Teaching Tools
Objectives/Aims of the lesson: These need to be clearly visible in the clasrrom, and could either be sequenced at different levals i.e L3,L4,L5 or all, some most for Key Stage 3. At Key Stage 4 the objectives could be sequenced in terms of moving between the grade boundaries (C,B and A).
For Example:
Objectives: |
For Example:
Objectives: |
Timings : I think that it is important in many instances for a lesson to have a good pace and to not get stagnant. This is important in keeping the young people engaged and focused. However, it is imporantant that the young people do not recieve too much time in which they may become off task. On the other hand it is important thet the young people have enough time to develop their ideas, and are not rushing through the task. A study by Sousa (2006:90) cited by Dymoke (2008: P.54) reveals that the first 10 - 20 minutes is when the young people are most likey to reatin the information they are recieveing and therfore it is imortant that the lesson starts promtly and key information and the key parts of the lesson are taught at this time.
Starter Task:
A starter task is important because it refreshes the young people’s
minds as to what they were learning about last lesson and how this is relevant
to moving forward this lesson. This is particularly important in Citizenship lessons
as in some schools it can be up to a week or more between lessons. A starter
task enables the teacher to gain the focus of the young people at the very beginning
of the lesson. The starter task can also
allow the teacher to set out the expectations for the current lesson, and can
allow the teacher to explain the structure of the lesson. (Davidson and Leask 2009).
Plenary:
A plenary is really useful to draw the young people and the
teaching altogether. Sometimes the lessons fast pace and continuous activities
give little time for reflection and consolidation of the key points. A plenary
can be a good assessment opportunity and way of helping young people gain
reflection skills.
Assessing Pupil Progress (APP): This involves chances throughout the lesson to assess whether the young people are understanding what they are being taught. The teacher can then assess the young peoples responses and decide whether to change the pace of the lesson, or explain and clarify concepts and ideas differently.
Differentiated Activity:
It’s important
that all young people are able to access the curriculum, and therefore providing
activities so that all children are able to progress is vitally important in
every lesson.
Homework Task:
I feel that homework tasks are important in order to
reinforce learning that has taken place in the lesson. The first homework task aims
to give the young people an in depth example of a campaign that they were interested
in, and would be useful to draw upon in an exam situation. The homework task
would also develop their research, organisational, time management and
presentation skills. All these skills are transferable skills across the
curriculum, and in their future education and careers.