Learning | Teaching | Assessment

7 from Sevenoaks

***Innovate* is the journal of the Institute of Teaching and Learning at Sevenoaks School. During 2020 – 21 ITM published seven articles from *Innovate 2020 – 21.***

Creative rethink

Mark Beverley, Director of the Sevenoaks Institute of Teaching and Learning, explains why schools should rethink the idea of creativity.

High-impact feedback

Elen Harris looks at how Sevenoaks School has developed a model for giving high-impact feedback to students, while saving teachers time.

Encouraging questions

Hélène Bonsall looks at the value of student questions, and asks why they are not asked more frequently in class.

Knowledge or skills?

Chris Taylor wonders if the ‘skills / knowledge’ divide is really so deep and, if not, what are the implications for learning and teaching?

Music and dyslexia

Julia Kiggell suggests that understanding connections between dyslexia and mastering a musical instrument can transform learning.

Slow looking

Charley Openshaw, IB teacher and Head of Art recommends the virtues of careful observation and drawing for wider learning.

Inclusive inspiration

Do ‘inclusive’ leadership styles in teachers motivate students? A study by Paul Parham and Gloria Moss suggests there is a significant correlation

Innovate at Sevenoaks

The Institute of Innovation and Learning invites teachers to connect if you would like to be part of their ongoing work.

A defence of poetry

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.

Critically literate

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’.

in Language / learning & teaching / Secondary 0 comments

Personalising ESOL

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 21^st century classroom.

in Language / learning & teaching 0 comments

After completing a stimulating MA at UCL, Adam Seymour was able to explore the possible impact of Barak Rosenshines ‘10 Principles’ in real classrooms with his team at La Côte International School.

in learning & teaching 0 comments

Dynamic review

Forward looking learning

Just how do you undertake a comprehensive review of a well-established and popular international curriculum like the IPC and IMYC? Gregory Biggs looks at the dynamic process being used by Fieldwork Education.

in learning & teaching / Primary / Secondary 0 comments

Music and dyslexia

Instrumental music teacher Julia Kiggell suggests that understanding connections between dyslexia and mastering a musical instrument can help transform a student’s learning.

in Expressive Arts / Inclusion / Secondary 0 comments

Occupational advantage

The benefits of early intervention occupational therapy in school

Rachel Gillespie looks at how in-house occupational therapy is making a big difference to the lives of children and their teachers at a school in Singapore.

in Early Learning / Inclusion / Primary 0 comments

The right mix

Bringing Early Years learning to life

When four complementary approaches to pedagogy come together in the right way, Early Years learning really takes off, suggests Matthew Silvester.

in Early Learning / learning & teaching 0 comments

MAP work

The power of good assessment data

If data from objective testing like MAP are to be useful, students have to take it seriously. Kawai Liu and Sharon Ma look at how Shanghai SMIC Private School helped their students understand the way testing supports them.

in Assessment / Secondary 0 comments