Facing the currently unknown

#ilic4- great ideas, great teachers, great hope

#ilic4, otherwise known as the fourth running of what used to be known as the ICT Links into Languages Conference, an idea kickstarted by 3 great people back in 2011 (Zena Hilton, Joe Dale and Jo Rhys-Jones) has grown into the country's leading conference specifically about the use of technology in languages. 

Normally I don't like talking about technology without putting it in context. However this year I was very proud to have had a say in develeloping the conference's title- "Putting the Pedagogy in the Technology". For me technology is nothing without a sound ground in understanding what it is beign used- and that purpose MUST be more than just creating bangs, whizzes and engagement through bright lights.

This time last year I felt disillusioned with teaching and I didn't go. I couldn't see the point, to be honest. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be in education any more. This year I walked through the weekend with a smile on my face. Fascinating people lead fascinating sessions and the learning conversations which ensued were both provoking and intriguing. Just the way I like them.

I have to confess that I went with a selfish shopping list of desires to supplement my previous blog post outlining the basic foundations for the department that I intend to develop over the next few months.

• Sam Broom spoke about the implementation of SOLO taxonomy in her teaching. Sam is someone I've long wanted to meet after many conversations and work on projects together over the years. It was an absolute pleasure to finally meet her, and her session was really stimulating as well. SOLO is something that, since I was first introduced to it back in 2010 by my heroes Chris Harte and Darren Mead, I have been thoroughly intrigued by. Even after having done a fair bit of reading on the subject I still wasn't sure how to use the taxonomy. Now, hopefully, I do.
• Sadie McLachlan - Flipping the MFL classroom. I want to be able to keep my students on their feet, making sure that lessons and lesson structures are varied. The school is also founded on Project Based Learning, so I want to maximise the learning time available for DOING. Flipping is a great way to do that, then allowing the following lesson to be heavily differentiated to allow those students who already understand a concept to be allowed to get on with applying their knowledge whilst extra layers of support can be provided for those who still need it. Sadie is incredibly reticent about the work that they've been doing at Wildern, yet, although she openly admits that what they have been doing isn't perfect, I actually think that it's a fantastic example for departments across the country to follow. Their use of Google Docs to gauge comprehension (many thanks to Rachel Smith as well for Flubaroo for the automated marking of Google Docs, definitely one to explore) is one that I will definitely take on board.
• Dominic McGladdery- differentiation. Dom's take on differentiation was a fascinating one, reminding us how ICT tools can be used to provide access to all. It's good to be reminded that sometimes the old classics really are the best- and I mean that as the highest praise.
• James Gardner- Edmodo. I want my students to be able to work on projects when they are not sat in front of me. I think Edmodo might fill this hole in how I've operated before due to the fact that both our IT savvy and our IT comfortable students are happy with the way that a Facebook-esque tool operates. I'm going to run a pilot group on this and see how they get on.

 

Now to take it all forward and see what I can make of the ideas- so thank you to everyone involved for a fantastic weekend. I just really, really wish I could have been to many of the other sessions- but I look forward to scouring the blogosphere in the near future to keep piling on the ideas!

Don't panic- ideas to get them speaking and writing at CA Stage 1- Ryde High School

Following an indepth exam board presentation by Hilary Quigg of AQA I was asked by Languages South East to give a few ideas to help teachers on the Isle of Wight to prepare their students for the Controlled Assessments. My main message was "Don't Panic"- good teaching remains good teaching no matter what the end exam, as long as we base it on sound pedagogy. Although in my eyes there are huge issues with the current exam set-up, there are potential gains if we can get our learners to a point where they have a base armoury of language that we can build on in every stage 1 before we build up to a controlled assessment. With plenty of games, opportunities to argue and practise language in a meaningful way we can jump through those hoops that are in front of us. If any of the games don't make sense just from the slides, feel free to leave a comment below and I'll explain them further.

Example podcasts mentioned:

Imperfect grammar podcast

Lost Property

(although this was made for the old GCSE, if you know the kind of language you want for each topic, why not put your own series together, set to different musical beds?!)

Inspiring speaking and writing ideas

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My contribution to the great #ililc debate- but is there any debate?

Rather than saying my thanks at the end of this post, I think it’s fitting given that we’re in awards season to put them at the beginning. To Zena Hilton and also to Joe Dale and Jo Rhys-Jones can I please say a huge, huge thank you. Last weekend at the University of Southampton for the ICT Links into Languages conference was the best teaching event I’ve been to in many, many years. It continued the fantastic spirit of the Isle of Wight conferences in that every presentation was relevant, of the highest quality but also, and crucially for me, sparked off learning conversations. Teachers were discussing pedagogy, not just methodology- the why and not just the “how?!”. There was no separation of presenter and delegate and no whizzes and bangs for the sake of it- everything was about the learning. About the impact of the 2 days I don’t think there can possibly be any debate. I just wish I’d got the chance to listen to Isabelle Jones, to Alex Blagona or to Suzi Bewell but alas there really just wasn’t time to be inspired that many times in what felt like an incredibly short weekend. But I think Lisa Stevens sums up that element far better than I could ever express.

Another reason why I enjoyed #ililc , and to some degree the main reason why I feel like I personally benefited, was that I met knew people. I’ve commented many times before that some conferences tend to include the same faces presenting and in the audience, the same conversations take place over a cup of tea and the impact isn’t what it should be. I met some great practitioners who I felt like I knew so well from the community that is Twitter (Alex Bellars thank you for a lot of fun and interesting... exchanges), finally got to meet Sean Terry (honestly, check out his ideas and resources, well worth a few minutes of your time), met folks from the MFL Resources support network and also met many who’d never even heard of either support mechanism, people reaching out to learn. And I loved it. Looking around the room on Sunday morning as Chris Harte presented his inspirational thoughts on Languages: reboot and the SOLO Taxonomy (thanks to John Connor that section can be seen here) I saw a lot of people for whom those words were a total departure from what they’d always been told, but not from what they’d always believed. That was impact. The message had spread. And yet so many people again said to me that they’d be returning to a school on Monday morning where those messages would not be well received. They were prepared to fight, to evangelise and to convert, but could they and should they necessarily have to? So the question we need to ask again is how do we keep spreading the message of dynamic, engaging teaching and learning? And not just to those who are keen to listen right now.

At this point I feel I should step away for a moment. This is a conversation I’ve had many a time and yet I don’t feel like I’ve got any closer to the solution. On Twitter not too long ago I had an impassioned exchange of message with Bill Lord, Dughall McCormick and David Rogers about the very concept of spreading the message- in that case about cross-subject Teachmeets (if you don’t know what a Teachmeet is then don’t despair, just watch this video from BETT). It was suggested, I think by Bill, that we need to initiate a “bring a virgin to a Teachmeet” plan. Taken out of context I could see that being a problem, but the concept was very straightforward- that we need to spread the word about peer-to-peer training and support, and the best way to do this is to keep introducing “new” people into the mix. And yet nothing’s come of it, and it’s very rare that it does, because it always relies on one or two individuals to grab hold of the reins and really slog. Especially where the principle might need to include economic inducements at a time when it feels like we’re having some of the support removed- especially, and sadly, Links into Languages.  And at the end of it all there’s always the risk that we’ll end up with the same conversations when we do get people there because how do we get them involved, enthused and sharing as well? This time, however, I'm hopeful as that concept and the need to talk about how we brake down barriers is spreading. To read a far more eloquent description trust in Alex Blagona.

So as both Rachel, in her really quite moving keynote, and Chris said, language teaching in this country is far from dead, in fact to a certain degree it’s in reasonably good health because of the grass roots... activism of many high-quality professionals. Professionals from across the country who were prepared to give up their free time and come to the south coast to learn and to engage in at times heated (but always open and constructive) debate. I was asked the question a couple of times whether this happens in other subjects, and my answer was that I genuinely didn’t think so (except to a certain degree in Geography!).  Great active-research and experimentation  are taking place in the world of MFL- not just amongst those who were present over the weekend but across the country, including many great teachers who have no desire whatsoever to become "connected", all overcoming some of the many barriers that have been put in our place over the years, and continue to be today. But what I passionately believe we need to do is ensure that this verve and passion can reach the places it needs to more- and that’s where the debate really is and needs to be. I guess I'm just greedy- #ililc was superb... I just want more, especially in the long term.

Brookfield conference- creativity at KS4

On Friday I was delighted to be involved with the Brookfield language conference near Southampton. First off, a huge thanks to Sarah Thomson for a superb organisaitonal effort.

Anyway, the conference was multi-stranded but I was encharged with focusing on KS4, trying to reinvigorate those drained by controlled assessments and give new ideas to those in search of some.

Oh, and for those who were asking about the ICT conference in Southampton on 12-13th February, here are some details...

To book: click http://www.linksintolanguages.ac.uk/events/1373

Conference programme: Download ICT Links into Languages feb 2011 detailed programme  

To GCSE- and beyond? Keynote, Brookfield

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Spontaneous talk workshop, Brookfield

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Let creativity be the key- KS5 at Aston University

It was good to see new faces and great pleasure to see a known and well-respected face from the past yesterday at Aston University. In a slightly changed presentation from last week's version at Birmingham University I wanted to engage delegates in a discussion about the options for encouraging creativity at KS5. It turned out to be a really interesting session (even though I was being filmed by the Aston media dept, terrifying), even touching on widespread frustrations at the new GCSE's lack of target language and the fact that in some boards listening has become a severely neglected skill at post-16 level. Grr. Anyway there's nothing revoultionary in the presentation which includes mentions of great work done by Alex Blagona, Chris Harte and a few mentions of José Picardo.

Creative 6th form ideas aston uni

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Southampton University- can we create a spontaneous classroom?

On Tuesday I had great fun at a Links into Languages event at Southampton University. Whilst their year 8 pupils were off having fun in language sessions a group of dedicated teachers crammed themselves into the Links into Languages resource centre. Amidst frenzied activity we managed to finally prove that I am no techno king- I really couldn't get to grips with that darned air-con unit! But the constructive, positive attitudes of the teachers involved and the experiences that they shared made for a really enjoyable few hours. I hope the ideas I shared then are helpful to anyone reading this now!

Using a shortened version of a ppt I'd used last week in Hereford we were looking at creating a spontaneous environment, breaking free from the teacher having all-powerful control and allowing pupils to be able to express themselves creatively, free from the constraints of their being a correct answer and then to have the power to argue their point using the language they want to use. We then moved on to looking at the role ICT might play in this, using highly motivational, effective tools to allow free expression and creativity. However, these really were just some of my ideas and some provided by great practitioners such as Rachel Hawkes, Greg Horton, Chris Harte and Neil Jones- I'd love to hear yours and keep the conversation alive.

Part 1: Thinking of your learning space and the learning content

Can we facilitate spontaneity?

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Part 2: Rethinking the I, the C and the T

Thinking again about the i, the c and the t

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Can we encourage our pupils to speak spontaneously?

I was asked by Links into Languages to present at Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School on the theme of generating spontaneity in MFL. Over the last few years I've been very fortunate to work at times alongside two amazing practitioners in particular in this field who get me thinking every time I hear their ideas- Greg Horton of Wildern School, Southampton and Rachel Hawkes, of Comberton Village College, Cambridgeshire. Greg's multi-award winning "Group Talk" project is rightfully lauded for its innovative approach to getting pupils speaking, based around using prompts and argumentative language that pupils WANT to use. After all, even around school the most animated we ever see our pupils is when they have the opportunity to disagree with each other. However, I couldn't possibly do justice to the concept, www.teachers.tv explains it far more eloquently in their video focusing on "Group Talk".

For me, spontaneity in many classrooms (including my own at times, most definitely!) is hindered by all sorts of factors, both environmental and in the kind of tasks we set our pupils.

1) The learning space- a recent trip up north to see Chris Harte at Cramlington Learning Village really opened my eyes to how the space of the classroom can be maximised to permit movement, fluidity and performing space. Groups are sat around the edge of classrooms with a central performing area. When I first saw the set-up my initial reaction was predictable, thinking about that dreaded control again. But in a way the point is often to hand control away from the teacher and to facilitate expression, not stifle it. Also, how much debate can just 2 pupils have?

2) The kind of language we provide our pupils- how many of our pupils, even when abroad with the rest of their families who speak no foreign languages at all, would be expected to actually go up to the counter to buy food or tickets? Do they WANT to know the kind of language we're currently thrusting on them? The freedom of the (relatively) new KS3 curriculum means that we no longer have to jump through all of those hoops that the dictated content used to require, instead we are able to actually tailor our content to our goals- where do we want our pupils to be by the end of year 9, what do we want them to be able to do and how can we motivate them to get there? They want to be able to argue, they need to be able to pause and to hesitate because too often in education we confuse hesitation with not knowing. If I don't know an answer abroad I'll use plenty of "pues, a ver" etc and give myself a few seconds thinking time. That's not a luxury we often give our pupils, choosing instead to really put them on the spot. Surprise surprise they don't often feel relaxed enough to blurt out whatever ideas they might have.

3) The type of task- similarly to point 2) our tasks often don't allow our pupils to think creatively. How lateral thinking and how many different poitns of view and answers can you have if there's a specific end point, a "correct" answer. Tasks such as Group Talk, mysteries (Neil Jones puts together some great ones at www.mfljones.wordpress.co.uk), odd one out and reading images DO NOT HAVE A CORRECT ANSWER. They are not transactional but allow for interpretation. If our pupils fear giving a wrong answer this is their driving force, and often the force that prevents them from opening up. But if the task can have any answer, ever answer is valuable. Right now I have in my head a year 8 boy who always had an opinion, always wanted to argue why he was right but was never able to in the vast majority of language lessons because we were asking him to go from a to b rather than from a to whichever letter he believed was most appropriate. Mmm.

4) ICT- yes, some people will argue that the use of technology doesn't encourage spontaneity but instead tightly planned work. But what tools do our pupils instictively use to communicate with each other beyond our walls? Exciting tools such as Voicethread again provide the opportunity to give creative answers and, crucially, can operate beyond our normal lesson time as well.

Anyway, I found it fascintating being able to reflect on the theme when putting together the following presentation, bringing together some of my own ideas and those from inspirational figures I've been able to work with over the last few years and who I'ev tried to reference in the presentation slides. But I really think I've only scratched the surface- I'd love to hear your opinions.

Spontaneous talk ideas

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MFL Show n Tell, North Devon

MFL Show n Tell is coming to North Devon at 6.30pm on Thursday, 8th July and this is a call to arms for YOU to get involved!

The free event opens its doors at Boston Tea Party, Barnstaple to hear what's been going well in your department and for you to share with colleagues any creative or innovative teaching that you've been involved with! Show n Tell also provides a great opportunity to meet up with other language teachers across all levels- this is an event for primary, secondary and FE, an event for people who want to get more out of their teaching and an event to celebrate the great work that's going on in the area. Made any exciting KS3 changes for the new curriculum? Making great progress with 6th form teaching? What've you done to deal with the transition "issue"? What do your pupils enjoy? Worked on any creative projects? Sign up and tell us about them!

Show n Tell is a quickfire event. You can sign up at www.mflshowntell.wikispaces.com to do either a 7 minute presentation, a 2 miniute nano-presentation or alternatively to be an enthusiastic lurker. And if you lurk this time, maybe we'll be able to persuade you to stand at the front next time round. Even if you don't think you've got anything to add to the conversation, you most definitely do!

But MFL Show n Tell isn't just about the presentations, CPD at a time when so often we can't get out of school to go to training events. It's also about having the opportunity to meet other local teachers, catch up with friends and find out that you're not alone! It's a social event, and thanks to the support of the Association for Language Learning and Links into Languages we'll be able to offer plenty of snacks and free wine and soft drinks (at the moment it's looking like 2 free glasses of wine or soft drinks each).

And all you have to do is sign up, as I said at www.mflshowntell.wikispaces.com. On the left hand side you'll find a section for North Devon to take you to the sign-up page for the Barsntaple event.

When you're ready, choose whether you want to sign up for a 7 minute presentation, a 2 minute nano presentation or if you just want to be an enthusiastic lurker. It's really, really important that if you're planning on coming that you sign up- this will allow us to have enough drinks and snacks ready for everyone but it will also allow us to personalise the night for everyone as much as possible!

To sign up simply click on the word EDIT in the top-righ hand corner (see below) and add your name, a presentation topic, where you teach and any twitter or blog addresses you might have. And then press SAVE and you're done!

So please, please get involved, spread the word and let's have a great night! Although we have the support of ALL, Links into Languages and Vital (who have kindly agreed to help spread the word, in particular with regards to supporting technological innovation in the area and are keen to meet all you lovely folk), this remains an event for teachers by teachers- so if you fancy getting involved with the running of the event as well then get in touch!

    


 

 

Ringwood Creative 6th form event

Howdy folks,

I was very privileged to be involved in a really thought-provoking Links into Languages day dealing with encouraging creativity at 6th form. My presentation's below, but if you ever get the chance to hear Gab Hernandez present, from the Holt School, Wokingham, then I thoroughly recommend that you take up the opportunity. Her words about how she structures her course were fascinating, giving her pupils confidence through knowing exactly what the expectations were and the steps they needed to get there. Oh, and the importance of stickers- something I wholeheartedly agree with!

Got more ideas about creative 6th form approaches? Please please share them through a comment because after all these are just some of my ideas and those of other creative practitioners such as Alex Blagona, Chris Harte, José Picardo and Isabelle Jones, all of whom were kind enough to contribute to these slides. To them a huge thank you, and here's hoping I can thank others for further contributions...

Creative 6th form ideas

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Thinking differently

Yesterday was another fun day out for Carlos and I. A 5am start allowed us to head up to High Wycombe and get to the home of everyone's favourite, www.languagesonline.org.uk more or less by the start of a Links into Languages event organsied at RGS Wycombe. I had planned on talking about games to support learning, similar to the presentation I gave a few weeks ago at Fernhill in Farnborough. However, a last minute e-mail lead me to radically alter things (ensuring I was NEVER going to finish on time, whoops!) and really go into the topic of thinking differently. This is something that seems to have really got under my skin recently, fanned by the words of wisdom of John Connor and Chris Harte, and seeking to add meaning and cognitive challenge to our pupils' learning. Anyway, I'll write more about that at some point very soon...

I've decided to embed both a slidecast, with audio, and a slideshow without the audio that you can just click through, thus not having to spend an hour listening to me drone on! I'm intrigued as to which version people find more useful!

With audio (slidecast)

Cross Curricular At RGS Wycombe For Slidecast

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Without audio

Cross Curricular At RGS Wycombe

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For more about MYLO, the joint DCSF / CILT project, see www.hellomylo.com or a post I wrote about a month ago here.

Climate zones

Download Los dominios bioclimáticos- paises with map but mountains

Download Los grandes dominios bioclimáticos- for map with mountains

 

Development

Download Devpt factors cards

 

Pocket money (would really value any feedback on these, just knocked them up as a response to a line of thought I was having...)

Download Pocket money Bolivia

Download Pocket money (powerpoint to reinforce key verbs, looking at the conditional and basic imperfect subjunctives)

 

Goldilocks

Download Goldilocks Manual - Spanish

 

Buzz Lightyear grammar display- Spanish

Download The Infinitive timeline

Download Future timeline

Download Conditional timeline

Download Irreg future

Download Preterite tense timeline

Download Irreg preterites

Download Imperfect tense timeline

Download Perfect tense timeline

Download Pluperfect tense timeline

Download Timeline