active learning

Active learning

The following articles, taken from recent issues of our Optimus newsletters, will prove invaluable for anyone with a professional or personal interest in Active learning. To ensure you stay up-to-date with the very latest thinking in this area, please make use of the articles below. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, simply click on another category on the left or 'search the library'.

Playful science | Active learning

Play-based learning can take a key role in the teaching of science and can encourage scientific enquiry skills, says Robert Sinclair

Storytelling to facilitate inclusion | Active learning

Louise Coigley enhances and develops the communication of SEN children and adults through inclusive storytelling. Michael Jones describes seeing her in action

Learning through dance | Active learning

Exploring magical myths and legends through the medium of dance can bring a whole new perspective to creative learning, says Lisa Symonds

Developing leadership using sport in schools | Active learning

Improving pupils' leadership skills can have a positive impact on many areas of school life and PESS provides a key opportunity to develop, hone and improves them, explains Jill Wyatt

Getting back in the game: Alex Chambers | Active learning

A vicious attack from an opposing player when she was 17 years old meant that Alex Chambers was told she would never play hockey again. 15 years later she promotes sport in schools and is representing England in Rock-It-Ball

Sport spotlight: Rock-It-Ball | Active learning

Rock-It-Ball is the fastest growing sport on the planet according to Paul Kildreth, secretary of the International Rock-It-Ball Federation

Making PE accessible to pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties | Active learning

Crispin Andrews speaks to practitioners in order to examine the challenges and the opportunities for pupils with SEBD in PE

Governors: getting involved in your school's sport | Active learning

Governors have a great chance to improve pupils opportunities for taking part in physical activity, with the government's school sport strategy

The road to a creative curriculum | Active learning

Pirates, munchkins and football; can you think of interactive ideas to make your lessons more creative? David Morley explains how themes like this can allow you to plan and take ownership of your curriculum, particularly with themed creative events

Innovative teaching of PE and sport | Active learning

Angela Youngman looks at some innovative ideas to get children moving

Guy Claxton's character curriculum for the learning age | Active learning

Guy Claxton invites debate on his eight character strengths and virtues for the learning age

Scheme of work: Thinking actively in a social context Year 6 science | Active learning

Peter Leyland describes how he used TASC to teach his Year 6 class about measuring time

Old style 'school trips' | Active learning

Former headteacher Bob Jelley remembers a time when 'school trips' were a lot more straightforward

Thinking skills: Thinkathon | Active learning

What if we all looked the same? This was just one of the topics used to get pupils thinking at a competitive event organised by Luton LEA and attended by Peter Leyland

Risk and challenge in the early years | Active learning

Katrina Foley describes how young children’s independence and self-management skills can be promoted in an environment which celebrates risk, challenge and empowerment

Helping young children understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle | Active learning

Franz Atkinson describes a whole-school approach adopted by a small rural primary school

Education in the Commonwealth | Active learning

Empowering young people throughout the Commonwealth to become active citizens is one of the goals of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth. Gertrude Shotte reports on its work

Build skills and stop gang culture | Active learning

Entrepreneurial activities can help young people gain respect, says Madeleine White

Visions of social enterprise in Liverpool | Active learning

Students in St Margaret's High School in Liverpool have designed and successfully marketed a computer game. David Dennison and Les Hankin report on a striking demonstration on economic wellbeing as a diver of school activity

Reaping the benefits of going global | Active learning

As the government increasingly recognises the importance of schools developing international links, headteacher Jim Donnelly looks at how these links can be established and what benefits they bring

Teaching pupils life skills through climbing | Active learning

The Bristol Climbing Centre courses aim to develop the whole person. Jo McCready explains their teaching philosophy and describes their work with more able students

World heritage - examining the threats | Active learning

Anjana Khatwa explores the implications of acquiring World Heritage Site status

Music Manifesto - the state of play | Active learning

Mike Rathbone reports on developments to make every child’s music matter

Teaching enterprise or enterprising teachers? | Active learning

Schools need to unpack ‘enterprise’ and ‘entrepreneurship’, say Jacek Brant and Alastair Falk

Raising aspirations in Year 9 | Active learning

How can teachers raise aspirations for students who have untapped potential? Martin Ransley follows the lives of a group of Year 9 students.

Encouraging communication, curiosity and creativity | Active learning

Linda Thornton and Pat Brunton explore ways to use the children’s curiosity about their world to become self-motivated, independent learners.

Learning about identity through museums | Active learning

Celine West shows how head spanners and glass eyes can be used to unpack prejudice.

Active community involvement | Active learning

Student Volunteering Week offers all young people opportunities, says Christine Fanthome.

School visits abroad: invaluable to pupils and staff | Active learning

Headteachers Anne Clarke and Annabelle Guyver analyse the benefits that trips abroad bring to participating pupils and to the staff leading them.

Energy awareness: the European connection | Active learning

Involvement in European energy awareness projects can bring a multitude of benefits to the pupils and staff of schools, as well as to the planet, says headteacher David Dixon.

Understanding workplace culture | Active learning

Christine Fanthome shows how students can gain essential employment skills.

How safe are your school trips abroad? | Active learning

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is working on a new standard aimed at making school trips abroad safer.

Primary workshop ideas wanted! | Active learning

Any primary school teachers out there with workshop ideas? I’m organising a few Antarctica mornings for local primaries and I’m trying to work out what to do

Bringing history to life | Active learning

Archaeologist and teacher John Crossland, describes how you can use an historic site with Foundation Stage children.

Learning through nature | Active learning

Angela Youngman found out about a broad and creative approach to learning.

Helping students to find rewarding work placements | Active learning

Dr Christine Fanthome argues that good planning is essential if students are to maximise the benefits of workplace learning.

The Foundling Museum: a PSHE and citizenship resource | Active learning

Alice Mayers describes a collaborative project between the Foundling Museum and the National Theatre.

Performance tours and global citizenship | Active learning

Timothy Jones shows how performance helps students at the British Council School in Madrid become informed world citizens.

vimpressive! Volunteering for young people | Active learning

Mike Walton examines the latest developments in the government’s efforts to make increased youth volunteering a reality.

Together We Can - an active citizenship initiative | Active learning

John Potter explores a government proposal for citizenship education.

Fair Trade at Hartford High School | Active learning

This project focused on integrating Fair Trade purchasing throughout the school and raising pupil and staff awareness of global issues.

Developing Citizenship: about the project | Active learning

Global citizenship and critical thinking were key elements of this three-year collaborative project.

Citizenship education and curriculum planning – Norfolk LEA | Active learning

Citizenship education is being integrated into curriculum planning across the UK. The following 'steps to success' come from Norfolk LEA, which worked with Norfolk and Suffolk schools on the Developing Citizenship project.

Global Citizenship Day at Stoke High School | Active learning

Our Global Citizenship Day was a June event for Year 8s as a follow up to the unit of work they had done on Global Citizenship earlier in the year.

Black Achievement Festival at Hethersett High School | Active learning

At Hethersett we chose to focus on a Black Achievement Festival to coincide with Black History Month.

Multi-cultural Arts Day at Congleton High School | Active learning

Our multi-cultural arts day was aimed at Year 7 students and was one of a programme of stop days around global citizenship in our school.

Action learning sets | Active learning

Reg Revans, often referred to as the father of action learning, said 'action learning takes so long to describe because it is so simple'. While we agree that ALS is a simple and elegant process that is better experienced than explained, we believe we can give you a flavour of the process in this article.

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Curriculum Development Learning Partnerships Citizenship and PSHE	Classroom Teacher Curriculum Manager PSHE & Citizenship Coordinator Teaching & Learning Coordinator Subject Leader Headteacher Leading teacher for gifted and talented

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