How we teach teachers to teach programming

The computing education blog poses a long list of research questions in computing education. I was going to quote my favourite, but the whole post is worth reading…

Pose Pause Pounce Bounce

I discovered Pose Pause Pounce Bounce via a tweet by @teachertoolkit (thank you!) and it really helped with my focus on questioning last term. There’s now an updated post (complete with cartoon) which describes the tactic. Enjoy.

Measuring Work Life Balance

This work-life balance thing, as Jon would say, feels like one big fail for 2012.

Jon was, doubtless still is, good at finding fails. Even better, he had a big fat roll of fail stickers to suitably annotate any fails he came across.

But, in today’s analytical world, experience and feeling is no longer enough. You need to be able to measure and prove that it’s a fail. How else would you know if things are improving next year? How else can you set yourself targets? How else can you demonstrate that you’re performing above national floor standards for work-life balance?

No worries. We can measure anything.

T.E.A.C.H

To complement LEARN we now have T.E.A.C.H.

Targeted questioning

Engage and Extend

Assess and Adapt

Challenge All

High Aspirations

Two lesson tips in one

From Headguruteacher:

1. Pair — Think — Share
2. But is that a good question in the first place?

LEARN

On the classroom wall. L.E.A.R.N.

Listen when the teacher or others are talking.

Enter the room Equipped to learn.

Aim to do the best you can.

Respect others

No calling out.

Ted Videos

6 Ted Talks in the category of highly unusual schools.

Triple Filter Test

From Jess’ assembly today on rumour and gossip…

One day, a student came up to the great philosopher.  “Socrates, I have just heard some news about one of your friends.”  he excitedly exclaimed.

“Before you tell me this news, we need to make sure that it passes the triple filter test,” responded Socrates.

“What’s the triple filter test?” the man asked.

“The first test is that of truth.  Tell me, do you know that what you’re going to tell me is absolutely true?”  asked Socrates.

After thinking for a moment, the man said, “I heard this news from someone else, so I’m not 100% sure if it’s true.”

“The second test is that of goodness,” Socrates continued, “Is what you’re about to tell me something good?”

“No, actually it’s the opposite…”

Socrates interrupted the man, “So what you’re going to tell me is neither true, nor good?”

The man was slightly embarrassed and shrugged his shoulders.

Socrates continued, “There is one final test which is usefulness.  Is what you’re about to tell me going to be useful?”

“Probably not,” the man replied.

“Well, if you’re going to tell me something that’s not true, good or useful, then why tell me at all?” responded the philosopher.

The internet appears to be split on whether the original source was Socrates or some other wise bod.