Building our Chemistry Team - Working together to improve our classroom practice.

1. PROGRAMME FOR THE CHEMISTRY
SECTIONS WITHIN THE SCIENCE
2012 INSET COURSE
Session 1: Working
together to improve
our classroom
practice
By Richard Zahra Building our Chemistry Team

2. 2
Agenda
Session 1 (9th July) - small group
• Introduction
• Sharing some experiences of Chemistry
teachers
• Communication and sharing - Chemistry
website and teacher’s blog
• Writing our group Mission Statement
R. Zahra

3. 3
Agenda
Session 2 (10th July) - full group
• Collaborative Student learning in
Chemistry – Applying the Jigsaw
technique effectively in the Chemistry
classroom.
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4. 4
Agenda
Session 3 (11th July) - small group
• Gathering evidence of student learning
and achievement in student-centred
Chemistry activities.
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5. 5
One Basic Goal
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6. http://chemistry.skola.edu.mt/about/
6
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7. http://chemistry.skola.edu.mt/about/
7
Task:
Form groups of 3.
Discuss ideas how we
can make our website Report back
more useful to to the whole
teachers and students. group
R. Zahra

8. Contributions to Chemistry website
8
1.Resources: Mainly animations and videos
which can be used by teachers in classroom
and students for revision
2.Teaching resources (eg: consent forms,
handouts, activity sheets)
3.Brief Notes
4.Interesting chemistry related stories
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9. Contributions to Chemistry website
9
1.Info about great chemists
2.Chemistry related curiosities
3.History of great discoveries in Chemistry
4.New discoveries
5.Chemistry Pedagogy – examples of teaching
techniques
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10. Contributions to Chemistry website
10
1. Examples of students’ work &
achievement
2. Syllabus links to be included
3. Difficult Past Paper questions with mode
answers (for use by students)
4. Interesting websites to be included
5. MatSec Examiners’ Reports
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11. Contributions to Chemistry website
11
1. Suggestions box
2. Interviews with teachers & students
3. Surveys
4. Getting successful graduates talking
about their career
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12. Chemistry website
12
Encourage
students to visit
the website and
leave their
comments
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13. A Group Effort will make a difference
13
We need your help
in embellishing and
improving the
website.
Send us interesting
items to place in the
website.
R. Zahra

14. 1 target for next scholastic year!
14
We’ll aim for
at least 1
contribution to
the website
per teacher
Whether large or small, each contribution is valuable!
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15. Videos of good classroom practice
15
Classroom videos are the ultimate
contribution!
Videos can be
of value to:
•Teachers
•Students
•Parents
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Remember to obtain parent consent

16. Sending material for the website
16
Via:
•Email (small files)
•Dropbox (large files)
https://www.dropbox.com/
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17. Chemistry mailing list
17
Let’s keep our
communication
channels open
through a mailing
list.
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18. Chemistry mailing list
18
When anyone wants to
pass on a message to
whole group or share
useful info can easily
send an email to me
and I will distribute.
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19. Chemistry mailing list
19
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M aryRos Sha
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Anthony Josephine
An
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ella
Richard
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Den ent
MaryAnne
David Lorr
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Ro Ele en na
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20. Support by email
20
If anyone needs
support of any
kind, please email
without hesitation.
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21. Chemistry Teachers Blog
21
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22. http://maltesechemistryteachers.blogspot.com/
22
Uses of the blog:
•To keep in touch with each other
•To discuss and share ideas
•To raise issues and try to solve
problems collectively
•To reinforce our team spirit
•To inspire each other
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23. http://maltesechemistryteachers.blogspot.com/
23
•I will send you an invitation via email
to become a contributor in the blog –
you can then send posts apart from
commenting.
•However, you’ll need a Gmail
account to become a contributor
R. Zahra

24. Let’s create or MISSION STATEMENT
24
A Mission Statement defines the group’s
purpose and primary objectives. Its prime
function is internal – to define the key
measure or measures of the group's
success – and its prime audience is the
leadership, team members and
stakeholders.
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25. MISSION STATEMENT
25
"I think it is important for a faculty to have
a common set of beliefs," teacher Jean
Etheridge tells Education World.
"Sometimes teachers get so wrapped
up in the little stuff that we need to be
reminded of where we are going."
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26. Create a MISSION STATEMENT
26
1.To create your mission statement, first
identify your group's "winning idea".
2.This is the idea or approach that will
make your groups stand out, and is the
reason that you will be seen as a
group that has something really useful
to offer to those in your care.
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27. Create a MISSION STATEMENT
27
1.Next identify the key measures of your
success. Make sure you choose the
most important measures (and not too
many of them!)
2.Combine your winning idea and
success measures into a tangible and
measurable goal.
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28. Create a MISSION STATEMENT
28
2.Refine the words until you have a
concise and precise statement of your
mission, which expresses your ideas,
measures and desired result.
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29. Characteristics of a great M. S.
29
1) Short
2) Memorable
3) Inspiring
4) Student focused
5) What we want to
be remembered
for
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30. Examples of a great M. S.
30
To organize the
world’s
information and
make it
universally
accessible and
useful.
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31. Examples of a great M. S.
31
To give people
the power to
share and make
the world more
open and
connected.
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32. Examples of a great M. S.
32
To provide fast
and easy video
access and the
ability to share
videos
frequently
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33. Examples of a great M. S.
33
To develop in students the
skills and attitudes necessary
to reach their maximum
individual potential in
vocation, family, and society
through the cooperative
efforts of students, teachers,
parent(s)/guardian(s), and
community.
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34. 34
Coming together is a beginning;
Keeping together is progress;
Working together is success.
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35. 35
Thanks for your attention
R. Zahra