I want to look at my provision for pupils with dyslexia. Geography is a multi sensory kind of subject, with a strong emphasis on the visual. I rely a lot on the digital projector to depict images and to show power points. I try to avoid using the board too much, but I feel I could use it more effectively when I do; I admire the neat layout and handwriting of certain colleagues. There is a lot of good advice for teaching geography to dyslexic pupils, and I am particularly keen on exploring how this blog can help. For example, I have set up a word bank for each topic, and have started to embed PowerPoints using slide share. I think this is something that could be developed. I also want to consider how we could use podcasts as a way of helping revise topics. I also think I need to take each page of text book and each worksheet and produce an alternative, dyslexia-friendly version. Among the key works of reference is the HMIe’s latest report, Education for Learners with Dyslexia. This contains some excellent, practical examples of best practice for dealing with dyslexia in the classroom.
I am going to spend some time this Christmas focusing on the work of Amnesty International. I love their slogan, “Better to Light a Candle than Curse the Darkness”. Reading their website it is clear that there is a lot we can do, if we only put our minds to it. Perhaps the most poweful tool at our disposal is to start writing letters to prisoners of conscience; I have toyed with the idea before, but never quite got round to it. Given the stories coming out from so many countries; the abuse, the detention without trial, the catalogue of torture, imprisonment, basic lack of freedom, the reports of child slavery and child soldiers, all in utter contrast to the mincepies, mulled wine and Christmas carols we’re enjoying, It seems only right to start writing now.
First year were asked to examine a map for 5 minutes. They were then asked to draw an outline of their chosen continent, and add as much details as possible. I thought this example particularly effective in terms of the shape and proportions for South America. The pupil has also placed the names of selected countries in more or less the right order. What is most interesting is the techniques adopted by my pupils to try to memorise the information. Quite a few traced the outline of the continent on the Atlas page with their finger Some drew the whole outline and then added the detail; others started at the west and moved east, adding detail at each stage before moving on. I think there’s scope for more research into effective ways of how pupils make sense of, and memorise, spatial data.
More examples can be viewed at Flickr.
Have been reading “Formative Assessment in the Secondary Classroom” by Shirley Clarke. I like her use of practical examples, and was particularly interested in the section on questioning. She reproduces a page by science teacher Dave Tuffin, who presents a series of “before” and “after” questions, designed to show how, with practice, we can reframe many questions to elicit a better response, and to encourage pupils to think more deeply. Mostly the questions go from the recall type (eg give a list, provide a word) to ones which require some thought. Among the strategies Tuffin uses are:
Provide supporting vocabulary
ask a question to be answered from the opposite standpoint;
set up an hypothesis to be debated/challenged.
What kinds of jobs do you think the people of this place do?
Key words:
Classification Site Growth Function
Recap
We have studied:
WHAT is a Settlement (CLASSIFICATION)
WHERE settlements start-(SITE)
WHY some settlements grow more than others-(GROWTH)
In this lesson we are going to ask,
4. What are the main activities that take place in a settlement? (FUNCTION)
The function of a settlement is its main economic activity or purpose. Settlements normally have a number of functions but one may be more important than the others.
