By valuing everything of worth on a level playing field, a child can maximise their creative capacity; resulting in value for themselves and their community.
So you have tried class based rewards and they have just run their course. Time for a change? I do not know how long it is going to last, however, classdojo.com seems to be hitting a mark with my kids at the moment.
This avatar based points system, rewards positive or negative behaviours, that you choose. It can be linked to parents and collate information over spans of time.
I copied and pasted excel pupil names straight to the software, set up behaviours associated with current virtues we are exploring, and then rewarded pupils. They love it and seem keen to achieve.
As an added bonus you can download the app and then reward straight from your phone, so while the pupils are elsewhere, my colleague was able to reward the behaviour through my phone, while they were in the library, which kept me updated with how they were behaving from my desktop homepage.
Well worth a try!
See the link below
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Building Character
Embedding Virtues through Philosophy
(Now linked to classdojo reward system)
1. Decide upon your speaking and listening ground-rules.
2. Decide your virtue of the week.
3. Run your philosophy session and promote the virtue throughout the week. Use positive examples where pupils have demonstrated the virtue.
4. Be amazed, as pupils remind each other of virtues being displayed.
5. Visit P4C and The Philosophy Man.
We are a few weeks into our virtue philosophy and can really see the benefit of using virtues to develop character. So far we have explored:
If you had demonstrated the virtue ... would the outcome have been different?
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Life of an ICT newby.
"Well what a mad 20 minutes that was," said the man, who had just been on ukedchat for the first time using twitter. Two unsuccessful tweets, followed by a successful tweet, followed with a favourited (no idea at this point) however, responded to kindly, by someone who explained it all. Twenty minutes later I feel I am an official tweeter of educational stuff and will be visiting the weekly chat again. Worth a visit, every Thursday at 8.00pm.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Dominoes: Lesson 1
A simple poem to introduce the game:
Have you played Dominoes
Win you've lost everything
No blocks left-no points against Free of spots-free of mind Will it be you or them?
Background information:
Many historians believe the game was inventedby the Chinese some time around 1100 AD and it eventually arrived in Europe some time during the 18th century. A game similar to dominoes was also found inTutankhamen's tomb inEgypt, which dates all the way back to 1355 BC. Each rectangular tile has a line dividing its face into two square ends, which are each marked with a number of black spots or a blank space. The word "domino" isFrench for a black and white hood worn by priests, which is probably where the name of the game comes from.
Maths Cafe Lesson 1
1. In small teams, pupils sort and display a set of dominoes to establish a missing domino (You have it in your pocket).
2. How many dominoes do you have in a complete set, can you workout how many spots there are altogether?
At this point turn the tiles over ready to play a simple game of dominoes but before proceeding go to number 3.
3. Subtract the number of spots seen on all the doubles(42) from the total spots(168), then as a problem solve: If you only have 126 spots, how many dominoes do you have?
4. Model a game, then play a simple game of dominoes.
No not this year. What with the Olympic bubble we were in, such a success, a trip down Wembley Way, just to watch any old club, might damper August. You see every year the Bradford family watch the Rugby League Cup Final, it's a tradition. It started many years ago when my old man took the Bradford Family to see Hull v Widnes. I distinctly remember the tube ride and I think it was about 1982. The score was 14 points each, which resulted in the cup not being lifted as it went to a replay. (unlike now as the match is settled through golden point injury time, I think?)
However, since that year, I have witnessed the cup being raised many times. The trouble is the teams who have raised the cup have never been the teams I wanted to win. Not that that matters too much, as rugby league is an occasion, a northern descent on the capital, all in it together, but it would be nice just to see one West Yorkshire club win. A Yorkshire club did win it one year I went, a match they should never have won apparently, Sheffield Eagles beat Wigan. The Eagles were 16 to 1to win and blow me they did. South Yorkshire though Sheffield, and whilst it was a great occasion, it was not a West Yorkshire club. Rachel enjoyed her first Wembley rugby experience however, coming from Sheffield originally, I told you it was a personal thing.
So, who have I seen play at Wembley?
Hull v Widnes as mentioned earlier. Wigan beat Leeds (my team) two years in a row and I am constantly reminded every year when they show the full length Martin Offiah try to celebrate what's great about the game.
St Helens beat Bradford two years in a row (poor old Nathan Graham, he used to be a mate of mine who cost Bradford the game). Saints also went on to beat Huddersfield, Hull and Catalan (the year our kid is remembered for having an empty chip box on his head to protect him from the sun). More recently I witnessed Warrington beat Huddersfield, and then the personal thing really kicked in, Warrington beat Leeds and Leeds were shocking! Waste of money, not enjoyable, why had we bothered! (and my son was upset, really upset, so much so he started to swear at the referee, who actually had not done anything wrong - I think he was 6 at the time, never heard language like it). But like all true sporting fans we turned up at Wembley again last year to watch a thriller, and yes you guessed it Wigan beat Leeds. They tried though and came oh so close, and daughter (first experience) and I made it on the big screen during Abide with Me, and I did that stupid pause then wave when I realised, and I found it on the i-player and took a photo, and I texted everyone I knew, and I still talk about it!
Anyway bloody Leeds have won through to the final again, so we are going down to watch, this Saturday as it happens. I suggested a bar-b-que at home, but Steve and Rachel said," What if Leeds win and you are not there?" And if they do manage to win this year I will never have to worry about going again, or if we do, not worry about the result.
25th August, Warrington v Leeds Rugby League Challenge Cup Final.
Come on LEEDS!!!!
PS Warrington have just hit a bit of form, I will let you know after Saturday.
Saturday Men's cycle race: Richmond Park watching Bradley Wiggins, Cavendish, Froome and Miller coming nowhere, but working hard.
Sunday Ladies cycle race: Teddington Rd and Kingston watching Armistead achieving a silver medal. After she flew past, we flew into a bar to watch the Yorkshire Lass charge down the mall.
Monday Ladies Volleyball: Turkey 1v China 3, Serbia 1v South Korea 3, Earls Court. Our tickets were up in the rafters alongside the press, or so we thought. " Not in here Bradford," said a friendly game-maker, so we trundled back down to be given court side seats for a mistake made.
Wednesday Men's and Women's Time Trial: Hampton Court and Bushy Park. Gold at last for Bradley Wiggins, this years joint Sports Personality of the Year (alongside Mo, Christ Hoy and Jessica). Just an amazing buzz.
Sunday Women's Marathon: Absolutely drenched! As we hustled and bustled down to an area five spectators deep. However, as the athletes came round for the first time, spectators seemed to have had their Olympic fill for the day and moved into sheltered havens, leaving a clearer and sunnier view as the race unfolded.
Sunday Men's Marathon. Finally, now as experienced Olympic observers, an early start and a less of a hustle and bustle to the same marathon spot as before. This time ringside seats, a sun beating down and a cauldron of atmosphere to be lapped up, especially as British athletes filtered past down in the lower ranks.
Two weeks of total immersion. The London 2012 Olympic dream.
Based within leafy Ham, near Teddington lock, allowed a family of four to access a multitude of events in their pursuit of total sporting engagement and cultural cohesion.
