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ResearchED Aberdeen 2024
On Saturday (11 May), I spoke at ResearchED Aberdeen. My presentation had the bold title of Science: What should we teach and how should we teach it? My main argument was that (as many have rightly said) we need to reverse the downgrading of knowledge with the CfE Science curriculum, and we should also promote…
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Explanations – part 1
An important part of teaching is explaining a new concept or skill. As science teachers, we have to use explanations to help our pupils visualise microscopic and sub-microscopic particles and organisms. pupils Too often the importance of this is downplayed through misguided advice like “The pupils should be talking more than the teacher” or “If…
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Education podcast recommendations
As the new year school year has recently begun in Scotland (and is on the horizon elsewhere in the UK), I was thinking about what podcasts teachers could listen to to develop their knowledge and understanding. Podcasts are a great option for upskilling as they are free and can be listened to while commuting. Reading…
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PGDE Chemistry – Weekly bulletin (w/b 20/02/23)
The ‘Weekly’ Bulletins have been a wee bit erratic lately – apologies for that. As you are now on you school experience placement, I thought you may be missing Jamie Thom’s voice. To avoid withdrawal symptoms, this weeks bulletin is links to some episodes of Jamie’s Beyond Survival: The New Teacher Podcast. The first suggested…
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Book Review: Dunlosky’s Strengthening the Student Toolbox in Action, by Amarbeer Singh Gill
The ‘In Action’ series of books aim to translate research into practice, and this addition to the series looking at Dunlosky’s Strengthening the Student Toolbox is a great addition to the series. This little book (less than 100 pages) can be read pretty quickly and could have an immediate impact on your teaching practice. The…
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PGDE Chemistry – Weekly Bulletin (w/b 30 Jan 2023)
Welcome to the first weekly bulletin of 2023. This week, I’ll link to some Education in Chemistry articles that I think will be of benefit: Do Your Homework – looks at ChatGPT and ties in nicely with discussions around the advantages and challenges of using ChatGPT for planning lessons. 14 Ways to Teach Sustainability in…
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Book Review: The Teaching Delusion 3
By Colin McGill Main headline – The Teaching Delusion 3 is a must read for any teacher who wants to improve their practice (i.e. all teachers) and also for anyone acting as a coach/mentor to a colleague. The book begins with ten “Learning Lessons” which summarises how learning happens, with plenty of footnotes for anyone…
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ResearchED Aberdeen – Effective Practical Work in Science
Yesterday (Saturday 19 November 2022) I gave a presentation at the fantastic ResearchED Aberdeen conference with the title “Effective Practical Work in Science”. The slides and notes from the presentation can be found here. According to the excellent EEF Improving Secondary Science Guidance Report, practical work is carried out for the following reasons: Basically, (1)…
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A greener chemistry curriculum???
By Colin McGill Here are some facts: Ken Muir’s report, Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education, quotes school pupils as saying “We don’t do enough about the environment at school.” and “Teach more about climate change.” At the same time, less and less of our school pupils are choosing…