Learning Matters, Sherborne School V10 Lent 2020

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Learning Matters Lent 2020 V10

Do reading periods inspire a passion for reading Samuel Hartley L6f

I have found that reading periods do indeed inspire a passion for reading. Third Form have set reading periods in which each year group would go to a designated room and simply read. I noticed that a few of the Third Form expanded their reading in material and, in the time, they spent with a book. The periods provided a space where it would be quiet, calm and relaxed allowing for people reading to not only read but to appreciate what it was they were reading. This experience led to an increased range and number of books being read and boys started drawing comparisons with the books they had read. Although this system could initially be met with opposition by some reluctant boys, it has ensured that Third Form were at least reading.

In today’s world we are constantly shown the real world straight to our eyes. Reading periods remove this and subtly encourage the use of the imagination. Discussions have taken place as different people may interpret a book slightly differently and following this, they may choose another book to read and discuss.

Even though reading periods were compulsory we looked forward to them. They provided a pause in a busy week and gave people time to relax and unwind. However, there are those who do not embrace the concept of a reading period, and so do not take to reading with such a passion as others do. This is primarily due to mobile phones where we are constantly updated on the state of the world, our friends’ lives and the lives of other people. I find this confusing, as at least two of these things are covered by reading. We can learn more about the world through characters in the books we read and, because reading periods are scheduled within year groups, you are always reading alongside your friends and peers.

If reading periods were extended I am sure we would see boys’ passion for reading grow. As people learn about the lives of the characters in the books and try to fill in the gaps they don’t know about them, it requires imagination which would surely only develop further over time? I feel that reading periods have to be approached with a growth mindset. If they are then a passion for reading will grow which will motivate others. I feel that reading has dropped amongst teenagers and if there were more reading periods set aside at schools worldwide, we would see reading ascend back into teenage lives and we’d be a lot better for it.

LEARNING MATTERS V10

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How Do Boys Cope With Stress?

Henry Kauntz U6f

Stress is our individual perception of an inability to surmount problems. This is universally manifest, as whether you are in education, employment or elsewhere, we all encounter a psychological sense of strain and pressure. Arguably, the connotations associated with this phenomenon are not always adverse; stress in the correct quantities aids academic, sporting and social development, acting as a motivating factor in response to stimuli. Yet, as it is more generally understood, stress in excessive amounts can be detrimental to both mental and physical health. In a distinctive environment such as Sherborne School, the causes and coping mechanisms for stress are unique. It is my intention to explore why this is the case, and ultimately, how young men deal with these psychological concerns.

The fact that stress is a non-specific response adds to a mystery that so significantly defines its prominence. This is because stress varies depending on the individual in question: a stressor (something that causes stress) may positively motivate you but may negatively distress me. Major life events are amongst the most significant types of stressors: moving house, leaving school and beginning university, or experiencing bereavement, which are rarely in comparison to daily hassles and annoyances, the most common cause for anxiety and mental strain. Meeting deadlines or engaging with challenging personalities fall within this category, and the high frequency of these hassles allows for it to have the most pressing physiological impact on individuals. Finally, ambient stressors make up the last of these three key denominations of causes. Examples of this include noise, traffic and crowding, allowing this type to comprehensively impact many people, rather than just on an individual basis. Furthermore, ambient stressors are almost always implicit, in the sense that we accept their negative impacts without any conscious awareness.

In themselves, they are non-urgent, but when experienced in addition to the previous sorts of stimuli, they can escalate situations.

It is of comparable importance to recognise the causes of stress, because they lead to physical

LEARNING MATTERS V10

Talk about your stress with someone else, whether it be a friend, relative or Tutor at school. Having the good input of another’s opinions may help you see things in an alternative way, allowing you to continue a shift in perception. Likewise, having a laugh and relaxing with a few mates in the Boarding House is certain to be a stress reliever! effects. The first of these is the alarm reaction which occurs when the stressor is first presented. The body prepares to deal with the event as nervous systems are activated and hormones (such as adrenaline) are released. As a result, an increase in energy levels throughout the body occurs, as well as greater muscle tension and a rise in blood pressure.

Those who study biology may note that this draws ties with the ‘fight-or-flight’ response. After this the second stage of resistance is entered, where resources are continuously built up until either the stressor is removed, or these recourses become diminished.

When this happens over an extended period, psychosomatic disorders become more evident.

Finally, when the body has drained itself entirely of hormones and energy, the individual enters the third stage of exhaustion. One becomes anxious, irritable or even self-destructive. It is at this point that problems really start to arise.

But all of this is rather nebulous without any application to real world situations, implying my underlying question of how boys at Sherborne School deal with stress. In my view, there are three key characteristics that define Sherborne’s individuality. Firstly, it is a full boarding school, meaning that boys will live at the same place where they are educated, leaving to go home only on the occasional weekend and for more

substantial holidays. Secondly, it is a single-sex environment and finally academically boys are expected to be constantly working to a studious standard, in my view. All of these factors impact how stress is both experienced and managed.

Attending a boarding school like Sherborne is a major life event when often for the first time, boys who have just finished their Common Entrance exams live away from home. Homesickness and social anxiety may provoke the previously mentioned alarm reaction, especially in the first few weeks of term. But soon this stressor becomes ambient as boys settle in, implicitly adding to other causes of anxiety or tension.

It is true that many of the boys’ social struggles may orbit around the fact that Sherborne is an allboys School. The positives are that young men can concentrate on their studies without being potentially distracted by the opposite sex, and in turn, the potential for stress is reduced.

However, we are near Sherborne Girls, an all-girls boarding school that has substantial links with the boys’ school so that in many ways, there is the best of both worlds. In the classroom, distractions are minimised, but after school and on the weekends, there remains the opportunity to create bonds with the girls. Personally, I think when boys first arrive at

Sherborne this becomes a daily annoyance as they experience a societal shift. Yet as they mature, it converts to an ambient stressor as adaptation to the environment occurs.

How can the average student deal with stress? There is endless advice to be found online, and it is by no means my aim to replicate that. But what I do wish to do is provide some brief examples of what I think young men at Sherborne (but similarly at any school) can do to cope with mental strain.

The most important way to combat stressful situations is to take mental control. As stated in the opening line of this piece, stress is the perceived inability to surmount problems. If your perception is altered to one of optimism and positivity, the stressor will instantly become less threatening, remind yourself there will always be a solution, regardless of the problem. Talk about your stress with someone else, whether it be a friend, relative or Tutor at school. Having the good input of another’s opinions may help you see things in an alternative way, allowing you to continue a shift in perception.

Likewise, having a laugh and relaxing with a few mates in the Boarding House is certain to be a stress reliever! Allow yourself some independent ‘me’ time.

Take a hot bath, read a book,

watch a film; whatever will distract you from the pressures of school.

The underlying issue is, though, that some mental issues like stress are unavoidable, they can remain on your mind.

How to aid stress relief‌ 1. Be active, there are so many clubs, activities and opportunities to use sports facilities.

2. Be healthy, eat well and, get a good night’s sleep.

3. Reduce time spent on social media.

Something that is equally important to remember is the stereotype that a great deal of young men feel they must satisfy. It is all too common for men to hide their problems, in particular those concerning mental health,

and use a disguise of strength and power as a façade. Luckily now, the stigma around male mental health has been somewhat lifted and we are fortunate to live at a time when a man will not be prejudiced against if his worries surrounding stress (or similar perceptual difficulties) are voiced.

By writing this piece, I hope to have shed some light on the causes, responses and coping mechanisms that young men will experience in regard to stress. Above all else, we should all adopt a positive and optimistic mindset, take mental control and apply daily habits to cope with this omnipresent issue that so many boys will inevitably encounter, both today and for the countless years to come.

LEARNING MATTERS V10

ICT Tips

Chris Hayter IT Trainer and Application Support

LEARNING MATTERS V10

Customising Task Bar. If you have any applications you use daily, you can pin these to the Task Bar, creating a one-click, easy to access shortcut, saving time and making it easier to find your favourite programmes. To do this, find the application in the Start Menu, left click and select More, then select Pin to Taskbar. From now on all you will need to do is click on the icon which can now be found on Taskbar to launch the application.

Customising Start Menu.

You may also customise your Start Menu creating links to your most used applications. To do this, locate the application from the Start Menu or use the Search Function (see below) and left click on the application and

select the Pin to Start Menu option. You may also organise these Shortcuts and move them around the Start Menu. To move a Shortcut, just right click and hold the Shortcut. This will allow you to drag and drop the Shortcut to a new location on the Start Menu. Once you have it in place, release the right button on the

mouse. You may also re-size the Shortcut by left clicking again on the application clicking the Resize option.

Search Function.

You can use the search function by right clicking on the magnifying glass next to the Windows icon in the bottom left. You can use this feature to search for applications and even search for documents. Just start typing for what you are looking for. It will then bring the results of the search up where you can right click on the item you are looking for to open.

Adding in Bookmark Bar and Populating.

Whichever browser you prefer to use, you will have the ability of adding a Bookmark Bar to which you can add any websites you may use and create a link which will load that page for you, saving time searching or typing in the address. To do this in Google Chrome, right-click on the three vertical dots in the top right.

Select Bookmarks and then select to Add Bookmark Bar. If you would like to add a site to the Bookmark

Bar, right-click the Star in the address field. You can name the Bookmark and then select the Bookmark Bar from the folder dropdown menu. You can now find this shortcut under the Address Bar. To do this on Edge, right-click the three horizontal dots in the top right. Right click on Favourites. Then

right-click on Settings. Scroll down to the Favourites Bar section and turn on Show the Favourites Bar. To

add a site to the Favourites Bar, right-click the Star along the address bar. Under the Save In menu, click the Favourite Bar from the dropdown menu. You can now find this shortcut under the Address Bar.

Shake to Minimize all Windows.

If you have a lot of windows open on your machine and you would like to quickly minimise all of those windows, instead of doing it manually and clicking the minimise button on each window, you can right-click along the top of the current window and then shake your mouse from right to left. This will close all other windows you have open only keeping the window you are clicking on open.

The Macnaghten Library provides the following services to support the

boys: Third Form Induction Sessions: Welcome to the

library, reading for pleasure and the Dewey Decimal system.

Sixth Form Induction Sessions: How to use the

library to maximise academic success.

Information Literacy Workshops: How to do

successful Google searches, support to

understand and use the Dewey Decimal System,

support with citation and referencing, how to use Mendeley as a reference management tool, study skills.

Online Library Service: The Macnaghten Library

Frog page provides book-related news, access to

online resources, the Current Awareness Bulletin,

support for EPQ and much more.

Folder Organisation Sessions: Support to organise academic documents.

Events: Inter-House Literary Quiz, Sherborne Favourite Reads, WABA, Reading Athletics.

Book Box Loans: Subject-related book boxes to support wider academic reading and ‘Books at

Bedtime’ boxes for the Boarding Houses to

Magazines and Newspapers: A broad range of

support reading for pleasure.

such as New Scientist, New Internationalist,

Displays in Academic Departments: Library-

magazines to support wider academic reading, History Today, The Economist.

Current Awareness Bulletin and In The News: A selection of articles from our magazines and newspapers, which support topics from the School curriculum.

DT Bulletin: A weekly selection of articles to

support the Design and Technology curriculum.

related information about books and online

resources to support academic study.

Social Media: Keep-up-to-date with library events, services, and books.

Kindles with a variety of fiction and non-fiction

e-books can be borrowed from the library.

Headphones can be borrowed for use in the

library computer suite.

LEARNING MATTERS V10

staff: Information Literacy Workshops for Students: How to do successful Google searches, support to understand and use the Dewey Decimal

Computer Suite is available for teachers to book for lessons.

System, support with citation and referencing,

Folder Organisation Sessions: Staff can refer

management tool, study skills.

academic documents.

how to use Mendeley as a reference

Magazines and Newspapers: A broad range of magazines to support wider academic reading, such as New Scientist, New Internationalist,

History Today, The Economist, The Times and The i.

Current Awareness Bulletin and In The News:

students to the library for support to organise

Wellbeing Week: Library activities, such as a

book club taster session, to support staff

wellbeing.

Book box Loans: Subject-related book boxes to

support teaching and learning.

A summary of articles from our magazines and

Displays in Academic Departments: Library-

School curriculum.

resources to promote and support students’

newspapers, which support topics from the

DT Bulletin: A weekly collection of articles to

support the Design and Technology curriculum.

Online Library Service: The Macnaghten Library

Frog page provides book-related news, access to

related information about books and online

academic study.

Social Media: Keep-up-to-date with library events, services, and books.

Kindles with a variety of fiction and non-fiction

online resources, the Current Awareness Bulletin,

e-books can be borrowed from the library.

Lower and Upper Library Rooms are available

a class set for use in the library computer suite.

lessons.

Go Pro camera loan for outdoor events.

support for EPQ and much more.

for teachers to book for reading and subject

Lower Library can be booked for meetings and events.

Headphones can be borrowed individually or as

Remote working.

Dr Tim Filtness, Deputy Head (Academic) If anything good can be said to

Even without Covid-19, Sherborne

can be replicated anywhere in the

have come from Covid-19, it’s that

was already well along the road

country – voila, remote learning.

institutions across the country have

towards remote learning: our VLE,

been required to engage with the

Frog, has been in place for nearly a

wholesale concept of remote

decade and we began rolling out

working. For some, this is relatively

MS 365 a good eighteen months

old hat: most schools and colleges

ago. Many of my colleagues are

have been using virtual learning

already adept with MS Teams (our

environments for a while and in

Literacy lessons, for example, are

some sectors the concept of

coordinated in this way) and there

MOOCS and other online training

are two members of Bow House

platforms are relatively well-

who proudly boast a completely

established. There are even a small

paperless classroom – a dream for

number of centres that exist

anyone familiar with the joys of

exclusively in an online environment

marking a stack of pupils’ scripts.

(e.g. the Khan Academy or the Virtual Learning College) and anyone unfortunate enough to have completed a recent tax return, sat their driving theory test or completed any self-directed learning course will be familiar with the idea of online learning.

However, for most of us the centre of gravity still sits firmly with the notion that that learning and teaching are best associated with a classroom environment. And, for me, this is what’s exciting: throughout the country schools, colleges, universities and employers have now been forced to adopt a new approach – learning from home.

However, the remote learning paradigm also offers much more than the simple opportunity to share lesson materials. Digital learning platforms such as Teams make provision for interactive and collaborative learning techniques that are not so easy to replicate in the paper-filled classroom. You can, for example, make provision for assignments to be rewritten so that boys can share a draft of their work, receive comments and feedback

With the pandemic (it can now be

from peers and then redraft their

officially termed) taking root across

work ready for submission. These

the UK, Sherborne has stepped up

steps are all visible as separate

its plans for remote working and

layers of editing, each complete

moved forwards a number of

with comment feeds and digital

deadlines. This is exciting because

annotations which allows the

it means that, from April, all classes

teacher sight both of the process of

at School will have a second ‘virtual’

peer evaluation and also of its

classroom. This on-line class is built

impact on reflection and correction.

in MS Teams and offers facility to

The result, therefore, is a much

set work, submit it, mark it digitally

improved piece of work and,

and share feedback in the same

crucially, a boy who understands

way. Lesson materials, past-papers,

what steps he needs to take to

PowerPoints, videos, discussion fora

ensure that future work is similarly

and other classroom activities will

developed. Good eh?

also be made available in Teams too, meaning that the accomplishments of the classroom

LEARNING MATTERS V10

Revision Strategies Harriet Bajorat Learning Support.

Before you embark upon trying to memorise anything, you must first be sure you understand the topic you are trying to remember. Sometimes you will need to just sit and think it all through, talking it aloud to yourself as you go, asking yourself, ‘what does this really mean and do I understand it?’ If you really understand a topic, then your brain will find more use for it and it will be more likely to bother remembering it for you.

Finding a purpose, use or interest in the material makes memorising it more rewarding. So, before you leave for the holidays make sure you have attended any extra sessions with your teacher to go over topics which you have not fully understood yet. Think about the ‘future you’. The future you will be really pleased to have more life and career opportunities open to him as a result of hard work over these months than he will be over that post you couldn’t resist commenting on, the late night party or that box set you just couldn’t turn off. Don’t just live in the moment. Plan ahead. It is a lot about self-restraint and long-term goals.

Remember to set yourself some small rewards for each session you do (a cup of tea and biscuit, a game, time on your phone, music). Also, have a realistic timetable to follow (short chunks are better than hours and hours with no breaks), and be sure to have a quiet space to spread out your books and laptop.

...

...

So, when you understand your subject matter, have a good frame of mind and are ready and focused to memorise all of that lovely information, this is how to revise: 1)

Condense your notes – shrink them right down. By making the keywords bold or in a bright colour helps trigger your memory. Try using Green for ‘agree’ or ‘ positives’ or ‘topics I like’ and red for negatives. Don’t over use colour and stick to a key.

2)

Turn these notes into flash cards, with questions on one side and answers on the other. Focus on the topics which you find hardest.

3)

Record your quotations onto your phone (perhaps try using different voices or someone else’s voice to help you remember the lines from particular plays/books).

4)

Use Post-it Notes with Q and A on each side and connect ideas on the Post-its with relevant places in the room (for example, a topic covering rivers would be well placed around the sink, toothbrush, cup holder, tap as you might be able to connect this with ideas about the Channel, Delta, river mouth, embankment..).

5)

6)

Make Acronyms. The funnier or the more memorable they will be. If you can take the first letter of each key word and make a little poem or acrostic which links to the topic the words are dealing with, then even better.

Turn your list of key words/trigger words/acronyms into a story, with small cartoons. Your brain much prefers pictures to words, so the more images you can connect with ideas the better; but our brains REALLY love stories, rather than isolated pieces of information, so try to join the dots and make them creative and unique to you and your life experiences.

7)

Teach someone about the topic you have been revising. Obviously, before doing this you need to make sure that you have learnt the topic well and have to hand the book for answers, should your ‘student’ be very curious.

Then make a note of the areas you couldn’t answer or explain well and, having reread and hopefully understood it, write out your notes on this, condense, find your little memory hook (acronym, picture, etc) and try to teach it again the next day.

8)

Go onto your exam board website (the textbooks usually state which exam board you are going to sit, but if you are not sure then always ask your teacher). Using the website’s search function, you can find past questions with mark schemes and can have many happy hours practising writing out answers and marking them yourself.

9)

Test yourself regularly. Note what you got wrong and retest at a later date. It is essential that before you start revising today, you review what you did yesterday. This review need only be 5 – 15 minutes and it should be focused on the areas in which you struggled last time.

10) Manage your time effectively. Don’t revise haphazardly. Decide a timetable before you embark upon a period of revision, set timers, reminders and instruct the help of a parent or dorm mate to ensure you stick to it as best you can. Time management also means giving yourself time off. Time to exercise. Time to have fun. Time to unwind. Time to sleep (9 – 10 hours). Do not use screens right before bedtime as the blue light interferes with your energy levels and sleep patterns. Remember: Proper preparation prevents poor performance!

LEARNING MATTERS V10

Sherborne’s Favourite Reads Shortlist Each year, The Macnaghten Library selects a variety of books to encourage reading for pleasure and to inspire students and staff to discover different books and authors. Each year a different theme is chosen, and books are selected accordingly. Topically, this year’s theme is The Environment. Earlier in the academic year, students, staff and parents were invited to submit titles of books that they had read, or were reading, interpreting the theme as they wished. After much debate, the following shortlist was chosen by library staff.

Voting: Each book will be randomly assigned to a House, and each House will have to represent their book and convince others to vote for them. Voting will take place after Easter and the whole School will be invited to vote for their favourite ‘Sherborne Read’ on The Macnaghten Library Frog page.

The Places in Between

Let Them Eat Chaos

Caught between hostile nations, warring factions and competing ideologies, Afghanistan has been in turmoil following the US invasion. Travelling entirely on foot and following the inaccessible mountainous route once taken by the Mogul Emperor Babur the Great, Stewart was nearly defeated by the extreme, hostile conditions.

Only with the help of an unexpected companion and the generosity of the people he met on the way did he survive to report back with unique insight on a region closed to the world by twenty-four years of war.

Seven neighbours inhabit the same London street, but are all unknown to each other. The clock freezes in the small hours, and, one by one, we see directly into their lives: lives that are damaged, disenfranchised, lonely, broken, addicted, and all, apparently, without hope. Then a great storm breaks over London and brings them out into the night to face each other - and their last chance to connect. Tempest argues that our alienation from one another has bred a terrible indifference to our own fate, but she counters this with a plea to challenge the forces of greed which have conspired to divide us and mend the broken home of our own planet while we still have time. Let Them Eat Chaos is a crie de coeur and a call to action, and, both on the page and in Tempest’s electric performance, one of the most powerful poetic statements of the year.

Rory Stewart

Relates to Environment: About Stewart’s own trip through mountains, wadis and deserts and how the environment impacts on personal relationships.

Kate Tempest

Relates to Environment: A call to action for the everyday person, willing everyone to connect with each other before it’s too late.

Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm

The Man Who Planted Trees

In Wilding, Isabella Tree tells the story of the ‘Knepp experiment’, a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife. Part gripping memoir, part fascinating account of the ecology of our countryside, Wilding is, above all, an inspiring story of hope. Forced to accept that intensive farming on the heavy clay of their land at Knepp was economically unsustainable, Isabella Tree and her husband Charlie Burrell made a spectacular leap of faith: they decided to step back and let nature take over. Thanks to the introduction of free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs and deer – proxies of the large animals that once roamed Britain – the 3,500acre project has led to extraordinary increases in wildlife numbers and diversity in little over a decade. Extremely rare species, including turtle doves, nightingales, peregrine falcons, lesser- spotted woodpeckers and purple emperor butterflies, are now breeding at Knepp, and populations of other species are rocketing. The Burrells’ degraded agricultural land has become a functioning ecosystem again, heaving with life – all by itself.

In his wonderful story of Elzéard

Isabella Tree

Relates to Environment: The impact of farming on our environment.

Jean Giono

Bouffier, an imaginary yet wholly believable shepherd, Jean Giono perhaps hoped to inspire a reforestation programme that would renew the whole earth. The story opposes the tree-planter, the earth-husband, to the makers

The Last

Hanna Jameson THE WORLD ENDS IN NUCLEAR WAR You and nineteen other survivors hole up in an isolated Swiss hotel.

You wait, you survive.

Then you find the body.

One of your number has blood on

of war. At the same time, it shows

their hands.

us all that is best in man’s

The race is on to find the

relationship with nature both parable and manual and with his fellow man. For Giono, nature is a living force in which man can rediscover the depth and harmony he has lost in urban life.

Michael McCurdy’s beautiful woodcuts, which accompany the text, have helped establish this book as a classic.

Relates to Environment: A beautiful, important and empowering testament to the fact that we can, each in our own ‘little’ way, make a huge difference.

killer...BEFORE THE KILLER FINDS YOU. Relates to Environment: Shows the impact that humans can have on the environment, both before and after a global disaster.

Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping our Future

The Islands at the End of the World Austin Aslan

The Songlines Bruce Chatwin

Bruce Chatwin provides a

Ashlee Vance

In this fast-paced survival story

fascinating background to

set in Hawaii, electronics fail

indigenous Australian life.

South African born Elon Musk is

worldwide, the islands become

the renowned entrepreneur and

completely isolated, and a

The Songlines are the invisible

innovator behind PayPal, SpaceX,

strange starscape fills the sky.

pathways that criss-cross

Tesla, and SolarCity. Musk wants

Leilani and her father embark on

Australia, tracks connecting

to save our planet; he wants to

a nightmare odyssey from Oahu

communities and following

send citizens into space, to form a

to their home on the Big Island.

ancient boundaries. Along these

colony on Mars; he wants to make

Leilani’s epilepsy holds a clue to

lines, Aboriginals passed the

money while doing these things;

the disaster, if only they can

songs which revealed the creation

and he wants us all to know about

survive as the islands revert to

of the land and the secrets of its

it. He is the real-life inspiration for

earlier ways.

past. In this magical account,

the Iron Man series of films

Chatwin recalls his travels across

starring Robert Downey Junior.

A powerful story enriched by

the length and breadth of

The personal tale of Musk’s life

fascinating elements of Hawaiian

Australia seeking to find the truth

comes with all the trappings one

ecology, culture, and warfare, this

about the songs and unravel the

associates with a great, drama-

captivating and dramatic debut

mysteries of their stories.

filled story. He was a freakishly

from Austin Aslan is the first of

bright kid who was bullied

two novels. The author has a

Relates to Environment:

brutally at school and abused by

Master’s degree in tropical

Describing a wonderfully rich and

his father. In the midst of these

conservation biology from the

diverse environment, through the

rough conditions, and the

University of Hawaii at Hilo.

people it belongs to – an oftenoverlooked community.

violence of apartheid in South Africa, Musk still thrived

Relates to Environment: An

academically and attended the

appreciation of the beautiful

University of Pennsylvania, where

landscape and ecology of Hawaii

he paid his own way through

and the importance of respecting

school by turning his house into a

and protecting nature.

club and throwing massive parties.

Relates to Environment: How one man is using his money to research ways of coping with the climate crisis and the impact he’s having on the wider world.

LEARNING MATTERS V10

Katrina Evans Teacher of Mathematics and Resident Tutor, Abbeylands When I arrived to teach at Sherborne, my Sixth Form boys would often ask on the return of their Hall, ‘Miss, what mark did I get?’. They were persistent with their request for a mark. A boy politely stayed at the end of one lesson to emphasise the class’s wishes. One brought it up at a Parent Teacher meeting, perhaps thinking I would bow under the pressure?! So, should I be giving them a mark, such as a percentage or a grade, on their Hall? Here are three points I have made to the boys.

1.

Full marks on a Hall on a single exercise about a topic does not equate to an A or an A*.

In some subjects at school, a grade is dependent on the skills that can be shown. When looking at an AQA (2017) mark scheme for English Language, the marks given to a student’s response is based on how they demonstrate a perceptive and detailed understanding of the language. Whilst this may mean a Hall on a piece of writing can be graded according to the skills required in an exam, Maths relies on the constant build-up of knowledge. A GCSE boy may get 100% on a Hall practising the technique of factorising quadratics; however, in an examination, this may be incorporated within a question on simultaneous equations or solving equations involving algebraic fractions. When setting a Hall on a specific topic, their success at finding an

answer cannot equate accurately to an examination grade.

and social comparison, or both, rather than process or task mastery.”

Similarly, at A Level a single question frequently incorporates knowledge from several topics across the syllabus, requiring a greater level of problem solving and understanding, to achieve a top grade - not just the ability to execute a single method.

(Butler, 1987, pg 475) When asking the boys why they wanted grades, this was prevalent. They were not fussed about the comments on their work as to how they could improve their solution, or what part of the question to think about again so that they could be more successful in their second attempt; maybe that was far too much effort when they could simply look at a grade to see how ‘well’ they have done?

Hattie and Clarke’s response to the study was that ‘The essential message is that the most valuable feedback focuses on helping the student improve.’

(Hattie and Clarke, 2019). A boy who gets every answer correct on his Hall and sees a mark of 100% would perhaps be challenged by the idea that the Hall still had plenty of room for improvement.

2.

If a mark is given, the boys look only at the mark, not their Hall, my comments or the edits to their solutions.

This was emphasised when I was doing my teacher training. A study by Ruth Butler looked at the effects of giving grades, grades and comments or comments only on a pupil’s performance. She stated that “The normative grades prevalent in schools seem a clear example of information that focuses attention on the self by emphasizing outcome

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3. I want to teach the boys to learn from their mistakes, become problem solvers and learn to appreciate a mathematical solution for what it is.

Crucially, a mathematical solution, particularly at A level, is not only about the final answer. A mathematician is a clear communicator, who shares their knowledge with others so that it can be further built upon and applied when modelling situations. Kilner (2019) talks about the need for a solution to use ‘precise vocabulary’, to have ‘large, clear and well-labelled’ diagrams and referencing to accepted results and other parts of the solution. He tells students: ‘Your priority is to write good, accurate, well presented work, not to save paper’ (Kilner, 2019, pg 31). By associating a mark to a boy’s Hall, I believe it devalues the

importance of the solution produced, by reinforcing the idea that the right answer is all that matters.

In making these points, I have persisted with giving feedback on the production of a solution rather than the final answer. I think that the boys, now in the Upper Sixth, have a greater awareness of the need to focus on producing a good response, which will best prepare them for examination questions, especially when the approach required is not immediately clear. I like to think that they have learnt the value of taking systematic approaches to problem solving which

demonstrate the clarity of their thoughts; this will benefit their wider education beyond the classroom. I wish the boys all the best in their summer exams, and I will continue on my own mission to develop an improved set of problem solvers, communicators and mathematicians, next time around.

References

AQA (2017). GCSE English Language, 8700/1-Paper 1 Explorations in creative reading and writing, Mark Scheme.

Butler, R. (1987). Task-involving and ego-involving properties of evaluation: Effects of different feedback conditions on motivational perceptions, interest, and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 79(4), pp.474482.

Hattie, J. and Clarke, H. (2019). Visible Learning: Feedback. Oxon: Routledge Kilner, H.D. (2019). STEP Mathematics for A’Level Students: A Problem Solving Approach to Learning Mathematics.

The Transition from a VLE Henry Le Cornu U6f As most boys will remember, we recently introduced Office 365 to go alongside Frog. At first, I did not like the change to my emails: after many years of having to sign in on mail.sherborne.org I would continually type the wrong website into my computer. I found the new layout confusing and it took me a while to find where all the different buttons are. I feel that I now understand the new system and it has become a main feature of my school life.

We have made a good choice, as there are many features of Office 365 that are incredibly useful to the classroom environment. They complement and improve on Frog. We can now use Microsoft teams in our classes, allowing us all to contribute and be able to view the whole class’s combined work without having to write it on a whiteboard. The OneDrive function is especially useful as it allows for files to be submitted but also then edited and sent back, without the usual unnecessary emails. This is even more useful when needing to send large files such as a PowerPoint or a video and it stops me from having to use my memory stick which I would inevitably lose. Office 365 is

very user friendly and that is only amplified by using it on the School Windows computers as they are designed to be used together. The email system is fast, and I now find it much easier to find emails from a long time ago than I did on the old system as the search feature always seems to find exactly what I want within seconds.

Probably the best feature of Office 365 for me is the ability to sign in on my laptop and use applications such as Word for my School Work which allows me to work faster from my desk in House. It allows me to save straight onto the OneDrive so that I can access it anywhere with an internet connection and for the times when I forget to save, the autosave feature is a lifesaver.

As much as Office 365 is brilliant, it is definitely not replacing Frog in any way. Each subject having their own page is useful and the access to the online library catalogue makes finding books much easier.

From my own use of Office before the switch, I feel we also need to start using the calendar feature as it will allow us to have the calendar on our phones, and it will update if there is a change to an event unlike if you download the

calendar from Frog. The way Frog is used to share school information such as the orders for each weeks CCF session, does not have a replacement in Office 365 and the access to the N Drive is a key feature of Frog that I find useful as I can access the subject resources from a non-school computer. Features such as the timetable have been moved onto the Sherborne App which is very useful for checking both calendar information but also Hall.

Overall, I feel the introduction has been very useful for all of the boys and it will continue to become more and more useful as we discover new tricks that make it that little bit easier to use. I feel the friendly interface is allowing boys to use it more as it is fast and easy - as soon as you get the hang of the features. As more and more updates come out for the system, I feel it can only improve what we do online in the School, but we will need to continue using Frog as it has a great importance for our learning.

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Victoria Clayton Head of Learning Development Sherborne School Abbey Road Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3LF 01935 812249 www.sherborne.org

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