Showing posts with label Dissertation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dissertation. Show all posts
Dissertation Progress
Ive written my first 2 chapter drafts, but struggling to get going with the last chapter, inspiration anyone?
Stenhouse Primary
Today I spent the morning with Primary 4 at Stenhouse Primary in Edinburgh. I got to take a group of 6 children and chat to them about their school and classroom.
I asked them about technology in the classroom and asked if they would all like to have a laptop to work on and one girl said "No, they use too much electricity". I thought this was brilliant coming from an 8 year old.
They all said they would love to have more outdoor learning and wanted to have a garden to grow potatoes, carrots and tomatoes and then what they grow could be used for their lunches.
They also realised that even although they would all want a big, comfy office chair on wheels, they would probably not get any work done, so the chairs they have now are more suited to the classroom environment.
The classroom had lots of interactive displays, like the sweetshop sentences display. This display could be used at any time if any one of them was struggling to remember how to construct a sentence.
There was also topic stations around the room. These were tables with objects, books and work that related to what they are learning in lessons. The children, when finished the class work and have spare time, are allowed to go to any of these stations and play with or read any of the material at these stations. This helps to reinforce what they have been learning that week and this stations chance every two weeks.
I asked them about technology in the classroom and asked if they would all like to have a laptop to work on and one girl said "No, they use too much electricity". I thought this was brilliant coming from an 8 year old.
They all said they would love to have more outdoor learning and wanted to have a garden to grow potatoes, carrots and tomatoes and then what they grow could be used for their lunches.
They also realised that even although they would all want a big, comfy office chair on wheels, they would probably not get any work done, so the chairs they have now are more suited to the classroom environment.
The classroom had lots of interactive displays, like the sweetshop sentences display. This display could be used at any time if any one of them was struggling to remember how to construct a sentence.
There was also topic stations around the room. These were tables with objects, books and work that related to what they are learning in lessons. The children, when finished the class work and have spare time, are allowed to go to any of these stations and play with or read any of the material at these stations. This helps to reinforce what they have been learning that week and this stations chance every two weeks.
School Visit
I have managed to get into contact with a teacher from Stenhouse Primary, Jen Buchan, who has kindly offered me her help. I have arranged to go into the school on the 2nd of September and spend a few hours in her class.
I have made up some image sheets to try and gauge what the children in her class think about their classrooms and school. I was hoping to make use of a creative probe kit (an activity pack including a camera, sketchbook and questions) but with the school holidays I was not able to get the pack together in time, so have gone with a quicker way of finding the information I am looking for.
Jen was kind enough to answer some questions I had about her classroom and this helped me to see that teachers design their classrooms through experience, they make the most of what they have.
I have made up some image sheets to try and gauge what the children in her class think about their classrooms and school. I was hoping to make use of a creative probe kit (an activity pack including a camera, sketchbook and questions) but with the school holidays I was not able to get the pack together in time, so have gone with a quicker way of finding the information I am looking for.
Jen was kind enough to answer some questions I had about her classroom and this helped me to see that teachers design their classrooms through experience, they make the most of what they have.
Dissertation
I am currently researching for my dissertation and hope to have a first draft written by the start of September.
I am looking at school and classroom design and the impact it can have primary children’s education and learning.
I visited my old primary school at the start of June. I was able to spend the morning observing a primary 3 class, looking at how the teacher and children use the classroom. I then spent the afternoon looking round other years and their classrooms. I spoke to some teachers who taught me when I was in primary school and some other teachers that have not long qualified. I also talked to the children about their classrooms and what they liked and disliked. I found some of their suggestions very interesting and it reminded me how creative children can be.
One of the girls in the Primary 3 class made this card for me.
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