Climate Change: Aesthetic Understanding In The Foundation Phase/Stage

Unless we care about the planet and feel an emotional connection to the natural world, we are unlikely to feel passionate about protecting it. This connection needs to be developed from the first day of school. Here Sue Lyle shares a range of activities that can be built into the school day for Nursery and Foundation Stage/Phase to develop aesthetic understanding.

Even in the Foundation Phase/Stage, children try to make sense of issues such as climate change. They are starting to get awareness that perhaps they should do something about problems. The focus of this issue of CTL is solutions to the climate crisis. If we are to protect the environment, we have to care about it. If you are working with the youngest children, the key task is to foster their aesthetic awareness and ecological understanding of the natural world and develop the language needed to talk about the beauty and wonder of the natural world.

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      string(371) "... online learning inquiry to build knowledgeindependently, instantly opening up the humble mathschallenge into a cross curriculum project. Here you willfind web quests on maths and climate change, mathsand sport, and percent in daily life, amongst others. Webquests offer an ideal platform for teachers to stretchmaths into, what may be considered ..."
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      string(5619) "environment.Maths and Sport: Countdown to the Games – http://sport.maths.org/content/Manga High – http://www.mangahigh.com/en_gb/Volume3.2nCreativeTeaching&Learning61e-learning–MathsDeveloped by Cambridge University to enrich the maths’experience through advice and support for teachers andlearners. In terms of aesthetics, this is a far more basic sitewhen considered alongside the vivacious world of MangaHigh for example, and may not have that immediateenrapturing effect on students. However, this site is built onthe solid foundation of some of the best teaching practice inthe field with serious pedagogy behind its every feature. TheNRich team are both ‘directly and indirectly involved in thedevelopment of the National Curriculum’, and as such are wellpositioned to offer guidance in its implementation.For teachers there are tasks, games, interactive tools,sets of activities, printable resources, articles and curriculummapping documents. The NRich packages offer bundlesof resources on particular areas where the searching andsifting has been done for you leaving only the most valuablenuggets of information to facilitate learners. Whilst upholdinga strong ethos of independent learning and development of problem solving skills, notes are provided to supportthe teacher as a mediator rather than a spoon-feeder.For students, games, articles, activities and a monthly publication containing a series of themed problems andarticles. The site dips its toes into social networking here by encouraging pupils to submit their own solutions tofeatured problems, a select number of which are published the following month – this recognition of children’sefforts is a notable feature, perhaps ridding users of the anxiety often felt within a maths’ classrooms. This element,along with the ‘Ask NRich’ web-board (where pupils can submit a maths problem to the NRich team), encouragescollaboration via an online learning community. It’s refreshing to see many users responding to others’ problemsto aid understanding. The site, above all, is to be commended in its ability to act as an online mediator – providinghigh quality support, whilst developing students’ independence in their thinking skills and developing teachingstrategies by building resources on the premise that the teacher is the facilitator not the lecturer.NRich – http://nrich.maths.org/public/A goody bag of lessons, puzzles, games, worksheets andarticles, but perhaps one of the more notable featureshere are the maths web quests. These require students toengage in an online learning inquiry to build knowledgeindependently, instantly opening up the humble mathschallenge into a cross curriculum project. Here you willfind web quests on maths and climate change, mathsand sport, and percent in daily life, amongst others. Webquests offer an ideal platform for teachers to stretchmaths into, what may be considered, more interestingrealms. In depth, independent, online exploration isrequired and in so doing unexpected mathematicalcontexts can emerge almost anywhere, which is reallythe name of the game it seems, to effectively teach maths in today’s classrooms. Following exploration, studentswill need to complete a series of exercises before evaluating their work.Despite somewhat lacking in aesthetic appeal, it should not be dismissed on this basis as it has many attractivefeatures, such as the ‘Homework community’, where users can post maths homework problems which are answeredby volunteer educators from the world over. This is a good way for students to share their anxieties without beingafraid to do so in a classroom environment.Also, the library of articles presents some interesting ideas, including ‘Creative teaching ideas’, ‘Learn to conquermaths anxiety with technology’ and ‘Creating a safe, supportive maths classroom’.Maths Goodies – http://www.mathgoodies.com/e-learning–Maths62Volume3.2nCreativeTeaching&LearningMaths is Fun strives to make maths relevant to real life,empowering teachers to respond efficiently to that commonlyuttered question ‘…but what’s the point?’. The websiteempowers, challenges, reassures, supports and most importantlypersuades the user that maths is relevant to everyone, usingpremises such as: ‘most of the top-paying jobs need good mathsskills’! With a range of ‘courses’ on the fundamental areas ofmaths from algebra to geometry to measure all it needs is ‘yourthought to make it work’.Detailed explanations in each course help the learner getto grips with different areas of maths, but the reading is skilfully‘balanced with doing’ to encourage independent learning.Students are empowered with knowledge, presented in a clearand comprehensible way, enabling them to solve problemsindependently – a clear set of instructions and sketches,concluding with ‘Your turn’, which includes several questionsrequiring users to apply their newly acquired knowledge.Particularly commendable here is the call for the applicationof students’ critical and, refreshingly, creative thinking skills. Nolearning by rote and recital of formulae and times tables here. The website lays the foundations upon which students candevelop their own understanding: ‘Read it, think about it, read again, write it down or sketch it out, then try using it’. 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Creative Teaching & Learning

Connecting with maths

17 Jul 2012

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      string(5540) "ResourceEARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE: DIRECTION OF TRAVEL PAPEROriginal DocumentEarly Years Foundation Stage: direction of travel paper, is a 19-page briefing that provides an update on progress towards the Early Years Foundation Stage, as proposed in the current Childcare Bill, and sets out the government’s vision for the new framework.KeywordsEarly years, foundation stage, early learning goals.SummaryThe vision:· The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is about improving life chances for all children, by giving them the opportunity to have the best possible start, regardless of their family circumstances or the setting they attend.· Through the Childcare Bill, we seek to establish a single coherent phase of development for all young children, as announced in the 10 year strategy for childcare ‘Choice for parents, the best start for children’.· The approach of practitioners will be age appropriate, ensuring that there are different activities for children of different ages and at different stages of their development.· For young children, care and learning are indistinguishable. Care cannot be considered to be of good quality unless it provides opportunities for children to learn and develop.Context:· The Childcare Bill provides for the creation of the EYFS, to be launched in 2008 and to be compulsory for all early years providers. This will help to create a level playing field between maintained, voluntary and private sectors, ensuring a consistent, high quality experience for all children, regardless of which setting they attend.· The EYFS will bring together the current Birth to three Framework, the Foundation Stage and elements of the National Standards for under 8s day-care and childminding into a single framework. It will cover children’s development and learning experiences from birth to the 31st August following a child’s 5th birthday (or, if the child turns 5 on 31st August, on that day).· The Childcare Bill will give EYFS the same legal status as the Foundation Stage currently has under the National Curriculum, whilst also removing the Foundation Stage from the National Curriculum. For schools, this will not mean a significant change: in effect, the existing requirements of the Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum will simply be translated into the requirements of the new EYFS.· The Childcare Bill specifies the areas of learning and development for the EYFS. These are:1. Personal, social and emotional development;2. Communication, language and literacy;3. Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy;4. Knowledge and understanding of the world;5. Physical development; and6. Creative development.Within EYFS, the Childcare Bill allows for the specification of:1. Early learning goals2. Education programmes3. Assessment arrangements· The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) will replicate the things that good parents do as a matter of course and which they would therefore expect in a good childcare setting.· It will take as its starting point the five Every Child Matters outcomes: Be healthy, Stay safe, Enjoy and achieve, Make a positive contribution, Achieve economic well-being.It will specify:· Early learning goals: the knowledge skills and understanding which young children of different abilities and maturities are expected to attain by the beginning of Key Stage 1.· Education programmes: the matters, skills and processes that are taught to young children according to their individual abilities and maturities.· Assessment arrangements: focusing on practitioners assessing children’s needs by observing their play.· As now, there will be no tests or group assessment of young children in the EYFS. Practitioners planning will be based on their continuing observational assessment throughout the whole of the stage.· Guidance will include examples drawn from existing good practice. It will not focus on specific activities or aspects but will look at what an integrated and coherent day might look like for, for example, a two year in a children’s centre or a five year old in the first year of school.· EYFS will form the basis of the new inspection system and OfSTED, working in parallel to the policy development, will develop a new inspection framework.· The renewal of Literacy Framework of the Primary National Strategy will take account of the findings and recommendations of the Rose Review of the teaching of early reading in early years settings and primary schools. The new Literacy and Mathematics Frameworks will be published by September 2006 and DfES will make sure that the guidance they provide fully underpins the emerging EYFS.ActionTimetable:· EYFS first detailed draft prepared: March 2006.· Formal public consultation on the detailed content of EYFS: Spring 2006.· Regional consultation and awareness events with key stakeholders and partners: Spring 2006.· EYFS guidance developed following consultation outcome: August – September 2006.· EYFS final document complete: September 2006.· EYFS training to early years providers: October 2007 – August 2008.· Providers implement EYFS: September 2008 onwards.NotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Questions PublishingDate CreatedFebruary 2006Enquiries to:rchima@qiis.co.uk(Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Early Years Foundation Stage

1 Feb 2006

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      string(342) "... ■ Ensure that transition from KS2 to 3 focuses as much on pupils’ academic needs as it does on their pastoralneeds.■ Create better cross-phase partnerships with primary schools to ensure that KS3 teachers build on pupils’ priorknowledge, understanding and skills.■ Make sure that systems and procedures for ..."
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      string(3520) "funding.Some school leaders are not using the pupil premiumfunding effectively to close gaps quickly in KS3. Careerseducation, information, advice and guidance is not goodenough in KS3 also – yet another area where KS4 receivesthe most attention.Beyond our controlThis is not entirely the fault of schools. Poor exam resultsalways make headline news, and the problem is manyschools feel they have no choice but to focus more of theirresources on the important exam years, although they dorecognise – and try to balance – the need to give 11- to14-year-olds a good foundation at secondary level. Theproblem of the attainment gap between disadvantagedpupils and their wealthier counterparts too cannot beentirely attributed to schools; it is part of a wider societalproblem of poverty and the distribution of wealth.But Ofsted is right to look harder at KS3, if belatedly.Too often in the past, Ofsted has focused on the currentyear’s exam results rather than investments in areas likeKS3 which would only show up in years to come.It is time though that both the DfE and Ofstedrecognise that it is their own accountability agendawhich is partly responsible for the skewing of resourcesto the upper school years, so dominated by examsand league tables, and where schools feel the need todemonstrate their worth.The only way to address this is to change the wayschools are judged.As a result of their findings, Ofsted has made ita priority to focus inspections more sharply on theprogress made by KS3 pupils, andreport more robustly on how schoolsensure that all pupils make the bestpossible start to their secondaryeducation.As good intentioned as this KS3focus may be, Ofsted’s approach ofplacing yet more stress on youngerpupils is probably not the solution.However, one thing is clear: KS4 resultswill not improve until KS3 is given agreater priority by school leaders.Read the full report: Key Stage 3:The wasted years?Recommendations for school leadersIn their report, Ofsted make a number of recommendations for school leaders to improve KS3 outcomes:■ Make KS3 a higher priority in all aspects of school planning, monitoring and evaluation.■ Ensure that not only is the curriculum offer at KS3 broad and balanced, but that teaching is of high qualityand prepares pupils for more challenging subsequent study at KS4 and 5.■ Ensure that transition from KS2 to 3 focuses as much on pupils’ academic needs as it does on their pastoralneeds.■ Create better cross-phase partnerships with primary schools to ensure that KS3 teachers build on pupils’ priorknowledge, understanding and skills.■ Make sure that systems and procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress in KS3 are robust.■ Focus on the needs of disadvantaged pupils in KS3, as well as the most able, in order to close the achievementgap as quickly as possible.■ Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of homework in KS3 to ensure that it helps pupils to make goodprogress.■ Guarantee that pupils have access to timely and high quality careers education, information, advice andguidance from Year 8 onwards.■ Have literacy and numeracy strategies that ensure pupils build on their prior attainment in KS2 in thesecrucial areas.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/459830/Key_Stage_3_the_wasted_years.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/459830/Key_Stage_3_the_wasted_years.pdf"
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Leadership

Are KS3 pupils being failed at secondary school?

18 Dec 2015

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      string(5652) "that they are encountering and creating (for an overview of dialogic teaching see Lyle 2008).A shift to dialogic teaching would require a complete re-thinking of the function of talk in our classrooms and, as acknowledged by the review, successful implementation of the aims has huge implications for teachers’ professional development and for initial teacher training (which will also need re-branding as ‘initial teacher education’ once again).As an experienced teacher, curriculum developer and teacher educator I fully endorse these aims and acknowledge that translating them into objectives will be a challenge.Domains Having established the aims for the curriculum, we need to know how these will be realised through content. In choosing to describe the content of the curriculum as domains, the review seeks to avoid preconceptions about40 Vol 1.3 n www.teachingtimes.comLeading Learning Special Reportwhat the term means and distance itself from the labels of ‘subject’ or, in Rose’s terms, ‘areas of learning’. The biggest change is the move away from the current arrangements which identify a core curriculum and ‘the rest’; in contrast all eight domains are considered of equal importance and as essential for all children. This is the single most important change proposed. The domains are presented alphabetically to avoid the assumption that some are more important than others. They are:arts and creativity citizenship and ethics faith and belief language, oracy and literacy mathematics physical and emotional health place and time science and technology.Going back to the original conception of the National Curriculum as an ‘entitlement’ curriculum, each of the domains is essential and should be protected. Detailed domain descriptions, for which there is insufficient space here, are provided in the report and make very interesting reading.Each of the domains will have an essential core of knowledge, skill and/or enquiry and the capacity to contribute to the achievement of one or more of the 12 proposed aims for primary education. They should also build on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and bridge to the secondary curriculum, while respecting the distinctiveness of the primary phase of children’s education. The proposed changes could transform the primary curriculum, but fortunately teachers would not be required to start from scratch; despite the dominance of government strategies and the National Curriculum, many innovative projects have already begun.nnnnnnnnThe review places ‘language, oracy and literacy’ at the heart of the curriculum, but its proposals bear little relationship to the current narrow concept of literacy. Literature, language and communication, a modern foreign language and the electronic handling of information through ICT should all take their place here, the review recommends. In particular, speaking and listening must be properly embedded in this domain and across the whole curriculum. Linked to the aim of ‘enacting dialogue’, oracy is considerably more rigorous than the current ‘speaking and listening’area and enhances both literacy and the curriculum as a whole.Fortunately, we have much to draw on to help teachers develop spoken language intensively. The important work of the National Oracy Project in the 1980s collected a body of respected evidence from classrooms all over the UK to demonstrate the power of oracy in children’s learning, enjoyment and attainment (Norman 1992). Following on from this, the work of Neil Mercer and his associates at the Open University has created a body of knowledge and understanding (Mercer 2000) of the practical changes teachers can make to embed oracy into the curriculum. A guide for teachers on how to organise talk for learning through collaborative group work has been one of the practical outcomes of this research (Dawes et al 2000). In a recent discussion on effective learning the National School Improvement Network (NSIN 2002) emphasised the importance of collaborative group work and argued that when learners work together they develop higher-order skills. The NSIN emphasises that collaborative learning and the development of co-operative cultures and group investigation methods give better academic results as well as helping learners develop a range of other skills including “interpersonal and management skills, improved communication skills and positive multi-ethnic relations”, all of which link to Cambridge’s aims for education.In creating domains Alexander has tried to link together areas of knowledge that have epistemological coherence – that is, they share modes of exploration or enquiry. Children, for example, should know what it means to think like scientists or artists, historians and geographers. The actual content of each domain is not outlined – that will come later – but the indication is that schools and teachers will have the opportunity to reclaim their professionalism by using the framework provided to develop the domains as they see fit and use them to fulfil the aims.Teachers should welcome the rehabilitation of arts and creativity. The current arrangements have driven art, music, drama and dance to the margins, yet, as many of the creative partnership arrangements have shown, it is these areas of the curriculum that have the most potential to engage children and excite their imagination.‘Citizenship and ethics’ encompasses all aspects of how we learn to live together. The review emphasises a questioning, exploratory approach to exploration of ethical issues."
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Leadership

Clash of the titans: Rose vs Alexander

24 Jul 2009

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Folder: Leadership Briefings Issue 3.06 (30)"
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      string(4245) "ResourceRESPONDING TO THE ROSE REVIEW: SCHOOLS’ APPROACHES TO THE SYSTEMATIC TEACHING OF PHONICSOriginal DocumentResponding to the Rose Review: schools’ approaches to the systematic teaching of phonics. This OfSTED paper reports on the findings of a survey of schools’ responses to the Rose Review of the teaching of early reading and subsequent guidance from the Primary National Strategy on the systematic teaching of phonic knowledge and skills to children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. The survey aims to ascertain the extent to which a sample of schools understand and are acting upon the key concept of ‘fidelity to the programme’, identified in the Rose Review as an essential aspect of successful phonics teaching.KeywordsPhonics, Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1.SummaryThe findings of the Rose Review argue strongly for: “the inclusion of a vigorous programme of phonic work to be securely embedded within a broad and language-rich curriculum… In practice, this means teaching relatively short, discrete sessions, designed to progress from simple elements to the more complex aspects of phonic knowledge, skills and understanding” (paragraphs 35 and 36 of the report).This short survey analysed the extent to which a selection of schools had made changes to their teaching of phonics on the basis of the findings of the Rose Review, and had understood and acted upon the key concept of ‘fidelity to the programme’.Main findings:· The Rose Review has been widely read by the schools in the survey and its findings have provided a stimulus for discussion and a lever for change.  · Schools with long-established phonics programmes have reviewed and improved their provision in response to the review, particularly in relation to the frequency and pace of their phonics sessions.· Schools understand the concept of ‘fidelity to the programme’. They are working within the structure of their chosen programme and teaching phonemes and graphemes in the specified order. · The relationship between the phase of the Letters and Sounds programme and the age of the children varies from school to school. For example, some older children in schools that had only recently introduced systematic phonics had gaps in their phonic knowledge and so were working on an early phase. Nevertheless the programme is being followed in the correct order.· Children enjoy regular phonics lessons as part of a systematic programme. They gain satisfaction from putting their learning into practice in their reading and writing.· Teachers have been surprised by the pleasure shown by children as they master phonic skills.· Children’s developing command of phonics skills has raised staff expectations. This, in turn, is improving the pace and demand of teaching and leading to further success.· The clear structure of Letters and Sounds and the well written handbook have helped even inexperienced staff to be confident about teaching phonics. · The skills of staff are developing well, although sometimes there is a lack of accuracy in enunciating phonemes, some uncertainty in the use of terminology, and some insecurity about assessment.· Local authorities have provided some training and support but most as been provided ‘in house’, led by teachers with expertise in systematic phonics teaching, or based on the Letters and Sounds handbook.  Action· Local authorities, with DCSF support, should make sure that regular training is offered to schools so that staff skills, knowledge and understanding are developed and positive developments are maintained.· DCSF should develop materials and resources to help schools tell parents about how their children are learning phonics through Letters and Sounds, and to involve them where possible.· DCSF should refine and add to the assessment materials to help schools to be clear about indicators of children’s command of phonics skills and provide schools with individual pupil tracking sheets.NotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Imaginative MindsDate CreatedMay 2008Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Responding to the Rose Review: Schools’ Approaches to the Sy

22 May 2008