I know that Dan Roberts @chickensaltash has already covered this in one of his fantastic blog posts in the guise of one of his weekly web wonders but I have to add my twopenneth worth too!

A colleague from school called Gwenn showed me how her class was using Zondle. https://www.zondle.com

If you haven’t heard of it, Zondle is a website that you can load multiple questions into. When the learners get the answer right they get to play a short online game. To put it bluntly, the learners LOVE it!!

At the moment I am only using questions that other teachers have uploaded but will be creating some of my own this weekend.

The very best thing about Zondle, for me, is the leaderboard. As the learners access Zondle through a code that the teacher gives them that is specific to their class, it is possible to follow their progress through the leaderboard while they play at home! I found the embed code for the leaderboard and entered it into a textbox on this blog. You can find the current leaderboard on the right hand side of this blog if you scroll down a bit.

I have found that the learners are really inspired by this site. It is also very easy to keep track of who is doing their homework as it also gives you marksheets!

One learner in my year 9 class had 65% this week in class. I set the class Zondle as homework and I watched the leaderboard in the evening. He played 5 times and on the last go got 100%. If that doesn’t show progression I don’t know what does!!!

This is a rough plan of my classroom. Click the picture to see the image.

The idea is that I can get round to every student to discuss their work and it also means that the classroom and the students are the foci rather than the class teacher.

A few years ago I used to have the students in rows. I didn’t find this nearly as successful to be honest. I found it very hard to stay in touch with what they were doing during the lessons.

As a side-effect of moving the desks around I noticed that my behaviour strategies changed completely. I am now able to move around the classroom and deliver information while standing directly in front of whomever I wish. It also means that, as their work is instantly accessible, it is very easy to make sure that whoever needs help gets it. This means I can keep an eye on who is on task much more easily.

So my questions is, where do you stand and how does it affect you and your classes?

Check the progress so far!!!!!

Fancy some exam practice? Please find below a link to some questions you can answer!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aloDRwGPUSE

RW

Have fun!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GTPDVNL

This is a guest blog post by Emma Metters from saltash.net community school. She is one of the most innovative thinkers and educators I know. I will post some of the photographs of what they produced as soon as I get them. The output and outcomes of this day were simply awesome!

It was “back to school” at saltash.net for some parents this term! Wednesday 23^rd November was “Bring Your Grown-Up To School” morning, and over 100 “grown-ups” came along to find out what being in Year 7 is all about. It wasn’t just parents and carers that were “brought to school” though, it was grandparents, aunts and older siblings as well – some of whom were ex-saltash.net pupils (and even ex-Saltash Community School pupils!) themselves.

The aim of the event was to involve parents and carers in the new ways of learning that are so important at saltash.net. Year 7s and their “grown-ups” spent the morning focusing on Cornish heroes, using all the cross-curricular skills and creative approaches to learning that are developed in the school’s Integrated Learning curriculum and the exciting termly Theme Days. “Cornish Heroes” that were championed included Bishop Trelawney, the Penlee Lifeboat Crew, Tom Bawcock (of Mousehole Cat fame), Dolly Pentreath and Richard Trevithick, as well as many others.

The morning started with the grown-ups (fortified by a good coffee) attending Year 7 assembly before moving on into their Cornish Heroes workshop groups. Working in teams, grown-ups, students and staff put their heads together to come up with a wonderful array of ideas with which to convince the judges that their Cornish Hero was the best. Each group made diverse use of their box of creative media and were able to access “banks” of library books, netbooks, flipcams and lively, wide-ranging information sheets to support them in their challenge.

By 11.00 am all the grown-ups (staff as well as visitors) were ready for the school bell and break time! Parents and carers were able to mix in a relaxed atmosphere with each other and with Year 7 tutors and staff, to discuss the morning, their experiences of saltash.net and its approaches to learning.

A showcase assembly followed which was so engaging and entertaining that it attracted many passing school staff who hadn’t otherwise been directly involved in the morning! Displays convincing the judges about the heroic status of various prominent Cornish individuals included renditions of songs (both traditional and newly composed for the occasion), pieces of drama and re-enactments (complete with props). Presentations involved the efforts and showmanship of both saltash.net students and their grown-ups, and many hinged around some truly amazing models and large-scale displays, which had all been created that morning.

The students had started the morning certain that they would be embarrassed by their grown-ups (as only grown-ups can embarrass!), but ended up unable to hide their pride in their new school and their enthusiasm for their creative, collaborative approaches to learning, their competency with new technologies and their determination to be the best at whatever challenge is set them. The visiting grown-ups left school bursting with pride in their children, but this was nothing compared to the pride that their teachers and tutors felt for their students who had demonstrated their skills and achievements so well. Going back to school has never been so rewarding!

Emma Metters

Asst Head of Year 7

Well, it’s been a week since The Microsoft Partners In Learning Global Forum. I’m trying to get my head around the fact that this time last week I was on a Segway tour of Washington DC!!!

Why was I there?

I went to the forum to represent saltash.net community school. We went as a Pathfinder School. We are now part of the programme and are working towards becoming a Mentor School.

What does this mean?

We went along and shared our schools’ innovative practices in a meeting that involved over 70 schools! It was a wonderful opportunity to speak to a ballroom full of inspirational and innovative practitioners. I learnt so much and made some fantastic contacts with people from all corners of the world.

We also spent the whole week taking an active role in fascinating workshops that dealt with a huge variety of topics. These were all inclusive and interesting. I left with a head crammed full of new, exciting ideas.

I met my mentor school and my coach and a great deal of time was spent with these people, generating ideas and getting a feel for the education scene on a global scale.

Did it benefit me?

YES! I have come away from the course feeling enabled and excited. I have gained a much broader outlook on education and what innovation in the classroom actually looks like.

Will it benefit my school?

Of course! I am looking at collaboration, teamwork and the teaching environment. The findings I have and future projects that are in motion will, I hope, I have a positive impact on the school as a whole. It will also provide the support structure to keep improving and continue being an innovative school.

All said and done the experience I enjoyed has been career changing. I have never been involved in something so exciting and enjoyable. It has given me a whole new lease of life as an educator and will keep me inspired for a long time to come.a

Well, the fantastic CPD has finished….. or has it???