Yes, it’s coming – TeachMeet Dorset is coming to Gillingham School! I encourage everyone of you to try and come – Thursday 16th May. To sign up for TeachMeet Dorset please click here.

Every since I went to my first ever TeachMeet down on the Isle of Portland back in November, I have been very keen to bring it to my school. At the time I was a TeachMeet Virgin (!) and only knew about the events through reading about them on blogs or via twitter. I didn’t really know what to expect. Luckily, Gary Spracklen (@Nelkcarps), who organised this event, was very welcoming and a great host. I was very impressed by the opportunity to share teaching ideas and a chance to meet other teachers from other schools.

This year event is being organised by myself and Gary Spracklen (@Nelkcarps) of IPACA, Director of Digital Learning and Innovation and South West Digital Educator of the Year (2012).

So what is TeachMeet?

Learn something new, be amazed, amused and enthused. This is an informal gathering of those curious about teaching and learning. Anyone can share great ideas they’ve trialled in their classrooms, ask important questions or simply sign up to take part in learning conversations. Education professionals from all sectors are welcome to take part.

The main part of TeachMeet is hearing stories about learning, from teachers. This is not an event to present about a product or theory – this is a chance for teachers from all types of establishments to hear ideas from each other. Real narratives of practice that make a difference. It is about being engaged and inspired by our immediate colleagues and a whole bucket load of networking to boot!

Please do get in touch if you have any questions or wish to help sponsor the event. For directions to the event please click here. If you are having trouble editing the wiki then just email me at mtidd@gillingham-dorset.co.uk or via twitter @tiddtalk and I will add you to the list. For further details of TeachMeet Dorset click here. I look forward to seeing some of you there!

I have been reading John Hattie’s ‘Visible Learning for Teachers’ (a book I am sure many of you have read). It is looking at fifteen years of research involving millions of students and gives evidence into what actually works in schools to improve learning. It really is an enlightening book to read and does get you thinking. It has certainly made me think!

One particular reference point focuses on Michael Jordan – probably the greatest basketball player of all time. Now I am a massive fan of Michael Jordan, one of the greatest sportsman ever in my humble opinion. John Hattie refers to the YouTube clip seen below, where Michael talks about his failures in basketball; ‘I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’

It is a great clip and is something all teachers should perhaps think about. I have never been afraid of trying out something new. I have always seen teaching as an opportunity to trial new ideas. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t – but I’m not afraid to take a chance as long as it improves the student learning and experience. Without the risk factor and trying something different I would never of progressed as a teacher.

We are under enormous pressure from the never-ending educational changes and the results driven route our system has taken. This has been a detriment to teachers. We should be allowed to develop and implement new innovative ideas, improving our lessons. In teaching it’s too easy (and boring!) to do the same thing – I dare you to try something new tomorrow! Go on, do it! It might work…if not try again the next day and see what happens! I would be really interested to hear your experiences @tiddtalk

As promised, I am keeping you up-to-date with the going ons in my life as a teacher. Back in November, Ollie Bray, one time fellow geographer at Plymouth University, sent out a tweet to me about a TeachMeet taking place down on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, TeachMeet Dorset. I had heard of TeachMeet but have never had the pleasure or nerves (!) to attend.

Well, after a few minutes of deliberating I decided if I was going to go to any TeachMeet my first one had to be within the county I teach. I signed up on the TeachMeet website and bravely decided I would present too. I had a couple of weeks to work out what I was going to present to other teachers from Dorset. I contacted the organiser of the TeachMeet Dorset, Gary Spracklen of Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy (IPACA) and South West Teacher of the Year, to volunteer my services as a speaker.

After a night of thinking I came up with the idea of 25 Ideas in 7 Minutes. A fool hardy challenge but all I could feel was excitement! TeachMeet was something I have wanted to be involved in for a long time. I couldn’t wait to get there. I persuaded my good friend Nick Hargreaves of Radipole Primary School to attend so I at least had one member of the audience I would know!

So what is a TeachMeet? TeachMeet is an organised but informal meeting (in the style of an unconference) for teachers to share good practice, practical innovations and personal insights in teaching with technology. These events are often organised to coincide with other educational events like the Scottish Learning Festival and the British Educational Technology and Training Show BETT.

Participants volunteer (via the TeachMeet website) to demonstrate good practice they’ve delivered over the past year, or discuss a product that enhances classroom practice. TeachMeet events are open to all and do not charge an entry fee.

I really like the idea that you are limited to only speaking for seven minutes which is a great way to keep things moving and interesting.

TeachMeet Dorset was a brilliant event. I had no reason to be nervous or worried. Everyone was lovely and wanted to develop as educators. It was great to hear lots of expert advice and ideas shared in a lovely informal environment. Gary Spraklen was an energetic speaker who did a fantastic task of organising the event who made everyone welcome.

Will I go to another TeachMeet? Yes! TeachMeets are an amzing opportunity to develop and share ideas. Later this year I shall be going to TeachMeet Pompey on 6th March. This event is organised by Dave Rogers, a brillaint geography teacher down in Portsmouth. I am very excited about attending my second TeachMeet so soon!

Would I organise a TeachMeet? Yes! Myself and Gary Spracklen have started talking about bringing TeachMeet to North Dorset to my school – a seed has been planted and I’m really looking forward to seeing it at Gillingham School!

Well, that was 2012 and now we here in 2013. Over the last few months I haven’t had much opportunity to write for my blog. This does not mean I have been sitting back resting on my laurels though! I will of course be updating you all on what has been happening over the last few months in my world of education. By July this year I will have completed ten years as a teacher (!) – Where did all that time go? I will be looking back on the highs and lows, and looking towards the future.

So 2013, what will the year be offering Mike Tidd and the world of education? Here are a few of the topics and issues I shall be looking at over the next few weeks:

• TeachMeet Dorset – I attended my first TeachMeet and now want to organise my own
• Michael Gove’s education changes and the challenges ahead
• The role of new technology in my classroom and using it!
• Geography as a leading subject in teaching
• Freebies – teaching ideas don’t have to cost money or use technology
• Fieldwork opportunities for students
• What now for a ‘new’ teacher?
• My ‘education revolution’
• New horizons for teaching and myself

I hope you will all continue to follow me on my journey through teaching. Thank you to everyone who reads my thoughts and opinions and to those who make comments on the blog. Thank you!

I have recently been trialling a brilliant smart student response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via smartphones, laptops, and tablets. This particular one is called Socrative. I have to admit it is a fantastic resource for all teachers of all subjects.

Socrative is very easy to use and takes only two minutes to set yourself up on it. You can import exercises and games or create your own. The only details they require are that you are a teacher, your school name and your email address.

The apps are super simple and take seconds to login. Teachers login through their device and select an activity which controls the flow of questions and games. Students simply login with their device and interact real time with the content. The quizzes range from multiple choice questions, true or false responses or shoprt answers. The class gets instant answers and explanations on what they have inputed.

Student responses are visually represented for multiple choice, true/false and Short Answer questions. For pre-planned activities a teacher can view reports online as a google spreadsheet or as an emailed Excel file.

As they leave you could check on on your students’ understanding as they are able to leave a message on what they have learnt today and what they need to learn. Gather responses on their comfort with the material as well as answers to questions you create in real time or prepare before class.

The best thing about Socrative is that there is no exchange of personal information (such as mobile numbers) between the class or the teacher. When the class log in via the web address below, which is different to the teachers, the only thing they need is the room number, such as 12345, the quiz will start on their mobile phone. The results will appear on their mobile phone instantly, and the teacher can see the whole class response (not individuals).

To sign up http://m.socrative.com/lecturer/#register

For teacher login http://m.socrative.com/lecturer/#lecturerLogin

For student login http://m.socrative.com/student/#joinRoom

I would thoroughly recommend looking at Socrative, it would be a brilliant starter or plenary. Plus, you might want to check with your Headteacher and the whole school policy on mobile phones! Enjoy!

1. Post it notes

2. Make a volcano cake

3. Country of the week – Shower curtain map

4. Tweet it – Summarise what you have learnt in 140 words or less

5. Model it with plastercine

6. Pop Up Models

7. BBC news clips

8. Thinking cards

9. Tidd News – create your own broadcast

10. Quizzes

11. Collaborative learning – passing the paper around adding more ideas

12. Create mark scheme criteria

13. Presentations

14. Board games

15. Mystery backpack – where in the world using the clues inside!

16. Draw it

17. Blog it

18. 5 W’s

19. Washing Line

20. Computer Game pitch – Dragons Den

21. Taboo

22. Living graph

23. Tidd Times

24. Emotive graph

25. Geography in the news

Blanka Biernat from Hodder Education recently got in contact to offer free Dynamic Learning resources that teachers can incorporate in their lessons. In my opinion anything free is a plus in education. I hope you will find these useful yourself. Below are the attached links to the activities. With our exam classes gone I am sure this will come in handy with the planning for September : )

Lesson: Exploring Geography in a Changing World 2 – ecosystem

Lesson: Exploring Geography In A Changing World 1 – Weather and Climate

Lesson: Exploring Geography in a Changing World 3 – Global Environmental

For the last year our primary target for improvement has revolved around teaching & learning within Geography. We have spent the last year looking at our Key Stage 3 lessons seeing where we can make improvements and implement new teaching strategies. We have been trying to make the teaching experience more personal for the students and improve their independent study skills. This is being developed from KS3 onwards and carried on into KS4 and KS5.

The curriculum map we have designed  is set in a specific way. Most importantly it allows students to follow a natural progression building up skills and using them in a number of different ways. The progression also leads through to Key Stage 5. We are aiming to promote progression in a number of ways;

• Depth of knowledge
• Breadth of study
• Complexity of concepts
• Independent learning and research
• An increase in spatial scale

Progression is mainly achieved through deeper understanding and increasing complexity of tasks.  There is also a broadening of the breadth of study.  More explicitly we are looking at increasing spatial scale, increasing awareness of society, economy and the environment. Work is currently being undertaken to ensure that there is smooth progression from KS2 to KS3 and also from KS4 to KS 5.

*Levelled assessed piece of work

KS3 is the building blocks of a successful education. Key Stage 3 can be sometimes be forgotten about in this world of examinations at KS4 and 5. The young students at KS3 need the skills and knowledge to help them in their later geography education. We are currently devising eight topics containing eight lessons for each year group. This would enable free time for us to look at world events that take place i.e. Geography Awareness Week, Fairtrade Fortnight, Japanese earthquake etc. This new format and the topics decided upon can be seen in the table above.

We are entering a very exciting time at Gillingham School where we are creating an innovative and inspirational curriculum for our students. There have been some rollercoaster moments but none which were unexpected. My department has been working really hard on these lessons and I am 100% happy with what has been planned so far – well done team, you have been brilliant!

Yes, it is that time of year again for the Education Blog Awards! Last year I was extremely lucky and proud to have been of nominated and shortlisted for two blog awards; Best Teacher Blog and Most Influential Blog. This year I have been nominated for Best Teacher Blog and Most Influential Blog - thank you!

Every year the number of nominated blogs increases. For me though, it is reading about what is happening in schools and colleges across the world. There are so many amazing and innovative ideas that are taking place. There is plenty of food for thought out there by all the education bloggers! This year the awards are sponsored by Child Education, Primary Blogger and Just2Easy.

If you would like to vote for me or anyone else please click here.

Thank you and good luck to all my fellow bloggers!

Well, it has been a very mixed term of many political upheavals in the world of education. From putting the blame on teachers for the riots, Rt. Hon. Michael Gove making more changes and promising more (!), to Sir Michael Wilshaw’s a of the Ofsted criteria, the pension issue and regional pay for teachers. Not all good news in the world of education and a feeling that we as teachers are not being treated as professionals by those at the top.

Now with the Easter holidays fast approaching I thought we have to be positive and be innovative in our approach to teaching and shake the Easter blues away. I thought it would be good timing to watch Sir Ken Robinson explain his future of education. This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, a world-renowned education and creativity expert. I fully appreciate that many of you will be watching this for the hundredth time but it is good…Have a great Easter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U