MFL & INCLUSION | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Although I no longer provide CPD in person, elements of the projects and courses I provided have informed almost all of the contents of this site. More specifically:
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MAXIMISING POTENTIAL Maximising Potential is a programme of professional and curriculum development based on experiences in schools over the last ten years or more that have shown that all children can benefit from language learning, but that not all actually do so. That leaves us with the question of why some of them are not learning. Why is it that - despite the best efforts and dedication of their teachers - some of them still aren't reaching their potential? | |||||
The Maximising Potential programme doesn't suggest any tailor-made solutions - every class is different; every pupil is different; what works for some doesn't work for others, etc. So it's flexible: modern language departments, with support of Senior Management, identify their own priorities and design their own programme. What modern language teachers have been saying for some years now is that they know that something has to change, but they don't quite know what. And they don't want to risk making changes that might make things worse. What they want more than anything is some advice about how to go about making changes that will work for them, for their pupils, and don't require fancy resources that they don't have. Maximising Potential provides a programme which aims to help modern language teachers and support staff to work together with a specific class, to identify small changes that will make a big difference to relationships, morale and learning in the shortest possible time. This is a starter pack, with intensive SfL support in the early stages: (1) to kick-start a problem-solving approach to managing learning, and (2) to get the pupils back on board. Once those aims have been achieved class teacher and pupils can move ahead on their own, with occasional help and consultancy from learning support staff - as usual. Key features of the programme:
The more this programme has been used with schools, the more clearly it appears that the foreign language itself is not the problem. What prevents children from learning as well as we would like them to is more generic; the issues that modern language teachers are likely to identify in the course of the project might apply to any subject. The principles which hold good in a modern language class can apply in any subject. | |||||
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SOUND BITE | ||
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The only way to get new ideas and ways of teaching into classrooms is to say to teachers, 'Here are some ideas we think you might like, and if - and only if - you do, you might like to think about using some of them in your work with the children'. Adapted from John Holt How Children Fail | ||
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CPD LINKS | |||
Children in Scotland training and events: http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk/html/tra_list.php Inclusive Education Conferences and events in Scotland: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/inclusiveeducation/aboutinclusiveeducation/researchandreports/conferencesandevents/index.asp Teacher Support Scotland: http://www.teachersupport.info/scotland | |||
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13.2.10 Improving langage learning through the strategic classroom: findings and applications of research | ||
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24.3.10 Improving Second Language Education (Best of Bilash) | ||
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24.3.10 Learning Together: Improving teaching, improving learning | ||
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30.3.10 Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) | ||
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30.4.10 The target language in the MFL classroom: What are the issues, what is the research evidence? | ||
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30.4.10 An article from the George Washington University Centre for Applied Linguistics about software to support concept mapping. | ||
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30.4.10 CILT 14-19 training zone offers CPD for language teachers wanting to learn how to set up a blog, download YouTube clips, create a Vokl, develop internationalism, etc. | ||
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6.6.10 For the General Teaching Council Scotland's advice on the question of staff teaching outwith their subject specialism: "Registration, Subject teaching and Curriculum for Excellence", go to: | ||
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This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. | ||
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Materials accessed by links from this site will be subject to their own copyright terms which should be consulted before downloading or copying. | ||
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