Author: tuckjh01

tuckjh01

Fran’s Poundland Pedagogy

Poundland Pedagogy – from Fran in RE. Thanks, Fran!

Poundland Pedagogy is an idea that comes from Isabella Wallace (author of ‘Pimp your lesson!’ and ‘Talk- less teaching’) and involves using items found in Poundland (other discount stores are available) to support learning and progress. It involves going for a wander through the shelves and thinking about how you can use them items found as resources in activities. It does require careful planning about how items can be used and how it will support progress, but it can also be used to great effect to engage students and support their learning.

The internet is full of ideas and uses, googling ‘poundland pedagogy’ brings up a multitude of ideas, a quick look at #poundlandpedagogy on Twitter or the many Poundland Pedagogy boards on Pinterest are also full of ideas. I have found that the best starting point is to find the items, and then work out how you could use them.

My recent uses of items found in Poundland include using paper table cloths and cheap felt tip pens for year 9 to recap their previous learning, giving year 10 playdoh to model key concepts and using a washing line, pegs and paper doilies to create a timeline of religious changes so that year 7 can see what changed and what stayed the same. In the near future I am planning to use a blow- up beach ball covered in sticky notes to randomise questioning, balls of string to track who has made a contribution to table discussions and fly swatters to make a key word revision game.

Using items from discount stores won’t automatically make lessons engaging and ensure that students make rapid progress. However using items to structure and resource learning activities can provide a hook or a way of making learning accessible.

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Brigshaw Learner Display in Technology

Here is Michelle’s idea for a ‘working’ wall display in technology using the Brigshaw Learner – along side some pictures of her display. Here is Michelle explaining how it works:

“It is a wall display that uses all of the Brigshaw learner strands, I have added examples to each column showing how to be an expert in each column.

 For instance on the organisation column I have included the equipment menu and have photographed a good example of a pupils planner showing great organisational skills and book kept in mint condition.
In the expert learner column I have used examples of pupils work in yr 7 and yr 9 showing how they have responded to feedback via G4G work, I have then re marked their work which they then completed additional G4G.
In the third column for expert home learner, I got pupils in my form to bring in examples of how they are an expert learner.  Sixth former’s brought in detailed timetables of their days and weekends all mapped out, another pupil photographed their work space, others showed how they used show my homework to help them stay organised  using photographs, others just wrote what they do to be an expert at home learning.
The idea behind it it to show pupils how they can become an expert in different ways and use it a classroom resource to direct pupils to expectations.”
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GCSE Takeaway Homework in Maths

A great idea for takeaway homework in Maths (the picture is from the Maths corridor – just outside the Maths office). Here is the creator, Rebecca, explaining why and how this works:

“Whole reason for it is to provide as much support for yr11 as possible and promote the pupils use of PLCs. Yr 11 teachers are using 4 weekly assessments to provide a ‘live’ update on PLCs, during intervention sessions pupils are encouraged to bring their PLCs and choose the topics showing as Amber or red. We are hoping to motivate and put a degree of responsibility in their hands. PLCs are also on display in their classrooms alongside a grade tracker for each class. 
Response so far has been positive and provided lots of talking points and dare I say competitiveness!!!! (Especially the boys!)
These are just the grade C and D topice – I just need to find space for all the other grade topics!!!!”
Thanks Rebecca and Maths.
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Charlotte’s idea for promoting a dialogue with students

Attached are a rationale and some examples put together by Charlotte in English for promoting dialogue with students dring your marking.

Some very skilled and thoughful ideas here – and some examples of it working in practice. And it’s easy to implement! Please click on the links for examples and instructions:

Feedback Loops and Dialogue Bubbles – Dialogue Bubbles

Feedback Loops and Dialogue Bubbles (instructions for students) – Feedback loop sheet and dialogue bubbles

Use of circle maps in Science

Katie said:

I used it to find out prior learning for a new topic so pupils had to put words they associated with energy in the circle then develop energy sentences following paired then grouped discussions. The pictures came from an activity to collect energy related pictures and explain their choices in a Kagan round robin. Pupils really engaged with the task and we collected some excellent pre topic ideas. The class posters remained on display throughout the topic and we revisited  them as the topic progressed. 

KDE