Dissemination and Innovation Workshop - Teachers' best practice

Over the 2 days several teachers shared their ideas from the classroom. Some described projects that had developed over long periods of time, others described short activities that could be implemented on Monday! Here's a summary.....

1. Engaging girls in science, especially Physics, by making big changes to a department. Assessing staff knowledge and developing it - making great use of the SLC and IOP to do so. Identifying funding opportunities. Having exciting guest speakers. Replacing outdated equipment. The list was long but the results were incredible with a huge increase in students taking triple science and continuing in science at KS5.
2. The benefits of makings strong links with Primary schools. Teaching to KS1 and KS2 was promoted enthusiastically as extremely useful and rewarding for secondary school teachers. It was highlighted that the changes to the programmes of study mean primary teachers will welcome secondary support and as secondary teachers we benefit from the knowledge we gain of primary education.
3. Use of Edmodo for setting and assessing student work 
4. The use of Kagan strategies kaganonline.com
5. The use of SAPS practical resources. In particular - microscope work using the African Violet
6. QR codes to link to Individual Dropbox folders containing verbal feedback on students work. This was brilliant and I hope to try it - needs time to set up which I don't think I'll have til Easter (!) but once set-up, huge time saver and good quality feedback for students. Many thanks to Steve Burdon from St Bedes in Lanchester.
7. Using the characters of science in full! Bringing Mendel, Brian Cox, Attenborough, Hershel etc alive with props and costumes. Even if I'm not brave enough - I feel sure some of my students will be :)