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What can be done to improve attitudes to maths in primary classrooms?

What can be done to improve attitudes to maths in primary classrooms? Maths has always been the subject where at least one person grumbles or sighs at the mention of its name. This is usually due to the pupils struggling with maths or from being influenced by a role models (usually parents or teachers) view towards the subject. But could this influence be the real reason as to why attitudes towards maths and numeracy are low and disliked. We will be looking at sources and comparing these to come to a conclusion about this. Parents can sometimes be gender biased towards their children’s ability in maths and we will be looking at what this is and how this can affect children also. These negative attitudes towards maths can play a critical role in math performance, math course-taking, and the pursuit of math- related career paths. As well as influencing children towards certain mind frames and idea, role models also have set expectations, sometimes being gender biased and that can af...
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How can gamification and the use of computer games be used to enhance learning in the classroom?

How can gamification and the use of computer games be used to enhance learning in the classroom? With the rise of the ‘IT’ age heavily upon us it is becoming almost mandatory for everyone to know and use some kind of technology in the lives (Aldrich, 2002). So it only makes sense to start to incorporate it into the classroom and use it not only for teaching fact/figures etc, but also for the use of the children in the classes. Gamification could be one way to do this. We will be looking into and discussing how this can be used in the classroom and what advantages it might bring with it. First of all, what does gamification mean?  The World Government Summit (2016, P.3) defines gamification as “the introduction or application of elements of games into non-game contexts”. So bringing virtual games, which children would play outside of education, and using them as a teaching tool to help progress the development of children’s learning. But how can children learn from just pl...
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Can teachers be replaced by technology in the future?

Can teachers be replaced by technology in the future? With the rise of technology happening as we speak causing a rapid and irreversible change (John, & Wheeler, 2008), this is something that many teachers and professionals are concerned about and are dubious as to whether they want these devices in their classrooms for fear they may take the place of teachers in the near future (Abbott, 2001). We will look into how technology may do this but also what it may be missing without the teachers there. A very successful and effective study was carried out in a 3 rd  world country, where digital devices are not used as much as here in the UK for example, without a teacher or any supervision there present. It is called the ‘Hole in the Wall' study and involved leaving a computer with built in educational games in a high poverty area. The children that interacted with these computers were able to pick up skills to operate a computer even if they hadn’t seen one before and self-ins...
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How can teachers use technology effectively in the primary classroom?

How can teachers use technology effectively in the primary classroom? Since early on in the 21 st  Century, the use of technology had been rapidly on the rise in primary classrooms. From installing interactive white boards in classrooms to computers and iPads, technology is becoming a go to resource for teachers to use. We will be exploring the benefits and challenges of using technology and also good examples of technology, which we have used in seminars.  First of all, technology has been a big influencer and addition to how children are motivated within education and is a great vehicle for interdisciplinary teaching (Carroll, & McCulloch, 2014). Technology is also great for teachers on the preparation side of teaching as planning and prep can be done efficiently on a computer and stored and transported safely. It is also a much easier way in regards to communication so all the teachers can be in touch with each other privately over email, but also to higher levels ...
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Why is Reading for Pleasure important in Primary Education?

Why is Reading for Pleasure important in Primary Education? Reading pleasure is something that is done not because you have been told to (although may start out this way) but is primarily for your own enjoyment. The National Literacy Trust defines it as reading that we do of our own free will or continuing the reading started at someone else’s request but keep going because we are interested in it (National Literacy Trust, 2006). It does not always entail just sitting at home reading a fiction book but reading non-fiction or being read to. We will explore and discuss some benefits of reading for pleasure and challenges that it may along way.  Teachers are now placing a higher importance on reading for pleasure as it has many benefits to children. One of those benefits is the affect it has on their development. There is evidence to suggest that children’s emotional and social development is advanced when reading for pleasure (Clark, & Rumbold, 2006). This could be due to ...
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What should be prioritised in Primary Education?

What should be prioritised in Primary Education? "Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein  Primary education has, on the majority, always been about pupils achieving certain grades and having a large bank of varied knowledge by the time they leave school for work in the outside world, going from ‘learners’ to ‘earners’. For the most part of the 19 th  and the early 20 th  century this was certainly true and is still argued as still happening today (Murphy, et. al. 2009). However like the quote at the start, is knowledge more important than anything else learnt in education? Or should the experiences (or other factors in education) take priority? This is what we will be looking into. To start with, who decides what and why something goes into being taught in schools? The national curriculum was devised in the 1988 Education Reform Act to maintain what subjects and topics was to be taught in schools to ensure all pupils learnt the same...
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What are the benefits of Storytelling in Primary Education?

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What are the benefits of storytelling in primary education? ‘Storytelling is the oldest form of education’ (Hamilton and Weiss, 2005, P1) it’s a way of communicating and passing on key ideas, beliefs, traditions and history. Through use in primary education, it can stimulate and motivate learning whilst improving imagination, reading, creativity and many other skills in children’s development. It’s also a way for children to understand their surroundings and make meaning by mentally constructing stories (Hamilton and Weiss, 2005). It can enhance progress in creativity and problem solving by allowing children to explore stories by adapting them or by making up their own. It can be used  Storytelling is vastly different from just ‘story reading’. With storytelling, it can create a community and an ‘in the moment’ audience which is interactive and therefore flexible. The teller can adapt and change the direction of the story depending on the audience’s reactions or expressions. F...
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