Writing, lifelong learning and gender equity
Tony Dickenson teacher, lifelong learner and writer reflects on gender and equity. How should we be encouraging boys to understand the obstacles that girls face every day?
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Language
Quicker and more reliable? Surely not . . .
Does ‘çomparative judgement’ provide a more reliable – and quicker way to mark written work? Daisy Christodoulou certainly thinks so.
Improving listening skills in Modern Languages and beyond
Head of IB French at Sevenoaks School, Dr Fabienne Cheung, thinks it’s time to challenge traditional approaches to teaching listening skills in Modern Languages.
The essence of curiosity
We now refer to the idea of curiosity almost routinely. But what is it? Holly Warren’s prose poem article provokes us to think more deeply.
Allowing a poetry opt-out is wrong
Just when poetry was becoming really interesting both to teach and even more important to study, it has fallen victim to post-covid curricuum cuts. Jill Pritchard laments the move.
Fake News vs School Libraries
Julian McDougall places school libraries and an effective programme of media literacy in the front line to confront and counter ‘fake news’.
Using Moatboat for teaching EAL
Flora Floris and three of her students in the English Department at Petra Christian University describe the success they have had in using the AR platform Moatboat when teaching EAL.
How ESOL teaching resources are evolving
Lewis Tatt who teachers ESOL at LSI Portsmouth questions whether textbooks are still an effective teaching tool in the 21st century classroom.
The only stupid question is the one never asked
Hélène Bonsall looks at the value of student questions, and asks why they are not asked more frequently in class.
Embracing the complex
Effective language teaching in a multi-cultural international school is a complex undertaking. By embracing this complexity, the International School of Paris aims to ‘go beyond bilingual’ as Primary Principal, Jason Taylor, reports.
Reaching for the oxygen
For Angelo Castelda, if you are going to help others effectively during the ongoing pandemic, you have to make sure you look after yourself as well.
Self-assessment in the online classroom
India is going through a process of educational change, which the pandemic has accelerated. For Gargi Sarkar changes in assessment should be embraced, not resisted.
The Community of Enquiry and literacy development
Stephen Walshe thinks we should set aside time in school for ‘dialogue’ between children, as it can transform progress in the development of literacy.
New online magazine – written for kids, by kids during lockdown
Two sisters in North London take advantage of lockdown to enter the world of digital publishing. Isla McGuckin reports.
Reading the world for children
Orla Redmond has set herself the lockdown task of compiling a reading list of favourite children’s books set in different countries around the world. She needs your help!
Libraries are resource rich, and ready to help
The library is at the centre of any good school campus. Why should things be any different during lockdown? asks Sally Flint.
Why teach Shakespeare?
Sally Flint revisits a classic dilemma – just how relevant is Shakespeare to a modern audience?
Language: The Key to Learning – The Importance of Discussion
In the third of three articles on the development of language in schools, Orla Redmond examines the value of discussion as a learning tool.
12 titles that include children’s seasonal classics as well as new books published in 2019 .
Books to make you laugh, books that share a little magic and books to help us appreciate the world around us. Collated by Jan Homden with links through to Amazon – just cick on the book covers.
December stories for children
It’s that time again with rehearsals for a festive show/performance, assessments & report writing, parties to organise, etc. etc. Curated by Jan Homden here are stories on line to dip into over the coming weeks that are all beautifully narrated.
Understanding dementia
Sally Flint talks to ITM about her new book ‘I Love My Grandpa’ in which she explores dementia from a child’s perspective.
Young learners and language acquisition
For Tessa Lochowski it just makes sense for teachers to use their knowledge of developmental stages in the early years when targeting effective English language acquisition.
Parents and librarians working together
For School Librarian, Sally Flint, a great library is a living and breathing organism, filled with users’ laughter, love and thrills. Parents are an important part of the mix.
The International Writing Project
The International Writing Project (IWP) has been encouraging teachers to develop their own skills and write for enjoyment for nearly 30 years. Apart from being fun, there is an underlying pedagogical rationale: the research suggests that better writers become better teachers of writing. Co-founder and Co-Director, Elly Tobin looks back.
Transforming libraries
Since being knee high to a grasshopper Sally Flint has been reading books. Writing and education have been her passions. It was inevitable that she would become an English teacher and librarian! Here she offers six tips for transforming a good library into a great learning hub.
Language and learning
In the second of a series of articles on Language: The Key to Learning, Orla Redmond builds on her tips for creating a communication-rich classroom and examines ways to develop vocabulary.
Bridging a divide through lifelong learning
Tony Dickenson believes the relationship between teacher and student is evolving. Today, a more holistic approach, centred on inquiry requires a “collective approach,” with teacher and student exploring these concepts side by side.
The importance of practising essential writing skills for EAL learners
As an adult or as a student, becoming competent in a language means being able to listen and understand, to speak and make meaning while using it to read and write. Elly Tobin reflects on implications for those learning in a range of subjects using English, as a second language.
Setting up for reading
In school libraries around the world, ‘leveling’ texts to match them to a child’s level of reading development is accepted practice. Uma Shankar Singh thinks we ought to think again – carefully.
Supporting EAL learners
According to Elly Tobin. the needs of learners in international schools have changed dramatically over recent years and at Consilium we have seen a shift from school populations being largely English speaking expats to host national students with limited inital English proficiency seeking an international education through the medium of English.
It will not be long before the number of British schools franchised for overseas campuses reaches the 100 mark. According to Nick Chaddock the explosion of British schools throughout the world shows no sign of slowing, and this phenomenon raises some important issues for EAL learners, as they master ‘academic’ English.
Creating a communication rich classroom
In the first of three articles about language as the key to learning, Orla Redmond examines ways of creating language-rich primary classrooms, which encourage the kind of talk that will stimulate thinking.
The importance of listening to stories
Children and students retain more information, and also gain greater understanding, when they hear someone read to them, argues Stephen Murgatroyd, Head of Libraries at Bangkok Patana School.
Proofreading as a skill to improve writing.
Proofreading is generally considered the last part of the editing process during which students check for errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Chris Jay believes it can be so much more.
An authentic East meets West approach in the classroom
International schools in China, especially Preschools or Kindergartens, have, over the past couple of years, began to rethink their approach to delivering their curriculum. Stephen Walshe emphasises the importance of a school structure in which school leaders and teachers are visible models of cross-cultural understanding, cooperation and communication.
Using the Field-Tenor-Mode matrix to support EAL writing and textual analysis
Language curricula in international education place increasing significance on student ability to produce and analyse a range of text types. The Language Acquisition and Language B Courses of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years and Diploma Programmes are good examples of this trend.
Chris Jay reports how the “Field-Tenor-Mode” analytical approach can build understanding of English texts.
The importance of home languages
Much has recently been written highlighting the importance of a child’s mother tongue (or “home language”). Susan Stewart, describes the advantages of putting home languages at the centre of a school’s curriculum.
How to avoid under-performance in IELTs
An increasing number of students in international schools, including those following IB Diploma courses are sitting the IELTS and similar examinations of language competence, but many under-perform. Chris Jay provides some useful guidance on how to avoid pitfalls and achieve success.
The importance of mother tongue language in education
A consequence of the ever-increasing popularity of international schools is the growth in the number of children learning in a language other than their first. This can open opportunities for the individual but, as Carolyn Savage explains, continuing to develop the mother tongue is vital to enhance learning.
Collaborative learning project
Over the last three years, the EAL departments at Island School in Hong Kong and the International School of Brussels have been working together on a joint language initiative. With a focus on peer learning and collaboration, the project has brought significant benefit to IB English Language B students at both schools. Chris Jay reports from Hong Kong.
Establishing a profile
Susan Stewart was Head of Languages at the International School of London (Surrey) and believes that students should not be expected to ‘park’ their languages at the door. By developing an academic level of their mother tongue language, in addition to English, these students are able to keep their future options open.