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Make a graphic or visual representation of all the CLIL words we met so far this week. Please look at the three posts below for examples of visual organisers! 

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Make a graphic or visual representation of all the CLIL words we met so far this week. Please look at the three posts below for examples of visual organisers! 

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Would a comic strip be a possible teaching or learning “product”?

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Would a comic strip be a possible teaching or learning “product”?

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Juxtalearn the student created “teachback” and other video projects 

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Juxtalearn the student created “teachback” and other video projects 

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Scientists…..Is this site as good as I think it is? 

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Scientists…..Is this site as good as I think it is? 

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Daily discoveries, groundbreaking research and fascinating science breakthroughs that impact you and the wider world, reported by our expert journalists.

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Maria….kinetic movement tools to check student understanding of concepts, how would you rate this? 

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Maria….kinetic movement tools to check student understanding of concepts, how would you rate this? 

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1-Dimensional Kinematics

Name That Motion

This Interactive challenges learners to correctly apply the concepts of velocity and acceleration in order to match the motion of 11 objects with their corresponding verbal descriptions. Learners must correctly identify the direction of the velocity and acceleration vectors in order to successfully match the verbal descriptions to the animated motions.

Now available with Task Tracker compatibility. Learn more.

Graph That Motion

This Interactive challenges learners to correctly apply the principles of kinematic graphing in order to match the motion of 11 objects with their corresponding graphical descriptions. Learners must understand how the shape of position-time and velocity-time graphs relate to a motion of in order to successfully match the graphical descriptions to the animated motions.

Now available with Task Tracker compatibility. Learn more.

Graphs and Ramps

This Interactive presents learners with the position-time or velocity-time graphs for numerous types of motion. Learners must then construct a ramp along which a ball will roll in order to match the given graph. As the ball rolls along the ramp, the motion is plotted in real time, allowing the learner to make adjustments to the ramp in order to successfully complete each challenge.

Two Stage Rocket

This Interactive simulates the motion of a two-stage rocket and displays the position-time and velocity-time graph in real time. It won't take long before you become a genuine rocket scientist. Once you've completed your study, earn your Rocket Scientist badge by successfully completing the accompanying quiz.

​

Vector Walk

This Interactive highlights the distinction between distance and displacement. Three different motions are presented to the learner with the challenge of determining the distance traveled and the overall displacement for each.

Accelerometer

With this Interactive in your browser of your mobile device, you can use your device as an accelerometer. The Interactive collects information from your device's accelerometer and displays it as a plot of acceleration vs. time. There are numerous ways in which the device can be used.

The Physics Classroom would like to thank Nerd Island Studios for contributing this Interactive to our collection.

Distance versus Displacement

This Interactive Concept Builder provides learners with nine situations in which they must accurately determine the distance and displacement for a multi-stage motion. There are three different difficulty levels (with three questions at each level) by which a learner can progress through this concept builder. Progress is tracked. And each question is accompanied by a question-specific Help page that describes how to think about he situation.

(Distance vs. Displacement has been moved to our Concept Builders section. The links on this page will direct you to that section of the site.)

Match That Graph

This Interactive Concept Builder provides learners with 12 situations in which they must accurately match a position-time graph description of an object's motion to the corresponding velocity-time graph ... or vice versa. There are three different difficulty levels by which a learner can progress through this concept builder. Progress is tracked. And each question is accompanied by a question-specific Help page that describes how to think about the situation.

(Match That Graph has been moved to our Concept Builders section. The links on this page will direct you to that section of the site.)

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Name That Motion This Interactive challenges learners to correctly apply the concepts of velocity and acceleration in order to match the motion of 11 objects with their corresponding verbal descriptions. Learners must correctly identify the direction of the velocity and acceleration vectors in order to successfully match the verbal descriptions to the animated motions.

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Pitch2Peer | Peer review systeem voor het hogere onderwijs

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So, could you do this without paying for this platform? How? 

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So, could you do this without paying for this platform? How? 

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De uitdaging van Pascal Haazebroek (docent Psychologie aan de Universiteit Leiden) was om studenten aan te sporen écht iets van een opdracht te maken. Naast het schrijven van essays of papers, wilde hij in de opdracht ook skills als presentatievaardigheden en visueel denken aanspreken. Zijn droom was dat studenten trots zijn op wat ze hebben bedacht of gemaakt en benieuwd zijn naar wat hun peers met dezelfde opdracht hebben gedaan.

In het najaar van 2012 zetten Pascal met zijn broer Daniel Haazebroek een studio op, waarbij 84 studenten de opdracht kregen hun pitch voor de camera te houden. In de 2013 werd Pascal met Pitch2Peer genomineerd voor de Nederlandse e-Learning Awards en wint de FSW Onderwijsinnovatieprijs. Een jaar later volgt het gebruik van Pitch2Peer bij opleidingen zoals Biofarmaceutische wetenschappen, Rechten en Islamwetenschappen.

Na veel succes startte Universiteit Leiden samen met Pitch2Peer in 2015 een proeftuin, met een deelname van 30 docenten van de Faculteit Sociale Wetenschappen, Wis- en Natuurkunde, Geestewetenschappen, Rechten, Governance & Global Affairs en het ICLON. Op dit moment werkt Pitch2Peer samen met met meerdere Universiteiten en Hogescholen.

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Pitch2Peer | Peer review systeem voor het hogere onderwijs

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De uitdaging van Pascal Haazebroek (docent Psychologie aan de Universiteit Leiden) was om studenten aan te sporen écht iets van een opdracht te maken. Naast het schrijven van essays of papers, wilde hij in de opdracht ook skills als presentatievaardigheden en visueel denken aanspreken.

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Dual coding theory proposes visual, graphic organisers for learning key words and chunks 

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Dual coding theory proposes visual, graphic organisers for learning key words and chunks 

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Getting it Together: from colonies to Federation is a Museum of Australian Democracy schools learning product where students use historical sources such as newspaper extracts, cartoons, speeches and biographies in a series of classroom activities.

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Try a great majority AND the vast majority 

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Try a great majority AND the vast majority 

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When words sound different in isolation vs. in a sentence, look up the pronunciation first in a dictionary, then use https://youglish.com

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Any more questions? Why is “what don’t you know about…,?” likely to produce more communication from students? 

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Any more questions? Why is “what don’t you know about…,?” likely to produce more communication from students? 

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Teaching literature in English resources

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Teaching literature in English resources

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Click on the headings below to find out more about available materials and support for teachers in each area.

Literature in ELT
The use of literature in the ELT classroom is enjoying a revival for a number of reasons. Having formed part of traditional language teaching approaches, literature became less popular when language teaching and learning started to focus on the functional use of language. However, the role of literature in the ELT classroom has been re-assessed and many now view literary texts as providing rich linguistic input, effective stimuli for students to express themselves in other languages and a potential source of learner motivation. On this site you can find a range of literary texts and supporting classroom materials, on the BritLit pages.

What do we mean by literature?
John McRae (1994) distinguishes between literature with a capital L - the classical texts e.g. Shakespeare, Dickens - and literature with a small l, which refers to popular fiction, fables and song lyrics. The literature used in ELT classrooms today is no longer restricted to canonical texts from certain countries e.g. UK, USA, but includes the work of writers from a diverse range of countries and cultures using different forms of English.

Literary texts can be studied in their original forms or in simplified or abridged versions. An increasing number of stories in English are written specifically for learners of other languages. The types of literary texts that can be studied inside and outside the ELT classroom include:

1 Short stories
2 Poems
3 Novels
4 Plays
5 Song Lyrics

Why use literature in the ELT classroom?
Literary texts provide opportunities for multi-sensorial classroom experiences and can appeal to learners with different learning styles. Texts can be supplemented by audio-texts, music CDs, film clips, podcasts, all of which enhance even further the richness of the sensory input that students receive.

Literary texts offer a rich source of linguistic input and can help learners to practise the four skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing - in addition to exemplifying grammatical structures and presenting new vocabulary.

Literature can help learners to develop their understanding of other cultures, awareness of 'difference' and to develop tolerance and understanding. At the same time literary texts can deal with universal themes such as love, war and loss that are not always covered in the sanitised world of course books.

Literary texts are representational rather than referential (McRae, 1994). Referential language communicates at only one level and tends to be informational. The representational language of literary texts involves the learners and engages their emotions, as well as their cognitive faculties. Literary works help learners to use their imagination, enhance their empathy for others and lead them to develop their own creativity. They also give students the chance to learn about literary devices that occur in other genres e.g. advertising.

Literature lessons can lead to public displays of student output through posters of student creations e.g. poems, stories or through performances of plays. So for a variety of linguistic, cultural and personal growth reasons, literary texts can be more motivating than the referential ones often used in classrooms.

What are some of the challenges to be faced when using literature in the classroom?
Literary texts can present teachers and learners with a number of difficulties including:

text selection - texts need to be chosen that have relevance and interest to learners.
linguistic difficulty - texts need to be appropriate to the level of the students' comprehension.

length - shorter texts may be easier to use within the class time available, but longer texts provide more contextual details, and development of character and plot.

cultural difficulty - texts should not be so culturally dense that outsiders feel excluded from understanding essential meaning.

cultural appropriacy - learners should not be offended by textual content.

Duff and Maley (2007) stress that teachers can cope with many of the challenges that literary texts present, if they ask a series of questions to assess the suitability of texts for any particular group of learners:

Is the subject matter likely to interest this group?

Is the language level appropriate?

Is it the right length for the time available?

Does it require much cultural or literary background knowledge?

Is it culturally offensive in any way?

Can it be easily exploited for language learning purposes?

Duff and Maley (2007) also emphasise the importance of varying task difficulty as well as text difficulty:

Level 1 Simple text + low level task

Level 2 Simple text + more demanding task

Level 3 Difficult text + low level task

Level 4 Difficult text + more demanding task

How can literary texts be used?
Teachers can exploit literary texts in a large number of ways in the classroom. Classroom work with literary works may involve pre-reading tasks, interactive work on the text and follow up activities.

Pulverness (2003) provides some useful advice: Maximise pre-reading support.

Teachers can introduce the topic or theme of the text, pre-teach essential vocabulary items and use prediction tasks to arouse the interest and curiosity of students.

Minimise the extent to which the teacher disturbs students' reading.

Draw attention to stylistic peculiarity.

Help students to appreciate the ways that writers use language to achieve particular effects.

Provide frameworks for creative response.

Invite learners to step into the shoes of the writer or invite them to modify, extend or add to a text.

In the rest of this section you will find ways in which you can develop your ability to use literature in the ELT classroom through reading articles and books, attending workshops and courses, visiting websites, and joining Special Interest Groups and discussion forums.

References
Duff, A & Maley, A (2007) Literature (Resource Books for Teachers), Oxford University Press.
Maley, A (2001) 'Literature in the language classroom' in The Cambridge Guide to Teaching ESOL, Cambridge University Press.
McRae, J (1994) Literature with a small 'l', Macmillan Education.
Pulverness, A ( 2003) 'Literature' in English Teaching Professional, October, Issue 29, Modern English Publishing

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Click on the headings below to find out more about available materials and support for teachers in each area. Literature in ELTThe use of literature in the ELT classroom is enjoying a revival for a number of reasons.

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ECNAIS - European Council of National Associations of Independent Schools

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ecnais european council national associations independent schools

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ECNAIS - European Council of National Associations of Independent Schools

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European Council of National Associations of Independent Schools

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Five Higher Education Institutions, FH Münster, AUAS, UNIZG, MTU and ITU performed regional scans to deliver regional reports on the current state of gender-inclusivity in the academic and non-academic entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship support programmes. Download and discover the current state of gender inclusivity across these five regions.

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Free STEM Resources (Teaching & Remote Learning) | STEM Crew

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What’s there for your subject and age group?

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What’s there for your subject and age group?

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

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Free STEM Resources (Teaching & Remote Learning) | STEM Crew

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We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.

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THE FOOD TECH es el sitio de referencia para profesionales de la industria alimentaria. Últimas tendencias en tecnología, ingredientes, innovación, packaging y normativas.

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Write the title and a few words, and watch the story machine AI collaborate and create a unique story…..

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Write the title and a few words, and watch the story machine AI collaborate and create a unique story…..

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To create a story, type a title, or some opening words, or both.

Then press the CREATE button.

To share your story, press SHARE. On a desktop computer, an image of your story will be copied to the clipboard. On a mobile device, you can chose where to share an image of your story.

The length is limited to 200 words.

The story generator is powered by GPT-3 from OpenAI. To discover how it works, click HOW?

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"A lot of fun to read... a fascinating technological and cultural history... ultimately Story Machines is about human creativity"

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contributed by Miriam Clifford

There is an age-old adage that says, "two heads are better than one."

Consider collaboration in recent history: Watson and Crick or Page and Brin (Founders of Google). But did you know it was a collaborative Computer Club about basic programming at a middle school that brought together two minds that would change the future of computing?

Yes, those two were, of course, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the founders of Microsoft.

Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher-level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually. Why?

Groups tend to learn through "discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of other's ideas." Perhaps information that is discussed is retained in long-term memory. Research by Webb suggests that students who worked collaboratively on math computational problems earned significantly higher scores than those who worked alone. Plus, students who demonstrated lower levels of achievement improved when working in diverse groups.

Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually.

Many consider Vygotsky the father of 'social learning.' Vygotsky was an education rebel in many ways. He controversially argued for educators to assess students' ability to solve problems rather than merely acquire knowledge. The idea of collaborative learning has a lot to do with Vygotsky's idea of the "zone of proximal development." It considers what a student can do if aided by peers and adults. By considering this model for learning, we might consider collaboration to increase students' awareness of other concepts.

What are some ways to include best practices for collaborative learning in our classroom?
20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers 1. Establish clear group goals
Effective collaborative learning involves the establishment of group goals, as well as individual accountability. This keeps the group on task and establishes an unambiguous purpose. Before beginning an assignment, it is best to define goals and objectives to save time.
2. Keep groups midsized
Small groups of three or fewer usually lack enough diversity and may not allow divergent thinking to occur. Groups that are too large create 'freeloading' where not all members participate. A moderate size group of four or five is ideal.
3. Establish flexible group norms
Research suggests that collaborative learning is influenced by the quality of interactions. Interactivity and negotiation are important in group learning. In the 1960's studies by Jacobs and Campbell suggested that norms are pervasive, even deviant norms were handed down and not questioned.

If you notice a deviant norm, you can do two things: rotate group members or assist in using outside information to develop a new norm. You may want to establish rules for group interactions for younger students. Older students might create their own norms. But remember, given their durable nature, it is best to have flexible norms. Norms should change with situations so that groups do not become rigid and intolerant or develop sub-groups.
4. Build trust and promote open communication
Successful interpersonal communication must exist in teams. Building trust is essential. Deal with emotional issues that arise immediately and any interpersonal problems before moving on. Assignments should encourage team members to explain concepts thoroughly to each other.Studies found that students who provide and receive intricate explanations gain most from collaborative learning. Open communication is key.
5. For larger tasks, create group roles
Decomposing a difficult task into parts to saves time. You can then assign different roles. A great example in my own classroom was in the science lab, fifth grade students assumed different roles of group leader, recorder, reporter, and fact-checker. The students might have turns to choose their own role and alternate roles by sections of the assignment or classes.
6. Create a pre-test and post-test
A good way to ensure the group learns together would be to engage in a pre and post-test. In fact, many researchers use this method to see if groups are learning. An assessment gives the team a goal to work towards and ensures learning is a priority. It also allows instructors to gauge the effectiveness of the group. Changes can be made if differences are seen in the assessments over time. Plus, you can use Bloom's taxonomy to further hone in on specific skills.

Individuals should also complete surveys evaluating how well the group functioned. 'Debriefing' is an important component of the learning process and allows individuals to reflect on the process of group learning.
7. Consider the learning process itself as part of assessment
Many studies such as those by Robert Slavin at Johns Hopkins have considered how cooperative learning helps children develop social and interpersonal skills. Experts have argued that the social and psychological effects on self-esteem and personal development are just as important as the learning itself.

In terms of assessment, it may be beneficial to grade students on the quality of discussion, student engagement, and adherence to group norms. Praise younger groups for the following (for digital collaborative learning, for example) standards. This type of learning is a process and needs explicit instruction in beginning stages. Assessing the process itself provides motivation for students to learn how to behave in groups. It shows students that you value meaningful group interactions and adhering to norms.
8. Consider using different strategies, like the Jigsaw technique.
The jigsaw strategy is said to improve social interactions in learning and support diversity. The workplace is often like a jigsaw. It involves separating an assignment into subtasks, where individuals research their assigned area. Students with the same topic from different groups might meet together to discuss ideas between groups.

This type of collaboration allows students to become 'experts' in their assigned topic. Students then return to their primary group to educate others. Strategies here include using clusters, buzz groups, round-robin, leaning cells, or fishbowl discussions.
9. Allow groups to reduce anxiety
When tackling difficult concepts, group learning may provide a source of support. Groups often use humor and create a more relaxed learning atmosphere that allows for positive learning experiences. Allow groups to use some stress-reducing strategies as long as they stay on task.
10. Establish group interactions
The quality of discussions is a predictor of the achievement of the group. Instructors should provide a model of how a successful group functions. Shared leadership is often useful here. Students should work together on the task and maintenance functions of a group. Roles are important in group development. Task functions include:

Initiating Discussions

Clarifying points

Summarizing

Challenging assumptions/devil's advocate

Providing or researching information

Reaching a consensus

Maintenance involves the harmony and emotional well-being of a group. Maintenance includes roles such as sensing group feelings, harmonizing, compromising and encouraging, time-keeping, relieving tension, bringing people into the discussion, and more.
11. Use real-world problems
Experts suggest that project-based learning using open-ended questions can be very engaging. Rather than spending a lot of time designing an artificial scenario, use inspiration from everyday problems. Real world problems can be used to facilitate project-based learning and often have the right scope for collaborative learning.
12. Focus on enhancing problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Design assignments that allow room for varied interpretations. Different types of problems might focus on categorizing, planning, taking multiple perspectives, or forming solutions. Try to use a step-by step procedure for problem-solving. Mark Alexander explains one generally accepted problem-solving procedure:

1. Identify the objective

2. Set criteria or goals

3. Gather data

4. Generate options or courses of action

5. Evaluate the options using data and objectives

6. Reach a decision

7. Implement the decision

13. Keep in mind the diversity of groups
Mixed groups that include a range of talents, backgrounds, learning styles, ideas, and experiences are best. Studies have found that mixed aptitude groups tend to learn more from each other and increase achievement of low performers. Rotate groups so students have a chance to learn from others.
14. Consider demographics
Equally, balanced gender groups were found to be most effective.

Some research suggests that boys were more likely to receive and give elaborate explanations and their stances were more easily accepted by the group. In majority male groups girls were ignored. In majority girl groups, girls tended to direct questions to the boy who often ignored them. You may also want to specifically discuss or establish gender equality as a norm. This may seem obvious, but it is often missed. It may be an issue you may want to discuss with older students.

15. Use scaffolding or diminished responsibility as students begin to understand concepts.

At the beginning of a project, you may want to give more direction than the end. Serve as a facilitator, such as by gauging group interactions or at first, providing a list of questions to consider. Allow groups to grow in responsibility as times goes on. In your classroom, this may mean allowing teams to develop their own topics or products as time goes on.

After all, increased responsibility over learning is a goal in collaborative learning.
16. Include different types of learning scenarios
Studies suggests that collaborative learning that focuses on rich contexts and challenging questions produces higher-order reasoning. Assignments can include laboratory work, study teams, debates, writing projects, problem-solving, and collaborative writing.
17. Technology makes collaborative learning easier
Collaboration had the same results via technology as in person, increased learning opportunities. Try incorporating free savvy tools for online collaboration such as Stixy, an online shared whiteboard space, Google groups, or Mikogo for online meetings. Be aware that some research suggests that more exchanges related to planning rather than challenging viewpoints occurred more frequently through online interactions.

This may be because the research used students that did not know one another. If this is your scenario, you may want to start by having students get to know each other's backgrounds and ideas beforehand on a blog or chat-board.
18. Avoid 'bad group work'
As with any learning strategy, it's important to have a balanced approach. Cynics usually have a valid point. A New York Times article, cites some criticism of collaboration for not allowing enough time for individual, creative thinking. You may allow some individual time to write notes before the groups begin. This may be a great way to assess an individual grade.

19. Be wary of 'group think '

While collaborative learning is a great tool, it is always important to consider a balanced approach. At times, group harmony can override the necessity for more critical perspectives. Some research suggests that groups favored the more confident members. Changing up groups can help counter this problem.
20. Value diversity
Collaborative learning relies on some buy-in. Students need to respect and appreciate each other's viewpoints for it to work. For instance, class discussions can emphasize the need for different perspectives. Create a classroom environment that encourages independent thinking. Teach students the value of multiplicity in thought. You may want to give historical or social examples where people working together were able to reach complex solutions.

By definition, learning is social in nature. Using different mediums, whether it be books, discussions, technology or projects we study and develop new ideas. We impart ideas and share perspectives with others. Collaboration is a learned process. If managed correctly, it is a powerful tool that can allow educators to tap into new ideas and information.
This is a cross-post from opencolleges.edu.au; image attribution flickr user flickeringbrad

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20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers

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There is an age-old adage that says, "two heads are better than one." Here are 20 collaborative learning tips and strategies for teachers.

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what degree of frequency is your word/chunk? Check

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what degree of frequency is your word/chunk? Check

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When words sound different in isolation vs. in a sentence, look up the pronunciation first in a dictionary, then use https://youglish.com

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Using English for Academic Purposes: Information and Advice for Students in Higher Education

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Physics Design Challenges Based on Big Ideas

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When teachers use competitions in class, they often design one-off competitions that challenge students to see who can build the tallest tower or who can answer the most questions correctly on a game show. In these setups, usually the most talented students win, which can reinforce how students see themselves and stifle engagement. The brightest students receive all kinds of rewards (internal and external) and will usually come back and try hard again next time. The students who don’t excel at these competitions will often do poorly, feel bad, and think they are incapable.

In order to preserve the benefits of competition while encouraging all students to continue trying their best, I’ve designed challenges based on big ideas in my high school physics class. These rest on the concept of “redesign,” which occurs at the midway point of multiweek competitions.

These are the guidelines I use to create fun, inclusive, useful, and deep-thinking competitions:

Give students a crash course ahead of time to build a baseline of knowledge.

Set parameters so there is a spectrum of success.

Set a first deadline for initial testing.

Let kids redesign and improve.

Spread the work days out over several weeks, having more traditional content days in between so that kids can think of other ideas and not get fatigued.

Competitions Over Big Ideas

The assignment: In physics this year, I created a six-week competition where I challenged the students to see which group could build a Lego EV3 robot to travel 15 meters in the least amount of time. This was completed early in the year, when physics is doing forces and motion. The kids had used Lego Mindstorms in a few previous labs, so they were somewhat familiar with the robots and the software.

In the beginning, students tried lots of things. Some used gears; some focused on making them look like a car. Many found that even making the robots go straight was kind of hard. They built the robots too tall, so they fell over. The students kept moving forward and gathering data.

As long as they built a robot that went the 15 meters and kept trying, they got full credit, so the grade was not the motivator. Groups were motivated, however, to keep innovating to decrease the time it took their robot to travel. We worked on Fridays and whenever they got done with regular class work.

The pause: About three weeks in, we paused and put numbers up on the wall for students to see. Each group could see where they were in the standings compared with the other groups. Then they could see what others were doing and make changes.

Studying what worked: All of the students looked to the groups with the fastest robots to see what they were doing well. They began to notice which physical properties mattered: gearing, quality construction, and low center of mass made a huge difference, while aerodynamics seemed to make no difference at all. On the class website, I posted videos about gearing and chassis construction, and the class realized that the best groups were focused on that element of construction. During work time, I circulated around the groups and talked to them. Groups that were struggling got a little extra nudge. I encouraged the kids to talk to other groups about what worked as well.

The redesign: The redesign process transforms this competition into an equity practice, increasing thinking and understanding for everyone. After the midpoint check-in, students spent the rest of the class time improving on their own design. This takes extra time, but students whose robots were a little bit slower had the chance to redo, and groups with fast robots could try new things to improve as well.

The importance of the redesign step can’t be overstated. So much critical thinking, problem-solving, grit, and fun happens in this step. Because groups are also competing against themselves to lower their own time, the top groups continue to work for improvements.

How Effective Is the Redesign Step?

After our robot challenge, I wanted to know how much students were able to put into practice what they were learning in the redesign step. This time, I challenged students to design a sled that could pull the most weight. We were studying work and energy, and the sled-pulling competition challenged students to incorporate ideas of friction, force, distance, and simple machines.

Different groups used different approaches, including pulleys, gears, adding more wheels, adding mass for more friction on the car, etc. Again, halfway through, we paused to see where everyone was, learn from each other, and engage in redesign. Amazingly, between the initial trial and the redesign phase, the lowest-performing three groups were able to improve by an average of 866 percent. The top group innovated as well, raising the amount of weight pulled by 42 percent. Nearly every group showed significant improvement.

Although these competitions take time, and can cause student frustration when things don’t work right, I think they’re worth it. Science is much more than worksheets and problems: Through these competitions, students not only learn more about the course content from the trial and error over several weeks but also learn how to manage frustration and iterate ideas.

Students enjoy these competitions—they tend to focus on beating their own best time, rather than on who beat them. When I talk to students later in the year or the next year, this is the part they tend to focus on.

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Physics Design Challenges Based on Big Ideas

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A strategy for designing classroom competitions that encourage all students to learn from each other as well as from their own trial and error.

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Nuffield 11-14 cross-curricular STEM Projects encourage students to develop the skills to explore questions in depth using science, mathematics and design & technology. The projects are set in authentic STEM contexts which leads to a better understanding of how these disciplines (along with engineering) work together in the real world.

This collection includes two projects:

* Nuffield STEM Futures challenges students to rethink a future in which humans can thrive in spite of the global threats of increasing population and resource depletion. Students realize that by mimicking closed loop systems in nature it could be possible to plan a prosperous and waste free future for all.

* Nuffield STEM Games explores some of the fundamental principles that make games fun to play and exciting to watch.

Students investigate the impact of rules, scoring, equipment and training in order to invent a exciting new game of their own. Both of these projects are divided into themed modules called 'pods'. In the preliminary pods students are explicitly taught a set of learning skills focusing on information retrieval, communication, planning, modeling and teamwork. These skills help them to develop a STEM 'fluency' as they navigate between the knowledge, skills and understanding that make up the individual STEM subjects.

In the final pod groups draw on these skills in order to identify a key question, plan research and explain their findings. Both STEM projects conclude with an exposition where groups present their findings and reflect on their learning. This collection includes the power points that drive the learning in each of the pods. The full set of resources including video clips, animations, teachers' notes, students' sheets and CPD modules is available free at the Nuffield Foundation STEM Projects site.

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Nuffield 11-14 cross-curricular STEM Projects encourage students to develop the skills to explore questions in depth using science, mathematics and design & technology. The projects are set in authentic STEM contexts which leads to a better understanding of how these disciplines (along with engineering) work together in the real world.

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Bloom”s revised taxonomy of verbs for different cognitive domains 

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Bloom”s revised taxonomy of verbs for different cognitive domains 

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Open science lab - what can you find for your teaching and learning? 

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Open science lab - what can you find for your teaching and learning? 

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This online laboratory brings interactive practical science to students anywhere and anytime the internet is available. The laboratory features investigations based on on-screen instruments, remote access experiments and virtual scenarios using real data. Several activities are available to all, while others are available only to registered users.

Come in and look around.

If you close this box, you can still see it at any time by clicking About from the main header above.

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This online laboratory brings interactive practical science to students anywhere and anytime the internet is available. The laboratory features investigations based on on-screen instruments, remote access experiments and virtual scenarios using real data. Several activities are available to all, while others are available only to registered users. Come in and look around.

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A service to create integrative citizen science apps where you can report all your environmental and biodiversity observations in one Android or iOS app. wHAT IS IT? CO-DESIGN highlights DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHICS FAQs

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Innovating Pedagogy | Open University Innovation Reports

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To all readers of our reports
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Look at the innovating pedagogy reports for the past 10 years in the separate link - this book contains the “ best” 

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Look at the innovating pedagogy reports for the past 10 years in the separate link - this book contains the “ best” 