The Knowledge / Skills Debate: reflections

On Thursday 18th February, I hosted a debate / discussion with Ruth Ashbee, Nimish Lad & Amy Forrester on Clubhouse. This blog is partly a summary of the discussion and partly my added reflections (particularly things I would have said if I had more time). At the end of the post I explain a little …

How to write good questions

Pupils need as much practice as possible to master new ideas; they need Shed Loads of Practice (SLOP). Practice forces pupils to think about content. But their quality of thinking will be determined by the quality of questions teachers write. In this blog, I outline principles for writing good practice. It goes along with a video …

Curricular Narrative

It is tempting for science teachers to dive into each topic as it comes and teach its ideas as discrete lessons. Learning about Punnett squares? Let's just focus on teaching how to draw them for a few lessons and then move onto selective breeding in the following week's lessons, which is the next topic on …

Clear Teacher Explanations 2f: Dual Coding Mistakes

As dual coding becomes more popular, its definition also expands. This post intends to clarify the difference between dual coding and graphic design. The key idea is that aesthetically pleasing diagrams do not necessarily translate into better learning. If teachers invest time adding lots of diagrams to their resources with the mistaken belief that it …

Clear Teacher Explanations: 2e – Visual Models

Analogies & models are excellent tools for delivering clear teacher explanations when used judiciously. Diagrams can prove very useful at explaining the different parts of the analogy and how they map onto the knowledge they represent. Some models act as lenses through which pupils can appreciate the same idea from different perspectives. For example, in …

Clear Teacher Explanations 2d: Faithful Diagrams

Diagrams can help an explanation in two ways. Firstly, to organise a complex web of information such as: A process or sequence in time Multi fact definition Complex concept Some procedures Secondly, to depict things: either faithfully from real life or as models. I call this type of dual coding 'representative visuals'. Diagrams are powerful …

Clear Teacher Explanations 2c: Procedures

Effective teacher explanations are integral to teacher-led lessons. Clear explanations are best delivered when teachers begin with concrete examples before sharing abstract and generalised ideas. Clear diagrams also help teachers to effectively communicate their ideas. Diagrams elucidate the relationships in a sequence. Diagrams can also make definitions memorable and complex ideas easier to follow. All of …

Clear Teacher Explanations 2b: dual coding – definitions & complex ideas

Dual coding involves the use of diagrams to support an explanation. In my last post, I explained that there are two types of diagrams: organising visuals & representative visuals. I discussed how organising visuals are diagrams which make the hidden structure behind an idea visible to pupils. There are four types of organising visuals, the first …

Clear Teacher Explanations 2a: dual coding – processes

Dual coding is in vogue. I’m excited by this because the use of diagrams can make an explanation significantly clearer and more memorable. However, I’m also worried, because ideas in education have a tendency to mutate and be misapplied. In my next few posts, I explain exactly how I teach using diagrams. I will do …

Clear Teacher Explanations I: examples & non-examples

The phrase “too much teacher talk” scrawled across lesson observation forms seems to be on the decline (at least, according to my Twitter feed). Teachers are abandoning ineffective discovery-based approaches, and harnessing the power of teacher-led, explicit instruction. I like to imagine sages around the country getting onto their stages and unashamedly explaining the marvels …