: Students wrote a short summary of the verbal feedback (our conversation) in their blog notes.

LA - Technology for teaching and learning.

Hi all,

Below is a list of types of technology I found to be useful for teaching and learning... especially for evidencing progress and that learning took place via the "BAT" tasks.

Now, I understand that not all teachers in the school would have access to mobile devices or computer rooms, but may I suggest that some of these could be also be used as a replacement for the much beloved "Powerpoint". 


THE IMPACT:  Saving time

I found that by using these kind of technologies in my teaching practice I was able to undertake some of the more time consuming task, such as marking and giving feedback, in record time.  

"For example: I was able to give verbal feedback using Showbie and/or via the students' blogs just by using the dictation tool on my iPhone"

I have used all of these in class, one way or another, either as a presentation tool or suggesting them to students to use during the BAT task - click on each of them to see what they are about.

• POPPLET (great for creating mind maps).
• BLOGGER (could be used either by students and/or by you to help with coursework or for students to create their own revision resource).
• PREZI or EMAZE (a fun alternative to Powerpoint).
• TIMETOAST (great for creating timelines).
• YOUTUBE VIDEOS.
• LINOit (sticky notes)
• SHOWBIE (great for turning your classroom paperless)
• A LINK TO ANOTHER WEBSITE (could be particularly useful for addressing Learning Principle 5 - Wider Reading)
• VOKI (taking characters - avatars).
• QUIZLET (Great for making quizes and study sets - cards)
• SURVEY MONKEY  (Great for gathering results - research purposes)
• SOCRATIVE (Great for creating online test for summative or formative assessments)
• CLASS DOJO (still trying this one out... so watch this space!)
• PADLET (post-it notes application).
• CREATE TOP TRUMP CARDS (currently only an app for your iPhone)
• PINTEREST (great for searching inspiring images).
• MICROSOFT SWAY (makes your lesson interactive - another alternative to Powerpoint???)
• POWTOON (creates short animations very quickly using a range of templates).
• CANVA (could be used for designing new slides for your presentations)
• SWIPE TO (Interactive online presentations - another alternative to Powerpoint?)
• NEARPOD (interactive lessons - only works when each student has their own computer or device.

      Want to know more??? Give me shout and I'll come running...