In June, Margaret Byrne of Cambridge Education: Learning Unlimited had the privilege of working with over 400 Chinese teachers in Beijing and Shenzhen. Ably facilitated and supported by Wenbin, Jing, Huimin, Emily and Anya from CE China office, Margaret ran seven two-day continuing professional development courses in a variety of Chinese schools.
The teachers were enthusiastic and interested as they participated in active learning strategies designed to develop their knowledge and skills in the areas of Motivation and Assessment for Learning. On completion of the training, each teacher reflected on at least one idea and one insight they had gained, then pledged to carry out at least one intention, one change he or she would make in the classroom.
Margaret returned impressed by the professionalism and work ethos of Chinese teachers and by the commitment they showed to every child in their (sometimes very large) classrooms.
“It has been almost two months since I attended your two-day training lessons for the English teachers here in Futian District Shenzhen. I am still impressed with your interesting and vivid lessons, from which I found my teaching methods were theoretically supported. And what's more, I learned juggling scarfs! That's amazing! I shared it with my daughter and we were both greatly encouraged that we could do more than we thought.” (Nancy Hu, Shenzhen, China)
Active, engaged ...and well behaved! Supporting cooperative learning in pre5, primary and secondary schools. Written by a classroom teacher for classrooms teachers this handbook offers many practical ideas and guides teachers in the process of creating a coop learning culture in their classroom.
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The Magic Carpet Let your children fly in more ways than one! Using a combination of imagination, artwork, oral story planning and a supportive template, many new lands will be visited and situations invented and resolved.
Meeting with an Alien By this stage, confident young writers are experimenting with zigzag books - a format which offers lots of opportunities to enhance the writing through ingenious methods of presentation.
Ghost Story The stories are longer and more complex. The illustrations and use of language become very sophisticated.
Realistic Record Keeping & Powerful Planning for Secondary A planning and record keeping format taking secondary teachers through Third and Fourth Levels using subject specific booklets
Realistic Record Keeping & Powerful Planning A planning and record keeping format taking teachers from Early Level through to the end of Second Level.
6 Case Studies - Joyning the Learning New topics exemplify how teachers have created their own interdisciplinary contexts and how their planning is moving forward from 5-14 content to CfE experience and outcomes.
Joyning the Learning publications
Curriculum for Excellence resources: book DVD to bring Joyning the Learning alive in your classroom.
Joyning the Learning... The Journey So Far Designed to help teachers and managers implement the methodology.
We Can Do That! A must-have for all those working with children in early years and older children with additional support needs.
PLC Toolkit This Toolkit of resources has been designed to provide information and materials that can be used to make the whole staff aware of the approaches it advocates and play a part in deciding how the school will take PLCs forward.
Why: a booklet about motivating young people How do you encourage all young people to ‘do their best’ in school and not simply enough to ‘get by’?
Motivation & Assessment Posters This set of 8 bright, colourful A2 posters will result in a lively discussion of motivational and assessment messages with pupils across the age range 10-16.
Journey 2 Motivation Pack Materials aimed at upper primary/early secondary students regarding their choices.
Assessment for Learning
Mark less to achieve more a short, readable and comprehensive book that ‘does the reading for you’.
CfE Skills Ladder Poster An introduction to our skills-based solution for ensuring we develop the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence.
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Concentrating Minds This book contains a selection of brain games that will excite, focus or calm young minds.
The Learnier Teacher Series Publications in the Learning Teacher Series