TeachMeet Belfast - March 2012

On Friday 2nd March 2012 Stranmillis University will host the first TeachMeet to be held in Northern Ireland.

TeachMeet is an un-conference ‘for teachers, organised by teachers’, and this year for the first time it is being held in N. Ireland. 

Come along to the CELIL building in Stranmillis College on Friday 2nd March where the organisers are hoping to welcome as many interested (and interesting) teachers as possible to the event where they will have the opportunity to either present something that they’d like to share with their fellow professionals, or simply enjoy the evening and take home some great ideas.

If you are curious about teaching and learning where you can share teaching ideas, ask questions and interact with others why not come along to the evening from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, with nibbles being served from 6.00pm.  The venue for the ‘meet’ is The Centre of Excellence for Leadership, Innovation and Learning at Stranmillis University College, Belfast.

Following the TeachMeet will be a social gathering to which everyone is invited.  If you are unable to attend the event, the organisers hope to live stream the event and have a recording available for download afterwards.

What is a TeachMeet?

Learn something new, be amazed, amused and enthused. TeachMeet 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. It is about being engaged and inspired by our immediate colleagues and a whole bucket-load of networking to boot!

Attendees can sign up on the night to give a 2 or 7 minute presentation on a topic of their choice: amusing, amazing, questioning or enthusing.  And remember the presentations do not have to be ICT-themed.

Collaboration, sharing ideas and spreading best practice are common to most jobs, whether organised through formal structures or informal conversations.

TeachMeet runs in many other locations, with primary and post-primary teachers coming together to share with colleagues and take home other people’s ideas.

The organisers suggest that “with the ever-shrinking education budget on the horizon … this will be an excellent free Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunity for teachers”.

Representatives from Game to Learn will be attending the event and hope to see you there.

Game to Learn is a classroom learning and homework management system that enables primary school teachers to manage school work more effectively.  It is Game to Learn’s initiative to bring learning into the 21st century, and the experts at Game to Learn believe ‘gaming’ can improve performance, through increased engagement within young people of primary age.

Game to Learn offer learning solutions for Key Stage One & Key Stage Two pupils and do so through effective track-able gaming solutions.  These solutions integrate gaming as well as learning into a single package, which is the most comprehensive platform for primary education.

Some benefits of Game to Learn include saving time, school cost reductions, environmental considerations, strong links to I.C.T learning, improved & track-able class and individual performance results, better grades, and easy to use software; as well as full access to the one stop tutoring market place!

You can learn more about Game to Learn by visiting the website at http://www.gametolearn.net

 ‘Like’ the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

Or follow on Twitter via @gametolearnuk

Revision Key Stage 2

Are you set Key Stage 2 revision?

Below are some useful tips that you can incorporate into your child’s education.  It is good advice to successful home revision for children at Key Stage Two level.  Key Stage Two is the level of education for pupils aged between 7 and 11. 

First of all, find a good place for your child to work. Ideally it will be quiet and uncluttered, well-lit and free from unnecessary interruptions! Together with your child, draw up a revision timetable – this is very important. The odd sporadic hour here and there isn’t enough to make a real difference.  Perhaps you could even incorporate a treat for your child on completion of the study timetable on a weekly basis.

Your child needs a revision plan that is realistic, easy to stick to and includes breaks and meal times, getting the balance is crucial to your child’s success. Use monthly, weekly and daily planners to help plan out the days systematically, as it can help prevent your child feeling overwhelmed.

When you are planning the study schedule and timetable, mix up your child’s weaker subjects amongst their stronger subjects so your child does not attempt all the difficult topics at once –it’s really easy for them to lose confidence when revising, especially if they are focusing on consecutive difficult subjects.

Set achievable targets each day and have your child tick them off as they reach them - this makes your child feel a sense of accomplishment which is an important factor is successful revision.  It also helps them move forward in small, baby steps towards the bigger goal in each subject.

Encourage your child to make revision notes as they listen and learn, as they write their notes they are subconsciously learning at the same time.

Your child’s notes should be short and sharp – clearly identifying the main points, and by putting notes on one side of the paper it makes them easier to remember. Get your child to write key facts on post-it notes and pop them on the walls in your kitchen or bedroom to promote learning.  Even something as simple as a colourful ‘Times-Table’ poster on their bedroom wall will boost their multiplication skills effortlessly.

Together, you and your child can make up make up funny clues or rhymes to help them remember important dates, words or facts.  I.E – I before E, except after C, when spelling, (although there are some exceptions to this rule)!

With your child you can test them, where your child is not permitted to look at their notes; this can help identify areas which could benefit from more learning and revision. 

Do not allow your child to overdo the amount of time they spend studying, to do this you could allow a regular time for physical exercise, a walk with the dog, a bike ride, listening to music or something they like, to change their environment and give their brain and eyes a break.  A break like this gives a feeling of refreshment and helps make them ready to absorb information again.

Until you have reached the optimum level of studying techniques you and your child can experiment with different styles of revision, to see what works best, as every child is different.

Remember to instil a setting so your child always gets a proper night sleep; ensure the same non-negotiable bedtimes are adhered to on school nights – proper sleep is really important for your child in school, to help them get through the day with good energy levels and no feelings of tiredness.  Sleep is very important to a child’s wellbeing, and although there is no set amount of hours per night a child should be sleeping, the NHS state that between 9.5 and 10.5 hours per night is ideal for a child aged 7-11. 

And remember…… have fun!

This information was brought to you by Key Stage Two.com, an online learning environment for children aged 7-11.   Key Stage Two.com successfully manages to combine fun games with education, making sure academic and non-academic children benefit greatly, whilst being compliant with the National Curriculum in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. 

Key Stage Two.com offers benefits for all; including schools, parents, teachers, tutors, councils, local authorities, and most importantly, the pupils. Visit the website at http://www.keystagetwo.com to … learn more!