Teaching science to SEN students – ideas and strategies from #ASEchat (on Twitter)

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Tonight the focus of #ASEchat was on teaching science to SEN students.  (If you want to know more about #ASEchat on Twitter read this).  The full text of tonight’s chat on Twitter can be found here (in my unofficial archive) or on the ASE site here.

The chat session started off discussing the P-levels and the new guidance that had been issued earlier the same day by the DFE.  It was felt that the levels for P7 and P8 were harder than those for level 1 which is supposed to be more challenging.  @Cleverfiend explained that this was because the P-levels were added to the national curriculum as an afterthought.

The topic moved onto strategies to use when teaching SEN or lower attaining students.  I’ve included the twitter ID of those who mentioned each strategy so you can get in touch if you want further details:

  • Pictorial or symbolised instructions for use for practical work (also good for EAL learners) – @ejw232 @cleverfiend
  • Repetition using different tasks @ejw232
  • Use of digital photography to create the method and turning them into a digital photostory @Mallrat_uk
  • Use of low literacy activities with not much writing. Collaborative poster work, wipe clean surfaces, pictures instead @90_maz
  • For low literacy levels, lots of emphasis on key words, lots of practical, short notes, diagrams @13loki
  • A reminder that you may go back to previous key stages or select parts of the curriculum for students who have SEN.  However @cleverfiend reminded chatters that there is already plenty of repetition in the national curriculum as it is!
  • Use of symbol software like communicate in print @90_maz (@cleverfiend reminded purchasers to check their stringent copyright terms first)
  • Repetition of key words by the class @anhalf
  • Relevance to everyday lives. An example given was making speakers from cupcake cases @asober
  • An interesting debate broke out about writing on walls and desks (using appropriate pens). @mallrat_uk and @cleverfiend were in favour.
  • Use of Velcro to display key words and allow repositioning on wall @cardiffscience
  • Voicethread as an assessment tool @asober
  • Scaffolding or using writing frames. They allow students to focus on the content rather than the structure @biolady99 @cleverfiend
  • Use of random name picking like The Hat to select random pairs @cleverfiend
  • Use of special software on iPad to create comic strips @mallrat_uk
  • Clear learning objectives, use of WALT and WILF @biolady99

Accreditation at 16 was varied across the schools discussed, ranging from GCSE (AQA B) through BTEC to Entry level.  It was felt that the new format of linear assessment for GCSE wouldn’t suit children with SEN.  The final word however must go to @anhalf who reminded us that “defined learning outcomes, well-pitched lessons are no different for sen than mainstream!”

Useful links:

What makes a resource worth sharing?

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I’ve spend the last few weeks downloading and reviewing materials from the TES resources section.  For those of you who haven’t come across it before, it is an online repository (free to access) for teachers to upload their own resources and share them with other teachers.  Other teachers can also leave feedback, allowing authors to refine and improve their work if they wish.

People who know me and visit my site know that I regularly upload and share resources and ideas from my own classroom, however looking through the TES resources gave me an insight into what might be happening across a range of other teachers’ classrooms.

First of all I was impressed by the altruism of the teachers who had chosen to share resources, with some teachers having  uploaded and categorised dozens of individual resources.  Most of the resources I saw (over 75%) of them were useful or better, and I found many examples that I thought were worth highlighting (and will form the basis of later blog posts).  However as I looked through the resources some nuggets of advice began to form in my head for those who want to share resources.

Explanation.  When looking at some resources it was not obvious how the resource could be used.  A lesson plan or even brief notes of explanation really help someone else see what the author had in mind when they created the resources.

Presentation.  Something as simple as changing font size and line spacing can change how a resource is received by students (and other teachers).  There isn’t really any excuse for a resource that uses half a side of tiny text and lots of empty white space.  Are there any royalty free clipart images you could include to make your worksheets look more appealing to low ability or low literacy students?

Differentiation.  Perhaps you differentiated your lesson or perhaps you changed the activity for a particular group.  Either an included lesson plan or a few lines of text about what you might like to change can make the world of difference to teachers looking to download.

Assessment. Unfortunately we live in a data driven education system.  While this might not be my preferred way of working, we have to play the game by the existing rules.  Adding levels to your learning objectives or outcomes (if you have them) can be a life saver for your time pressed or newly qualified colleagues.

Categorisation.  You created a resource for a specific group and topic.  Make sure when you upload your resources you chose the right categories for your material – that will help others find your resource and increase your audience.

Is it a time saver? It takes a couple of minutes to create a table and put in some headings.  Unless a table (for example a results sheet) is part of another activity, think carefully about if you need to upload it at all.  You don’t have to upload everything you create!

Consider the learning. Ultimately we want to see students learn and make progress.  Does an activity or resource allow a student to demonstrate this progress?  If it doesn’t should you be sharing it as good practice?

I’ve uploaded lots of resources to my own site, and allowed my resources to be uploaded to the TES site.  Perhaps in future I need to eat my own dog food and consider how I might improve the quality of my own resources or the accompanying description to make them more useful to my teaching colleagues. 

Ofqual changes to GCSE examinations – implications for SEN children

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I received an email from an exam board today which said:

Ofqual have announced changes to GCSE qualifications which will be of interest to schools registered with WJEC in England and in Wales.

Changes in England

Ofqual, regulator for qualifications in England, announced that they will introduce changes to GCSEs for candidates starting two-year courses in September 2012.

 For awards in summer 2014 onwards, linear assessment will be compulsory for candidates in England. They will sit all their examinations at the end of their GCSE course, rather than having the possibility of taking them at different stages during the course as they do at present.

Further details of the changes are available on the Ofqual site here

Once again politics and Westminster teacher bashing takes precedent over the opinions and advice given by the teaching professionals who actually work with our children.  Apparently our exams are too easy and we have to do something to make sure they aren’t.  Of course these changes have far-reaching implications for our students, big ones for some.

My children are low attainers as you might expect (they attend a special school).   About half do entry level qualifications and the rest work at GCSE level.  There are children like mine in every mainstream school across the country – they aren’t that unusual.  These are children that have to be reminded what they did last week (sometimes they forget what they did earlier in the day).  These students will now have to remember what they learned up to two years ago.  Whilst it is possible to build in revision sessions (after all how can students with low literacy levels reasonably revise at home?), it isn’t possible to revise everything in sufficient depth for the students to do themselves justice.  I struggled getting enough revision in when we did modular exams.

So what is the answer?  Not only are the exams being made harder but at the same time pressure is put on schools to achieve better and better results.  The only conceivable way my students can achieve a GCSE-equivalent qualification that reflects their ability is to do a vocational qualification like BTEC where the assessment is portfolio based (although even this is being changed – more about BTEC changes here).

Of course none of these changes are pupil centred or put the student first.  Mr Gove hasn’t considered how my students will feel if I enter them for a qualification they are doomed to fail.   After the media and political attention drawn to the disaffected youth following the recent riots I thought the Government might have started to change its approach.

For now I’ll be plodding along following BTEC science with my students and trying to convince them as we go that they aren’t failures and that they have a place in society.  Let’s hope I am right!

New resources uploaded

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I created this website with the intention of sharing resources and ideas with other teachers. I’ve uploaded a selection of resources here (and some to the TES resource bank) that I use with my SEN and low ability students.

Topics include:

  • BTEC Level 1 Chemistry (periodic table and chemical change factors)
  • BTEC Level 1 IT users
  • Entry level biology topics
  • Misc updated worksheets.

Please download and use these resources as you see fit.  Usual copyright terms apply.