EDTech – 5 ways EDClass can help with your teaching and learning
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EDTech has proved to be a great asset in providing teaching and learning over the past year. EDClass has taken it to another level.
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Lessons
Masks are mandatory in school communal areas
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Masks are now compulsory in school and communal areas – but could the new rule lead to further behavioural disruption.
The rules coincide with a new national lockdown in England, where non-essential businesses will close but schools will stay open.
Since schools reopened to all students in September there has been concern that behaviour had worsened. What could this mask rule mean for schools?
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Hardest hit pupils can now enrol for catch-up tuition
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The National Tutoring Programme for catch-up tuition begins in England next week.
The scheme is aimed at disadvantaged pupils that the Government says were hardest hit when schools closed.
“This is about levelling up those opportunities,” said Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson. How does it work? This blog post explains.
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One-to-one support to small classroom delivery
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One-to-one support to small classroom delivery to support your students who need to catch up the most.
The new school year is back underway, with a strong focus on student catch-up and teaching specific smaller groups (“bubbles”) in order maintain social distancing.
This presents an opportunity to teach young people a more learning tailored to their needs. This blog post explains how this can be done.
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Catch-up for low-level numeracy and literacy
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Catch-up learning is the order of the day – with students three months behind on learning, and some students have fallen up to 12 months behind where they should be.
Literacy and numeracy are essential skills for everyday life in adulthood – this means it is critical that these skills are taught as a matter of urgency.
But how can catch-up learning be supported in core subjects? This blog post explains.
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Class and Year bubbles
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Class and year bubbles are the new norm for schools this autumn.
Unlike the general public who are limited to 6 people, schools can have larger groups though are expected to keep these to a minimum.
This blog post provides top tips for doing this along with the latest bubble guidance.
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Catch up delivery and sessions for missed learning
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Catch up delivery is essential for your students, with teachers estimating that students are on average three months behind in their learning.
The findings by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and the Nuffield Foundation has said that almost all teachers surveyed believe children are further behind where they expect them to be in their learning.
Teachers estimate that nearly half of all children (44%) will need intensive catch-up support, particularly children in the most deprive areas and from BAME backgrounds.
What should your plan be for catch up delivery? This blog post explains.
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Williamson determined 2021 exams will go ahead
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Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said he is “deeply sorry” to school pupils who had grades downgraded as a result of this summer’s exam algorithm and has said he is “determined” exams will go ahead in 2021.
The Education Secretary was speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday – his first appearance in Parliament since the decision was made to award pupils with their predicted grades for this summer’s exams.
Find out what he had to say by reading the blog post below.
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How to plan a creative curriculum for your pupils
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By installing a creative curriculum in your school you can get the most out of the imaginative minds of your pupils.
It may be defined by topics or themes, or greater involvement of pupils in deciding what they are going to learn.
These are the benefits of a creative curriculum and the steps you can take to build one.
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What is visual learning? All you need to know
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Visual learning is one of three different types of learning styles. The visual learning style means that people need to see information to learn it. This can take the form of spatial awareness, photographic memory, colour/tone, brightness/contrast, and other visual information.
In a classroom environment these could take the form of overheads, the chalkboard, pictures, graphs, maps, and many other visual items to entice visual learners into knowledge.
But what are the strengths of visual learning and how should teaching styles adapt to this. Our latest blog post explains.
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‘Invaluable’ impact of EDClass during lockdown
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Since the start of lockdown, schools have worked tirelessly to provide education for your students via EDClass.
EDClass has been used by many schools in order so that education can continue for all pupils even when schools are closed.
Schools up and down the UK are using our provision. Read this blog post to hear the thoughts of two: the Sheffield Inclusion Centre in South Yorkshire and Shenley Brooke End School in Milton Keynes.
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Manage your 2021 GCSEs
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Schools are returning full-time in September – and your priority should be those students with their GCSEs coming up who are now behind on their learning.
The return to secondary school has been led by Year 10 students, with pressure on them to get caught up quickly.
How should you go about getting students caught up and preparing them for their GCSEs?
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Virtual learning is more than a presentation
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The need to provide virtual learning solutions while students have been confined to their own home.
With Ofsted announcing ‘no expectations on learning‘ during the pandemic, some schools are using basic learning platforms to educate their students.
But what can be done to make sure students are more engaged in education?
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Report: Most pupils are not returning schoolwork
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Only 42% of pupils returned their last piece of schoolwork, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).
Most teachers have said that pupils are doing less work than they expect. One in five children have completed no schoolwork during lockdown.
Why should schools be concerned? This blog post investigates.
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Benefits of a secure classroom
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Children could be as much as 12 months behind in their development when schools resume. You can help them catch up quicker with the support of a secure classroom.
A virtual secure classroom means students can continue to be educated even when they cannot attending mainstream classes.
But what is a secure classroom and how can it help your school and your students?
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School reopening: priority lists to be implemented
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Changes have been made to school reopening, the Government has announced.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the Education Secretary said the adjustments made would provide ‘flexibility’ to schools.
Among the changes, the Government has also said that ‘priority lists‘ will be used to explain to School Leadership Teams (SLTs) who will be offered spaces first.
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Who is Charles Dickens?
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Charles Dickens is one of the best known names in English Literature.
His writing includes Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol – which are widely read today.
Who is Charles Dickens and was has made him inspire generations of authors?
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How to change your environment to teach through Covid-19
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Schools in England are beginning to reopen – but things are very different with a host of new safety measures now in place.
It’s up to schools to decide how to open safely and the Government has issued guidelines on the types of measures necessary to ensure safety for teachers and children in the classroom.
But what are these guidelines and what does the post-coronavirus school look like?
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The EDLounge team is here to help with school reopening
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Today was school reopening day as some pupils in ‘critical year groups‘ returned to the classroom.
‘Early years students’ were deemed most critical and resume education from today. Some secondary school pupils will also return to the classroom during June as the threat of coronavirus declines.
EDLounge also chose today to return staff to their headquarters following a time working from home. This means we are well equipped to help you with your transition back to school life.
Here is an update from a busy day in education.
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What are the benefits of blended learning?
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In education settings it is important to get the balance right. Blended learning is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and online interaction with traditional classroom-based methods.
As society evolves, e-learning is taking a more central position in our educational structure. This is no clearer to see that during the coronavirus pandemic when education temporarily moved online.
But why is a blended learning approach so important and what benefits can e-learning bring?
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Schools ‘not planning on running in summer holiday’
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The process of school reopening will not mean that children will be forced to spend their summer holidays catching up in the classroom, says the Education Secretary.
Gavin Williamson was speaking at this week’s Education Select Committee meeting on Wednesday where he also discussed the impact of the closures on vulnerable children.
Earlier this month, we reported that Williamson may prefer an earlier lifting of lockdown restrictions due to the impact on the education system. However Williamson refused to be drawn on a date. Earlier today, Shadow Education Secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey stressed schools should only be open when safe to do so.
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Scotland and Wales discuss phase reopening of schools
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Scotland’s Education Secretary and Wales’ Education have lifted the lid on a potential phase opening whereas ministers in England remained tight-lipped.
England’s Education Minister said last week that vulnerable children would be “priority” as part of any plans to reopen schools.
But are we any closer to reopening schools and what does the plan look like?
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Ensure your coronavirus provisions are meeting the law
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The Education (School Day and School Year)(England) Regulations 1999 place a duty on schools to provide a minimum of 380 sessions (or 190 full days) ‘at a school’.
In these exceptional times, the Education Act 1996 is pertinent: local authorities have a duty to provide suitable education.
This section relates to ‘exceptional provision of education’. This usually relates to pupil illness or exclusion, but as schools close and most students work from home, it has a particular meaning in these coronavirus times.
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World Health Day: Stay on top of KS3 and GCSE Science
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7 April is World Health Day. The day celebrates the work of nurses, midwives, world leaders are more in their endeavours. Perhaps it is a timely day given the circumstances we are currently faced with.
How health can be positively and adversely affected by our actions. Many of these are explained to us throughout KS3 science and biology lessons.
But what is World Health Day and how can KS3 and KS4 science help us understand our health?
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Live classroom: don’t get caught out again
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Some pupils may think they have it by not going into school and instead being dependent on online education. But complacency must be avoided – and that’s where the live classroom comes in.
The benefit of the live classroom means that students can receive bespoke lessons to enable them to achieve their goals. Live classrooms ensure you don’t get caught out again.
What are the benefits of live classroom and how can they help to ensure pupils remain on target with their education?
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Do schools understand vulnerable pupils
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It had been the case that some vulnerable pupils are deemed not suitable for mainstream classroom, relying on platforms such as EDLounge for their education.
Vulnerable children are now being encouraged to attend schools. Along with children of key workers, schools are taking in a small number of pupils. The majority stay at home isolated with their families.
But what do schools know of vulnerable pupils that have been off-site all year and how does this impact their education?
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Removing barriers to learning with online education
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As parents come to terms with home teaching, it is worth knowing what support is out there to ensure your children receive the best possible education.
At EDLounge Limited we can help you through the current crisis, with support including live teaching.
EDLounge Limited’s system is accessible for both students who are still required to go into school and pupils who are now at home. The virtual learning platform can feature tailored lessons, with topics set by the teacher to help to ensure consistent learning across the year group.
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World Storytelling Day: how to embrace reading during school closures
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Today (20 March) is World Storytelling Day celebrated around the world. With school closures coming into effect on Friday, children can embrace reading to prevent feeling bored over the period.
www.workingmums.co.uk have said: “Planning activities for kids at home is a way to break up the day. It might include time for some chores, a daily walk, reading time and board games.”
But how should you go about embracing reading?
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What we can do for you during the coronavirus crisis
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The coronavirus crisis is having an impact all around the world. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in 14-day isolation after his wife tested positive. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is being tested after an aide tested positive.
The Government response has varied from country to country; varying from complete lockdowns, air travel bans, school closures and the postponements of major sporting events. Yesterday, the UK Government made the decision against widespread school closures, but the move has attracted some criticism.
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Safeguarding: how to ensure your child is safeguarded at home
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According to the government’s ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children‘ white paper: nothing is more important than children’s welfare.
The system is designed to respond to the needs and interests of children and families, and how they work needs to run in partnership with other interested parties.
Schools play an essential role in protecting children from abuse, and with regular contact with young people they are in a strong position to identify signs of abuse and neglect. But with events such as severe flood and coronavirus affecting the country, increasingly schools are turning to home learning to ensure children still receive an education.
But how can the school ensure pupils are still safeguarded whilst off-site?
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Coronavirus in schools: everything you need to know
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The coronavirus is dominating news headlines around the world. In China alone more than 2,600 people have died, more than 30 countries have reported cases and cities in northern Italy are now in lockdown, as the crisis hit Europe this week.
As a result, Britain is finalising contingency plans. As well as warning Britons against travelling to certain places, ministers have also announced plans to test 600 people per week.
But should the education sector be preparing and adapting? What has happened already in UK schools and around the world?
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Behaviour improvement: praise rather than punish pupils according to new research
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Sometimes as a teacher, situations can arise where it can be difficult to determine whether to use praise or punishment to motivate pupils. But research reported in the Times today could reveal secrets to behaviour improvement.
When do you use praise and punishment to motivate pupils? Do you have examples of where praise has been effective?
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5 simple strategies…for using technology as an aid to learning
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Schools, just like every other sector of society, are using more technology than ever before.
In 2015, official government statistics found that schools in the UK spend more than £900m on educational technology each year.
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What can Primary Schools do to cope with a lack of MFL Teachers?
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The BBC recently stated that teacher shortages in the UK were getting worse. If this is the case, how can primary schools cope with this?
More specifically, how can primary schools cope with the lack of MFL teachers?
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How to stop your students from arriving late to lessons
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Some of your students are arriving late to lessons. Again. You run through the usual lecture. You hear yourself repeating words you’ve said one hundred times already this term, and it’s only the end of October.
The late student misses out, you face playing catch-up with them, and your punctual students must suffer too. No one benefits from this situation. So what can you do to stop them arriving late?
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Supporting ESOL students in the classroom
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Throughout UK schools, there are more than 300 languages spoken as a first language.
While proportionally ESOL students account for just under 7% of pupils, in inner cities this percentage can often be as high as 75%, as is seen in various schools in London.
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How teaching assistants can help manage large classes
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The number of secondary school pupils in classrooms of 36 or more has trebled over the last five years (BBC).
A concerning figure indeed, and if you thought that your classroom size was less than conducive for a productive learning environment, spare a thought for one West Yorkshire class at Brighouse High Academy School with 46 pupils.
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5 simple strategies…to reduce disruptive behaviour in the classroom
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Disruption in the classroom – it’s an issue that is as old as the teaching profession itself.
Disruptive behaviour is experienced by 47% of teachers on at least a weekly basis (Department for Education); even more concerning, is the fact that four in 10 teachers have been ‘attacked by students’ (BBC).
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Should students spend less time in the classroom?
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It has been a belief of many, for a great deal of time, that more time in the classroom means better grades.
However, this is not necessarily true, and there are plenty of examples to show that it is not true. For instance, compare private schools and state schools in the UK; as a whole, private schools have much better results compared to state schools, but they spend a lot less time in school.
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How to encourage teamwork in the classroom
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When it comes to teaching, one thing that helps the process is to have a cohesive feeling throughout the pupils in your class. It doesn’t matter if you are teaching primary school or older students, the principles remain the same.
That said, there are times when there will be differing personalities and characters in the classroom, meaning that teamwork is something that you need to work harder at achieving.
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How to use colour in your learning
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Everyone is looking for a way to improve their learning – especially when it comes to remembering and recalling information. There are so many ways you can do this, with flash cards, memory games, even with friends.
However, one of the most effective ways of learning and recalling new information is with the use of colour. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should definitely give it a go.
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How to encourage student participation in the classroom
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Student participation forms one of the most crucial areas of teaching because participation enhances the learning experience of everyone involved – including the teachers.
Active participation can prove difficult for students as many are reluctant to raise their hands or even speak up, however, there are a range of ideas and methods that help to increase participation while also giving students the confidence they need.
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5 Simple Strategies…for Ending a Lesson
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Many teachers are guilty of ending lessons in a way that is less than inspiring (when not being observed!) – either still finishing the main content or by focusing on the detail of homework. But many personal experiences, alongside research, have shown that the end of a lesson can be as important as an appropriate starter or main activity. The right ending to the lesson can provide consolidation and an opportunity to provide an ending worthy of a lesson worth remembering.
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5 simple strategies…for starting a lesson
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Regardless of subject area, the key to success in any lesson is the level of engagement of the learners.
Students of all ages often determine this level of engagement within the opening 10-15 minutes of a lesson, meaning that the strategies used during this time are crucial in determining the attainment that day.
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Embracing SOLO Taxonomy
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For those teachers who are examining their methods or perhaps want to try a new angle on communication with pupils and enhance their learning achievements, SOLO taxonomy is worth considering as a possible way forward for their pupils.
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