This week I’m giving training to my first ever group of ICT GTPs. We are going to explore what ingredients you need to make a good ICT lesson.
I have created the following task so that they can experience what it is like to be a student in an ICT lesson. To view the lesson, click on the links below:
Welcome presentation: I start every lesson with a similar presentation to introduce what we are going to do.
All about me: A task to show how to give instructions to a class and how to structure a lesson.
At the end of the day’s training, I will ask the trainees to post a comment with their feedback on the day and their ideas on what makes a good ICT lesson.
The trainees will then try to apply what they have observed in their own teaching. We will then meet virtually in a flashmeeting video conference at 3:45 on 17th October to share their first experiences of teaching.
If any other trainees or teachers would like to participate in the video conference, all you need is a webcam and broadband access. To try a test connection click here. Contact me by posting a comment below and I will email you more details on how to take part.
Comment by Charlotte Land
11 October 17, 2006, 7:52 am o'clock |
I thoroughly enjoyed the training day . I have
implemented some of your techniques into my
lessons.
Improving the timing of the chunks of the
lesson has made a difference when teaching my Top set
groups. I am able to keep them on task and much more
motivated.This has resulted in the pupils producing
better quality work and delivering the tasks on time.
I have always met pupils when they enter the room. I
have not ever let them straight onto the
systems. However I have tried with limited success to
let pupils straight onto the system PD5 after lunch to
save them having to wait for stragglers and in the
hope they will settle more quickly. I may try this
again after Half Term, but with selected groups only.
Comment by Michelle
10 October 10, 2006, 2:59 pm o'clock |
Hi Alex
I’m hopefully going to be joining in the web conference on Wednesday. Is there anything I can do to prepare. I am currently teaching KS3 and KS4 and am using your Global ICT resouces for years 7, 8 and 9 (thanks to Mike Summers) and so am following the structure you have demonstrated via the virtual lesson.
thanks
Michelle
Comment by Mike
9 October 9, 2006, 1:55 pm o'clock |
Hi,
I found the session really useful, and it was good to see ICT taught quite differently to how we do at the school that I am at.
The following were five points that I feel will be of particular use to me in my teaching.
1. The use of timings - telling the students how long you are giving them for a task, and providing them with an update of how long is left, and sticking to it.
2. The use of real world examples. ICT lessons can easily get a bit dry and it was interesting to see how you talked about non subject specific things in the lesson as examples (e.g. Pollution in your youth survey lesson).
3. The task that you set us (timed). This was interesting to give us an idea of how students may feel.
4. Seating plan, particularly re-evaluating it and posting it on the door so students know where to sit at the start of the lesson.
5. Evaluating the lesson. It was good to give students an idea of what level they were at by the end of the lesson.
Thanks,
Mike
Comment by Jez
8 October 9, 2006, 10:10 am o'clock |
You asked if for the top 5 ideas that you learnt from the day
Later
Jez
Comment by Ben
7 October 9, 2006, 10:05 am o'clock |
Following the ICT subject knowledge day on Thursday 28th September, here are the top 5 things I took from the session and am now applying in my lesson:-
Hope this is of use, cheers, Ben.
Comment by Kirsty Brown
6 October 6, 2006, 10:56 am o'clock |
I found the sesion Alex Savage conduct very useful in helping me identify various different techniques that I can apply in to my own teaching. I am specifically going to try and implement the use of emphasising the timings of each activity and reminding students how long they have left. I also am going to try and use positive reinforcement rather than negative, for example, praising those that are on task to try and help remind the other students what they should be doing, rather than focusing on those that are not quite up to speed.
When Alex conducted the session on what it is like to be taught, I found a real eye opener. The pressures that we place on the pupils became very evident. I felt quite stressed when the time for the task was nearly up, because I had so much more that was still needed to be done. This has helped me think about the way I structure tasks and the importance of breaking activities in to small managable chunks, to ensure students remain on task.
This day training was very helpful and I am looking forwards to putting what I have observed and learned in to practice.
Comment by Derek Roberts
5 October 5, 2006, 6:53 pm o'clock |
Alex,
Sorry for the delay in posting a comment (Hwk).
Some of the things that I will be taking forward to my teaching practice.
1. Chunking - something we also talked about in our Local Authority meeting. Very like politician’s speaking small, short sentences and giving pause inbetween your speaking, allowing the information to sink in (hopefully).
2. Use of voice - vary pitch and volume keeping the students attention.
3. Praise - finding something to praise leave the student with a feeling of well being. Positive reinforcement of the teaching points.
4. Small Tasks - keep the tasks short and give a timescale for the students to complete the task - make sure that you stick to the limit you set.
5. If you can give them a real world example or get them to apply the lesson to a real problem - helps them to understand why they are learning the skill.
Thanks for a very informative and enjoyable day. I look forward to the web conference and the next meeting.
Web camera software installed and tested through flashmeeting - I can connect and even see myself, weird.
Comment by Jo Minns
4 October 5, 2006, 5:08 pm o'clock |
The training session conducted by Alex on 28th September was immensely valuable. I have been able to gain a very beneficial insight into ICT teaching that I hope I will be able to integrate into my teaching, possibly even pass on to colleagues. To try to summarise the key elements is actually a difficult task, as there were so many tools that made the lesson. However, below is my attempt at outlining the Key Elements of a Good ICT Lesson;
1. Use timings and make them real time -don’t say you have five minutes and then give the class two.
2. Break down the tasks into smaller activities - it helps keep the class engaged and focused, it’s also a useful reassurance tool to help look at a section of a topic which is not as daunting as the whole topic.
3. Use of language is very important - ensure positive comments are made and use praise and reward during lessons. It helps motivate the pupils and can again be used to reassure pupils when they feel a task is overwhelming.
4. Repetition - this embeds aspects of lessons and a teachers expectations.
5. Give real purpose - this helps pupils take pride in what they are doing and understand why they are doing something.
There are many more that I picked up during the training session and its difficult to condense them, hopefully my fellow gtp’s will be able to add some others to complement what is here.
Thanks, Alex for an excellent and insightful day. I look forward to our next one.
Comment by Alex Savage
3 October 5, 2006, 8:21 am o'clock |
I always have a welcome slide on my board for when the students come in. This gives them a task to do as soon as they arrive. This not only keeps them occupied, but encourages independent learning and helps remind them what we are doing.
Pingback by CommunICTy
# October 17, 2006, 1:13 pm o'clock |
[…] A few weeks ago I gave a training day for ICT GTs from Norfolk and Suffolk. After the training the group were invited to post a comment to my blog to give their evaluation. They also identified 5 key points from the training that they would try to implement into their teaching. To view their comments, click here. […]