tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post6537008945651245807..comments2023-09-21T08:53:42.554+01:00Comments on blethers: Seduced into education - againChristine McIntoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14198224025775398453noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-7276507931535952872012-01-19T19:14:23.994+00:002012-01-19T19:14:23.994+00:00Excellent post.
As someone who was a member of thi...Excellent post.<br />As someone who was a member of this class, I can honestly say that it was one of the most enjoyable learning experiences I had in secondary school - and for this very reason. <br />Helping the 'poorer' people in the class actually helped further *my* understanding of the topics at hand and we all really enjoyed listening and learning from each other - there was no patronising or arrogance - just fun. And yes, Ewan, we chose to do it; it seemed natural.<br />One of my greatest memories was doing 'Journey's End' - a play with an all male case set in the trenches of WWI - we had such fun! There were no inhibitions and everybody just 'went for it', which had a knock-on effect on other areas, such as our final S-Grade talks. We had the same level of confidence and enthusiasm, knowing that there was no judgment.<br />I remained in Mrs B's class for Higher, which was mixed and I’m afraid to say it wasn't quite the same. The boys from the previous year (myself included) were thought of as loud-mouthed and over-confident, but for us speaking out and having good debates was what we knew – we’d been doing it since we were 12! We soon took the new members under our wing, but they never quite ‘got’ it and were fairly boring to be around as a result. <br />Collaborative and cooperative learning are now a huge part of my daily teaching and I always think about my time in English and hope my children are having as much fun as we had.Duffynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-48986233166305044842012-01-17T17:13:27.476+00:002012-01-17T17:13:27.476+00:00Dear Christine,
Thanks for the explanation. Now th...Dear Christine,<br />Thanks for the explanation. Now the whole posting makes more sense to me. What a great and glorious experience you had with those young students.<br /><br />Peace.Dee Readyhttp://www.cominghometomyself.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-72191775350325045412012-01-17T16:54:27.056+00:002012-01-17T16:54:27.056+00:00Robin - the grades were Credit (1&2); General ...Robin - the grades were Credit (1&2); General (3&4) and Foundation (5&60 with Foundation, as the name suggests, at the bottom. Most pupils would sit the exam at two levels, thereby giving them the chance to do better than predicted.Christine McIntoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14198224025775398453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-66582000018076725472012-01-17T15:52:55.301+00:002012-01-17T15:52:55.301+00:00That was most interesting. Collaboration was frown...That was most interesting. Collaboration was frowned upon when I was at a single sex school....in streamed classes for each subject group....and my only experience of teaching was taking students to 'cram' them through law exams, which was a one to one thing.<br />I found I learned a lot going over what should have been basics with younger people with enquiring minds and, usually, foreign backgrounds, who made me think about the social context of law.<br />As far as that small anecdotal example goes...yes, advantage to all.the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-57194748389189155302012-01-17T10:59:44.747+00:002012-01-17T10:59:44.747+00:00Another thing that caused me confusion was the gra...Another thing that caused me confusion was the grade system. When RGU used numerical grades, grade 6 was highest and grade 1 lowest. However, to make sense of your post, I had to conclude that the order is reversed in your universe. I also guessed that "Foundation" means somewhere near the bottom, and that a credit grade is better than a normal grade, both of which seem reasonable assumptions.<br /><br />None of this detracts from the significant content of the post, of course.<br /><br />RobinRobinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09100508988636577299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-39774511849629688072012-01-16T23:35:11.790+00:002012-01-16T23:35:11.790+00:00Dee, if it aids understanding: the boys were with ...Dee, if it aids understanding: the boys were with me from age 13 to 15/16. At the end of the third year of the class they sat their first National exams. "Higher" is the most common upper grade of national assessment in Scottish schools - in my day you needed 5 Highers to get into Uni.Christine McIntoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14198224025775398453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-71650309230468041602012-01-16T15:10:48.266+00:002012-01-16T15:10:48.266+00:00Dear Christian,
I don't understand some of you...Dear Christian,<br />I don't understand some of your terminology because of having been educated here in the United States. But I do understand the concept of collaboration and learning. <br /><br />I find myself in full agreement with "Ewan" and with "Perpetua." The students made the choice and education is more than academic achievement. It's growth in and of the human spirit. It's recognizing the possibilities for that growth and it's sharing them. <br /><br />Your posting really got me thinking. Thank you.<br /><br />Peace.Dee Readyhttp://www.cominghometomyself.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-5222611108815139412012-01-16T11:11:10.874+00:002012-01-16T11:11:10.874+00:00Perpetua, I always said that I was the only female...Perpetua, I always said that I was the only female they had to impress! <br />And like the learning I talked about a couple of post ago - it was fun, for me as well as them. I used to laugh so much that the tears came.Christine McIntoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14198224025775398453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-71888472412892782722012-01-16T10:23:38.099+00:002012-01-16T10:23:38.099+00:00A fascinating, though-provoking post, Christine. I...A fascinating, though-provoking post, Christine. I feel sure that the fact that the class was single-sex accounts for so much of what you describe. No distractions and no fear of losing face in front of girls you might want to impress by appearing 'soft' in enjoying working together, especially in an already 'soft' subject like English.<br /><br />My answer to your specific question would probably be yes, there is advantage to all. Education isn't just about academic achievement and the lessons learned in collaborative working could have far-reaching consequences in future life.Perpetuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01214396019726161983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-87124017376874049022012-01-16T09:09:40.965+00:002012-01-16T09:09:40.965+00:00An excellent post. What's notable is that (I t...An excellent post. What's notable is that (I think) STUDENTS made the choice to collaborate, when and with whom they wished. Your job was to make sure that whatever collaboration then happened also had the best conditions for success.Ewan McIntoshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12885676413351678827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19191002.post-40795844312649503482012-01-16T06:51:35.818+00:002012-01-16T06:51:35.818+00:00What a thought-provoking post! From one point of v...What a thought-provoking post! From one point of view is the moral dilemma of self versus others. Then there is the teacher's dilemma of what is best for one student versus what is best for another. All the questions of life and its meaning in one classroom of boys!The Broadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04976467218216864644noreply@blogger.com