As ever, see me anytime for a conversation on how you might usefully use data in your classroom. I’m still refining my markbook, but I can create a version for you to play with if you wish.

I should put a proviso on this video: the aim of all data is to aid students in accessing the lessons, to learn as effectively as possible, and to ultimately feel inspired and empowered. None of the tools I discuss below will do this, and any compulsion to use them in the way I suggest would (I think) be counterproductive. They work for me, and I feel confident in the principles behind their use: others who use them adapt them for their use, too.

http://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/news/local/could-you-write-a-news-poster-1-5640296

What an incredible difference it has made.

These are the apps that I would recommend. I’ll write a little more about them later, particularly as to how they apply to students. But, for the time being, here they are:

Health

Sleep
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.sleep&hl=en

Running
http://lifehacker.com/5929709/five-best-smartphone-running-apps
Yoga
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dailyyoga.inc&hl=en

Storage
Evernote
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evernote&hl=en
Dropbox
https://www.dropbox.com/android
Catch

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.threebanana.notes&hl=en

To do:
Google Calendar

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.calendar&hl=en
Astrid Tasks

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.timsu.astrid&hl=en
Countdown

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=smsr.com.cw&hl=en

Kindle

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amazon.kindle&hl=en

a) Complete all my marking in a useful way.

b) Get a chance to enjoy the sun and the company of friends.

c) Still sleep well.

Therefore, following the advice of a blog post similar to this http://back2thewhiteboard.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/5-how-can-i-mark-books-without-burning-out/

I first skim read the books that I need to mark. I then decide on 3-5 targets. Returning to the books, I indicate (with a highlighter) what part needs to be addressed with the specific icon-based target. Suggested icons for a paragraph of GCSE analysis are as follows:

! Rephrase analysis so it adds something new

* Aim for a contrast or alternative interpretation

& Ensure your analysis makes a mention of question…

% Aim for consequence analysis (synthesis of previous points)

There were 3-4 books out the 30 students in this class whose work surpassed each of these targets. For them, I gave them specific targets (again with a highlighter).

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/100-beautiful-and-ugly-words/

I am impressed with the standard of research, and your improvement.

Click here to see the homework examples and rubrics

Teachers don’t often use research to back up what they do for a variety of reasons. Forgoing the political ones, teachers seem to distrust ‘research’. However, I trust people like Chris and Geoff (Petty) amongst others to have a happy blend of research and experience that makes their advice credible.

As part of my new methods of planning I spoke about earlier this week, I presented the idea of providing a ‘flight plan’ for students. That is, making them aware of the purpose of why we were learning something.

I am not sure the extent to which I can plan the following concept, but I often find myself returning to Kyriacou’s concept of ‘receptiveness’. That is that: “the learning experience must elicit and sustain pupils’ motivation and mental effort.”

It has been many years since I have used interactive games and novelty timers in my classroom (although giving the pupils a choice of ‘bell or dog’ using my teachit timer is always useful!). Instead, I have focussed on making students aware of the purpose of why we are doing what we are doing. Indeed, I distinguish openly between two kinds of boredom.

Boredom 1: Finding something difficult, arduous, tedious, confusing, stressful and/or challenging.
Boredom 2: Not seeing any point in what you are doing.

The first type of boredom is necessary for an expertise to be taught. The second type of boredom, though, is devastating, both for the teacher as well as the student. It is imperative that the teacher adapts the requirements of both the national curriculum and the examinations into something that they feel has purpose beyond number crunching.

Students may not distinguish between those two types of boredom. It is essential that they do. Those students who have experienced excellence in the sporting, artistic or musical realms might realise that the first type of ‘boredom’ is necessary. In fact, they can harness that kind of boredom to sustain levels of concentration and endeavour that other students cannot.

What I think some schools promote, though, is the capacity to sustain the second type of boredom. Passive students are passive learners. While some schools with unremitting social issues would be happy with docile students period 5 on a Friday afternoon (and I have taught there!), the best schools seek for students to be active: to ask, “What is the purpose of us doing this?”

Of course, some a question can be asked vexatiously. But in presuming that such enquiry does not intend to pull the rug from beneath the feet of serious intent, making the students aware of the purpose of the lesson (something helped by a pattern of effective learning objectives and personalised rubrics) helps with motivation. It helps with motivation because I believe that nothing motivates more than achievement, and knowing:

a)  What needs to be achieved
b) How it can be achieved
c) Where you are now so you can move towards that goal

leads to increased student motivation.

Of course, motivation is not as dry as the above indicates. Part of what makes a lesson useful is when the students are receptive. Receptiveness comes profoundly, I think, from knowing the purpose of the lesson. Glib receptiveness comes from telling a facile joke, or using a gimmicky game. Receptiveness in all its forms, however, is perhaps better than none – if someone is not ‘listening’ to what you teach them (regardless of how ‘well-behaved’ they are) then their learning risks only being superficial.

By that I mean that for a paradigm-changing learning experience to take place, the students have to pull their ideas and their thinking from their guts: to do this, they have to trust the teacher, and be receptive to the tasks that will challenge them.

To plan for receptiveness, aside from lesson structure and making the purpose and achievement of the lesson clear (things which are the fundamental parts of receptiveness), I will try to use:

1) Pictures. 
Whether the picture relates directly, or not, to the lesson or activity is perhaps not as important as if the picture is evocative. I will use a variety of flickr images, and in doing so intend to build a library. Metaphorical pictures, and pictures of expressions will be my aim this term.

2) Video. 
Largely for tutor time, although this can be used elsewhere, I will use (and download) videos from YouTube to illustrate points in a clear and stimulating way. Relating points to cultural capital (or perhaps by using points from relevant TedTalks) will be my aim for the term.

3) Quotations from classic theorists, and modern articles. 
Recently I have begun using Evernote. Allowing me to collate notes from pictures, .pdfs and articles in any format, I can begin to develop a library of quotations, quips and relevant elucidations to support the activities in each lesson. Although this has been an aim of mine for many years, this will be a particular aim this term.

Having faffed with programs to install, and with calibre trying to converting .docx to .rtf files, the above is streamless. I’m now enjoying the stories of my class on the (small) silver screen!