The Montaigne Society

The Montaigne Society is a group of 4th Form students who have chosen to devote Friday activities time to progressing their academic interests beyond the curriculum. I am lucky enough to oversee the group, and the sessions are a mix of interesting discussion of current affairs and open questions, and also the research process - looking into areas of personal interest. The culmination of this research is a presentation back to the society. Through the presentation the particular academic interest is shared, and points are raised and discussed.

On Friday, Ben Dimbleby presented to the group on the history of weaponry, looking at their development and commenting on the historical context in which key inventions were made. His aim was to research a topic in depth that had the joint appeal of indulging his interest in mechanical engineering and also his attraction to "The Enlightenment" period of History. It was, quite simply, stunning. Ben's depth of knowledge allowed him to talk around the subject and answer questions asked by the rest of the group with dexterity and skill. It was agreed that none of us would have shared this interest particularly at the beginning, but we were all thoroughly absorbed in the topic, showing that genuine academic interest, when expressed clearly, is thoroughly infectious.

The nurturing of such interests and the development of the skills of presenting and participating in high level academic discourse are the key aims of the Montaigne Society, and I am certainly looking forward to seeing how the group's interests develop throughout this year. I will regularly report back on the blog about the other talks that are made by the students.

Music and Learning

Tonight I am on duty with the Seventh Form. Sitting in School House, Old Hall, I am supervising some Round House girls and School House boys doing prep, and it is fascinating to see what working habits they have. Obviously, at the age they are independence is not just encouraged, but expected. Whilst I will always give my advice about good ways to work, I would draw the line at now saying "do this in this way" / "don't do it like this". My current musing is about listening to music. As you can see, many of them do like to listen to music whilst completing work.

I have read research that suggests classical music boosts engagement yet anything with lyrics distracts; I have also seen studies that support the thesis that "each to their own" - it simply depends on how your brain is wired.

My thinking tonight is that students here are optionally congregating in Old Hall to work together, and they seem to find benefit in this arrangement - preferable to simply shutting themselves away in their room, However, the music still provides a cut off from being self-conscious or aware of what others are doing in this space. Perhaps the combination of communal working, but with the music acting as a barrier to potential distraction gives the students the best of two worlds.

After being the disruptive influence in the room, and asking them what they are listening to and why they like it, the overwhelming consensus is that they think it enhances focus, removes distraction, and allows them to be more absorbed in a task. The style of music seemed to be "relaxing" types.

I think this is an interesting question for schools to engage with. Should more classrooms involve music when working independently? how do we best advise students about where to work? what age should they take these decisions?

Oh, there was one student who was not listening to music (Kristina), and when I asked her why she preferred not to listen to music, the answer was: "sir, I forgot my headphones"... oh well!

CamStar

It is time to shake the dust off this particular blog! In truth, so much has been happening, that my intention of regular reporting has somewhat slipped since the start of term; but it is always good to reassess priorities, and the opportunity to share the exciting developments at Oakham is not only worth some designated time, but will be enjoyable as well!

Today I would like to introduce any readers to CamStar. Having worked in developing teaching and learning for more than seven years now, I am always looking for a way for really great staff development to take place, and I believe that CamStar is one of them. So, what is it? CamStar is a network of schools and teachers co-ordinated by Cambridge University who are all involved in researching - finding evidence for - what works in the classroom. Members do this through planning an "intervention" (a teaching and learning strategy) which has the aim of answering a specific question: so, "how can verbal feedback improve evaluation essays?"; or "Can regular low stakes testing improve long term memory?". Then the intervention is carried out, evidence gathered and conclusions made. These are shared at both school and sometimes national (or international!) conferences. At their best, a new strategy can be shown to be effective and then shared with the community.

More than thirty Oakham teachers are involved and it is very exciting to see the range of research interests. Letters informing parents of the students who will be in classes that CamStar projects are aimed at will go out in January, and I will certainly regularly report back on how the projects are developing.

To end this post, the following quote from educationalist Tom Bennet sets out the case for why it is so important that teachers do seek their own solid justification to inform approaches in the classroom:

“My suggestion: we don't wait for the grown-ups to make everything better. We carry on doing what we've begun to do: mobilise, organise and improvise. Teachers and school leaders are, to a great extent, leaders of the culture within which they inhabit. Brain Gym may have been dropped on us from a height, but we didn't have to do it. As teachers, we take responsibility for our own development, and get involved in the movements that undercut the traditional hierarchies"

Very inspiring, and a great avenue to develop teaching and learning at Oakham!