Special Needs

Back on track

At the moment, permanent exclusion is a death knell for young people. But the Youth Achievement Foundation in Macclesfield is trying to turn that around with its vocational focus. Eliza Vogel-Sharron reports.

At the moment, permanent exclusion is a death knell for young people. But the ‘Youth Achievement Foundation’ in Macclesfield is trying to turn that around with its vocational focus. Eliza Vogel-Sharron reports.

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      string(357) "... our relativesdying from simple illnessesas there were no doctors tocure them.But times are changing! Themost incredible GeneralVeno, with his army helpinghim—are getting us backon track.This week the General hasbeen in meetings with theteachers and doctors—promising they will get paidif they start working again.Thanks to Veno ..."
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      string(5608) "16 Who’s Running the Country?Lesson Aims:To understand what a dictatorship is and explain some features of anauthoritarian regime.To recognise some of the challenges faced by people living under dictatorships.To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of dictatorship.Resources:L3 newspaper article; L3 underground resistance movement leaflet.Preparation:Change ‘Country X’ to the name of your country and also change the name of country andreligion in the newspaper article and underground resistance movement leaflet.Starter:Teacher explains that despite best plans to organise a fair system for government there hasbeen a ‘coup’ and an individual has taken power.Explain that this is called a dictatorship and get students to copy down a definition. Get reactions from the class. In my experience students tend to be furious!Activity 1 – Reading newspaper report1.  Class read newspaper report. Ask class briefly if they are happy about General Veno taking power. Some students may start to argue that it is a good thing at this point.Do not allow a long discussion at this stage but prompt students to analyse why thearticle may be so positive about Veno. Indicate that a dictator will control what is inthe newspapers. Why might they do this?Activity 2 – Advantages/disadvantages table1.  Students should note any advantages of General Veno taking power. If they see any disadvantages they can also write these down.●●●Lesson 3:  Dictatorship17Who’s Running the Country?Activity 3 – Underground resistance movement leaflet1.  Explain that this is a leaflet that has been printed at home by some people that have not disclosed their names or contact details.  Leaflets have been found in the streetand posted through letterboxes.2.  Read the leaflet as a class and question for understanding (in groups or as a class).What has General Veno done that may not be so good?Why do you think people have disappeared?  Where might they have gone?Why might General Veno have got rid of them?Why won’t General Veno let people practise their own religion? Why is itthreatening to him?Do you still think the country is safer? There is no name showing the writers of this leaflet. It didn’t say this in the newspaper.Do you believe what it says is true?Why might the people who have written this leaflet not put their names orcontact details on it?Activity 4 – Completing the table1.  Students complete their advantages/disadvantages table writing down any further disadvantages.Plenary: Debating the dictatorLeave at least 15 minutes for this activity. Ask students to think what their views are aboutGeneral Veno. Are they pleased he has taken power, and do they support him, or are theyagainst him? Give them a minute in silence to think about this. Then ask them to go to oneside of the class if they support him and the other if they are against him. Allow studentsto stand in the middle if they are not sure.  Explain that the aim of the debate should be toclearly express your views and to try and persuade students in the middle and on the otherside, to come to your side. The winner at the end will be the side with the most people.Explain that it is perfectly OK to change your views and move sides during the debate.At intervals after several speakers, allow students to move if they wish.Prompt questions if necessary:Was life better before or after General Veno took control?Do those people speaking out against him, or practising their religion whenhe says they can’t, have to voice their public opposition?  Couldn’t they keepquiet to protect their lives?How important is it that you are able to have your own say about what youthink in your country, or that you are able to choose which religion youpractise?Is it more important that you can say what you like or that your children cango to school and you are able to feel safe in the streets?Homework:Complete another diary entry about life under General Veno.✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱✱Lesson 3:  Dictatorship�Lesson 3 – Dictatorship Newspaper ArticleVeno ExpressVolume 27 Issue 3 Best-Se l l ing  Dai ly  Thursday 17th May, 2007Veno leads Countryto Brighter FutureMilitary Parade in honour ofthe GeneralGeneral Veno’ssuccesses pile up!I t  has now been oneweek since the wonderfulGeneral Veno fantasticallyseized power.Just remember, one weekago, the citizens of Behaviawere living in anarchy.There was no government,and no one was in charge.The t ranspor t  systemhad broken down, nearlyall shops were shut—allschools were closed andthe streets were dangerous.Fear reigned as violence,guns, and gangs ruled.People were afraid to leavetheir homes.Remember the plagues ofrats running around ourhouses as litter had notbeen collected for months.Gone are the days!Remember the queues atthe hospitals, our relativesdying from simple illnessesas there were no doctors tocure them.But times are changing! Themost incredible GeneralVeno, with his army helpinghim—are getting us backon track.This week the General hasbeen in meetings with theteachers and doctors—promising they will get paidif they start working again.Thanks to Veno—schoolsand hospitals will openagain next week! Thankheavens!Veno the great, has startedgetting roads repaired,and the transport systemup and running.  With thearmy patrolling the streets,shops are opening againand calm, peace and quietare back.Since the General and hisarmy are so strong, crimehas stopped altogether.Crowds have come outto sing their love to theGeneral and to celebratehis reign.We love the Generous andGentle General!Inside"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Democracy Lesson 3: Dictatorship

30 May 2012

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      string(353) "... becomesthe basis for the narrative of the lesson. Teachers witha strong sense of narrative are able to engage withdeviation, knowing how to bring the discussion back ontrack. Pace is also necessary to keep the lesson lively andthrough increasing tempo, deal with potential low-leveldisruption. A learning intention for a lesson ..."
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      string(5093) "teaching,student behaviour, engagement and learning areenhanced.4. By consistently adopting protocols for learning,student capacity to learn, skill levels and confidenceare enhanced.The implications of these whole school theories of actionare discussed in more detail later. Meanwhile, it is tothe ‘theories of action for teachers’ that we now turn inthe following section.■■■ The Six Theories of Action for TeachersBelow are the six theories of action for teachers andteaching that emerged from our work with schools inNorthern Melbourne and elsewhere. Together withthe four whole school theories of action noted in theprevious section, they comprise the content of theCuriosity booklet that we recently published (NorthernMetropolitan Region 2011). This handbook has a twopage spread devoted to each theory of action: the lefthand page contains a description of the individualtheory of action, much as above; the right handpage showcases an educational artefact or tool thatteachers can use to implement the theory of actionin behavioural terms. This helps increase their levelof professional skill to a point that it impacts on thelearning of their students.Theories of action – teacher practice and student achievement ■■■■■�……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Harnessing learning intentions, narrative and pace– When teachers set learning intentions and use appropriatepace and have a clear and strong narrative about theirteaching and curriculum, then students are more secureabout their learning, and achievement and understandingis increased.It has become very clear from the instructional roundsthat when teachers are clear about their learningintentions then the students become more engagedand feel more secure in their learning. But it is aboutmore than just setting a learning intention or goal;importantly it is also about linking the intention to thelearning outcome and success criteria for the lesson, aswell as ensuring curricula progression. This becomesthe basis for the narrative of the lesson. Teachers witha strong sense of narrative are able to engage withdeviation, knowing how to bring the discussion back ontrack. Pace is also necessary to keep the lesson lively andthrough increasing tempo, deal with potential low-leveldisruption. A learning intention for a lesson or seriesof lessons is a statement that describes clearly what theteacher wants the student to know, understand and beable to do as a result of the learning and teaching activity.In formulating the learning intention it is essential toconsider three components:An action word that identifies the performance tobe demonstratedA learning statement that specifies what learning willbe demonstratedA broad statement of the criterion or minimumstandard for acceptable performance, e.g. ‘By the endof the lesson you will be able to describe foundationconcepts and questions in …’Setting challenging learning tasks – When learningtasks are purposeful, clearly defined, differentiated andchallenging then the more powerful, progressive and precisethe learning for all students.In many of the instructional rounds conducted, wefound that by and large, most students did not find thetasks they were set very challenging. Yet it is the tasks■■■that students do that predict their performance. Thisrequires setting tasks that are within the student’s ‘zoneof proximal development’, if their learning is to progress.Usually, this involves having three or four ‘graded tasks’available for each group with scaffolding around thetask to ensure success. In Looking in classrooms, Goodand Brophy (2008) identified the six componentslisted below as central to scaffolding support for pupilscarrying out tasks:1. Develop student interest in accomplishing theintended goal of the task.2. Demonstrate an idealised version of the actions tobe performed.3. Simplify the task by reducing the steps.4. Control frustration and risk.5. Provide feedback that identifies the critical featuresof discrepancies between what has been producedand what is required.6. Motivate and direct the student’s activity tomaintain continuous pursuit of the goal.Closely associated with scaffolding is the gradual transferof responsibility for managing learning. As studentsdevelop expertise they begin to assume responsibilityfor regulating their own learning, by asking questionsand by working on increasingly complex tasks with aconcomitant increase in learner autonomy.Framing higher order questions – When teacherssystematically use higher order questioning, the level ofstudent understanding is deepened and their achievementis increased.John Hattie reports in Visible learning (2009, p. 182)that questioning is the second most"
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Professional Development

Theories of action – Teacher practice and student achievement

6 Feb 2014

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      string(333) "... it seems the Ridings is a salutary talewhen it comes to assessing New Labour’s early policies forturning round failing schools. These originally centred onthe idea of ‘superheads’ coming in to get things back ontrack – but in this case, even the appointment of the verybest leaders just wasn’t enough."
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      string(1346) "come.”Councillor Allen Clegg said that despite being run bythree successive ‘super headteachers’, the Ridings wasstill failing to provide the standard of education the pupilsdeserved.“Now is the time to try a super system, perhaps in theform of an academy,” he said.The head teacher of the Ridings School, Stuart Todd, said:“This building has been in the national spotlight for far toolong and as a result it has not been allowed to have its upsand downs like other schools.“My priority is to get it out of special measures and I willsee it through to the end because the children deserveit.”Halifax Labour MP Linda Riordan had urged the councilto wait until a new school is built, but Labour’s educationspokesperson Megan Swift backed the closure providedthat there are places within the greater Halifax area forevery child affected.Interestingly, there have been only six formal objectionsfrom parents when the notice of intention to close theschool was published in August.In the final analysis, it seems the Ridings is a salutary talewhen it comes to assessing New Labour’s early policies forturning round failing schools. These originally centred onthe idea of ‘superheads’ coming in to get things back ontrack – but in this case, even the appointment of the verybest leaders just wasn’t enough."
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Leadership

Who failed who?

30 Dec 2007

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      string(3025) "the centre in this way is cheaper than paying forpersonal tutors or isolation units within schools.“Really”, Kevin tells me, “for the YAFS to be sustainablethe LEAs need to get behind the project and buy into it forthe future”. The cost, he explains, is only £8000 per pupilper year – which falls well below the cost of other alternativeeducation providers. Given the success of the project thisdoes seem like value for money.Under current provisions, schools can meet theirstatutory obligations by delivering four hours of personaltutoring a week, with ‘independent study’ topping up therequirement to provide 25 hours of education a week. Inthe circumstances, it is no wonder that excluded childrenare bored, misbehaving and failing to engage with thealternative education system.The Youth Achievement Foundations have overhauledthis model by creating full, stimulating timetables whichchannel the young people’s energy at both a physical andintellectual level. Whether this will be the answer to gettingexcluded children ‘back on track’ remains to be seen – but itcertainly won’t be without serious and lasting commitmentto, and public investment in, these foundations and theyoung people’s lives.Eliza Vogel-Sharron a writer and lawyer specialising inFamily and childcare law.Case Study: JulieJulie is fifteen and was referred to MYAF by her highschool. Julie had already been expelled from two schoolsin the area. This referral was made because Julie was onthe verge of being excluded from this third school forthreatening members of staff, bullying, her attitude inclass and swearing. Julie has been seeing a counsellorfor self-harming and alcohol abuse. Julie put herselfinto care, then moved in with her auntie. Her motherand father are both alcoholics and regularly physicallyabuse Julie. Julie is also emotionally abused – her fatherconstantly criticises her weight.When Julie was referred to the MYAF, she did notlive with her mother or even talk to her. But we requirea meeting with a parent at a neutral venue (MYAF) todiscuss the student’s academic future. After this two-hourmeeting, Julie started talking to her mother. As a resultof this, Julie is now seeing her mum on a regular basis– sometimes staying over.When Julie first started at MYAF she attended everyday – but refused to enter the class. The learning mentorswanted Julie to have some fun in her life and help buildup her confidence and self esteem. It took four weeks toget Julie to enter the class. At first, she complained aboutnot wanting to be there – but now time has passed, Juliecontributes to the class positively on a regular basis.Academically Julie is thriving at the MYAF and has alreadyachieved her CoPE (Certificate of Personal Effectiveness) levelone award. Julie attends MYAF every day – and although shetalks about self-harming, she has not been doing it.It has been a long journey for Julie. She has more self-confidence and has developed more skills to help her in life.n"
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Special Needs

Back on track

9 Oct 2009