Meeting today to look at ideas and begin planning for the second term's set of lessons for the Enquiring Minds classes next year. The first term will be about gathering information about the pupils lives. The second term is to pose a question based on this information and guide the pupils through a method of enquiry based initially on the TASC wheel of learning.
It was a good meeting, lots of discussion about our doubts and concerns. Then we worked in groups and posed a question and tried to quickly work through the wheel. How would it work in a class? Interesting discussions about the nature of questions themselves and what would be the most effective question to allow an effective, in-depth line of enquiry.
Last night I was preparing myself for the meeting by researching some of the key terms listed in the agenda given. Co-constructing threw up this wonderful blog that is well worth a look.
I'll be googleing these words too:
community building
deconstructing
empowering
philosophizing
problem-solving
re-enforcing
scaffolding
These words supposedly represent what is that special extra about the Enquiring Minds teacher. Let's hope that I'm up to the descriptors.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Sunday, July 02, 2006
book review
As part of the research and development work for the Enquiring Minds project that I am participating in, I was asked to read and write up a book review. I chose to read Youth Media by Bill Osgerby.
This book explores youth culture at almost every stage and sub-stage from 1900 through to 2005. Much of the history of and description of youth we will all recognise and understand. The book explores the positive and the negative depictions of youth culture. It also explores in detail the economical (youth = money making opportunities), political and media influences and encourages the reader to view these representations with a certain amount of common sense doubt. As the book summarises: "Unless adequate attention is given to all the dimensions of this circuit - production, identity formation, representation, consumption and regulation - it is impossible to grasp the full cultural meanings and significance of pop music, fashion, film, video and the full panoply of 'youth media' "
How is this useful in terms of Enquiring Minds? In two ways-
It is a useful reminder that 'youth' is a development stage in a person's life that is targeted by market forces. And when pupils begin to explore and research their own lives - we need to instill in them a healthy skepticism as to how they are represented by others.
This book explores youth culture at almost every stage and sub-stage from 1900 through to 2005. Much of the history of and description of youth we will all recognise and understand. The book explores the positive and the negative depictions of youth culture. It also explores in detail the economical (youth = money making opportunities), political and media influences and encourages the reader to view these representations with a certain amount of common sense doubt. As the book summarises: "Unless adequate attention is given to all the dimensions of this circuit - production, identity formation, representation, consumption and regulation - it is impossible to grasp the full cultural meanings and significance of pop music, fashion, film, video and the full panoply of 'youth media' "
How is this useful in terms of Enquiring Minds? In two ways-
It is a useful reminder that 'youth' is a development stage in a person's life that is targeted by market forces. And when pupils begin to explore and research their own lives - we need to instill in them a healthy skepticism as to how they are represented by others.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Year 8 research trial: the park
Year 8 Research Day 2
Focus for JEM’s group: Teens/drinking/public places
Purpose of this project: To enable pupils to generate a question/problem through activities and then to direct their own research to begin to answer that posed question.
Questions of the project: Will the pupils be confident and interested enough to lead their own research activities?
How detailed should the role of the teacher should be and how much structure should the teacher pose?
Will pupils be satisfied with the results of the day’s activities?
Will there be enough resources available to enable the pupils to suceed in their goals?
Outline of the day:
Period 2 and 3: D4 computer room
1. outline purpose of day
2. To use time available in computer room to gather as much internet information as possible
Needed resources:
Working computers, paper, projector, and possible directions for their search.
Period 4 and 5: Park and D6
1. Hot Spot Mapping: using digital cameras to photograph the park to produce a map of areas of where teens hang out, what they do there , and problems connected
2. To take corresponding notes to make sure these images can be translated later.
3. To photograph sites just outside the park that effect what goes on inside
4. Download and print images on as large scale as possible to put together and mark out notes (on wall or display board?)
Needed resources:
Cameras and download cable, paper, pens, printer that works, display board, tacks
Period 7 : D6
1. show short film about the effects of teenage binge drinking
2. discuss and note down issues that arise from the film.
3. Look again at printed information gathered from internet searches: what points make them think further? Make them want to look something else up?
4. Blue sky thinking: in groups come up with some unusual or futuristic solutions to the park’s problem
Needed Resources:
Video and tv. White board, board pen
Period 8: D6
1. Summarise information gained for whole group
2. Debate: Should the park have an area that is specially designed for teens that will drink?
3. Evaluate the research: Do pupils feel that they gained knowledge? Do pupils feel that they would be interested in developing a project based on the information gained? What limitations were there? What would have improved the day?
Pupils will need to understand that they need to scan sites to copy and paste only relevant information into a word document to print. They can only print of two pages of information each and they must check that it is not the same information gathered by others. Purpose: to gather as wide range of information as possible for the benefit of the whole group
Some information will be in pdf form and the pupils will not be able to copy and paste and will have to transcribe two or three key points from the pdf to the word document, including the source of the information.
What is the language used in these search results? Collect key words and look up their meaning
Each pupil will be given a direction to head in only: they decide what to do with that information.
Further questions to pose during photograph session,
1.why has the park been designed the way it is?
2.Why did the park put in play facilities for older kids?
3.Is the park divided up because of activites, age groups or following natural landscape? 4.Where could a hang out area be developed and how big should it be and what could it look like?
5.How have other parks changed recently and why do you think they have?
Pupils need to be reminded to only take photos of the landscape/ not videos and not pictures of friends etc.
Searches:
mapping crime: understanding hot spots
http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/ search learning
Why do teens drink?
Teens drinking in public places
Alternative solutions to disorderly youth in public places
the social uses of city parks
teenagers city parks
teens peer pressure drinking
http://www.pps.org/tcb/index.html
teens turning places around: what are they doing?
http://www.pps.org/info/press/pressreleases/tcb_3_2002
teens drinking in public places
nothing to do for teenagers
Focus for JEM’s group: Teens/drinking/public places
Purpose of this project: To enable pupils to generate a question/problem through activities and then to direct their own research to begin to answer that posed question.
Questions of the project: Will the pupils be confident and interested enough to lead their own research activities?
How detailed should the role of the teacher should be and how much structure should the teacher pose?
Will pupils be satisfied with the results of the day’s activities?
Will there be enough resources available to enable the pupils to suceed in their goals?
Outline of the day:
Period 2 and 3: D4 computer room
1. outline purpose of day
2. To use time available in computer room to gather as much internet information as possible
Needed resources:
Working computers, paper, projector, and possible directions for their search.
Period 4 and 5: Park and D6
1. Hot Spot Mapping: using digital cameras to photograph the park to produce a map of areas of where teens hang out, what they do there , and problems connected
2. To take corresponding notes to make sure these images can be translated later.
3. To photograph sites just outside the park that effect what goes on inside
4. Download and print images on as large scale as possible to put together and mark out notes (on wall or display board?)
Needed resources:
Cameras and download cable, paper, pens, printer that works, display board, tacks
Period 7 : D6
1. show short film about the effects of teenage binge drinking
2. discuss and note down issues that arise from the film.
3. Look again at printed information gathered from internet searches: what points make them think further? Make them want to look something else up?
4. Blue sky thinking: in groups come up with some unusual or futuristic solutions to the park’s problem
Needed Resources:
Video and tv. White board, board pen
Period 8: D6
1. Summarise information gained for whole group
2. Debate: Should the park have an area that is specially designed for teens that will drink?
3. Evaluate the research: Do pupils feel that they gained knowledge? Do pupils feel that they would be interested in developing a project based on the information gained? What limitations were there? What would have improved the day?
Pupils will need to understand that they need to scan sites to copy and paste only relevant information into a word document to print. They can only print of two pages of information each and they must check that it is not the same information gathered by others. Purpose: to gather as wide range of information as possible for the benefit of the whole group
Some information will be in pdf form and the pupils will not be able to copy and paste and will have to transcribe two or three key points from the pdf to the word document, including the source of the information.
What is the language used in these search results? Collect key words and look up their meaning
Each pupil will be given a direction to head in only: they decide what to do with that information.
Further questions to pose during photograph session,
1.why has the park been designed the way it is?
2.Why did the park put in play facilities for older kids?
3.Is the park divided up because of activites, age groups or following natural landscape? 4.Where could a hang out area be developed and how big should it be and what could it look like?
5.How have other parks changed recently and why do you think they have?
Pupils need to be reminded to only take photos of the landscape/ not videos and not pictures of friends etc.
Searches:
mapping crime: understanding hot spots
http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/ search learning
Why do teens drink?
Teens drinking in public places
Alternative solutions to disorderly youth in public places
the social uses of city parks
teenagers city parks
teens peer pressure drinking
http://www.pps.org/tcb/index.html
teens turning places around: what are they doing?
http://www.pps.org/info/press/pressreleases/tcb_3_2002
teens drinking in public places
nothing to do for teenagers
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