Super Hero AFL

With changes in Ofsted lesson gradings, my school has now ditched formal lesson grading during observations. This has led to gradings through work scrutiny based on marking and feedback and quality of teaching over time. As a result, I am changing my AFL approach to allow for greater self assessment and questioning from my class. This is the first resource to tackle that. 

http://bit.ly/1CbDGsP

The children have enjoyed using the Super Work form and have begun linking their good work with their own personal target in literacy. The Riddler form has caused some great thinking with less able children asking me questions while the more able have tried to catch me out.

Feel free to use these as you wish. More to follow soon.

WW2 Takeaway Homework

The idea of Takeaway Homework from the excellent @teachertoolkit has been around for a while. This post is just to share the half term WW2 Homework.  

The tasks: 

Apparently, being able to do homework using Minecraft makes the world better. Within seconds children were planning which ones they would do, discussing online collaboration and some had already finished a few tasks by the end of wet play!

 Poppy acrostic poem

 Plane fact files

 

Trenches made from wood, wire and soil.

 Minecraft Anderson Shelter

Not only some of the best homework my class have produced but the increase in effort and presentation was an even bigger plus. 

Power to the People

I am a great believer that children should be given opportunities to take responsibility for their learning. We have been talking a lot about making sensible choices and challenging yourself.
Our first venture was to choose their own learning partners for the week with the aid of my trusty lolly sticks. This went well, good choices and importantly no tears. On a roll, I then let the children rearrange the room and sit where they wanted. My only proviso being I could move freely around and that no child was sat facing away from the board. My room is blessed with a mixture of large tables, small single tables, low tables (that don't make friends) and some semi-circular tables which can be flipped!
The results of my MFI room makeover were fantastic. Great use of space and odd tables, a good mix of children. The biggest impact I noticed was that my class seemed more willing to contribute. Class discussion involved the whole class and levels of effort improved. Of course, it is day one of a new term but my class taught me a lot today. Maybe, I should leave how they learn to them and I'll focus on what.
Thinking of ideas for options to record their work....