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Mr T and Geraldine explore phonics together - fun set of videos that would work well at distance.

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mr thorne learn phonics alphabet letters teacher learning reading literacy english abc preschool read geraldine giraffe does nursery stories grammar spelling...

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Get more activities, more resources and of course, more Geraldine, from Mr T's Phonics - here: https://www.mrtsphonics.com/more-geraldine-youtube We make learning essential reading and phonics skills easy - and fun! Let YouTube sensation Geraldine the Giraffe take you on a learning journey through the world of phonics, grammar, spelling and punctuation, learning letters and sounds along the way.

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Share your best practice here! Resources,  games, websites, videos, photos, some 'magic' tricks that worked!
Click on plus and leave your note down here!

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A self-paced online professional development for early childhood educators and primary school teachers.

This  program that you can do online in your own time. It has a series of modules with videos, questions to think about, and downloadable examples and resources to support your planning of a Conceptual PlayWorld for the intentional teaching of STEM.

As part of the program, we invite you to complete a short survey, and then again after you have tried out the ideas.

You will also receive a Certificate of Participation and your new status as a Conceptual PlayWorld STEM champion.

JOIN ME! I found it very well-structured and useful even for my teaching in PN! Join me! Let’s collaborate and plan together!

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Professional development for educators

Learn with us and become a Conceptual PlayWorld STEM Champion

We are offering self-paced online professional development for early childhood educators and primary school teachers.

A self-paced PD is a program that you can do online in your own time. It has a series of modules with videos, questions to think about, and downloadable examples and resources to support your planning of a Conceptual PlayWorld for the intentional teaching of STEM.

As part of the program, we invite you to complete a short survey, and then again after you have tried out the ideas. You will also receive a Certificate of Participation and your new status as a Conceptual PlayWorld STEM champion.

What does it mean to be a STEM champion? Watch Kristy and Tiana's story and read Mary's story to find out more.

Register for self-paced online PD

Interested, but not ready yet?

Just register your interest to be notified of future opportunities when they become available.

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We are offering self-paced online professional development for early childhood educators and primary school teachers. A self-paced PD is a program that you can do online in your own time. It has a series of modules with videos, questions to think about, and downloadable examples and resources to support your planning of a Conceptual PlayWorld for the intentional teaching of STEM.

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Incorporate global learning and global citizenship education into your teaching.

I've signed up! Join me in this exciting journey!

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Hi. My name is Nicole Blum. I'm a Researcher and Lecturer in the Development Education Research Centre, University College London, Institute of Education. The work of our Centre focuses on Global Learning, Global Education, and related areas, such as, Education for Global Citizenship and Education for Sustainable Development. We run an online Master's Programme on Global Learning, and we also support a number of PhD researchers who are conducting research all over the world. We often also support teachers who are looking to develop their professional practise related to Global Education, Global Learning, and Global Citizenship. We know from our experience with teachers that they're really keen to know how best to prepare their pupils for what are sometimes uncertain global futures.

They want their pupils to be able to positively engage with the world around them and to critically understand it. We also know that teachers often need support to know how to do this. Hi. I'm Fran Hunt. I also work as a researcher and tutor in the Development Education Research Centre. We've developed this MOOC to help teachers provide learning and engagement with global issues for pupils. It aims to support teachers to incorporate large and challenging topics within their teaching, such as climate change, children's rights, and global interdependence. It provides insight into how to teach these topics including pedagogical approaches that support critical thinking, pupil voice, and participation.

The MOOC incorporates practical activities to engage teachers and guides them towards a range of resources and further support. The MOOC provides an introduction to key issues and debates in Global Education, Global Citizenship Education, and related areas. It's aimed at teaching professionals around the world who would like to include Global Education in their teaching practise. Together we've developed the Global Education for Teachers MOOC as a three-week, short course that aims to provide online, accessible professional development for in-service and pre-service teachers around the world. Participants will learn together in a supportive, collaborative, and participatory space. The aim is for participants to gain confidence and the knowledge and skills to introduce global issues into their teaching practise.

We hope that you'll join us for the course and look forward to seeing you there.

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Global Education for Teachers - Online Course - FutureLearn

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Hi. My name is Nicole Blum. I'm a Researcher and Lecturer in the Development Education Research Centre, University College London, Institute of Education. The work of our Centre focuses on Global Learning, Global Education, and related areas, such as, Education for Global Citizenship and Education for Sustainable Development.

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LADDER OF FEEDBACK - SCOLL IT DOWN: THERE IS A VISUAL PART TOO!

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LADDER OF FEEDBACK - SCOLL IT DOWN: THERE IS A VISUAL PART TOO!

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Are you or your students struggling with giving feedback?

The Project Zero researchers and practitioners found out the solution!

The LADDER OF FEEDBACK is a very useful visible thinking tool to give a balanced powerful feedback that will inform your planning and help your students thrive!

Brief information (retrieved from 'The Power of Making Thinking Visible'):

The Ladder of Feedback was developed by our colleague David Perkins and other Project Zero researchers (Perkins 2003). It emerged as part of an action research project they conducted with university managers in Colombia. In this setting they set out to develop tools and structures for communicative feedback, that is, feedback that is grounded in clarity and is fair and balanced in terms of attention to both the positives as well as negatives. Communicative feedback also focuses on improvement and deeper understanding of the issues at hand. In communicative feedback not only does the person getting feedback feel respected and valued, but the community as a whole grows in collaborative and reflective spirit.

Purpose
A long line of research has shown the importance of feedback to performance and learning (Black and Wiliam 2002; Hattie and Timperley 2007; Hattie 2009). However, feedback too often fails to achieve its potential. This can happen when people feel attacked, devalued, or personally criticized or when the feedback is vague and not action oriented. One reason for this is that when we respond in the moment we tend to engage primarily in two types of feedback: negative feedback in which we highlight what is wrong and needs to be fixed (this feels efficient) or conciliatory feedback in which we try to be vaguely positive and try to avoid criticism. However, good feedback, the kind of feedback that leads to improvement and learning, needs to emerge from conditions of mutual learning and collaboration, to focus on strengths as well as weaknesses, and be action/solution oriented. The Ladder of Feedback provides a structure for this. As such, it can be useful for teachers giving feedback to students as well as for peer‐to‐peer feedback.

If you would like to get some tips/examples how to scaffold this routine for your children - reach me out, I have more to share!

QUESTIONS to engage in comments:

What is your EXPERIENCE with giving feedback to children/colleagues?

What are your STRUGGLES with giving/accepting feedback?

What PUZZLES you about this routine?

What INSIGHTS did this short read give you?

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Have you even considered your anecdotal comments as a piece of evidence of students' learning? Isn't it a formative assessment?

Here is a quick Start Guide to Documentation you may consider to use in your practice.

In comments below, let's do
the ESP+I  thinking routine (the same as in the LADDER OF FEEDBACK post).

What is your EXPERIENCE with documenting students' learning?

What are your STRUGGLES with documentation?

What PUZZLES you about this practice?

What INSIGHTS did this guide give you?

Let's stretch our thinking!

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A very useful handout resource from Project Zero & LEGO foundation collaboration.

Need some inspiration for Playful Learning Experiences?
Check it out !

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Join me in this incredible opportunity!

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getting better at evidencing the full range of young peoples’ dispositions

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getting better at evidencing the full range of young peoples’ dispositions tickets

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Getting better at evidencing the full range of young peoples' dispositions

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Eventbrite - The Edge Foundation presents Getting better at evidencing the full range of young peoples' dispositions - Monday, 29 March 2021 - Find event and ticket information.

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When in doubt - check me out! (updated)

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Link

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Let's start of learning journey here!

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Share your best practice here! Resources, games, websites, videos, photos, some 'magic' tricks that worked!
Click on plus and leave your note down here!

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Share your best practice here! Resources,  games, websites, videos, photos, some 'magic' tricks that worked!
Click on plus and leave your note down here!

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Share your best practice here! Resources,  games, websites, videos, photos, some 'magic' tricks that worked!
Click on plus and leave your note down here!

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Is there any challenge you are doubting how to handle?
We are all here for you to help!
Drop a short description and we will try to give you advice.

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Here is your link

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Rhino’s Formative Assessment

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Folders are here

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POI
English
Maths
EYFS outcomes

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Organisational Sheet
Brookes Plus Registers
Attendance Sheets - Wednesday And Thursday

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Click on me!

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Share you ideas and suggestions for excisions available now under covid circumstances.

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Stella Award Video Turns
Winner Photos
Video Photos

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23rd and 24th January

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The Learning Jam is a community initiative by Toddle. We at Toddle are committed to supporting educators with best-in-class learning opportunities that are designed to give agency to teachers around the world. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay tuned in with the latest webinars, blogs, resources, and more - learn.toddleapp.com.

Toddle is an all-in-one platform for IB PYP and IB MYP teams. Toddle empowers teachers to work together and better for curriculum planning, student portfolios, assessments, reports, and family communication - all from one intuitive interface!

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The Learning Jam is a community initiative by Toddle. We at Toddle are committed to supporting educators with best-in-class learning opportunities that are designed to give agency to teachers around the world. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay tuned in with the latest webinars, blogs, resources, and more - learn.toddleapp.com.

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Primary Maths Brunch (White Rose Maths)

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A really good website for anything science-related. Units, lessons, mini-lessons and also some stuff for distance learning.

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Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

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Mystery Science offers open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science. The hook, visuals, and activity have all been prepared for you. Less prep, more learning.

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All sorts of free courses available, including 'Education & Development'. Certificate awarded on completion of a course.

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You can search by course title. You can also search for OpenLearn courses associated with an Open University course by searching for the course code.

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www.topmarks.co.uk

Just click the subject and age range and it will bring up a list of interactive games available from the internet. Works for many different subjects but the Maths games are particularly  good.

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Topmarks: teaching resources, interactive resources, worksheets, homework, exam and revision help

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Searchable site of thousands of quality teaching resources, interactive resources, homework, exam and revision help. Useful for teachers, pupils and parents.

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An excellent resource for lessons and quizzes - particularly useful for Key Centre students.

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Wordwall - Create better lessons quicker

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Need a fresh teaching resource that fits your class and teaching style? Create a customized pack of interactive and printable activities in just one minute.

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Reading machine,  middle a, CVC words, blending 3 letter words, lowercase, phonics.

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Confidence song

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'You're a Star' Confidence Song for Kids 🌟  Netflix Jr. Jams

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Hickory Dickory Dock

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Hickory Dickory Dock | Nursery Rhyme Song | Simple Kids Songs | Music Video For Babe

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Where do you come from? How do you grow?

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Lyrics
An egg hatches and becomes a tiny caterpillar
This is called a larva it grows bigger and bigger
It forms into a pupa, also called a chrysalis
And inside it will be starting metamorphosis
Which means it's moving and changing all of it's things
And turning into something else: an insect with wings!

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This science song is perfect for learning about the life cycle of animals and plants! Lyrics Where do you come from, how do you grow? How do you change, then where do you go? Exactly how does your life cycle flow? This is what I want to know!

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Timeless classics for kicking off a unit.

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Senior teacher Ben Reeves (BR) and Primary teacher Emma Perrett (EP) demonstrate the power of engaging students' curiosity, no matter what age.

Tuning students in to the concepts or big ideas of a new course of learning is different to merely introducing a new topic.

In the words of inquiry expert Kath Murdoch, "it's about tuning in to students' thinking." It is a chance to honour what they bring to the inquiry, to unearth prior experiences, surface current thinking and create meaningful contexts that will enable the formation of new knowledge, understanding and connection.

Students are never too young or too old to tune-in. As human beings, we love to be at the beginnings of a journey. We look ahead with feelings of hope, possibility, the promise of discovery as we venture into the unknown.

Yet we also know from our own experience that what is meaningful is motivating, and when we are given a stake in shaping our own learning, we feel more engaged, more purposeful and more willing to put in effort.

Perhaps most importantly, to see 'how far I have come' I need to ask 'where have I come from?' Tuning in can surface the initial, visible evidence for students to see the continuous growth of their learning.

Here are five great tuning-in strategies that foster opportunities for student engagement and encourage their natural curiosity as co-creators of learning.

What is it?

There is nothing like a mystery object to spark wondering and excitement.

Artefacts are concrete, physical things that are (or once were) embedded in a world of relations, meanings, processes or events.

Because of this, they are highly evocative to imaginative suppositions, hypothesis, or inferences about questions of use, value, context, culture, perspective, belief or significance.

Instead of announcing 'this is what we're studying next', artefacts can prompt students to begin imagining and discovering a world of learning for themselves.

Examples
Contrasting objects
Philosopher Rob Wilson uses contrasts between familiar and unfamiliar objects to spark deep conceptual discussions. He once presented a bag, and a figurine (not these pictures, but real objects), and asked two simple questions:

What is this object?

What is its value?

The dissonance between the two objects naturally raised a whole range of different ideas, inferences and further questions, such as: what gives something value? Distinctions between use-value and aesthetic value. The relationship between culture, beliefs and value. Unintended consequences of some values on others (eg. plastic and pollution).

Students often come up with surprising and divergent thinking.

While this was intended to spark interest in problems of 'value' in philosophy, it's not hard to see how this same technique could engage students in issues of value in historical understanding, economics, English, or art interpretation. (BR)
Old fashioned objects
Rather than beginning a unit by announcing, 'this term, we're going to learn about the topic of communication and technology', the teacher arrives with an old-fashioned telephone. She asks three questions:

What is this object?

How do you think it works?

What might it tell us about how people lived or communicated to others in the past, compared to how we do now?

For some teachers, it may be surprising that our analogue history is actually quite foreign to a native of the digital world.

By anchoring students in the past through a particular technological artefact, they have a specific reference point to begin wondering about the deeper conceptual relationships between technology, human relations, and social change. This can be further enriched by having students bring back stories of their parents' or grandparents' memories of using these objects, and what the world was like then. (BR)

Provoking thoughts and wonderings through a mystery artefact is particularly pertinent for primary students when tuning in to the transdisciplinary theme of 'Where we are in place and time'.

Prep teachers Leah Opie and Sarah Johnston used a variety of olden day objects to spark curiosity at the beginning of their unit of inquiry on how 'Our lives today reflect the past generations'.

After reading the story 'Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge' by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas, students reflected on the objects that Wilfred gave Miss Nancy to bring her memories back. Afterwards, they explored some olden day artefacts in the classroom.

Looking through the key concepts of form and connection, students were asked to try to guess what the artefacts were and how they worked. Some students thought the old radio may be a hairdryer and the mincer could be a horn.

After examining the olden day artefacts, the students wrote about what the object was, what it was used for, described its appearance and then reflected on what we use today that meets the same purpose. (EP)

Sparking curiosity and intrigue with an old-fashioned artefact can be achieved with students from all ages and many different subject areas. During a Year 5 unit of inquiry under the transdisciplinary theme 'How the world works', I presented the students with a variety of objects to capture their attention, create a sense of excitement and evoke deep thinking and questioning.

The central idea of the unit was 'The changing demands of society determine the development of inventions'. To hone in on the evolution of different inventions, I wanted to take the students back in history to find out where many of our modern inventions first began.

Many students were able to make connections, while others were viewing these objects for the very first time. The rich discussion that ensued was memorable as students shared their experiences, made assumptions and asked thought provoking questions to deepen their understanding of how inventions have evolved and changed over time. (EP)
Artefacts of particular significance Imagine you are a professional appraiser on the Antique Road Show. Someone arrives with this mysterious key. All they know is that it might have something to do with the Civil Rights Movement in America. How would you go about researching this object, in order to answer the questions:
Josh Ajima's Mystery Key Challenge

This is the scenario that teacher Josh Ajima used to introduce a unit on Civil Rights and Martin Luther King.

Not only does the object surface students' prior knowledge, it does so in a way that encourages initial imaginative inferences, hunches, hypothesis. It also focuses students on the concept of a research strategy.

Josh set up a design template so students could 3D print replicas of the historic key. This also served as a model for students to then research, design and create their own 3D mystery object challenge.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

Objects can have all kinds of significance, in different subject areas and contexts. Imagine giving the metaphors in a poem over to students as real, tangible objects to explore for their associations and significance? Or a selection of different kinds of wheels, to spark curiosity about the mathematical notion of Pi? (BR)

During an upper primary unit on Migration, I presented the students with a suitcase containing objects, artefacts, photos, diary entries, maps, and so on. Students were intrigued and began to excitedly explore the mystery suitcase, seeking to uncover who it belonged to and discovering the owner's migration story. (EP)

Tips and Tricks:

Make sure you are clear about your role & purpose as a facilitator during the tuning-in process - that is, to surface rich student ideas, meanings, prior knowledge. A mystery object could easily turn into a game of 'guessing what's in the teacher's head'.

Objects need to be carefully selected and appropriate, to spark curiosity in line with the engagement purposes, concepts and connections with the unit.

Documenting initial ideas gives the teacher a wealth of information about how students are making meaning, levels of conceptual understanding, gaps in factual knowledge or skills, all giving directions about where students can be further challenged.

What is it?

This thinking routine from Harvard Project Zero is so effective in stimulating students' curiosity relating to an area of study. It works by presenting students with a rich stimulus, like a painting or an image, and asking three simple questions. Each question builds on the other, surfacing three different yet interrelated kinds of thinking:

What do you see?
Encourages close observation and use of descriptive language, by uncovering and noticing 'what is there'.

What do you think is going on?
Takes thinking from description to initial inference-making, as students begin to hypothesise about the situation, the story, or how something might have come about. If you want to broaden student ideas from the stimulus, you can ask, 'what do you think about that?', geared more to surfacing initial opinions. This might work, for example, if the image depicts something controversial.

What do you wonder? (Or, 'what are you puzzled about?')
Having students ask questions helps to develop their dispositions towards curiosity and the expectation of further inquiry. Questions also enable a re-engagement, as students circle back to the details, pondering their meaning, and opening up possible significance.

Examples

I used this image in a year 10 English class to engage students with the process of interpretation.

The richness of the Raft of the Medusa stimulus enabled us to slow things down, especially the initial question - 'what do you see?'

As students notice and share details, they also see what they might have missed. For example, hearing one student point out the tiny ship on the far horizon, others proclaimed, 'wow, I didn't notice that...'.

As the class collectively builds details and hypothesis about 'what is going on', further questions naturally emerge. Here is one student's list of questions:

This student had originally missed the detail of the tiny ship, and was able to connect this to their question about the 'waving scarfs', raising further ideas and discussions about the human capacity for hope.

We could then venture into deeper ideas drawing on these details: for example, what might be the significance of the scale of the human gestures, compared to the scale of the ship?

In terms of our focus, this rich collective exploration enabled us to then segue into a metacognitive level, as we discussed the role and importance of each of these types of thinking in the process of creating interpretations.

We could then transfer and apply these insights and techniques to other examples in poetry. As students internalise thinking structures, they can begin to use them independently as conscious strategies in other situations.

I also had students produce a summary piece of writing that combined their descriptions, inferences and wonderings, after the discussions. This can provide a baseline understanding for further explorations into perspectives, contexts, themes, or artistic features. Here is an example of a student's summary: (BR)

I used these two images (below) during a year 5 unit inquiring into the impact of colonisation on indigenous cultures. Both pictures depict the British colonisation of Australia from different perspectives - that of a white colonial settler contrasting with the perspective of Indigenous Australians. In the initial 'I see' investigation, students were encouraged to only identify what they could see in the pictures rather than expressing feelings or thoughts.

From these observations the students were then asked to make inferences about what they thought about the images. Using the contextual cues in both pictures, the British flag and the boats of the First Fleet, students delved deeper into the meaning behind the images and a rich discussion ensued about how the same event can be viewed from different perspectives.

Students then had the opportunity to wonder and ask questions about the images. These questions were then used as a reference point throughout the unit of inquiry as students were able to answer their initial wonderings and reflect on how their learning had shifted and changed. (EP)

Tips and Tricks

Having students write down their seeings, wonderings and questions ensures that each person has had a chance to think for themselves and offer something to share.

Ask students to write down other noticings (things they might not have seen) in a different colour, during the discussion. This helps them to build rich details and acknowledge the collective contributions of others.

Encourage students to inquire further into their questions. This can be an especially useful way of springboarding students into the initial exploration of a unit, giving them a sense of agency and purpose.

What is it?

This is a thinking routine from Harvard Project Zero that makes visible the various perspectives embedded in a stimulus, text, issue or phenomena.

As part of a tuning-in approach, surfacing a multiplicity of viewpoints can help students to frame their initial thinking in relation to others, begin to appreciate complexity, and map out the terrain for further questions, ideas or investigations.

Example

A circle of viewpoints can follow on really well from initial 'see, think, wonder' descriptions. Students can begin to make a bridge between identifying particular perspectives, and the abstract ideas or values they may represent.

This example follows on from the previous Raft of the Medusa stimulus:

Notice how the students are firstly identifying the concrete features of different viewpoints, adding layers of illustrative details, and then using these as springboards into generating more abstract thematic ideas, such as 'hope', 'grief', 'fate vs chance'. (BR)

The circle of viewpoints thinking routine is very effective when students are looking at something through the conceptual lens of perspective. The following example was taken from an inquiry into different forms of expression. Students viewed a variety of art forms and using the circle of viewpoints routine, investigated how different people/groups perceive or feel about that art form.

The stimuli used for the example above was a picture of graffiti. This particular student discussed his personal perspective and then looked at the viewpoints of the police/government, the public and graffiti artists. (EP)

Tips and Tricks

Having students move from the concrete to the abstract helps them to discover ideas, deeper meanings or significant concepts for themselves.

Take the opportunity to use the circle of viewpoints as a focus for discussion, enabling further elaborations of student thinking and the unpacking of ideas.

Once students begin to think at the abstract or conceptual level, the teacher can continue to press for supporting detail, reinforcing the important relationship between evidence and ideas.

A circle of viewpoints can also be a great springboard into creative, analytical or exploratory writing, as well as providing opportunities for students to generate their own investigative questions.

What is it?

A silent gallery walk is an interactive classroom exhibit of meaningful questions, documents, images, problem-solving situations, texts and/or video clips.

Students walk through the gallery documenting their observations, thoughts, questions and opinions on the various graphic or textual displays, just as one might walk through an art gallery viewing artwork.

Students must interact with each exhibit in a purposeful way.

Choose a topic or concept that will evoke meaningful responses and challenge the students to question or deepen their thinking.

Students are to rotate through the gallery and will have a set amount of time to interact, contribute to and think about the stimuli at each exhibit. They may pose their own questions or simply respond or add to another student's thoughts and feelings.

This thinking routine may culminate in a whole class discussion, small group reflection, exit slip or descriptive writing piece.

Example

To celebrate NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week, I set up a Silent Gallery Walk in my Year 5 classroom.

I specifically chose a range of stimuli to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

There was no discussion prior to this tuning in activity as I wanted to spark curiosity and allow the students the opportunity to share prior experiences, question their understandings and view these exhibits without any preconceived ideas or answers.

At the conclusion of the silent gallery, we began to unpack each exhibit as students shared their ideas, thoughts and wonderings. (EP)

Tips and Tricks

It is important to explain to the students that a Gallery Walk is to be done in silence, just like walking around an art gallery. This is a quiet activity.

This strategy may be used when you want to have students share their work, examine important historical documents, view news reports, respond to quotations or ask thought provoking questions.

As this strategy requires students to physically move around the room and interact with stimuli, it can be especially engaging for kinesthetic and hands-on learners.

Displays can be hung on walls or placed on tables around the classroom. Each exhibit needs to be far enough away from others so that students can evenly disperse around the room.

What is it?

Emotions are not only powerful motivational tools, they are also signals that we care about something that matters in the world. A good provocation jolts us into a situation of challenge, discomfort or dissonance, where we must encounter or negotiate other responses, other perspectives, and exist for a time in a state of exciting, unresolved tension.

Examples
According to the tradition, Gyges was a shepherd in the service of the king of Lydia. There was a great storm, and an earthquake made an opening in the earth at the place where he was feeding his flock. Amazed at the sight, he descended into the opening, where, among other marvels, he beheld a hollow brazen horse, having doors. Peering inside, he saw a dead body, with nothing on but a gold ring. This he took from the finger of the dead and reascended. He discovered it could make him invisible. With great haste, he traveled to the royal city. As soon as he arrived he seduced the queen, and with her help conspired against the king and slew him, and took the kingdom.
Gyges kills King Candaules
Would you, like Gyges, 'do as you pleased' with a magic ring that made you invisible, and be a "God among men"?(Plato, Republic)
This is the provocation I presented to my year 11 International Baccalaureate (IB) philosophy class, as part of our tuning-in to the study of Plato's Republic. Almost at once, stories of imagined lives of unfettered freedom began to fly around the classroom.

Students who fastened themselves to virtue were quickly challenged by others, "as if you wouldn't...", vying together with the discomfort of looking into the mirror of their own moral selves.

The discussion delved into deeper questions about human nature.

Distinctions began to emerge between personal morality, legal systems, ethical frameworks.

We delved into the origins and assumptions of contract theories of justice.

What is justice?

Does it pay to be virtuous?

All of this emerged from the students' own guided dialogue, as they came to articulate the central questions of the text:

Provocations are a great way to engage students' emotions or imaginations, as they authentically grapple with the big questions of a text or unit of study, marking the start of a journey for later reflections and travels of deeper understandings. (BR) (See a further exploration of this example here: https://medium.com/@ben.reeves_62533/the-ancient-art-of-dialogue-10d3543d3a1c)

Tuning students in to a unit of inquiry about the impact of migration and the settlement of new colonies on indigenous cultures, I wanted to provoke my learners' interest by creating an experience they would never forget.

The most powerful provocations often involve tapping into the important concepts of a unit - in this case, settlement, invasion and ownership.

I began to reflect on these concepts and was taken back to my own personal experience of owning my first home. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and achievement. If my new house was invaded and taken over by another family, I would have felt a devastating loss.

I couldn't even begin to fathom the incredible loss the Indigenous Australians must have felt, when British settlers colonised Australia. How could I replicate such a feeling in my students?

The provocation involved explaining to the students that due to unforeseen circumstances, the two Year 5 classes would be swapped, and the teachers switched.

We were halfway through the school year and the children had already formed such a close bond with me as their teacher. They also felt a strong sense of identity in the classroom as their work adorned the walls and they had played an active role in the design of the learning space.

Swapping teachers and moving classrooms to some was catastrophic, while for others it prompted contemplation about what this would mean, and how they would cope with this sudden change and upheaval.

It wasn't long before the other class 'invaded' the classroom leaving students feeling lost and afraid.

As teachers, we knew in that moment that our purpose had been achieved. We wanted the students to experience what it would feel like to have something really important and valuable taken away from them.

While this provocation sparked confusion and discomfort, it also stimulated imagination and curiosity.

It was important to end this scenario with a debrief session so that students could voice how the experience made them feel. They were then able to draw on this experience throughout the unit when discussing the impact of colonisation on indigenous peoples.

When students can make a personal connection to the concepts being explored, the learning becomes even more enriching and meaningful. This experience was one that was so memorable for students, they continued to talk about it for the remainder of the year. The concepts of settlement, invasion and ownership were seemingly entrenched in their minds.

Tips and Tricks

It is important for provocations to elicit a personal connection between students and the concepts being explored. Students can then move towards transferring their conceptual understanding to the bigger ideas in a unit of inquiry.

Provocations can take place throughout a unit to engage students in thinking and questioning. While they are a wonderful way to tune students in to a new inquiry, the most important thing is that they leave a lasting impression that students can reflect on and connect to their learning.

Give the students time to discuss and reflect on the experience. Provocations are intended to provoke or challenge one's thinking and it is important to respect that students may need this time to debrief and express their feelings and emotions.

All of these tuning-in approaches offer immense opportunity for dialogue, discussion and questioning, as we seek to cultivate one of the most important dispositions for students of all ages -the spark of curiosity.
This article has been a collaboration between Ben Reeves and Emma Perrett.
Please let us know if you have enjoyed the different ideas and perspectives we have brought to our theme by clicking on the icon that looks like this, on the sidebar above - thanks!
B. D. Reeves is a Melbourne-based author, educator and songwriter. His debut YA fantasy novel Emma Perrett is an IB PYP teacher, lifelong learner and Ed-tech geek. She is inspired by all things inquiry, cultivating learner agency in her classroom and unlocking the magic of learning. Jemma and the Raven will be published in August 2023. https://www.bdreeves.com/

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5 great inquiry 'tuning in' strategies for students of all ages

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Senior teacher Ben Reeves (BR) and Primary teacher Emma Perrett (EP) demonstrate the power of engaging students' curiosity, no matter what age. Tuning students in to the concepts or big ideas of a...

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Here is the list of top 5  webinars I would recommend watching our wonder EY team! I got inspired and pick up some fabulous ideas.
Enjoy!

1. Designing Playworlds for the Early Years

2. Embracing a maker mindset

3. Coding and Digital Storytelling with the PBS KIDS Scratch Jr app

4.Beyond hello - developing a character with puppet play

5. Playful learning with Media

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Banana Banana Meatball Song | Songs For Kids | Dance Along | GoNoodle

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Great if your kids need a break or learn the syllables. 

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Great if your kids need a break or learn the syllables. 

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Clap It Out - Learn Syllables | Songs For Kids | Dance Along | GoNoodle

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An aeroplane-themed handwriting demonstration tool.

Learning Objective:
To sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly.

To form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place.

This tool is designed for whole-class handwriting sessions using a digital display, or small group work with a tablet propped up on the table.

1. Choose a night or day sky, (useful for dim projectors).
2. Choose cursive or printed letter formation.
3. Choose the letter you wish to practise.
Then watch the jet make your letter in smoke.

There is no game element to this resource, it is purely designed to foster interest in handwriting.

NB:Children can select the smoke colour.

Have fun!

HAVING TROUBLE LOADING? Please try this version.

This game is © copyright 1999-2020, J.Barrett, ictgames.com All Rights Reserved.

Made using the and libraries.

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An aeroplane-themed handwriting demonstration tool. Learning Objective: To sit correctly at a table, holding a pencil comfortably and correctly. To form lower-case letters in the correct direction, starting and finishing in the right place. This tool is designed for whole-class handwriting sessions using a digital display, or small group work with a tablet propped up on the table.

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Suggest any PD book you'd recommend or like to read together.