I am sure there are many teachers working tirelessly to get all their marking finished by 9pm each night so they can sit in front of the TV and enjoy another cracking series of Love Island.
Since the new series started I can't help myself turning little clips from the show into memes to share on Instagram about life as a teacher. So here they are (Volume 1) all in one place for you to enjoy:
One of the best things about teaching is what children say that just astounds you. Sometimes the discussion and conversations you have with children can just completely blow you away. Don't get me wrong they often make you chuckle and laugh but when faced with a more serious conversation, I am always amazed at the depth some children show.
Today I had an amazing morning with Year 2 looking at proverbs.
I introduced the idea of a proverb as - A proverb is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or experience. They are often metaphorical. We also discussed a couple of examples, including:
Don't count your chickens before they have hatched.
We discussed the meaning behind this beyond the literal and examples - England fans who think we will win the World Cup because we won our opening game.
I then shared this document which had examples of famous proverbs but only the first part to them. You can download this here:
The children were then given the opportunity to complete the proverb with their own ideas. The children were aware of some but the challenge was to make sure the saying then had a message. I was blown away by some of their ideas but more their meanings. Take for example:
Take for example the first one in the top picture:
Beauty is in the eye of death.
Now, this might seem dark, but when I questioned the student, she explained that when someone dies we tend to only remember the beautiful things about them.
AMAZING!!!!
Once the children had created their proverbs, they were challenged to create a video on Adobe Spark Video where they could orally explain the meaning behind their proverbs.
Before I start discussing what we did, it is only right to share where the original idea for this project came from. This blog post by the brilliant @Joe_Moretti gave me the inspiration for this project - AR STORYCUBES PROJECT
I have been using my iPad with my children to support them with their reading journal homework for a while now. My boys struggle with their handwriting and find it very onerous to write even though they have some great ideas.
As discussed by @MrTullock at the Animate2Educate conference last week, technology should be used to enable children to show their knowledge and understanding even if they struggle with an element such as decoding or handwriting or spelling. I loved a quote he shared, and I have linked it in a poster to the story @CarolJAllen shared around the latest BGT winner.
I want to use technology so my children and pupils can create content to express themselves, their knowledge and their understanding.
Making our own Interactive Avengers Story Cube was the perfect example of this. My children are obsessed with Avengers at the minute, so I bought them the origin storybooks. These are great books as they tell the origin story of each superhero as a story rather than comic. If you click the picture below, you can buy the books yourself.
We generated three questions to ask each superhero:
Who is your alter ego?
How did you become a superhero?
What are your superpowers?
Using the app, ChatterKids Pix, the children recorded videos as the characters answering those questions using what they had learned about the superhero from reading the book. They linked the three videos together using the app Apple Clips, where they could add titles and music.
Their finished videos looked something like this:
They made a similar video for each superhero. Then used the app Foldify to create their own cube:
Once they finished the design and printed it out. I would recommend before cutting and sticking it together, to use app HP reveal to link the videos to each face of the cube. For a detailed guide for how to use the app HP Reveal - click here. The app uses Augmented Reality to link your video content through a trigger image. Once this has been completed they can cut out the cube, fold along the dotted lines and glue the flaps to create their own cube!
Using the app HP Reveal, they can scan each side and the app should load the digital content linked meaning you can watch and learn all about that superhero.
Once finished, my children wanted to share what they have created and more importantly share how to do it so others can make their own so created this YouTube tutorial video:
As stated in Joe's original post at the top, there are lots of different ways in which this idea can be used:
The water cycle
The life cycle of the frog
Breaking down a maths problem into six parts or six different maths videos… watch an equation come to life …
A science experiment
Bringing history to life (can you imagine six sides with a head on each side coming to life using Morpho Booth so that the heads come to life and speak!)
A Geography cube of the globe where a map comes to life with a video created in Explain Everything. ( A journey cube?)
So the World Cup is here! I'm sure many of your pupils are excited and can't wait to see their footballing idols in action.
A great resources to link to the World Cup, which helps raise standards in English but also embeds key digital literacy skills is the Read Write Perform Sports Manager Pack:
Buy the pack before England are knocked out and get my 15 iPad Lessons for the World Cup eBook for FREE!
Here are a couple of World Cup related songs you may want to use in class.
World in Motion - New Order
Here are the lyrics and some suggested questions:
Express yourself Create the space You know you can win Don't give up the chase Beat the man Take him on You never give up It's one on one
What does it mean to express yourself? To express yourself is to show your skills or thoughts or feelings through some sort of art form.
Can football be considered an art form? Why/Why not?
What does it mean to express yourself on a football pitch? To show how good you are, be skillful and strong.
What does it mean to create the space? It means to make room to pass or shoot for goal.
Could this phrase link to anything outside of football? It could link to the idea of freedom and having space to be yourself.
What type of verb is used in the third line? Modal verb showing certainty - can
Why does the singer use this? To give the person listening belief they can achieve their goal.
What is significant about the last line of the first verse? It means never give up, even if you are losing.
What does the word 'beat' mean? How is the singer using it here? To run past the opponent.
What does 'take him on' mean in football? To use skill or speed to get past the opposition.
What is similar about the third lines in both verses? They are both strong certain statements to never give up.
In football, what does it mean by 'one on one'? It means it is one player against another player. This is usually a striker bearing down on goal and only has the keeper to beat.
Now ask the children to consider that this song has nothing to do with football and read back the lyrics. What sort of message is the singer trying to express? Use your skills to be the person you want, you can achieve your dreams if you never give up. The idea of 'the man' can just symbolise the obstacle you need to overcome to achieve your dreams. Keep working hard and never give up and sometimes the hardest person to beat if your own belief in yourself.
Express yourself It's one on one Express yourself It's one on one Express yourself You can't be wrong When somethings good Its never gone Loves got the world in motion And I know what we can do Loves got the world in motion And I can't believe its true
Why does the singer repeat the line 'Express yourself, its one on one'? To emphasise that the biggest obstacle for most people achieving their dreams is their own self belief.
Why does the singer think you can't be wrong if you do express yourself? If you show the best of your ability, whether you win or lose, you know you've done your absolute best. The next lyrics also show that if its something you enjoy doing too, you'll always remember it fondly.
What does the line 'Loves got the World in Motion' mean? This is open to interpretation. For me, in footballing terms, people love the game and so that love for football brings people together. The idea of World in Motion is everyone is moving together, celebrating, singing, coming together and uniting through the beautiful game. This lyric can also be taken beyond football in that the idea of love is what brings the world together, love and compassionate towards each other is what makes the world go round.
Now is the time Let everyone see You never give up that's how it should be Don't get caught Make your own play Express yourself Don't give it away
When is the time? Now
Why is now the time? Children may say because it is the World Cup, however linking beyond football, you could discuss how to achieve your dreams in anything it starts today.
Why should you let everyone see? Let everyone see you express yourself, show your talent but also allowing people to support and help you in your journey.
What does the singer mean by 'don't get caught'? In footballing terms, it means don't get tackled.
What does it mean by 'make your own play'? Be creative, make your own decisions.
Again, once you have discussed these lyrics in terms of football, go back through and consider a bigger meaning in terms of achieving your goals in life. Starting now will only allow you to begin on your journey. Let other help and support you so you don't give up on your dream, don't get caught out by other's opinion and self doubt and make your own decisions.
Express yourself It's one on one Express yourself It's one on one Express yourself You can't be wrong When somethings good It's never wrong Loves got the world in motion And I know what we can do Loves got the world in motion And I can't believe its true Loves got the world in motion And I know what we can do Loves got the world in motion And I can't believe its true
You've got to hold and give But do it at the right time You can be slow or fast But you must get to the line They'll always hit you and hurt you Defend and attack there's only one way to beat them Get round the back Catch me if you can 'cause' I'm the England man And what you're looking at Is the master plan We ain't no hooligans This ain't a football song Three lions on my chest I know we can't go wrong
Again with the rap, consider how the lyrics link to football and ask the children to explain what they mean: hold and give - dribble and pass. Get to the line - finish line etc. But then also consider the bigger message in terms of achieving your dreams.
Why does he say you can be slow or fast? People go on different journeys and take different paths but as long as they get to their desired destination, it is ok.
Who are they in 5th line? In football, it will be the opposition, but in life, it will be people who put you down out of jealousy to stop you from achieving your goals.
What does the word hooligan mean? Why may he have mentioned it? At the time of the song, football in England had a problem with violence at football. This was a way of showing how the beautiful game should bring us together.
Even though, this is clearly a football song, why does the rapper use the line 'This ain't a football song?' It links to the themes we have discussed about the attitude to achieving your goals even if they aren't football related. ]
What does it mean by 'Three Lions on my chest'? Three lions is the crest of the England football team, so by wearing the England football kit it gives him the belief to express himself.
We're playing for England {In-ger-land} We're playing the song We're singing for England {In-ger-land} Arrivederci its one one one We're playing for England {In-ger-land} We're playing the song We're singing for England {In-ger-land} Arrivederci its one one one We're playing for England {In-ger-land} We're playing the song We're singing for England {In-ger-land} Arrivederci its one one one We're playing for England {In-ger-land} We're playing the song We're singing for England {In-ger-land} Arrivederci its one one one
Looking at the lyrics, which word seems unfamiliar? Arrivederci
What do you think this word means? Until we meet again
Do you know where it is from? Italy
Why has the singer included it? The song was written for the 1990 World Cup which was hosted in Italy.
Three Lions - Lightning Seeds
Here are the lyrics and some suggested questions:
I think it's bad news for the English game) (we're not creative enough) (we're not positive enough) It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming Footballs coming home (we'll go on getting bad results) It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming Footballs coming home It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming Footballs coming home It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming Footballs coming home
Who says the first line and those in brackets? They are made by pundits who are people, usually ex-players, who give their opinion about the game.
Why is this included in the song? To show how pessimistic they are about England.
Why do they sing about football coming home? Football was first codified in England in 1863. The official slogan for Euro 96, the first European Championship to be held in England, was “football comes home.” England won the only previous championship that they’d hosted, the 1966 World Cup. Combined with the ability of players like Paul Gascoigne and Alan Shearer and a strong performance in the 1990 World Cup, there was genuine optimism among many fans that England would win. Not only would football be coming home, but so would the trophy.
Everyone seems to know the score, they've seen it all before They just know, they're so sure That England's gonna, throw it away, gonna blow it away But I know they can play 'cos I remember
Take the first line, what do they mean by the score? The score is the results of the match, but here it is used to sum up how 'badly' England will play.
Why might they all feel pessimistic about England? The song states they've seen it all before. By 1996, England had failed to win the last 14 major championships and had failed to even qualify for the 1994 World Cup. They were perennial underachievers, assembling good sides but consistently failing to reach their potential, and frequently losing on penalties. For every optimist like the singers, someone else (like the pundits are the start) would think they didn’t stand a chance. This makes the song much more endearing. It isn’t blindly patriotic, it doesn’t paint a picture of an England side entitled to win, but instead of plucky underdogs capable of triumphing against expectations.
What line shows the singers still believe in the team? But I know they can play.
Why use the word 'but'? It is a contrasting conjunction, they are changing their view from everyone else.
Three lions on a shirt Jules Remet still gleaming Thirty years of hurt Never stopped me dreaming
What are 'Three Lions on a shirt'? This links to the England badge as seen here.
What is Jules Remet? The Jules Rimet trophy was the original World Cup, named after the FIFA President who established the tournament. England won it in 1966. When Brazil won the World Cup for the third time in 1970, they were awarded the Jules Rimet permanently and a new trophy was commissioned.
Why do they describe the trophy as still gleaming? The word gleaming means it shines brightly, so this shows how proud we are to win have won the trophy but also how the memory of the win is still clear to everyone, making us want to repeat it.
When was this song written? If England won the World Cup in 1966, and the song says 30 years of hurt, it would be 1996.
What are they dreaming of? Winning again.
So many jokes, so many sneers But all those 'oh so near's Wear you down, through the years But I still see that tackle by Moore And when Lineker scored, Bobby belting the ball And Nobby dancing
What do you think the word sneer means? Are there any clues in the lyrics to help? A sneer means a mocking gesture or comment.
What might be the jokes and sneers? People mocking how bad England are in tournaments.
What are 'oh so near's'? The occasions where England nearly won it again. Here you can talk about incidents in previous tournaments where England have been dealt some bad luck - Hand of God, or 1990 semi-final.
How do these sneers make the singers feel? They feel down and sceptical. They start to believe it themselves.
How do you know? They say 'wear you down' which means to persistently diminish their hope and belief in the team.
Who is Moore? Bobby Moore was the Captain of England in 1966, the lyric links to the memorable tackle he did against Brazil in 1970, which you can watch below:
What position did Lineker play? How do you know? He was a striker, hopefully, the children will infer this from the fact he scored.
Who is Bobby? What might he have been remembered for? Bobby Charlton was a member of the World Cup winning team and once known for his long-range ferocious shots.
Why has the singer chosen the verb belting? It is alliterative, but belting was a form of punishment and was something done with a lot of force, so almost exaggerates how hard he would hit it.
Who was Nobby? Nobby Styles was another member of the 1966 winning team and celebrated the win with a dance, you can see below:
Why does the singer make reference to these old players? To try and inspire the current team by reminding them of the heroes and legends before them. We all grow up with people we idolise and many find determination in wanting to be like them.
Who are your heroes? Do they have to be footballers? How do they inspire you?
Three lions on a shirt Jules Remet still gleaming Thirty years of hurt Never stopped me dreaming (England have done it, in the last minute of extra time) (what a save, what now) (good old England, England that couldn't play football) (England have got it in the bag) I know that was then, but it could be again It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming Footballs coming home It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming Footballs coming home (England have done it) It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming Footballs coming home It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming Footballs coming home Three lions on a shirt Jules Remet still gleaming Thirty years of hurt Never stopped me dreaming Three lions on a shirt Jules Remet still gleaming Thirty years of hurt Never stopped me dreaming Three lions on a shirt Jules Remet still gleaming Thirty years of hurt Never stopped me dreaming You may want to discuss how successful this song was during the Euro 96 tournament and how well England did in the tournament, it was the closest we had come reaching the semi-finals.
In what ways did you think the song helped with this?
As an evaluation task, you can ask the children to compare and contrast the two songs and discuss which they preferred and why.
You may then want to look at other World Cup songs and deconstruct them in the same way, here are a couple of suggestions:
I decided to take the idea from the Three Lions video, to recreate some iconic moments from the World Cup in school this week. The pupils loved it! Please give their video a watch and comment as they did such a brilliant job:
Why not ask your pupils to create and write their own England song?
This video, which is not appropriate to show your children, shows how simple it is to create a chart-topping pop song. This was shared by Adam Chase (@_geekyteacher) at the Animate2Educate conference last week with a summary of what he found:
A few years back we did a similar project but just wrote our own England songs to the melodies of popular songs at the time. This is an idea featured in my 15 iPad lessons for the World Cup eBook, here are some of their examples:
“Praying” is a song by Kesha believed to be directed at her long legal battle with producer Dr. Luke. It is believed the producer sexually and emotionally abused the singer over a number of years. While I wouldn't share this sensitive information with the class, the song has a powerful message about being positive when bad things have happened. Kesha described this song as:
This song is about me finding peace in the fact that I can’t control everything — because trying to control everyone was killing me. It’s about learning to let go and realize that the universe is in control of my fate, not me.
“Praying” was written about that moment when the sun starts peeking through the darkest storm clouds, creating the most beautiful rainbow. Once you realise that you will in fact be OK, you want to spread love and healing. If you feel like someone has wronged you, get rid of that hate, because it will just create more negativity.
There are definite links through this song and bullying and how to have a positive mindset if you have been picked on and bullied.
Here are the lyrics with some suggested questions:
Listen to the song all the way through and ask the children for what they think this song is about? Who is the singer singing about? What makes you think this?
Well, you almost had me fooled Told me that I was nothing without you Oh, but after everything you've done I can thank you for how strong I have become
Who is the singer singing to? An ex-boyfriend, partner or 'friend'
Why was she almost fooled? She almost believed everything the person was saying that made her doubt herself
What makes you think the person she is singing about isn't a nice person? They seem controlling by telling the singer she is nothing with them.
Do you think the experience with this person is something the singer regrets? Yes in some ways as she was clearly hurt but she has now learned from the mistake and it has made her a better person.
If the person she is singing about has bullied her, why is she thanking them? She believes in forgiveness and knows this experience has made her a stronger person
Do you think this is the right attitude to have?
Do you think you would think the same way? Allow for personal response
’Cause you brought the flames and you put me through hell
I had to learn how to fight for myself
And we both know all the truth I could tell
I'll just say this is I wish you farewell
What word is mispelt in the first line? What should it be? Because
Did the person she is speaking about actually bring flames? No
What do the flames symbolise? Flames can be dangerous and harmful, they can also leave scars
What does she mean by 'put me through hell'? Whoever it was treated them terribly and made them feel worthless. Hell is considered a place of constant punishment and torment.
How did the singer feel during this time? How do you know? Lonely, she had to fight for herself.
Has the singer revealed everything that has happened? No
Why not? She doesn't want to reflect and remind herself of all the damage that has been caused. She wants to move on.
What does the word farewell mean? Farewell is more of a term of endearment.
Why would she use this word? She realises that two wrongs don't make a right and is showing empathy towards the person that has hurt her. She knows there are reasons why this person has acted in this way and hopes they can sort these problems out.
Why does she 'wish them farewell'? The singer uses it more as a way of saying goodbye and she wants to move on with her life.
I hope you're somewhere prayin’, prayin'
I hope your soul is changin', changin'
I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees, prayin'
Does the singer think the person will be praying? No, she uses the word hope.
Why is she hoping the person is praying? People usually pray for a number of reasons but a more popular one is to ask for forgiveness. She is hoping they're praying to repent their sins.
What does she hope this will do? Change their soul and make them a better person so they never do this again.
Why does she hope they find their peace? She wants them to learn and never repeat this bullying to anyone else.
I'm proud of who I am
No more monsters, I can breathe again
And you said that I was done
Well, you were wrong and now the best is yet to come
'Cause I can make it on my own
And I don't need you, I found a strength I’ve never known
I’ll bring thunder, I'll bring rain, oh-oh
When I’m finished, they won't even know your name
Do you think the singer has always been proud of who they are? Maybe not, maybe the person she is singing about made her doubt herself, feeling lonely and upset.
What word does she use to describe the person she is singing about? A monster
What impression do we get from this description? A monster is a scary creature, it makes us think the singer was frightened and feeling powerless with them.
Now she has moved on, how does she feel? She feels free, she says she can breathe again.
How else did the person make the singer feel? Like she was worthless and finished by saying she was done.
How does the singer feel now? With freedom comes courage, strength and belief. She feels like a big weight has been lifted and it has given her a new lease of life.
What has she learnt? Despite previously feeling alone because of the bullying, now she has realised that she doesn't need anyone else, she can make it on her own.
What strength has she found? A strength to be proud of herself, believe in her own ability and not rely on other people's opinons and thoughts.
What does she mean by bringing thunder and rain? Thunder and rain usually symbolise sadness. So she is saying that there will still be moments when she is sad and vulnerable, but accepts this also makes her stronger by accepting the fact she isn't perfect.
What does she mean by the last line? Once she has finished achieving her dreams, this experience will be so insignificant, people won't even remember it.
You brought the flames and you put me through hell
I had to learn how to fight for myself
And we both know all the truth I could tell
I'll just say this is I wish you farewell
I hope you're somewhere prayin’, prayin'
I hope your soul is changin', changin'
I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees, prayin'
Oh, sometimes I pray for you at night
Someday, maybe you'll see the light
Oh, some say, in life, you're gonna get what you give
But some things only God can forgive
Is the singer completely over the bullying? No she still thinks about it at night.
Do you think she believes the bully will 'see the light'? She isn't sure as she uses the words someday and maybe.
What does she mean by 'see the light'? Seeing the light means realising what they have done and realising the damage it has caused and ask for forgiveness.
Can you think of some words to describe the singer when she was being bullied?
Can you think of some words to describe the singer now?
What can we learn from her approach to bullies?
Do you think you would be the same?
If you see bullying happening, what should you do?
How long do you think it has taken the singer to get to this point of feeling strong again?
I know the issue raised in this song could be sensitive for some, I know it would lead to some very deep and interesting conversations about bullying, empathy and understanding.
Over the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of working in Year 1. Their topic for this half term has been mini beasts and so I wanted to share with you some of the work we have been doing through technology.
The children have also been learning about different mini beasts, researching facts and information and then creating these videos using the app - Shadow Puppets Edu:
Last week, students were writing their own mini beast poems, focusing on the use of alliteration. To add an element of performance, the pupils recorded themselves sharing their writing using the app ChatterPix Kids. Here are some of their examples:
These are just a couple of example of how I try to promote the use of technology in the primary classroom. It is about children creating content through these creative apps. Each of these ideas can easily be adapted to any topic you are doing with your pupils.
With the new film breaking all sorts of records, I’ve put this video together looking at what the Avengers would be like as teachers. Which one do you relate to most? Let us know in the comments and get sharing with your colleagues if they remind you of anyone too!
I am always trying to promote the positive use of the internet. For me, it has changed my life in a way I never thought possible. Having my ideas shared and used all around the world is amazing and now to be able to visit and work with so many teachers around the country and beyond is brilliant. It is a tool I use a lot in class to add an authentic purpose to children's learning. Connecting our classroom to professionals and experts through social media has had an incredible impact on the quality of work we get from our students.
A couple of weeks ago, we had primary futures week where our pupils were learning about different jobs, had parents visit and talk about their career and discussion our aspirations.
I worked with Year 2 and challenged them to make some eBooks about their dream job. Using the app Book Creator to share their ideas. It was great to see the children being so creative and working on a variety of skills as they created their eBooks.
We shared some on our social media pages, such as Harley's example:
@NASA@astro_timpeake we’ve been making eBooks about our dream jobs, this student wants to be an astronaut. He would love to know what you think of this and whether he’d make a good astronaut if he keeps working hard! pic.twitter.com/wasldesgiT
Harley was made up to know his idol, Tim Peake had read his eBook and replied.
We had a range of jobs but one stood out to me. Alfie's dream job was to drive the Flying Scotsman, his eBook reflected his passion and knowledge of the train and his enthusiasm towards it.
I shared his eBook and asked people to help get his eBook to the team at the Flying Scotsman in hope we could make his dream come true:
And thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, we received this email:
Here is a little interview I did with Alfie about this. He will be hopping on the Flying Scotsman next week so I will be sharing some pictures from his day out.
Update 17th May I just wanted to share some pictures from Alfie's amazing day. In school today, he was telling me all about it. The enthusiasm, excitement and joy in his tone as he talked me through the day was amazing! Thanks again to the East Lancs Railway for making this possible!
