ACfE In Action

THE CHILDREN HAVE NOW CHOSEN 4 KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER.They have completed their forward plans much quicker than I do ! Some found it difficult to think how they would prove their learning so it was appropriate to offer ideas.This morning they began the REAL WORK of researching.There were a lot of surveys being carried out and graphs drawn(meaningful links to maths) Posters were planned and designed.We laid some ground rules regarding presentation(links to literacy). The children set their own success criteria.The children are considering a Display of Knowledge to promote their work.

The challenge is to continue on from the Cockenzie project and now work in our own schools. The mission remains the same; how can we offer more personalisation and choice, challenge and enjoyment and meaningful cross curricular opportunities to our pupils?
Emma Grierson and her P5/6 class are my willing volunteers this time around. Their topic is Space and we are all ready for our mission! Initially we asked the children to create Mind Maps based around the theme of Space, asking them how we could learn in all areas of the curriculum through this topic. The results were interesting, very similar to what we would probably have produced ourselves but by getting them to do this they were taking ownership of their learning and having a choice in what they could learn. The idea of creating a game in Maths, using the theme of Space to help them to learn their times tables arose in a few of their mind maps. This idea along with many others has been taken forward with the children.
The class have a vast range of abilities and needs and we decided that we were better at times splitting the class in two. I am planning to teach the children working towards levels A and B and Emma the children working towards levels C and D. On Monday afternoons we are working on a “Planet Seekers Mission” as a whole class (more later), Tuesday mornings we are teaching poetry in groups and Tuesday afternoons we are teaching aspects of Maths through their topic, again in groups. Hopefully this will allow me to fulfil both my role as secondee promoting A Curriculum for Excellence and my role as Principal Teacher in the school promoting attainment! Heres hoping……..

The children chose to hold a learning festival as a display of their knowledge and what a successful day it was! Other classes, parents and relatives came to visit and learn all about World War 2. By far the most popular stall was Dean’s “throw a sponge at Hitler” stall. This was his way of proving his learning as he had written facts about Hitler. Interestingly when the project was being evaluated Dean said he would always remember Hitler’s “awful actions”. He also remarked on the fact that he would “never have been allowed to do the stall he chose if the teachers had been left to plan the festival and not the children”. Indeed Dean was not alone in his motivation to learn since what they were learning, the way in which they learnt and how they proved their learning was all chosen by the children themselves!
The festival was a huge success and the service which followed was a poignant reminder to us all of the atrocities of the War. Well done yet again to Primary 6 for all their hard work!

We all certainly looked the part on our trip to the Museum of Flight. Thankfully there is no photographic evidence of Jennifer or I dressed as “old time teachers”! The children had made a real effort, dressed as evacuees they left the school as the Management and Office staff sang “we’ll meet again”. We began at the War Memorial in Cockenzie then left for the Museum at East Fortune.

We were taken into a hanger and the children had to get down on the floor when they heard the air raid siren. They had to lay out equipment as if they were soldiers and then saw many different war planes. We ended the day watching Goodnight Mr Tom and a few tears were shed!