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19.3.2019 | John Galloway

Looking Back at the HundrED TeachMeet on Innovation and Inclusion through Technology

Led by HundrED Academy Member, John Galloway, the TeachMeet on Innovation and Inclusion through Technology brought like-minded educators around London for an evening of learning & sharing! Read John's reflection on the event along with a few shoutouts to the presenters!

As Forrest Gump didn’t say, “Life is like a TeachMeet, you never know what you are going to get.” Although if you bring together a room full of people with creative ideas about education you’re sure to get a number of inspiring takeaways – and a few surprises. Particularly when the invitees include HundrED community members, users of the London Grid for Learning (LGfL) and alumni of TeachFirst, especially its innovation programme.

One of those surprises was the spontaneous endorsement of Night Zoo Keeper by Mary Farmer, a teacher who works in a school for primary aged boys with social, emotional and mental health challenges. “I’ve never seen something make such an impact,” she burst out as Paul Hutson, the resource’s creator began to speak. “I want to cry the impact is so good,” she continued, then explained that in the two weeks since her pupils began using it they had written 11,200 words at home. Astonishing given that all of them had previously been considered ‘reluctant writers.’

HundrED 2019 innovation, Night Zookeeper, shared their innovation with many likeminded people!

Classroom practice was also the main focus from myself – talking about using a Twister Mat to introduce computational thinking to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and Adam Gordon, formerly of Hillingdon Manor School, and now at the London Grid for Learning (LGfL). He spoke of how the need to find ways to engage his pupils, most of them with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) lead him to using Minecraft in his classroom. He found this provided a platform for collaboration in ways they wouldn’t usually engage in, and a means to explore various subjects. As well as creating a Viking ship, they went on to explore different materials for fabricating the funnels on the Titanic – wool didn’t work, the steel did. And with his GCSE computing class, he even built logic gates and explored Van Neumann Architecture in computers.

Then there was Jon Neale demonstrating the merge cube, a rather clever, fist-sized dice which carries QR codes on each side that can be programmed to carry AR images. Handy for livening up lessons, or providing prompts to pupils in a multi-layered way.

We also heard from Ella Knight of ImpactEd who provides a framework for schools to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions they are using – particularly necessary at a time of tightened budgets. She is helping schools to address what impact each one is having and whether they are getting value for their money.

Whilst you can’t get much better value from a resource than when it is free, as Seneca Learning is with its platform for homework and revision at GCSE. Richard Broad introduced it along with the smart algorithms running inside it that will automatically adjust the content offered to users in the subjects they are studying. Students can level themselves against other users, and it adjusts to the syllabus of the exam being followed.

Other contributions came from Teneille Dardis, an Assistant Head Teacher in a specialist provision at Hornbeam Academy Trust, and the aforementioned Mary Farmer, who gave different perspectives on the implementation of G-Suite in their schools. The former from a strategic perspective and the impact on the work of all staff – and the challenges and triumphs along the way – such as learning hints and tips from teaching assistants who have only recently started to use it. Whilst for Mary it was the liberation offered to her in being able to link her planning to her resources, simplifying their use, and saving her time. As she said, “You don’t have to think about where to find it. You just link to it.”

John Galloway at the TeachMeet

With the whole thing fuelled by beer (courtesy of Sumdog) and Pizza (on LGfL), a fine night was had at the Camden City Learning Centre – a well-placed venue close to Euston and St. Pancras should you ever want to run one for yourself.

 


Thank you, John Galloway, for hosting this TeachMeet in London!

Are you excited to inspire your local community with global and local innovations? Join the HundrED Ambassadors program to help students gain access to innovations that help them flourish!

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