Just had 3 hours of ICT with Year 9. They were pulled off timetable to do ICT catch up because they were seriously underperforming in the subject. The normal Year 9 problems apply: Kids spend more time messing about or socialising than working.
The three hour lesson with a different class grouping and for some a different teacher was successful.
Kids were engaged and keen to get the work done. More than one student thanked me at the end of the class – very unusual.
There was less poor behaviour than normal, I think because the class grouping had changed. Year 9 get really comfortable in their tutor groups and have got it down to a fine art how to push the boundaries collectively and be disruptive.
There are interesting implications for timetabling and project based learning – hmmm.
Really interesting comments!!!
As the year 9 group come to the ICT dept as two groups we could always mix up the groups. E.g. 9OW could be half of one and half of the other. We would just have to talk to the head of drama.
What do you think?
L Jones
Head of ICT
Beacon Community college
Luke:
Would that be in order to set the students? If so, and without going into a big discussion about setting, it would certainly make Databases and spreadsheets easier to teach and to maybe get some Level 7s out of the strong students.
Drama teachers might have a different view point however.
Although on second thoughts ; I’ve just realised my answer above was swayed by a discussion we had verbally today, but now I’ve re-read the post, you are refering to simply to mixing up the groups so kids are out of their comfort zone and more likely to behave better. That would be a good idea I think.
I’ve just done the marking for this booster session. Unfortunately, at least in terms of summative marks, there wasn’t much boosting going on. Only 8 out of 43 of students in my classes improved their grade (roughly 20%).
This is not to say that there wasn’t a lot of learning going on, Nor does it take away the fact that students will be better prepared to start the AIDA course in September.
We have another booster session next week and I would sugguest that we rethink the decision that was made to start a new separate mini project for the booster day. If we simply improved on the Mobile Phone Project – the work they have been doing all year. Almost by default everyones marks would improve. As long as they we’re really turned off by returning to work that they have not been successful with.
Also, might not more boosting have been done by holding a couple of after school sessions. All in all this might have been less taxing on teacher’s time in terms of organisation, writing the mini scheme of work, re-rooming and writing cover. In addition there would have been less negative impact on other students who missed their ICT that day.