TED Talks in Class

I've watched TED Talks in the past. This week, for the first time, I used on in class. We used the one below, with a fantastic outcome and enjoyment by all.

 

The talk was engaging, interactive and at a level that all my Year Five children could join in with. The picture below shows my efforts.

All children were involved in all of the lesson. They listened intently and followed the instructions in the video. In fact, in my maths lesson that followed, I had to remind many that the art lesson had ended and we were now focusing on something else! 

Following on from this experience, I'm going to look for some more TED Talks that could be useful in class. Some linked to our curriculum, some to inspire about writing, maths or science and others to deliver a message, thought or outlook on life. I'll update this blog post with any that I use. In addition, if you have any that would be good to show in a primary classroom, please let us know in a comment below, email or via Twitter.

TED Ed is also worth looking at for videos aimed more directly at what may be part of a school's curriculum. 

Padlet in Reading Lessons

Yeah, Padlet again! I know, anyone would think we've got shares in it! Sorry, it's Liam - he just can't get enough of it. Padlet this and Padlet that...

Another post about something we've done a couple of times in the past, but never got around to blogging about. 

Here's an example of some Padlet group work:

Created with Padlet

We used the John Lewis Christmas advert 2015 as a focus for our reading lesson and used questions created by Lee Parkinson and shared on his blog. In the lesson, we played the video using QuiteTube and the children worked in groups with the 'scribe' having the iPad device in their hands. The group discussed their answers and then chose what would be submitted as a collective answer to the Padlet wall. 

It also works individually, with children submitting their own answers.

Created with Padlet

This works best as an independent task initially, followed by some time with an adult afterwards looking at the answers to each question and looking at which answers are right or wrong, which are the best or worst and how a better answer may be made by taking ideas from different children's responses. 

In both of these examples, the answers are made available for the whole class to see, to learn from, discuss, agree/disagree with. Much discussion, refining and explaining of answering technique can be gained from having the responses collected in one place. 

Pic Collage Assessments

It's about a year ago that we posted the following Tweet:

Based on an idea via @ICT_MrP - Using Pic Collage app for peer assessment: pic.twitter.com/y5mbz9BniD

— PrimaryIdeas (@PrimaryIdeas) November 26, 2014

We've continued to use this and recently realised we'd not added a blog post about the idea. So, here is is. 

The idea came from reading a Tweet from Lee. Here's what we've done: Children complete their work, or at a point in their work, or at the end, and they take a photograph of it. Then, they pass the tablet containing the photo of their work to a peer, who can offer feedback directly onto the photo in Pic Collage. This could also be done as a self assessment or by an adult. 

The key element of this is that the annotations can be placed directly onto the photograph of the work. In our classrooms, this has proven to be an engaging task for the peer undertaking the assessment and a useful form of feedback for the pupil receiving it back.

Tablets, apps, fonts and colours all add to the engagement and many pupils write more and more useful feedback as a result. Some like to call it 'Camouflaged Learning'.

Make X in Maths

Earlier this year, we saw the following Tweet from Ben:

My class loved creating their own 'make 36' game based on the excellent @24game. Using & applying all 4 operations! pic.twitter.com/gM5kQLr6Yp

— Ben Caldwell (@bcaldwell_LDN) September 21, 2015

At the time of reading his Tweet, we'd not heard of 24 Game. However, as a result of Ben's Tweet, we've been using the rules of '24 Game' in our maths classes. 

We started by downloading the app that would allow a demonstration of 24 Game to the class. We also found the board game available online for UK delivery.The 24 Game website also has a Teacher's Tools page. In addition, there are many online examples of the game too.

The app has been excellent for children to work with numbers and the four operations. In addition, as Ben did, we've got our classes to make their own game boards to then give to a peer for them to solve. This creating of the game and then a peer trying to solve extends the number skills involved. And, as you may have already noticed, the total does not always have to be 24. 

We've been collecting some of the children's creations on a Padlet Wall.

This app demonstrates that playing cards could be used for the activity too.

Linked to this, we continue to use Quento and KenKen to work on similar calculation skills.

Padlet & Number Talks

Last week, I carried out a Number Talk with my class and needed some of the responses to use at an event with parents. While thinking of a way of capturing the childrens' work (photocopy whiteboards, run around with a camera etc.), an idea came to me. Children carry out their Number Talk as usual, but instead of vocalising their answers and methods, we'd upload them to a Padlet wall. 

If you've not come across Number Talks before, this may be a useful starting point. In brief, the teacher poses a question, that the children answer. Children share their answers and then, in turn, explain how they got to their answer. A range of methods are shown, misconceptions addressed and discussions held. 

Here's what I did:

- I set up a Padlet wall (http://padlet.com/Murphy/5den0yclatx);

- I posed the following question: 236 - 199;

- children calculated the answer using their chosen mental or written strategy;

- children uploaded an anonymous answer to the Padlet wall.

I then projected the responses and, in turn, we looked at each answer and the method used to arrive at that answer. The anonymous responses allowed a slightly more blunt discussion about the methods used, but naming responses would also have benefits.  

There you go, another post about maths and another that involves Padlet!