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Welcome to our final newsletter this term as we begin to look forward to a well-earned break. Last week we welcomed guests and speakers to our Research School for an information evening where we talked about the Research Schools Network; how to set up a research trial; and what our plans are for working with schools and teachers in the Norwich Opportunity Area and beyond.
We were very fortunate to have guest speakers Stuart Kime and Kate Atkins with us to talk about their work, as well as our very own Roger Higgins and Niki Kaiser speaking about Norwich Research School. We're so excited about working with the Opportunity Area,
and think (hope!) our guests felt the same.
We'll be back in January - we hope you all have wonderful holidays!
You can find out more about Norwich Research School at Notre Dame High School here, or you can follow us on Twitter @NorwichRS and check out our website.
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Threshold concepts (and troublesome knowledge)
I have been interested in Threshold Concepts, and how they might help me support students to understand Chemistry, for a while now. I’ve read and blogged about them, used research literature to inform my teaching, and analysed student answers to try and identify them. Threshold Concepts fascinate me, because they conjure up those satisfying “lightbulb moments”, when a whole host of ideas that you’d been struggling to understand suddenly fall into place.
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Re-blogged: Reading for Pleasure
This post originally appeared on Jon Biddle‘s Reading for pleasure site. If you haven’t discovered this absolute treasure-trove of ideas (alongside Jon’s evident joy as he helps his pupils to develop a love of reading), then you are in for a treat. He also co-ordinates this Facebook page. Deer is the name of the class he was teaching at the time. He was lucky enough to teach this class for over two years in the end (and they were lucky enough to be taught by him…).
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Norwich Research Leads Network #NorRel
We are thrilled to announce details of our new (free) training and support programme for Research Leads in the Norwich (and Norfolk) area. Research Leads will receive training, mentoring and support via the Norwich Research Leads Network (#NorRel).
Want to help us shape it?
If you’d like to be involved with shaping and steering the network, please come along to our first network meeting on 5 February. Email Niki Kaiser nkaiser@ndhs.org.uk for more details.
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CPD Courses - now open for booking
Unfortunately our early bird offer is now closed - but schools in the Norwich Opportunity Area can claim 50% off full price places. Get in touch to find out more!
We have based our training model on research into effective CPD, which underlines the importance of a sustained approach, where participants are given time to trial and evaluate approaches, to revisit and review their impact, and to interact and collaborate with peers and mentors. We are looking to help leaders to develop research-informed CPD, teachers to use cognitive science to improve retention and leaders to help use TAs more effectively.
All our training courses take place over three days within a 5-6 month period, with time in between to reflect, evaluate and make real changes that are embedded in their practice.
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The Science of Learning Zone, January to June 2018 - registration LIVE now
The Learning Zone will be a six month online engagement between teachers/neuroscientists/psychologists and educational researchers, where teachers can engage in discussion with researchers on fortnightly topics relating to learning in the classroom. Find out more.
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The Learning Scientists - LIVE now
The Learning Scientists are developing podcasts and running monthly Facebook Live events on the Science of Learning. The podcast is enabling teachers to engage with our material in a new format that has been very popular in the 21st century and is convenient for those with busy lives. In our Facebook Live events, teachers are able to submit their questions to us both prior to the event and in real time during the session, so we are in direct contact with teachers answering their questions with up-to-date information from research. Both formats are helping more UK teachers gain access to research on learning, and help teachers become responsible consumers of research on learning. Find out more.
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Science of Learning MOOC
This course explores how teachers can use the science of learning to improve student academic outcomes in STEM subjects. Learners will address the question "what is learning?"
The course draws on educational neuroscience and psychology, to help interpret learning and behaviour in their class. The course supports teachers to reflect on their practice, to improve their approach and be better informed about how students learn. Students will benefit from teachers’ improved understanding of the plasticity of the brain, or with exposure to some of the ideas in the course will be better placed to understand their own learning potential. Learners will discuss insights, in particular combating neuroscience myths and being better placed to justify why certain teaching approaches are effective. Find out more.
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TEACHER OBSERVATION: NEW EEF TRIAL FINDS NO IMPACT ON PUPIL OUTCOMES
Introducing more frequent and structured lesson observations – where teachers observe their colleagues and give them feedback – made no difference to pupils’ GCSE maths and English results. That was the key finding of the independent evaluation of an Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) trial of Teacher Observation, involving 14,100 pupils in 82 English secondary schools.
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In addition to Teacher Observation, the EEF have recently published the independent evaluation of three further EEF trials of programmes aiming to raise the attainment of disadvantaged children and young people. These are:
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Lesson Study – a collaborative professional development programme that originated in Japan
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Flipped Learning – pupils undertaking some learning prior to lessons, freeing up class time for feedback and personalised support
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Learner Response System – electronic handheld devices providing immediate feedback during lessons.
You can also read more about the evaluations on the Durrington Research School blog and Huntington Research School blog.
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TAKE PART IN A TRIAL OF FLASH MARKING
Meols Cop Research School are currently recruiting participants to take part in a trial to investigate the impact of Flash Marking. This is a school-developed approach in which teachers give skills-based feedback rather than grades in KS4 English. The trial will start from September 2018, with a focus on Year 10 pupils studying English and English Literature, and they are keen to hear from schools who would like to register.
To learn more about what Flash Marking is, and how to get involved in the trial, read What is Flash Marking? on the Meols Cop Research School blog.
Interested in other trials that are recruiting? Take a look here.
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BLOG: EVIDENCE IS ONLY HALF THE STORY
At a recent conference organised by ASSET Education, an Ipswich-based MAT, Andy Samways (Director of Samuel Ward Research School) and Stephen Fraser (Education Endowment Foundation), ran a session on the EEF’s Key Stage 1 and 2 Literacy Guidance reports, thinking particularly about what effective implementation of the recommendations might look like in their classrooms. Following on from this, the EEF’s Stephen Fraser shares his reflections and thinking around the crucial aspect of planning for effective implementation.
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BLOG: ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL…
On Friday 3rd November the Education Endowment Foundation released its latest guidance report: Improving Maths in Key Stage 2 and 3. The report covers eight practical and evidence-based recommendations on areas where there is evidence that school can use to make a significant difference to pupils’ learning.
In this blog, Mari Palmer, Director of the North Yorkshire Coast Research School, examines the equals sign – taken from section six of the report.
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