Today I attended a Podcasting session run by the East Lothian ICT support team. Before the session I had a pretty good idea what Podcasting is and how I can use it in the classroom to enhance teaching and learning. A few weeks ago I posted about my S1 Modern Studies class who have asked to do Podcasting as part of their Mock Election campaign.

This meant that I went into the session with very clear aims:

• Find out what equipment is required
• Find out what software is required
• Find out how to post it to the internet

The session started with an introduction on what Podcasting is. We were shown a number of podcasts by various schools across Scotland and East Lothian. We were then shown the software that we would be useing and how to use it.

The rest of the session was given over to hands on experience of the technology. Although, it was dissapointing that some of the technology failed us, the course certainly left me with a much clearer idea of how I can bring Podcasting into my teaching and I have even learned how to post the Podcasts to a blog. This means that the class can link up their blog to any Podcasts they make.

I would like to thank David Gilmour, Dave Rawson and Tess Watson for presenting a very interesting course and Ann Cochrane for arranging it.

This week my S4 classes have been studying how all German people were affected by the Nazi regime under Hitler. We have looked at verious groups of people in society from women to workers and from Christians to the Jewish. Yesterday we were looking at the young people both in schools and in the Hitler youth.

I found a fantastic PowerPoint on School History which I used as a basis for some very successful lessons. Firstly, I asked my head of department as well as another two colleagues to enter my room at the start of the period. Meanwhile, the pupils were arriving outside my door. They could hear lots of shouting from inside the room as we were pretending that we had a technology problem delaying our big announcment which was to be given to every school child in Scotland at exactly the same time. By the time the pupils were allowed to enter they really believed something was very wrong. I have never seen the classes so quiet!

I then talked through the PowerPoint which outlined how the Scottish Curriculum was going to be changed. This included seperate subjects for boys and girls, the abolition of subjects such as RME, Modern Languages and History. Of course, these were to be replaced with Scottish Heritage, more PE for boys and Domestic Science for girls. There were many moans and groans, especially when I told them that as of Monday school would start at 8am!

I was so surprised that only one pupil out of my two classes did not believe it to be true. Only when I told them that their noses would be measured did they realise that I was ‘winding them up’.

Nonetheless, when I informed them that I had in fact been ‘winding them up’ everyone of them knew that the reason behind the lesson was to show them what it would have been like for children in Germany, and it really made them think about how those childrem must have felt.

For the rest of the day yeserday and today I have had comments from other members of staff and pupils about ‘that’ lesson. One thing is for sure, they may never forgive me for scaring them but they won’t forget what happened to young people in Nazi Germany!!

Last week I posted about Carl Williams, the new drumming tutor working with the East Lothian Piping and Drumming Trust. Yesterday Carl gave an fantastic drumming display in the school hall. Although this was held at lunchtime, around 50 pupils arrived to hear Carl play. Carl outlined what he expects from his students, this includes not only commitment to practicing their instrument but also to their school work. In addition, he informed the pupils that next week auditions will be held in the school hall and all pupils interested in learning to play in the school drum corps will be asked to take part in this audition. It was great to see so many pupils showing an interest and I look forward to hearing them next week. The picture above shows Carl during the display and was taken by Jim Hunter, a colleague of mine and very talented photographer.

My S1 Modern Studies class have now started their campaigns for the class mock election. We have started a blog where the pupils will be writing about the process. So far each party have added their manifestos to the blog. Please visit the blog and leave comments for the candidates. You can visit it here.

I met with the new drumming tutor working with the East Lothian Pipes and Drums Trust last week. I must admit to being almost converted to drumming after chatting with Carl. He is incredibly enthusiastic and inspiring and has been in the Guiness Book of Records as the world’s fastest drummer and has played with World Championship pipe band Shotts and Dykehead. It is truly an honour to welcome him to Knox Academy.

It was great to hear that he had already heard about the Knox Pipe Band and is looking forward to working with the pupils. He is going to hold a drumming demonstation this week for all interested pupils and will commence drumming tuition from next week.

My S4 classes are currently working through unit 3D of the Standard Grade Course. The course requires them to study events inside Germany from the end of World War One until Hitler is in power including his dictatorship. Kath Anderson, a colleague of mine at Knox Academy has very kindly allowed me to borrow her Hitler, the Rise of evil DVD. Robert Carlyle is excellent in the title role and brings to life the events in Germany. The pupils are really relating to the film and I highly recommend it to anyone teaching this unit.

This week my second year classes have been learning about Christopher Columbus. We started by watching an epoisode of the Horrible Histories series about Columbus’ first voyage. I really like the Horrible Histories series as it explains some of the main events in History in a format which pupils find easy to understand, although some of the anachronisms do have to be explained. The pupils then completed their own story boards about the famous voyage to Sansalvador. This is a taks I use to discuss various historical events as I think the pupils enjoy this task as it allows them the freedom to use their imagination in the drawings but at the same time is structured in that they are aware of the story that needs to be told. I also end up with some fantastic cartoon strips to brighten up the walls of my classroom!

Yesterday I escorted a group of Knox cadets to the moto cross in East Lothian. The pupils had all volunteered to help at the event as marshalls. The pupils did very well with everyone taking turns in the various ‘tattie boxes’. I was very impressed with the maturity that they all displayed and the seriousness in which they fulfilled their duties, they were a credit to the school, the CCF and themselves. I am glad to report that there was no major incidents. Well done to all the cadets involved!

One of the biggest challenges pupils face when studying History is answering the Enquiry Skills questions of the exam. These important questions are at the very foundation of the subject as they test not only the facts but also the vital skills of working with various forms of evidence, such an important aspect of the discipline that is History. This section is worth 2/3 of the overall grade at Standard Grade level.

Recently I have been issuing my fourth year classes with a homework task which doesn’t just test their ability to answer an Enquiry Skills question but also their ability to teach the skills required. The theory is that to be able teach something the pupils must fully understand it.

I have been very impressed with the results as the pupils seem to have taken on board my advice on how to answer the questions and their instuctions have been very good. It has also identified the specific questions that pose problems for individuals and they have been able to see where they are going wrong. I think that this will significantly improve results in the ES section and over the coming months the skills will be tested with many practice exam questions.

This week my fourth year classes have been looking at the Reichstag Fire of 1933. This event was instrumental in the lead up to Hitler gaining full power in Germany as it gave him the chance to persecute his political enemies, the Communists.

Having studied German at school I was pleased with myself as I was able to translate simple words and phrases for the pupils and even suggest German newspaper names while they were working in groups preparing a front page of a newspaper breaking the story of the fire. However, some of the more complicated requests made me turn to the internet for translations. I found this website. I am sure that there are lots of other good sites but I liked this one because it allows the pupils to hear the words as well as see them written.