Children look forward to learning when it is presented in a fun and exciting way. Especially in the preschool years. It is important to hold their attention to ensure that they are absorbing most or all of the new knowledge that is being offered to them. An alphabet a week is a popular way of teaching a single letter of the alphabet in different ways. Repetition of the same letter repeated throughout the week in songs, stories and activities makes it easier for the child to grasp. Everyone agrees that children love learning through activities.

Children are easy to please, you just have to make sure that you are satisfied with the overall arrangement of things. Arrange parties and field trips with like minded parents. You may even want to have a special “field trip” day once a week that includes other children.

It is important to hold the attention of the preschoolers to ensure that they are absorbing most or all of the new knowledge that is being offered to them. It is easy for them to drift a little when at home in their own environment. You may want to consider making a part of a room a classroom that is just for school time. This way it is special, when the child is there is will be different than just being at home.

If home preschool is your choice, keep looking for fresh ideas so it is always exciting and your child will be eager for the special time with you.

by Tommy Thompson.

Author info: For more information about preschool activities, please visit us at Home Preschool

Accessed on Friday, January 26, 2007

By Mark Hirst

28th January 2007.

What is Life Coaching?

Life Coaching uses effective techniques to enable you to understand your strengths, takes you through a process to identify strategies and steps so that you can unlock the true potential within yourself in every area of your life

Coaching is a relationship where you are the focus.
Your coach will listen to your words and what’s behind them, even when you can’t hear it in yourself.

Coaching makes you accountable and keeps you moving forward towards your dreams and goals.
Within coaching you are allowed to share your dreams, aspirations, values and passions in your life.

What self-limiting beliefs have you got that hold you back?
Coaching allows you to break free of these self-limiting beliefs and then watch yourself move forward.

Who hires a coach?

If you read the papers you would think its only celebrities that hire coaches, this is untrue people from all ages and backgrounds seek a professional life coach to assist them move forward

Is Life Coaching for me?

Consider the following: -

• Did you achieve everything you wanted to during 2006? If not, what stopped you?
• What three things do you want to achieve during 2007?
• Do you know how to achieve these goals by yourself?
• You know yourself better than anybody else.

How does coaching fit in with my child’s education?

From your answers to the last set of questions you may have rightly thought that 2006 was a successful year. Getting back to work, finally getting the overdue promotion or just managed to have that long overdue holiday.

However, did you consider within you success the requirements of your children’s education? I am sure you did in one way or another. If not don’t worry, this is not a shock tactic to make you feel guilty but to make you aware of how 2007 can be better for everyone within you household.

How many areas and tasks within our busy lives do we try to complete every day? The travel to and from work or getting the children from school is taking longer now, due to those road works. Having to work later to meet the deadlines of an over bearing demanding boss.

Going to a fitness class twice a week to become a healthy fitter person.

There are only so many hours in the day, so what gives, when your child approaches with a request for help with homework? Is the reply ‘Its ages since I was at school I wont be able to help’ a true reflection, or is it that you are genuinely busy or worn out?

Maybe all your child needed was ten minutes for you to chat about your own life experiences to assist with a school project. Then don’t despair because that is where life coaching comes into play. This will assist you to achieve a total balance in every area of your life. As a result you should be able to do everything you wish and most importantly make valuable time to aid your child’s development.

The two life balance coaching wheels shows this in more detail. Each area is scored out of ten, in relation to the total fulfilment the person has within that area. (10 totally satisfied).

This first wheel shows a person who has total balance.

This second wheel shows someone who is not in total balance in the area of family/children.

When looked at more closer the two areas that need to be addressed is a Family meal twice a week and Aware of Homework needs. Both only were scored as six. However, if one really wants to achieve a positive balance, then they can, providing they are able to take stock and perform a detailed self-assessment of the current position, one can look upon this task as a yearly MOT. It can be compared to the yearly car MOT, however, if you had the car serviced at regular intervals during the year then hopefully not much work is required to pass the test which will save money and the ensure a longer life of the vehicle. Therefore in coaching it is advisable to set short, medium and long term goals for you to aim for and achieve. It also helps to write these goals down, share them with some one and constantly review them.

The example given above will be achieved if the individuals looked at his or her own time management. By keeping a daily journal for time spent throughout the day. This would enable them to identify wasted time by measuring the outcomes and quality of time given to each area. Then any wasted time can be spent during the next day or week to have the family meal or look at the homework when presented. Procrastination is one of the main reasons people don’t achieve all the things that they wish to in life.

Therefore having and working on clear defined goals can be very rewarding when you look back and see what you have achieved not only for yourself but that of your children.

Can coaching be used to aid study time?

The coaching wheels are a good tool to use in other areas, take the students during key stage four leading up to the all important exams which can be hard for any 14-16 year old to manage. However, by using the wheels they can work on clear defined goals to enable sufficient study time for all subjects and still be able to enjoy other activities at such an important time in their life.

Mark is a qualified life coach and offers coaching by telephone or in person in the Doncaster, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and York areas.

For more information contact: info@keen2learn.co.uk

A documentary shown on BBC2, on 23rd January 2007 “The Madness of Modern Families” revealed the extraordinary lengths parents will go to maximise their child’s performance at school. Moving house to the catchment area of the ideal school, surreptitious comparisons with peer group performance and the manipulation of homework ranked high in the armoury. Yet there is an easier and vastly more effective role that parents could play legitimately.

Homework is a means to an end. Classroom lessons are significantly shorter than you might think. Conventional interruptions take their toll – registration, handing back homework, setting the next homework, dealing with unruly elements, getting equipment out and putting it away- all conspire to erode the lesson by around 65%.

A key to a child’s performance is the retention of learning. Studies show that a classroom lesson with the teacher talking only 5% is retained. This improves with the addition of audio visual to 20% and in discussion groups it lifts to 50%. But the real biggy is often the most difficult to apply in class. Practising doing accounts for a massive 75% in learning retention. No shock perhaps when you consider that “practise makes perfect”.
Practise in the classroom is limited by time, availability of equipment and the pace of any one child. Slower learners get left behind, fast ones get bored waiting.

Homework is the inevitable answer. Its function is to facilitate the practise function and get children used to working on their own ( good practise for exams). But exercise and text books aren’t the most stimulating method, and if working on their own is critical why are they with 30 others in class?

Modern technology in teaching resources has developed beyond imagination over the pat 5 years. Interactive DVD’s teaching aids, games and on-line broadband facilities used in school are now also available to parents to reinforce the classroom lessons at home. Spending time at the pace of your child covering all aspects of the key stages of the National Curriculum develops a fun way to practise learning; developing confidence and competence and hit the75% retention level.

You do not have to be teacher to develop this interaction with your child. 30 minutes a night can make a huge difference. Forget moving house or manipulating homework, the most positive support you can give is great fun and right under your nose at home.

In response to the article “The 10 greatest inefficiencies in UK Education”. It is gratifying to note that others are seeing the same flaws. Perhaps the most significant outcome is the retention of learning. The consequences of the inefficiencies result in a need to make best use of the remaining time available. This has led to the “teach to test” syndrome. Passing tests as the basis for schooling misinterprets the function of learning as the ultimate route knowledge.

The solution may be difficult and long term. The educational system seems to be a constant state of repair rather than progression. Unfortunately major changes or planned improvements can take a generation to assess effectiveness.

If the UK educational machinery is misfiring the significant factors are perhaps the parochial moves taken by a parent to maximise the education of their child. Moving house, adopting a temporary religion and manipulating homework appear to be de rigour. But there is another route that hidden in one of the main failings.

The National Training Laboratories in the USA evolved levels of learning retention linked to the different forms of learning. Only 5% is retained from just a classroom lesson! Differing forms of reinforcement create improved levels of retention, e.g. audio visual 20%, demonstration 30%. But the most significant and open to all parents is the practice in doing activity that accounts for 75% retention. The initial teaching in class should therefore be reinforced with dramatic effect by the parent at home.

Manipulating homework, the subject of a recent BBC documentary is merely treating the symptom and of no practical benefit to the child. Parents are now able to practise the lesson at home using the huge selection of modern technology based teaching aids used in school now available for home use. Interaction between parent, child and teacher can build confidence at a child’s own pace at home leading to competence at school. A general improvement in ability leads to an enjoyment in the subject area and can spark a desire for knowledge and future development.

Alistair Owens keen2learn

How efficient is the UK education system in meeting its core goals and values? Indeed, what are they?

In The Times July 5^th Daniel Finkelstein discusses the book ‘Built to Last’ by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras (Random House) and how David Cameron is following the guidance in the book to find the core values of the Tory party.

So how do we find the core values of UK education? The book suggests that “when you want to do something like run a school, you ask “Why”. Five or six iterations of “Why?” and you might begin to hit your core.”

So what are the core values of education?

1) A core value of state education in the UK seems to be that schools and universities should not make a profit and in this regard the sector is probably 100% efficient;

2) Another core value of state education seems to be that schools should be public sector monopolies with, therefore, no real competition or choice. In this regard the sector is also roughly 100% efficient; in Brighton this month for example, there is only one unfilled place at any secondary school. Local parents therefore have no real choice and local schools need not worry about parents moving their children to a competing school;

3)Of course, the most important core value is that of educating our children. In this regard it is clear that the sector is 53% efficient, according to the latest government survey which reported that there are 15m barely numerate adults in the UK; and nearly 47% of children leave school every year adding to this number. This inefficiency blights the lives of generations of Britons, so what are its causes?

The 10 Greatest Inefficiencies in UK Education

For the past 200 years education in the UK has displayed the following inefficiencies. If ever there was a sector waiting for modernity to revolutionise it, it is education:

1) MEMORY RETENTION

Symptom: The Sunday Times reported that comparative studies show that formal learning has an efficiency rate of 5% – 10%. Pupils taught through conversation and discussion remember up to 40% more;

Solution: Aligning building design, learning platform technology, teaching styles and commercial model will provide the time and financial incentive to provide more informal learning opportunities whilst making formal learning more interesting, accessible and effective;

2) WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN

Symptom:“Life in Classrooms” the classic 1968 study by anthropologist Philip Jackson showed that children in school spent up to 50% of their time waiting. Roland Meighan, formerly a special professor of education at Nottingham University measured children in a primary school spending 60% of their time “waiting for something to happen”;

Solution: Effective use of a learning platform, aligned with appropriate building design, learning styles and better teacher support and preparation, means that students would never have to wait;

3) PREPARATION and MARKING

Symptom: Teachers spend as much time preparing for classes and marking work, as they do talking to and engaging students.

Solution: Effective use of learning platforms by the faculty management teams, some of whom may never teach, will allow teachers to get their teaching time back.

4) BUREAUCRACY

Symptom: Bureaucracy has increased to the point where it is breaking the back of teachers, and crowding out teaching time. Bureaucracy is a symptom that the organisation’s operations and core values are not aligned; thereby requiring an independent army of target setters and checkers to direct and police the performance of the organisation. Bureaucracy is a name and shame exercise: no wonder teachers are demoralised: it’s a witch hunt.

Solution: Define the core value as educating children and then deregulate the sector so that it can operate as it sees fit to fulfill those core values. There will be no need for bureaucracy because competition and choice will raise standards, just as it does in every other sector of the economy from books and newspapers, to cars, phones and holidays.

5) DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR

Symptom: Lack of control in classrooms disrupts lessons and wastes teaching time. In failing schools it is endemic.

Solution: The Education Bill brings forward new powers for schools and teachers to handle disruptive behavior effectively. New building design and learning platform technology, including surveillance camera integration, will collect evidence effortlessly and efficiently and enable management teams to manage the problem effectively. Excess private capacity and, therefore, real competition between school management teams will ensure that every school manages this problem effectively.

6) CURRICULUM RIGIDITY

Symptom: Why run before you can walk? Why teach the whole curriculum before students show mastery of at least one part of the curriculum? Why teach anything until students have appreciated why they need to learn at all? Why waste so much time and so many years effectively teaching nothing, according to government reports, to 47% of the school population?

Solution: Align school design, learning technology, teaching philosophy and commercial interest so that ALL students, of EVERY ability range, are personally looked after by a STABLE management team throughout their school career; a management team with the common objective of sparking a thirst for independent learning in every student, according to their personal preferences.

7) MOTIVATION

Symptom: 15m barely numerate adults, according to the government’s latest report and 47% of the school population leaving school in a similar condition every year, points to a lack of motivation at every level: parent, student, teacher, head, managers and government. It’s hard to feel motivated when failure is so routine and so endemic.

Solution: Today is different. We have the technology to end the scarcity of educational resources, to manage all students individually, including the disruptive ones, and help them. We have the political will to allow the wind of entrepreneurial flair to blow into the sails of the public sector because the age of ideological and now rhetorical politics is drawing to an end.

Today we have all the tools to get the job done: soon the motivation and aspirations of parents, teachers, heads, managers, shareholders and government will rise to the challenge: to educate all our people, not just half of them.

QUALITY OF TEACHING

Symptom: Good teachers leave the profession every year in droves: the job is tough; the paperwork is oppressive; the behavior is frightening; progress is slow and depressing; In the wider economy, the pay is much better, careers move faster and jobs are more flexible; .

Solution: Deregulate education: allow the wind of entrepreneurial flair to blow into the sails of the public sector. Encourage excess private capacity, paid for by the private sector. Encourage real competition. Encourage real choice: not just for parents and students, but for teachers too. Allow new products to be developed. New revenues streams to be invented. New career paths to be offered. Today is the Knowledge economy and high quality teachers will be the superstars of the economy: provided the knowledge economy is deregulated

9) TECHNOLOGICAL

Symptom: Millions spent on technology but still we have 15m barely numerate adults, according to the government’s latest report and 47% of the school population leaving school in a similar condition every year.

Solution: Deploy the new technologies specifically to remove the inefficiencies highlighted above. Align building design of new schools with the new teaching styles and management techniques that the new technology facilitates and which will more efficient and effective in educating the whole population.

10) FINANCIAL

Symptom: Schools facilities are old and antiquated; schools themselves are continually cash-strapped and cannot pay teachers a salary which is commensurate with what they will earn for their technical and managerial skill-set in the broader economy. Schools cannot borrow to invest in their facilities. In short, schools are not dynamic, entrepreneurial businesses operating in the economy’s fastest growing sector: they should be.

Solution: The new Education Bill creates a statutory obligation for local authorities to promote choice. At the same time the bill deregulates the sector and allows schools to manage their own businesses and partner with the private sector. Government and local authorities should encourage the private sector to create not just new capacity, but excess capacity, so that there is real choice and real competition in the sector. This new private sector investment will drive improvements far more quickly and far more profoundly than the too slow, 15 year Building School for the Future government programme, which it would replace and make redundant within just a few years.

Article from http://www.educentre.co.uk/?p=17

accessed 25th January 2007

The following people are the winners in the recent MyChild competition. They each have won a Home pack of Talking Dice.

Talking Dice are just one of around 1000 products available from keen2learn. All are matched to the National Curriculum and allow parents to reinforce classroom lessons at home in a fun and relaxed way. Teachers are very much in favour of parents taking a more active role in supporting their child. By practising key lessons at home using a variety of CD ROM’s, board games and teaching apparatus available from keen2learn, children can achieve around 75% retention of learning* – compared to just 5% when they listen in class lesson only. All products are great fun and provide a fantastic platform to help your children understand at their own pace, building the confidence and competence that will support them back at school.

* Research by the National Training Laboratories.

Winners:

Tracy Gladman of Benfleet
Caroline Cook of Horsham
Jackie Oneill of Sheperton
Stephanie Acaster of Goole
Laura Todd of Manchester
Margaret Remmer of London
Gail Noel of Colchester
Helen Sahl of Newquay
Tina Beard of Bicester
Sandra Rubery of Halesowen

The pressure on headteachers seems to be constantly growing. The conventional emphasis on teaching and coaching skills now being replaced by the need to manage a complex business with a significant budget. The financial management, human relations and the constant flow of adjustments to curriculum and teaching practices take their toll.

Currently there are shortage of around 2400 headteachers with some vacancies being open for over 18 months. With a potential renumeration package in six figures it can’t be the salary. Listening to teachers the stress level of leading a large school is disproportionately high requiring new skills to manage, and possibly accounting for the reluctance of deputy heads wishing to take promotion.

With schools running without a “Managing Director” the leadership strategy, operating policy and the myriad of other duties are being offloaded to deputies, detracting from their primary duties. Of greater concern perhaps are the number of Head Teachers that are due to retire in the next five years that will put a further burden on the system.

With teachers acting under the pressure to achieve assessment standards, adopt changes in the curriculum and SAT’s you would wonder how the system copes. Perhaps those watching on the touchline need to lend a hand.

Parents have the very real ability to make a difference. Most parents want the best for their child and would move mountains to try and gain an advantage. Moving house to an ideal school catchment areas, hiring tutors if they can be found – and then zealously guarded demonstrates the financial commitment made by some parents, but there is another option open to all parents that hold significant benefits. Compelling evidence proves reinforcing classroom lessons at home using the modern teaching resources available has a substantial benefit to a child in building confidence, and developing ability and enthusiasm back at school.

Studies show that 75% of learning is retained through practise doing, compared to just 5% with listening to a classroom lesson only.This huge opportunity to boost a child’s understanding and performance is best achieved at home where the relaxed environment and time to go over a lesson at the ideal pace can be supported by a parent, grandparent, uncle and aunts.

A recent survey of teachers revealed overwhelming support to mobilise parents in this way. Back at school the opportunity to reinforce the lesson through practice is surprisingly limited, involving 30 pupils all requiring access to the resource and the teacher in lesson time.

The proactive relationship you can build with the teacher will give you a greater understanding of the curriculum, boost your child’s confidence and ability and relieve some of the pressure on the school. The benefits you can achieve are substantial, and we have to recognise that it is doubtful the general situation in schools will change dramatically during your child’s tenure, and we may have run out of headteachers.

We would like to apologise to all our many customers and visitors who tried to use keen2learn on the 20th January 2007. Unfortunately our DNS provider was attacked by a misguided person or persons who thought it a splendid move to interrupt the operations of some 650,000 web sites. If only we could harness the obvious technical ability of these misguided individuals towards the greater good. In the meantime we would like to offer them a free course in citizenship from the National Curriculum – which they may find a good read and rather more rewarding in the long term.

Parental involvement has been touted as one of the contributing factors to high student achievement, and Allen County schools in the USA have taken notice.

Districts nationwide have begun offering literacy programmes geared toward parents – especially at the primary level where a scheme of sharing the work has been introduced. Parents are invited into the school to see and hear how the subject is being taught, allowing them to provide really effective support at home.

“If we don’t share with parents how we teach reading and writing today, parents revert back to the way they were taught and it’s very different and can conflict with what we’re trying to teach”, said Northwest Allen County Schools Assistant Superintendent Gloria Shamanoff.

Highland Terrace also offers a “Building Bridges with Books” programme, which gives parents a way to take part in their child’s reading experiences. The programme has children read a book, then discuss characters, themes and other elements with a parent, who fills out a “Reader’s Log.” After completing a set number of logs, the student receives a reward.

Kindergarten parents Dax and Abrielle Thomas wrote, “When we read with our children … we are empowering their minds. We become teachers of all subjects being read and listeners to all ideas being shared. To us, it is a priceless freedom we can reveal to them.”

Mike Sinacola, whose son Nicolas is a second-grader at the school, said, “This programme has changed his attitude. Nick, like every other typical boy, didn’t care to read that much.” Sinacola said he and his wife, Christine, became active in Nicolas’ academics and saw changes in their son’s attitude. “Having parent support at home is an important role,” he said.

The Indiana Department of Education released a brochure on parental involvement, reminding parents that involvement in their child’s education makes a difference. A 2001 study by Westat and Policy Studies Associate for the U.S. Department of Education showed student achievement improved as parents took active roles in their child’s education.

Cedar Canyon parent Jennifer Lew volunteers in her son’s first-grade class once a week and helps students with reading and writing skills. “A couple kids have trouble with reading, and I’ve seen them improve,” she said.

Lew began volunteering to be involved in the classroom in the Northwest Allen County school, but soon learned that by seeing first-hand what her son Logan was learning in school, she was better able to help him with school work at home. “It does make a difference,” she said. Logan isn’t the only one benefiting from Lew’s presence in school. First-grader Christian Olney said, “She helps me a lot when I get frustrated when I mess up.” The 7 1/2 -year-old was quick to add, “It’s not like she’s giving me all the answers. She just helps me a little.”

Sometimes that’s all students need, said first-grade teacher Brenda Weber – a little help. “I would like to think it makes a big impact,” said Weber, who has six parent volunteers who come in Monday through Friday for an hour a day. “Parents are the first teacher,” she said.

Cedar Canyon does not yet have a literacy program for parents, but Reading Recovery teacher Jennifer Ashley said, “A lot of parents call, asking what they can do to help their child at home.” On the first day of school, she spoke with kindergarten parents about ways to work with their children on reading. “It’s key because if a child does not have the confidence to read and succeed, it affects all aspects (of his or her education),” Ashley said.

“Often times parents think they’re doing enough to help by having their child read at home, but there’s so much more you can do to help your child become a better reader,” such as explaining cause and effect, reading for detail, etc., Smith said. “We want to help parents be better teachers for their children.”

How to Nurture early readers the Indiana Youth Institute offers parents these tips:

1. Read daily to your child
2. Take your children to the public library and help them obtain their own library cards.
3. Reread books and pause during your reading to allow your child to finish sentences.
4. Have older children read to younger siblings.
5. Play games that involve reading.
6. Read aloud to them even if they can read alone.

Sourced from http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/16471940.htm 17th Jan 2007

Innovative Therapies, PC, under the direction of Speech/Language Pathologist, Aditi Eve Silverstein, MA, CCC-SLP, has been offering specialized therapies to patients throughout Virginia, the United Kingdom and Europe since 1992.

Scientific Learning Corporation, founded in 1996, combines the latest advances in brain research and technology to create products and services that develop learning and communication skills. Fast ForWord products, based on more than 30 years of neuroscience research, are Internet and CD-ROM programmes that develop the fundamental language skills that are the building blocks for communication and reading success. Later that year, a second field trial, with almost 500 students in 19 schools across the U.S., replicated earlier results, showing gains of 1-2 years in 4 to 8 weeks of working on Fast ForWord Language software.

Since Innovative Therapies had been offering other therapies in the UK and abroad since 1992, Ms. Silverstein was given special permission by Scientific Learning Corporation (distributors of the Fast ForWord programmes) to provide the programme to her clients in the UK. Over sixty children in the UK with dyslexia, autism, auditory processing deficits and specific language disorder have received the Fast ForWord programmes under the guidance of Innovative Therapies. British children have exhibited the same significant improvements in speech, language and reading skills as has been demonstrated by students in the United States.

Based on the great successes of Fast ForWord in the United States, in early 2003, the Company expanded its offering of Fast ForWord programmes in the UK. Building on its relationship with Ms Silverstein in the US and her practitioner and client base in the UK,

To see these products click here.

keen2learn’s primary role promotes the opportunity to reinforce lessons at home. This allows children to use a variety of learning resources and practice doing the lesson content. Part of the exercise compensates for the lack of time available at school, and allows the child to learn and practice at their own pace reinforcing the lesson at home to build their confidence.

Seventy five percent (75%) of learning retention comes from practice in doing compared to 5% from listening to a lesson (the Learning Pyramid).

There is a further reason for the practice at home exercise. Some schools do not have the equipment needed to complete this vital process. Critically this is common in science subjects. We promote a high quality range of science teaching resources from Edu-Lab that have been selected for their suitability for home use. We thought you might, however, like to see the recent submission of evidence from Edu-Lab to the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, which defends the need to include more practical aspects of science teaching at school. Have we really forgotten that much about Sir Karl Popper’s philosophy already?

EDU-LAB SUBMISSION IN RESPONSE TO CALL FOR EVIDENCE SCIENCE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS. THE ROLE OF THE PRACTICAL AND HOW MICROSCIENCE CAN HELP.

Background

We at EDU-LAB believe that it is not possible to learn – and therefore teach – science unless the student can be given the opportunity to ‘do science’. Practical work is probably the most important part of teaching the subject: it is the defining characteristic of science learning. It involves the student in what is going on, arouses his interest and keeps his attention and, because it is totally relevant to every aspect of everyday life, can stimulate a wide ranging desire to experiment further.

We would like to propose that consideration be given to a solution using a unique system of Microscience equipment with curriculum linked worksheets and guides. It involves a revolutionary approach which changes practical work to neat, compact and efficient procedures.

A recent study carried out by UNESCO revealed that most schools do not do anywhere near the amount of practical work that they should. Reports of concern continue to illustrate that the number of science qualifications is reducing. This is found at all levels in education systems around the world.

Challenges Facing Science Teachers: Lack of Practical Work

Some of the hindrances that face teachers at both Secondary and Primary levels are:

• lack of suitable laboratory facilities
• lack of specialist training
• safety risks pertaining to personal and environmental issues
• length of time needed for practical work
• lack of time
• insufficient worksheet material
• lack of teacher support

These hindrances are aggravated by factors such as:

• costs
• old fashioned experimental techniques
• dated equipment
• negative perceptions caused by demonstration of experiments

Responding to the Challenges

Microscience techniques alleviate all of these challenges to effective delivery of practical science. EDU-LAB has been driving and coordinating the Microscience approach for the last 12 years, and are pleased to have had some real success in bringing practical science experience to large numbers of children. Alongside the benefits to the students, microscience techniques and equipment overcome the problems of cost, lack of facilities, time and safety, and the worksheets bring fresh, new, relevant topics to the students. Teacher guidance and support are also available. With microscience, practical science is coming back into our schools. We would like this process to be speeded up to meet the compelling needs of the 21^st century.

In order to increase momentum on this initiative, we are now at a stage where support from an influential body like the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology would prove beneficial. We give examples below on how this might be achieved.

MICROSCIENCE Approach to Practical Work

The Global Picture

Microscience is being adopted throughout the world as a method both to allow effective practical science in schools and universities and to enable industry to meet the challenge of increasing difficulties with safety and environmental protection.

Industry has given a clear lead in its approach to laboratory work and is perhaps the best source of inspiration. Broadly speaking, by ‘going small’ – using minute volumes of chemicals and reagents – industry has created new opportunities for practical work at a lower running cost. The huge strides made by the medical and research laboratory fraternity have been fueled by:

• the HIV crisis
• great strides in medical diagnostics
• rapid development of DNA research and diagnosis
• advancement of forensics investigation techniques
• greater understanding of molecular biology and biotechnology techniques in general.

Clearly this new direction for science needs to be more formally embodied in the science learning process if we are going to excite and enthuse potential scientists. Taking this into account, a project was conceived and instigated in 1994 which involved bringing these techniques into practical science teaching. This project has involved hundreds of academics and research institutions worldwide, in which several million students have participated.

The UK Perspective

Microscience has been strongly supported by the most prestigious bodies in science education, including the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Association for Science Education. The ‘Whodunit Event’ in 2003 organised by Planet Science in conjunction with the DfES brought these techniques to around 30,000 schools in the UK.

It is a simple system which nevertheless has the sophistication needed to meet most of the requirements of examination specifications to AS and A levels as well as exciting students at KS2, KS3 and KS4. Of greatest significance is the potential of Microscience to enthuse students, allowing each one to have meaningful hands-on experience.

Experience shows that school students find Microscience to be both refreshing and a real aid to understanding. Teachers who have used it are excited by its potential to revolutionise teaching and learning and to free up precious time by greatly reducing the time required for practicals. Senior Managers are interested in the reduced need for laboratories and substantial savings in costs and storage. Where technicians are in short supply, Microscience can overcome the often consequential limit to practical work as preparation and clean-up require very little time.

Microscience is continually being refined and expanded.

Schools using the new video-conferencing route to teach AS and A chemistry and physics will have microscale practicals built into the course and materials supplied as part of the package.

Now, for the first time, Microscience techniques are being included in the Schemes of Work, textbooks, and In-Service training programmes. Groups such as QCA, OCR, Edexcel and AQA, as well as the Welsh and Scottish education authorities, are taking up Microscience as an excellent option for practical work in science. Science Learning Centres and some Universities are also involved in the programme. The programme uses items of equipment that are used in the real world, and comprises the following key elements:

• Microscience equipment items
• Microscience kits of equipment
• worksheets geared to the national curriculum
• guides for teachers
• teacher training programmes

Benefits of This Approach

Some of the benefits at both primary and secondary level are listed below:

• Accuracy of results
• Safety – in use and in waste disposal
• Systematic lab procedure
• Since the quantities are so small, they make minimal demands on technician time, even at A Level
• Chemical reagents are available in volumes and concentrations needed, making a substantial difference to preparation time
• Experiments are far less time-consuming and avoid large amounts of waste
• Washing-up is simple and storage space is a fraction of that required for traditional practicals
• Low cost – savings on apparatus and chemical costs
• User friendliness
• Children quickly learn the techniques needed to work in small scale, they have often much greater manual dexterity than adults and enjoy the clarity of results, uncluttered by normal laboratory paraphernalia
• Rapid procedures
• Individual ownership
• Increased motivation for both students and teachers
• At primary level there are both general and topic-specific kits, including worksheets, which considerably reduce teacher preparation time

We are also attaching a summary of the Advantages of Microscience drawn up by Dr Mike Wooster based on his personal experience in the secondary school teaching environment.

Our Request

Based on the success of the Microscience project in hundreds of education systems worldwide, we feel it needs to receive attention in the following forms:

• Awareness of this approach should be created within the Science education system.
• A study should be commissioned to determine the best way forward to implement Microscience practicals throughout the UK education system without delay
• Funding should be considered to enable schools to have access to these new techniques.
• We believe that this has the potential to significantly assist the reversal of current trends away from science learning.

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The ratio of teacher to children in the average class is 1 : 30. This means that even the most dedicated teacher can not give more than 11 minutes a day of their attention without sacrificing the time given to other children.

Most children are a little timid in putting their hand up when they don’t understand and need help. If they can’t get the help easily how many don’t bother and suffer in silence?

The teacher also has a schedule to keep to. If the content of any lesson is not completed it has to be abandoned in favour of moving on at the next lesson. There is precious little or no time to recap on a previous lesson so if your child is slipping behind it can be almost impossible to catch up, without a bit of extra help. Parent’s night is probably the only way you may find this out, and by then is it already too late?

Difficult to imagine a sea change in this situation. Without reducing class sizes to say 1 : 20 – requiring an extra 100,000 teachers things cannot change dramatically unless teachers have yet more content added to their already full plates.

An alternative redefines the role of the teacher as the instigator of the lesson briefing and the manager of the learning programme, co-opting the parent to take joint responsibility to reinforce the practical side of the lesson at home at the pace best suited to their child. Developments in modern teaching resources now allow this to happen. Interactive CD’s, maths games,board games, English, science and teaching apparatus in all foundational and key stage subjects provide the parent with an enjoyable means of going over the subject at home to develop confidence.

This approach also lets the parent get much closer to the content and process of the National Curriculum. To make this work greater communication is required between teacher and parent. Parent’s night annual briefing needs to be replaced with more dynamic communication. Keen2learn has introduced a prescription form allowing teachers to routinely brief parents on the action to be taken at home. This highly beneficial activity corresponds with the Learning Pyramid developed by the National Training Laboratory. This shows that 75 % of learning retention is achieved in the “practice in doing activity”. So what’s it to be….a dedicated relaxed resource at home at the pace of your child versus a shared burst at school for 10 minutes?

Ever watched a child send a text message? OK so perhaps you need a slow motion camera to catch what is going on, but have you wondered how they acquire this ability? Could they achieve the same result if their learning was entirely theoretical from a text book without being able to experiment on a real phone?

At school the amount of practical work completed depends on the time available in the classroom, and the availability of the equipment. Shared resources, different skills, and 5 minutes left of the lesson aren’t the best way to gain experience and develop ability.

When kids learn to ride a bike it takes time, patience and a parent holding on to the saddle! As the skill develops – depending on the learning curve of the child, the parental hand gently lets go.

At school a child receives sound initial instruction from the teacher, but this can only be developed into expertise through practice. The opportunity to practice is frankly extremely limited at school. If the child wants to get a real buzz, gain confidence and become proficient they need to be able to practice.

Perhaps the best way is to view the school as the catalyst to fire up parental involvement. Conventional homework using text and exercise books has been the only way of practicing in the past. Now modern technology in the form of maths games, interactive CD ROM’s, English science and numeracy apparatus to suite the foundation and keys stages have swept into the market – along with mobile phones! Now it is possible to reinforce the classroom lessons in a fun way at home to match your child’s ability. And like riding the bike you or grandparent’s uncle’s aunts can hold the saddle whilst the confidence builds. Then you can watch with that delighted smile on your face as the child demonstrates just how good they have become.

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One of the issues of the National Curriculum could be its intransigence. Whilst it lays down what should be taught in schools, equally, it infers what should not. Teachers obviously develop an increasing knowledge base during their career, and express frustration at the lack of opportunity to impart this wider knowledge as a progression to Key Stage coursework. Adhering strictly to curriculum guidelines, avoiding any opportunity to expand the horizons results in a “teach to test” doctrine with the primary objective to pass tests.

The opportunity to develop learning into knowledge becomes stifled. The practical application say of maths and science, giving it reason and firing the imagination is being lost. The CBI and commercial leaders are concerned that core subjects in science and maths are being rejected by children to the long term detriment of the UK. Unless we find a way through this dilemma we could see an increase in the level of disinterested children as well as teachers.

No easy solution, as teachers would require greater freedom and time to engage in lateral teaching. With the controls in place this is impractical in the short term yet somehow we have to stimulate the interest in children and arrest the decline, a role that may have to fall to the parents in the short term.

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The National Training Laboratories analysed the learning retention from different aspects of education. Only 5% of what we hear is retained, whereas a massive 75% is achieved from practice in doing.

In the classroom, lesson practice involves equipment and time, both of which may be in short supply – or shared with other pupils. This is one activity easily achieved at home! Using the same teaching resources at home builds confidence and pays dividends back at school in Maths, English, Numeracy and Science. Parental involvement  leads to a much closer understanding of the curriculum and their child’s performance rather than waiting for the end of term report.

Help your child get to the summit.

One of the biggest headaches in education is the allocation of budgets. The biggest portion of the fund is allocated to payroll costs – where teachers deserve all they are paid. The next category is used to maintain the structure of the building and with some schools well past their sell-by dates requiring substantial repairs often depleting the funds remaining for teaching resources.

Ask any teacher if they have the ideal range of educational teaching resources to support their lessons, and you’d probably not be surprised at the answer.

Keen 2 Learn offers parents access to the teaching resources used to support the key stages of the national curriculum. They are all developed by educationalists around a huge element of fun. Spending time at home complementing the school’s teaching activity allows you to take an ongoing role rather than a burst at parents night, and the interaction at home can be as rewarding for the parent as well as the child. Covering everything from foundation to key stage 4, they are a hidden asset in child development.

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How do you learn to play a musical instrument? Is it by just listening to instructions, reading a text book, watching a DVD or listening to music on your MP3 or iPOD? If a teacher said your child could learn to play the piano this way you would probably be astounded. How can anyone be expected to play a musical instrument without considerable time spent on the instrument practicing? The more you do the better you become. It’s no surprise that the same combination of theory and practice is just as essential in Maths, Science and English as it is in music.

Learning retention is significantly enhanced through practice in doing ( see the Learning Pyramid, and the K2 Mountain ) which accounts for 75% retention in a subject compared to just 5% associated with listening to the lesson theory. At school however, there are a number of limitations to the practical opportunity. During a 45 minute lesson you may be surprised at how little time your child gets to practice through using – or even sharing a piece of equipment. The current answer to the practice in doing element at home is mainly in the form of homework, but the text and exercise book approach has a tendency to isolate the parent from providing practical mentoring support to their child.

Keen2learn allows parents access to the teaching resources used in school to support the key stages of the National Curriculum. These modern resources use technology in the form of CD ROM’s on line tuition, apparatus, books and learning games to reinforce the classroom theory. More importantly they allow you to join in to encourage your child to practice in their own time and pace. Kids get great fun from increased proficiency, and you can see the difference in and out of school. Just like learning a musical instrument a little frequent practice is far better that a cramming session just before an exam. Don’t wait until end of term report, use the teacher to guide you and give support at home throughout the term to give your child the greatest chance.

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Once again the UK education think tank has come up with a different option. The change suggested in the method of child and in turn school assessment will inevitably cause disruption in schools and give teachers more to do during the transition. For some time teachers have admitted to a tendency to teach to test, with its focus on passing tests to the detriment of broadening the learning horizon.

The resultant narrowing of the curriculum has frustrated teachers and stifled knowledge. If knowledge is the practical application of learning no wonder we are producing a subset of children with mismatched capacity to meet modern industry and commercial requirements. Whilst the new moves to replace the national tests for 11 – 14 year olds with a system of monitoring a child’s individual improvement, along with the expansion in the curriculum horizon is very positive, the concern is whether we have got it right his time. Will it take a generation to prove the point. At the moment we seem to be repairing the education system rather than improving it.

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