Improving GCSE results

Some more publicastions from the DFES

This is a booklet you can give to students about how to improve their coursework http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DfES%200678-200MIG1302.pdf

This one is a guidance to using the supplement to the GCSE booster pack which is useful for subject leaders etc. http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DfES%200678-200MIG1047.pdf

This is a link to allow you to order the supplimentary GCSE booster pack, as it can’t be downloaded from the site http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DfES+0678-2004&

A “Doing better in GCSE RS” information sheet for students http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DfES%200678-200MIG608.pdf

A “Doing better in GCSE RS” information sheet for teachers http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DfES%200678-200MIG609.pdf

“Using Whiteboards in Religious Education”

Download a copy of this publication from the DFES - no longer available as a printed copy and so thisi your only way of obtaining it now. http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/1276-2005PDF-EN-01.pdf

Download the National Framework for RS

http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/9817_re_national_framework_04.pdf

Thinking Skills Smartboard files

I came across these when I was looking for thinking skills resources - no idea whether they are any good - so take a look and see what you think http://www.kirklees-ednet.org.uk/subjects/re/resources/thinking_skills_templates.htm

Thinking Skills Resources

Here are some websites and other resources to do with the use of thinking skills:

The QCA’s site which has details about personal, learning and thinking skills in RS - I haven’t looked at them and so I don’t know how useful they will be http://www.qca.org.uk/secondarycurriculumreview/subject/ks3/re/index.htm

The following is from the Nottinghamshire School Workforce Development site - it summorises different strategies, again I have not looked at all of these, so I’m not sure exactly how useful they are. There does not appear to be any thing specifically to do with RS - although therer are suggestions for some subjects. http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/learningandwork/cpd/cpd-teaching/cpd-teaching-thinkingskills.htm

Mike Fleetham’s Thinking Classroom - You can subscribe to a monthly email which gives thinking skills resources with suggestions about how to use them within different subject areas. There are lots of other resources too, including teacher forums. http://www.thinkingclassroom.co.uk/Default.aspx

A free graphic organiser which incorporates De Bono’s 6 hat thinking skills http://www.thinks.co.nz/st_freebies.html

The QCA’s guidance on teaching gifted and talented students and the use of thinking skills http://www.nc.uk.net/gt/re/teaching_thinkingskills.htm

“Teaching expertise” website - this has articles, blogs and lots of other resources http://www.teachingexpertise.com/

The DfES “Standards Site” - this site has case studies and resources including exemplar worksheets http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/secondary/keystage3/casestudies/cs_fs_re_thinking

Developing Independent Learning Skills through Religious Education - A downloadable pdf file http://www.farmington.ac.uk/documents/new_reports/TT204.pdf

Will Ord’s web site which has RS and P4C resources http://www.thinkingeducation.co.uk/reledu.htm

Some Smartboard files for thinking skills from Kirklees-ednet http://www.kirklees-ednet.org.uk/subjects/re/resources/thinking_skills_templates.htm

The Dialogue works site, which has a good overview of what we mean by thinking skills http://www.dialogueworks.co.uk/dw/Thinking%20Skills%20Education.html

The Literacy Trust site - has lots of links etc. http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/Database/thinking.html

This site includes a section called “Teaching Thinking Skills” - this includes specific terms and core thinking skills. http://www.logo.com/twp/vocab.html Also, some free resources http://www.logo.com/twp/teaching_resources.html

A blog entry with a discussion about mind-mapping and concept maps - also includes links to various pieces of software etc http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2006/10/thinking_in_pic.html

An article (very long!) about Concept Maps and how to construct them http://depts.washington.edu/biology/hhmi/conceptmaps/Novak%20et.al.,%202006.pdf

“Making Ideas Come Alive” by Oliver Caviglioli & Tina Detheridge http://www.logo.com/reviews/Making%20ideas%20come%20alive.pdf

“Higher order thinking skills” http://www.northerngrid.org/ngflwebsite/hots/introductiontohots/learning.htm

“Teaching Thinking & Creativity” Includes articles and links to resources http://www.teachthinking.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

The Thinking Curriculum - article by John Nisbet http://www.scre.ac.uk/rie/nl47/nl47nisbet.html

Tony Buzan’s Mind Mapping website http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/

“Teaching Thinking & Creativity” Robert Fisher’s website - has several downloadable articles http://www.teachingthinking.net/

A set of 10 “Thinking Skills” posters to download - no good for RS, but worth looking at if you teach another subject. http://www.bucksgfl.org.uk/resources/mod/resource/view.php?id=2592

Download the KS 3 National Stratgey “Leading in Learning: developing thinking skills at KS3″. There is also a planning template http://www.bucksgfl.org.uk/resources/mod/resource/view.php?id=2589

Download the KS3 National Strategy Exemplification in RS http://www.bucksgfl.org.uk/resources/mod/resource/view.php?id=2606

Assorted documents for subject leaders concerning thinking skills http://www.bucksgfl.org.uk/resources/mod/resource/view.php?id=2616

Lots of files from the brilliant Paul Ginnis, author of the Teachers Toolkit. Many of the ideas are from the book. http://www.pembschool.org.uk/learning/

Information from the Standards Site http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/thinkingskills/resources/?view=get&view=Family+Map

The Thinking Classroom http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/thinking/index.cfm

From Thinking skills to thinking classroom - article www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RB115.doc

Interactive Whiteboard Files

Here are some notebook files I have made to use with Smartboard interactive whiteboards.

Most of them are blank templates, rather than lessons I have used, although there are a couple of lesson files too. There is a real mix of things from games to organisers - take a look and download as many as you want. Theyn range from very basic to not so basic.

Once you have downloaded them open them as usual and then save as a gallery item. this will mean you keep a blank copy of all of the templates to use whenever you want. If you use the Notebook software at home and at school you will need to make sure you save them in both places (does that make sense? - I know what I mean, but I don’t know if anyone else will!). Please leave me any comments or suggestions.

A flowchart http://www.divshare.com/download/800247-882

A Who, What, When, Where, Why How organiser http://www.divshare.com/download/800355-834

A year 7 “What does it meant to be free?” lesson http://www.divshare.com/download/800346-0fb

An uncover the picture activity (20 squares) http://www.divshare.com/download/800343-ef1

Another uncover the picture activity, with 9 squares this time http://www.divshare.com/download/800336-5b3

A grid for taking notes on a topic - students can have their own copy and then come to the board and annotate etc. http://www.divshare.com/download/800333-198

A topic web sheet - can be used in a similar way to the topic grid http://www.divshare.com/download/800322-c19

A summarising actiity http://www.divshare.com/download/800317-2a5

Snakes and Ladders game - great for teaching Hindu ideas about karma http://www.divshare.com/download/800307-7d3

A problem solving activity http://www.divshare.com/download/800304-07f

A picture analysis frame http://www.divshare.com/download/800288-c29

An organisational web frame http://www.divshare.com/download/800284-bc8

Noughts and Crosses game - makes a great starter or plenary http://www.divshare.com/download/800279-302

Match up the pairs - you will need to change the pictures - this can also be used to match up keywords and definitions http://www.divshare.com/download/800277-10f

Link the words with the definitions activity http://www.divshare.com/download/800272-4fb

KWL chart with 4 columns - I use it at the start of a new module with the whole class http://www.divshare.com/download/800264-bfb

Keyword Bingo starter or plenary - you will need to change the words http://www.divshare.com/download/800262-d84

Uncover a picture activity (jigsaw pieces) http://www.divshare.com/download/800258-c00

An inverted triangle to help students summarise the key point of terxt or pictures - again, something they can do individually or in pairs and then collectively on the IWB http://www.divshare.com/download/800254-686

Hangman review activity http://www.divshare.com/download/800251-99d

A “Fact or Opinon” activity http://www.divshare.com/download/800245-4eb

Magnifying Glass - highlights the words connected with a topic http://www.divshare.com/download/800245-4eb

The next five files are all evaluation target boards to help students assess how relevant certain criteria or arguments are to the central question. The individual files allow for 2, 3 ,4, 5 or 6 arguments / pieces of criteria to be considered: http://www.divshare.com/download/800230-aff http://www.divshare.com/download/800227-0c5 http://www.divshare.com/download/800218-1e2 http://www.divshare.com/download/800214-421 http://www.divshare.com/download/800209-704

An organiser to sort decisions and predictions http://www.divshare.com/download/800206-fa0

A connections diagram http://www.divshare.com/download/800198-7dd

Connect4 Game - great for revision - get the students to generate questions and answers and then do the quiz. http://www.divshare.com/download/800194-b9f

A concept comaprison chart http://www.divshare.com/download/800190-a99

A compare and contrast chart http://www.divshare.com/download/800176-4a1

A lesson on children’s rights - it has some slides which are relevant to our school, but would be easy to alter for any school. http://www.divshare.com/download/800170-d5b

A card sort activity http://www.divshare.com/download/800165-9dc

Blockbusters game - you need to add the letters. http://www.divshare.com/download/800164-2eb

A “What if?” activity http://www.divshare.com/download/800162-e39

Another “What if?” activity http://www.divshare.com/download/800144-88a

A ranking exercise http://www.divshare.com/download/800142-3c6

Diamond Hieracrchy - my classes love this and it generates lots of discussion http://www.divshare.com/download/800135-978

Blank anagrams template (4 anagrams on one page) http://www.divshare.com/download/800134-363

An “Agree or disagree” exercise http://www.divshare.com/download/800128-540

A blank 3 circle venn diagram http://www.divshare.com/download/800123-ccc

A blank 2 circle venn diagram http://www.divshare.com/download/800119-57e

An argument sheet http://www.divshare.com/download/800116-67b

A 5Ws exercise http://www.divshare.com/download/800112-6a6