Pupils' researching and teaching: today's results

In my Opening Minds lessons I've had the pupils working on a research project based on Native Americans. We try to focus on the skills the pupils gain through the projects. The following are the skills focus for this project:

L2	I can communicate for a particular audience and purpose.
T3	I can be imaginative, creative and try new ways of learning.
P1	I can plan research for a project.
P5	I can evaluate whether information is useful or reliable.
H1	I can manage my time.
H6	I can be responsible.
R1	I can learn different roles when working with a team.
R3	I can collaborate and learn ways of managing conflict.
R4	I can show respect for myself and for others.
C3	I can learn new memory techniques.

Research focus:

Each group was given a Native American region and they asked to do the following:

• To gather information about the region
• to general information about tribes in that region.
• to chose one tribe to focus on.
• and then conduct research on housing, language, food and games amongst other things.
  

The pupils worked on this for four days. The resulting presentations and lessons reflect the pupils' ability and we really enjoyed them.

Two boys (G &T) created a challenging word search that kept the whole crew focused and then presented information about the housing of Sub-artic tribes. They then put the other pupils on the laptops and directed them to an interactive powerpoint. They took feedback from others on how to improve and then directed them to related Native American game pages. The presentation was amazing. The pupil that spoke never looked at the power point and summarised the slides' key points and answered questions without faltering. So impressive.

Two other groups taught the class games including memorisation games and string games. Cat's cradle has spread throughout the school within a few days.

Another group attempted a ambitious art practical lesson on making model tipis. It didn't go so well in terms of how they managed others, but everyone had a go. We evaluated and one of the girls in the group has now stated that she knows for sure that she doesn't want to be a teacher.

When all the presentations/lessons were complete, I gave the pupils the list of skills. They were asked to note evidence of when they used the skills and then rate themselves out of 5. They always underestimate how well they have done. I make sure I work around the room and talk to the individuals and remind them of tasks they have done. I also talk to them about limitations and how to work around them next time.

Now on to the FUTURE. Love that scheme of work.

update

We are in our third year of teaching Enquiring Minds as a regular part of the curriculum. It's been tumultuous to say the least.  Now that I've joined the International Edubloggers Directory, I plan to quickly update what's been going on and begin properly documenting on going projects. More to read by the end of the week!

Enquiring Minds Meeting

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.

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.

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

Progress report

Enquiring Minds
Summary of Project Work to date

I have been working with JM to develop an existing scheme of work for year 7. This project has become dated and needed expanding, therefore it presents the perfect opportunity for experimentation. I plan to run through the SOW in it’s entirety in the new year with a new group of year 7s. The project will cover 23 lessons, 12 of which are double lessons of 110 minutes. There is also the added challenge that the group’s lessons are scheduled in a non-practical room. I have to plan with another member of staff to trade rooms well in advance if I want to figure in practical work of any substance.

In the last month I have been trialing some of the lesson ideas with the groups that I currently teach. I have found that an effective way of working out some of the potential problems and giving myself a clearer idea of where I can take the project.

Enquiring Minds, in conjunction with the new DT KS3 Strategy, ideas from Opening Minds and in-school training about group work has indeed effected my teaching and thinking this year. OFSTED and Departmental inspections have contributed too. I have been moving away from the traditional DT model of developing a project, focusing more on teaching design thinking. I have been using non-food experiments to allow pupils to, hopefully, develop a greater understanding of the design process in real terms. I have also been experimenting more with group work, trying to develop better skills of managing and utilising this work to benefit the individual’s project.

With the support of the research group and the school, I have found it much easier to experiment and to look at the results in a more objective way. This project will be of benefit to my teaching as it has already made me more confident. I feel less a Food Technology specialist (with the attached cooking/home-economics prejudices) and more of an educator. I’m working towards developing higher level thinking lesson plans.

I have enjoyed the meetings with the whole research group. The activities have been stimulating and everyone has remained positive and open to possiblities. What has been frustrating is that these lovely energetic days out have caused difficulties with teaching groups. Missed lessons have made it difficult to complete projects. Pupils don’t react well to a lack of continuity. I will need to think about and alter schemes of work across the year groups. To be effective, I need to make the work easier to complete by the pupils without me leading them at every stage. This of course is in the spirit of the Equiring Minds project, but will take a lot of planning and altering of teaching style to make these projects more successful and less dependent upon me.

Personally, the biggest barrier for developing this project in the coming months will be the three to four months I will be taking for maternity leave. I’m sure everyone will find conflicting issues, both personal and professional. I need to keep positive and active so that I don’t feel that I have fallen behind and become a hindrance to the project.

I wouldn’t like to say how I would like to see the project develop in the next year. While at University, I had the great luck of being a pupil of a man that was a sage in the true sense of the word. He told me that one should beware of prepared ambitions and goals as it can stop one seeing the opportunities that are there and unconsidered. I have lived my life with that in mind and have been blessed with these unplanned opportunities. I think Enquiring Minds will benefit in this way too.