Lesson Starters - Setting the Scene

Some of the best attention grabbers are the most simple ones.  The key is to mix it up and provide unique variety.  Trying to avoid predictable beginners is difficult when your days are filled with lessons.  I once began a lesson on the Bugonic Plague with the words on the board: THE LAST PERSON TO WALK INTO THE ROOM HAS THE PLAGUE!

As the unfortunate pupil came in the majority of the class caught onto the joke and behaved exceptionally cautious.  I approached him with a hanky held over my mouth and nose (due to fear of Miasmas) and told him to sit away from the other pupils.  I had prepared a sign to hang over his neck which read: PLAGUE - DO NOT COME NEAR ME.  I AM DEATH.  For the next 5 minutes we used our previous knowledge to determine how the disease was 'apparently' spread and how this pupil should be treated (based on Remedies from the Middle Ages).

This lesson starter worked a treat.  The class were attentive, interested and enjoying themselves.  The boy in question was quite happy to play the part and was not scarred by the experience.  I'll use this as an attention grabber in the future.

Can technology hinder learning as well as enhance it?

Whenever I place a research task in front of my pupils/students many of them struggle with the ground work that is essential to achieving the outcomes.  For example . . . I had a pupil ask me what the name 'Adolf'  actually meant because the website he found said simply that there are different versions of the name.  After praising the quality of the boy's question, I suggested to him that he might check the words he typed into the search engine and then read 3 or 4 results from the websites shown.  He looked at me with an expression of despair and grudgingly began the labourious task of taking the time to read several sources.  After only 5 minutes of simple research he was able to clarify the meaning and use the information for his project.  This pupil had learned the valuable skills of information cross-referencing and quality checking (as well as 'How not to be lazy').  This is clearly an example of technology enhancing learning . . . but more importantly it is a great example of technology enhancing the learner!

The value of technology, or perhaps more accurately, the level of understanding of the various uses of technology might be better explained with another example.  In the religious setting I teach a youth Sunday School class for about 50 minutes every weekend.  Students come with traditional 'book' versions of the scriptures and others come with smart phones and tablets with digital versions of the same.  I always, without exception, let the students know that becoming familiar with the order and sequence of individual books, chapters and verses is better achieved with the book version.  Digital versions do the searching for you.  It's usually at this stage that I explain my love of tablets and digital formats.  However in the context of 'familiarisation', it's the page by page sequencing found in 'books' which remains the better method.  Search engines are not our masters!  We are the learners and should remember that our research skills are enhanced by digital media when used correctly but not at the mercy of too much ease!  Perhaps we should possess a learning ethos which allows us to have one foot in technology and the other in tradition. 

The Way of the Teacher

So . . . teaching!  How easy or hard is it?  Is there a place for actual friendship between teacher and pupil?  How creative are our lessons . . . really?  How the heck do we deal with pupils/students who don't engage?  And here is the BIG question - Can teachers actually solve the social problems which seem to be on the increase?  Can we, the mighty few do what so many parents, social workers, educational psychologists and government ministers cannot?  Follow my Blog, check it regularly, take part in discussions, share resources and ideas. Lets make teaching better!!