#BlogFriday - A Year of Blog Sharing

Last September, inspired by meeting Rory Gallagher at Northern Rocks 2015, I started a SHoM #BlogFriday, emailing all staff with a blog post to read each Friday morning. This was not part of any official T&L role (but I did run it past the T&L AHT first).

Blog Friday. An easy way to introduce colleagues to the wealth of information, thinking and resources available on the blogosphere, and a good way to connect with people, to start a conversation, to wish them a good day, a great weekend... (Rory wrote <here>)

I hope that staff found it useful. Some provided feedback, and as I said in my final email (for 14/7/16), if one post changed the thinking of one person, it's been worth it. It was interesting when through reading blogs some staff realised things like 'Brain Gym', 'Learning Styles' etc were not a thing anymore - and that actually we would be better off focusing on the more recent work of educational psychology and the 'science of learning'. 

Some of the blogs were ones I had seen that week, others were favourites I had read a while before, some were reactive of staff mood, some were ones I just wanted to share. I tried to use a variety of 'voices' and styles of blogs, just to expose staff to some of what was being thought and written about in wider education circles.

One of the hopes I had was that staff would consider blogging themselves, and my final #BlogFriday was one encouraging staff to blog themselves - starting on Staffrm. Who knows if anyone will take up the challenge? 

I am moving on from my current school at the end of this year. Once, I have settled in my new school and got to know staff, I may suggest starting a St Bon's #BlogFriday. In the mean time, here is the 2015-2016 #BlogFriday roll call...

Also available: http://tiny.cc/blogfriday

SHoM #BlogFriday
Date	Title	Link
11/09/2015	Last Night REsearchEd Saved My Life	https://littlemisslud.wordpress.com/2015/09/06/last-night-researched-saved-my-life/
18/09/2015	#Teacher5aday	https://martynreah.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/teacher5aday/
25/09/2015	Putting Family First	http://johntomsett.com/2014/01/10/this-much-i-know-about-why-putting-your-family-first-matters/
02/10/2015	Science for Learning	http://www.deansforimpact.org/post_Lionel_messi_and_the_science_of_learning.html
09/10/2015	Good to Great Teaching	http://mrjdexter.com/2015/10/03/part-4-from-good-teaching-to-great-teaching/
16/10/2015	10 Silver Arrows	http://headguruteacher.com/2014/10/24/10-silver-arrows-ideas-to-penetrate-the-armour-of-ingrained-practice/
23/10/2015	Achievable challenge: walking the fine line between comfort and panic	https://reflectingenglish.wordpress.com/2015/10/17/tlt15-achieveable-challenge-walking-the-fine-line-between-comfort-and-panic/
06/11/2015	Pupils are uniquely stressed these days	https://englishschooling.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/pupils-are-uniquely-stressed-these-days/
13/11/2015	Modelling Good Speech	http://headguruteacher.com/2015/11/01/modelling-good-speech-lets-talk-properly/
20/11/2015	Great Teaching	https://classteaching.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/what-makes-great-teaching-the-sutton-trust/
27/11/2015	Social Media and Staff	http://staffrm.io/@iteachre/B3ApLyg8eI
04/12/2015	At what cost?	http://readingallthebooks.com/2015/11/28/at-what-cost/
11/12/2015	It's a Wonderful Job	http://behaviourguru.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/its-wonderful-job-christmas-story.html
11/12/2015	The Mystery of Learning	https://reflectingenglish.wordpress.com/2015/12/05/the-unbearable-mystery-of-learning/
18/12/2015	Love Teaching	http://headguruteacher.com/2013/12/20/10-reasons-to-love-teaching/
08/01/2016	Resolutions	http://www.learningspy.co.uk/workload/new-years-resolutions-for-teachers-and-school-leaders/
15/01/2016	Revision Sessions	https://missdcoxblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/12/using-research-to-design-a-revision-session/
22/01/2016	OFSTED Myths	https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2016/01/20/busting-myths-on-ofsted-inspections/
29/01/2016	What if you never marked another book?	https://michaelt1979.wordpress.com/2016/01/20/what-if-you-never-marked-another-book/
12/02/2016	In trying to do so much we do too little	https://reflectingenglish.wordpress.com/2016/01/20/in-trying-to-do-so-much-we-do-too-little/
26/02/2016	Thinking Hard - Practical Solutions	http://www.huntingenglish.com/2016/02/27/thinking-hard-practical-solutions-for-the-classroom/
11/03/2016	Knowledge Organisers	https://pragmaticreform.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/knowledge-organisers/
18/03/2016	Bikes	http://blog.bodil.co.uk/bikes/
14/04/2016	How can we help the weakest catch up?	https://tabularasaeducation.wordpress.com/2016/04/09/weakestcatchup/
21/04/2016	Is effective teaching more about good relationships than anything else?	https://chronotopeblog.com/2016/04/16/is-effective-teaching-more-about-good-relationships-than-anything-else/
29/04/2016	A Few Quick Tips For The Overwhelmed Educator’	http://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/4/21-1
06/05/2016	Homework	http://www.huntingtonlearninghub.com/homework-the-whole-truth-and-nothing-but-the-truth/
13/05/2016	MCQ	http://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/4/3/weekly-digest-4
20/05/2016	Student Effort	http://schoolsimprovement.net/student-effort-holy-grail-school-improvement/
27/05/2016	Weak Arguments and Conspriacy Theories	https://headguruteacher.com/2016/05/22/weak-arguments-and-conspiracy-theories/
10/06/2016	Assessments: Simple but not simplistic	https://mrlock.wordpress.com/2016/06/04/assessment-simple-but-not-simplistic-part-one/
17/06/2016	Why Mental health is too important to get wrong	https://www.tes.com/news/blog/bleeding-inside-why-mental-health-too-important-get-wrong
24/06/2016	Is it Love?	http://tdreboss.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/is-it-love.html
01/07/2016	Do Nows	http://teachlikeachampion.com/blog/alex-laneys-nows/
08/07/2016	12 Points to Great Teaching	https://leadinglearner.me/2016/07/03/12-pointers-towards-great-teaching-assessment-and-learning/
15/07/2016	7 Reasons to Blog	http://www.steve-wheeler.co.uk/2011/07/seven-reasons-teachers-should-blog.html

#TeachFest @ KEGS 22/5/14

Tim Worrall doing Kung-Fu

A few weeks ago, I received a flyer (by email) for another interesting looking event at KEGS in Chelmsford. It promised an informal event of CPD lead by staff from the school (see <here>). We hopped in the car from Upminster and arrived in time for a particularly lovely flapjack and a cup of tea.

First up was Alex Steel discussing his literacy and oracy project with Y8. It gave a fascinating insight into the progress of boys developing the skills of reading aloud to their peers during form time. He explained how by simply encouraging students to read twice during the cheer had had dramatic effects on their confidence and identifying ways to further improve. He is now looking at how he can further develop this scheme more widely in the school.

Next up was Tim Worrall (see above) leading us a overview of Willingham's research into learning methodology. Important reminders about how students learn best are always vital... don't spend your time with attention grabbers or making it all 'pop quiz' and focusing on making it too relvent. Instead use stories, Q&A models and worked examples. Tim cited the work of Joe Kirby (<here> and <here>) which are well worth a read if you haven't already done so. He left us with the thought, that maybe there will be a time in the future when we look back at teaching and can't believe we didn't use psychological research when deciding upon our teaching methods... 

Lastly, Lucy Fryer, James Russell and Fred Midroit took us through their use of Edmodo. I'm a massive fan already and use extensively with KS4 and KS5 classes. They focussed on KEGS drive for deep leadership whereby students are no longer solely reliant on their staff and deep learning where students have a personalised learning journey. It was good hearing they had some of the same frustrations as me, but had some excellent new ideas for how I can continue to build on my usage... get ready for Question of the Day!

Many thanks to Jane Breen for organising and KEGS for hosting. Hopefully there will be a #TeachFest 2 at some point...

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I did get me thinking about my own school and how we need to build towards what Tom has created at KEGS. I think Ross's recent blog <here> explains some of the issues well. My first challenge is getting some more colleagues to attend TMHavering on 1st July...