Ayellet McDonnell
@maysharshizuka.bsky.social
Headteacher, MSc, love learning, 3rd dan in Taekwondo.
My views are my own.
'When in doubt, choose to live.' Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time
My views are my own.
'When in doubt, choose to live.' Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Why we shouldn't be making things too easy..
When pupils going into Year 6 were asked what they thought about ability tables, their responses related to the level of interesting work they were given:
/1
When pupils going into Year 6 were asked what they thought about ability tables, their responses related to the level of interesting work they were given:
/1
April 17, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Why we shouldn't be making things too easy..
When pupils going into Year 6 were asked what they thought about ability tables, their responses related to the level of interesting work they were given:
/1
When pupils going into Year 6 were asked what they thought about ability tables, their responses related to the level of interesting work they were given:
/1
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
The Easter holidays are here, so I have a copy of Primary Reading Simplified to give away.
Just **repost** this post to have a chance to win.
The winner will be selected 19th April.
Just **repost** this post to have a chance to win.
The winner will be selected 19th April.
April 6, 2025 at 2:38 PM
The Easter holidays are here, so I have a copy of Primary Reading Simplified to give away.
Just **repost** this post to have a chance to win.
The winner will be selected 19th April.
Just **repost** this post to have a chance to win.
The winner will be selected 19th April.
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Two core ideas underpin effective inclusive teaching:
1. Cognitive similarity
2. Instructional sensitivity
Let’s dig into both…
↓
1. Cognitive similarity
2. Instructional sensitivity
Let’s dig into both…
↓
March 16, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Two core ideas underpin effective inclusive teaching:
1. Cognitive similarity
2. Instructional sensitivity
Let’s dig into both…
↓
1. Cognitive similarity
2. Instructional sensitivity
Let’s dig into both…
↓
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Teaching without slides – just diagrams and dialogue – we co-constructed these models this week:
Year 7: Allen's rule
Year 10: Lung ventilation
IB1: Positive feedback drivers of climate change
IB2: Viral evolution
I explain how to teach this way in #DifferenceMaker #EnactingSystemsTheory
Year 7: Allen's rule
Year 10: Lung ventilation
IB1: Positive feedback drivers of climate change
IB2: Viral evolution
I explain how to teach this way in #DifferenceMaker #EnactingSystemsTheory
February 21, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Teaching without slides – just diagrams and dialogue – we co-constructed these models this week:
Year 7: Allen's rule
Year 10: Lung ventilation
IB1: Positive feedback drivers of climate change
IB2: Viral evolution
I explain how to teach this way in #DifferenceMaker #EnactingSystemsTheory
Year 7: Allen's rule
Year 10: Lung ventilation
IB1: Positive feedback drivers of climate change
IB2: Viral evolution
I explain how to teach this way in #DifferenceMaker #EnactingSystemsTheory
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
🧵An important part of the primary experience is having a lovely time- adults ringfencing the unique state of childhood and ensuring that primary is a glorious place to be little. Playful and joyful are not the antonyms of high standards and aspiration.
February 16, 2025 at 11:38 AM
🧵An important part of the primary experience is having a lovely time- adults ringfencing the unique state of childhood and ensuring that primary is a glorious place to be little. Playful and joyful are not the antonyms of high standards and aspiration.
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
If Christmas is not feeling so happy:
December 21, 2024 at 3:25 PM
If Christmas is not feeling so happy:
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Thanks @megvertebrae.bsky.social for this gem from Maya Angelou
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
#EduSky
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
#EduSky
December 11, 2024 at 9:07 PM
Thanks @megvertebrae.bsky.social for this gem from Maya Angelou
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
#EduSky
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
#EduSky
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Vitally important thread for history teachers about using sources in the classroom and why and how we all need to do it better. In a nutshell, sign up for Hodder's webinar on this from @paulalobo.bsky.social taking place on Monday!
History teachers and SLT, don’t forget to register for Monday’s FREE webinar, 4pm, Mon 9 December ow.ly/A01g50U5cVb
@paulalobo.bsky.social will use #ChangingHistoriesKS3 to "make sources sing".
But what lies behind our approach to sources in these new secondary textbooks? Here’s a 🧵 ...
@paulalobo.bsky.social will use #ChangingHistoriesKS3 to "make sources sing".
But what lies behind our approach to sources in these new secondary textbooks? Here’s a 🧵 ...
December 6, 2024 at 5:13 PM
Vitally important thread for history teachers about using sources in the classroom and why and how we all need to do it better. In a nutshell, sign up for Hodder's webinar on this from @paulalobo.bsky.social taking place on Monday!
Very interesting thread. Certainly lots to think about. 🤔
#EDUSKY Thread: Why deliberate practice and habituation might accidently lead to reduced teacher motivation.
There is a strange phenomena in teaching. In some cases new teachers join the profession and over a few years we teach them all the best ways to do things and they become amazing teachers...
There is a strange phenomena in teaching. In some cases new teachers join the profession and over a few years we teach them all the best ways to do things and they become amazing teachers...
December 1, 2024 at 9:04 PM
Very interesting thread. Certainly lots to think about. 🤔
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
'Neuroplasticity' is everywhere, but what do we really mean when we talk about the ever-changing brain?
Let's dive deeper than the buzzword and explore the evidence with a model.
Let's dive deeper than the buzzword and explore the evidence with a model.
October 20, 2024 at 7:37 AM
'Neuroplasticity' is everywhere, but what do we really mean when we talk about the ever-changing brain?
Let's dive deeper than the buzzword and explore the evidence with a model.
Let's dive deeper than the buzzword and explore the evidence with a model.
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Larry Cuban was invited to be part of a five member panel at Google to discuss the impact that AI will have on teaching and learning in schools. This is what he said.
https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2024/11/22/is-ai-the-newest-in-a-history-of-educational-hypes/
https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2024/11/22/is-ai-the-newest-in-a-history-of-educational-hypes/
November 22, 2024 at 8:39 PM
Larry Cuban was invited to be part of a five member panel at Google to discuss the impact that AI will have on teaching and learning in schools. This is what he said.
https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2024/11/22/is-ai-the-newest-in-a-history-of-educational-hypes/
https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2024/11/22/is-ai-the-newest-in-a-history-of-educational-hypes/
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Can we do a little thread where people post blogs they read a while back and think others should read?
Mine is this by Efrat Furst. Post yours below!
sites.google.com/view/efratfu...
Mine is this by Efrat Furst. Post yours below!
sites.google.com/view/efratfu...
EfratFurst - Understanding Understanding
What is understanding from the "learning brain" point of view?
Exploring the components of 'understanding' (with some visual examples)
What can be applied in the classroom? and how can we help stu...
sites.google.com
October 29, 2024 at 4:33 PM
Can we do a little thread where people post blogs they read a while back and think others should read?
Mine is this by Efrat Furst. Post yours below!
sites.google.com/view/efratfu...
Mine is this by Efrat Furst. Post yours below!
sites.google.com/view/efratfu...
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Friendship as intervention. Pupils focus on friendship as a central aspect of school life. How can we use this to improve their experiences of school? wix.to/E9nYD2n
#UKEd #UKEdBlog #AcademicSky #EduSky
#UKEd #UKEdBlog #AcademicSky #EduSky
Friendship as Intervention; How can we improve pupil attitudes towards school through varied social experiences?
How can we use pupils' focus on friendships to enhance their experiences of school?
wix.to
October 5, 2024 at 1:24 PM
Friendship as intervention. Pupils focus on friendship as a central aspect of school life. How can we use this to improve their experiences of school? wix.to/E9nYD2n
#UKEd #UKEdBlog #AcademicSky #EduSky
#UKEd #UKEdBlog #AcademicSky #EduSky
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
1. Honestly think a really good SLT role would be one that is Friends and Relationships.
I don't think this is frivolous. When asked it is these (with toilets and food) they worry most about. For many it's their favourite thing about school.
I don't think this is frivolous. When asked it is these (with toilets and food) they worry most about. For many it's their favourite thing about school.
September 4, 2024 at 10:34 AM
1. Honestly think a really good SLT role would be one that is Friends and Relationships.
I don't think this is frivolous. When asked it is these (with toilets and food) they worry most about. For many it's their favourite thing about school.
I don't think this is frivolous. When asked it is these (with toilets and food) they worry most about. For many it's their favourite thing about school.
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
#UKEd # EduSky
Gary Klein (Snapshot of the Mind. P258) chapter 7.2 Training versus Evaluation.
The non-learning when being evaluated. Uncomfortable poke for Learning Walks?
Gary Klein (Snapshot of the Mind. P258) chapter 7.2 Training versus Evaluation.
The non-learning when being evaluated. Uncomfortable poke for Learning Walks?
September 21, 2024 at 9:01 AM
#UKEd # EduSky
Gary Klein (Snapshot of the Mind. P258) chapter 7.2 Training versus Evaluation.
The non-learning when being evaluated. Uncomfortable poke for Learning Walks?
Gary Klein (Snapshot of the Mind. P258) chapter 7.2 Training versus Evaluation.
The non-learning when being evaluated. Uncomfortable poke for Learning Walks?
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
New post:
Walking the talk:
Why has there been a tendency to privilege writing over speaking & listening?
While oracy has recently gone further up the agenda, it’s odd that high quality talk in classrooms has often been regarded as an optional extra...
open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...
Walking the talk:
Why has there been a tendency to privilege writing over speaking & listening?
While oracy has recently gone further up the agenda, it’s odd that high quality talk in classrooms has often been regarded as an optional extra...
open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...
Walking the talk
Well hello there, and welcome to update #091!
open.substack.com
September 8, 2024 at 3:45 PM
New post:
Walking the talk:
Why has there been a tendency to privilege writing over speaking & listening?
While oracy has recently gone further up the agenda, it’s odd that high quality talk in classrooms has often been regarded as an optional extra...
open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...
Walking the talk:
Why has there been a tendency to privilege writing over speaking & listening?
While oracy has recently gone further up the agenda, it’s odd that high quality talk in classrooms has often been regarded as an optional extra...
open.substack.com/pub/marymyat...
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
Following a few requests from teachers and school leaders, I've made a short video on the key ideas that I think teachers (and parents/carers) need to know about reading development, based on my reading concept map.
youtu.be/JvtUxB5WM1k?...
youtu.be/JvtUxB5WM1k?...
The Reading Map - A Primer
YouTube video by Christopher Such
youtu.be
September 14, 2024 at 12:25 PM
Following a few requests from teachers and school leaders, I've made a short video on the key ideas that I think teachers (and parents/carers) need to know about reading development, based on my reading concept map.
youtu.be/JvtUxB5WM1k?...
youtu.be/JvtUxB5WM1k?...
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
🚨 NEW POST 🚨
'Streaked tenrecs and improving reading'
"No assessment is perfect – and the KS2 SATs reading certainly isn’t. So, we should replace it with something better, right?"
alexquigley.co.uk/streaked-ten...
'Streaked tenrecs and improving reading'
"No assessment is perfect – and the KS2 SATs reading certainly isn’t. So, we should replace it with something better, right?"
alexquigley.co.uk/streaked-ten...
Streaked tenrecs and improving reading
Have you ever seen a ‘streaky tenrec’? Probably not. For pupils sitting the key stage 2 SATs reading assessment, they likely met the tenrec and the wildlife of Madagascar for the first time.
The fir...
alexquigley.co.uk
September 14, 2024 at 8:41 AM
🚨 NEW POST 🚨
'Streaked tenrecs and improving reading'
"No assessment is perfect – and the KS2 SATs reading certainly isn’t. So, we should replace it with something better, right?"
alexquigley.co.uk/streaked-ten...
'Streaked tenrecs and improving reading'
"No assessment is perfect – and the KS2 SATs reading certainly isn’t. So, we should replace it with something better, right?"
alexquigley.co.uk/streaked-ten...
Oliver is such a lovely man, and his talks always provoke your thinking. This particular one at #ResearchED24 was inspiring.
Thank you for including us in your experiment Oliver 😊
Highly recommend it for those of you attending #ResearchED Surrey.
Thank you for including us in your experiment Oliver 😊
Highly recommend it for those of you attending #ResearchED Surrey.
Come & listen to me give a slide-less presentation on CLT Reframed at #rEDSurrey2024.
I'll be persuading you that the transient information effect might well be at the centre of most learning problems.
I'll be persuading you that the transient information effect might well be at the centre of most learning problems.
September 12, 2024 at 10:07 PM
Oliver is such a lovely man, and his talks always provoke your thinking. This particular one at #ResearchED24 was inspiring.
Thank you for including us in your experiment Oliver 😊
Highly recommend it for those of you attending #ResearchED Surrey.
Thank you for including us in your experiment Oliver 😊
Highly recommend it for those of you attending #ResearchED Surrey.
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
The Transient Information Effect.
This step-motion by the BBC of the Olympic javelin comp. shows you the parts of the movement. Unless you know these positions, you wouldn't see them however many times you replayed the video. Each part disappeared in their unfolding.
This step-motion by the BBC of the Olympic javelin comp. shows you the parts of the movement. Unless you know these positions, you wouldn't see them however many times you replayed the video. Each part disappeared in their unfolding.
September 8, 2024 at 9:15 PM
The Transient Information Effect.
This step-motion by the BBC of the Olympic javelin comp. shows you the parts of the movement. Unless you know these positions, you wouldn't see them however many times you replayed the video. Each part disappeared in their unfolding.
This step-motion by the BBC of the Olympic javelin comp. shows you the parts of the movement. Unless you know these positions, you wouldn't see them however many times you replayed the video. Each part disappeared in their unfolding.
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
He might be smiling, but these can be really tricky barriers to effective implementation in schools. #rED24
Time
Expertise
Capacity
Cognitive overload
Competing priorities
@lwilliamsjones.bsky.social speaks such sense about school leadership. He’s my absolute SLT goals.
Time
Expertise
Capacity
Cognitive overload
Competing priorities
@lwilliamsjones.bsky.social speaks such sense about school leadership. He’s my absolute SLT goals.
September 7, 2024 at 1:58 PM
He might be smiling, but these can be really tricky barriers to effective implementation in schools. #rED24
Time
Expertise
Capacity
Cognitive overload
Competing priorities
@lwilliamsjones.bsky.social speaks such sense about school leadership. He’s my absolute SLT goals.
Time
Expertise
Capacity
Cognitive overload
Competing priorities
@lwilliamsjones.bsky.social speaks such sense about school leadership. He’s my absolute SLT goals.
#ResearchED24 Great start from @pepsmccrea.bsky.social
Distraction, routines, ratio, norms & alignment
Distraction, routines, ratio, norms & alignment
September 7, 2024 at 9:25 AM
#ResearchED24 Great start from @pepsmccrea.bsky.social
Distraction, routines, ratio, norms & alignment
Distraction, routines, ratio, norms & alignment
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
We’ve known for a while that ‘brain training’ rarely leads to any transferable benefits in things beyond the trained task… but this new study takes it a step further and finds no neural (as well as behavioural) changes.
‘Brain training’ doesn’t even change the brain!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
‘Brain training’ doesn’t even change the brain!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Boosting children’s cognitive control does not result in behavioral or neural changes - Nature Neuroscience
Cognitive control is crucial for present and future success and therefore is a frequent target of interventions. This study showed that training cognitive control in a large sample of 6–13-year-old ch...
www.nature.com
August 28, 2024 at 12:55 PM
We’ve known for a while that ‘brain training’ rarely leads to any transferable benefits in things beyond the trained task… but this new study takes it a step further and finds no neural (as well as behavioural) changes.
‘Brain training’ doesn’t even change the brain!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
‘Brain training’ doesn’t even change the brain!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
I don’t want to go back to the bad place so if you’re part of the edu-exodus & looking for people to follow, I’m going to start a little thread of some familiar faces from edutwitter already posting here.
Please tag people to this thread as I know it’s tricky to get started when you first join.👇🏼
Please tag people to this thread as I know it’s tricky to get started when you first join.👇🏼
August 9, 2024 at 4:07 PM
I don’t want to go back to the bad place so if you’re part of the edu-exodus & looking for people to follow, I’m going to start a little thread of some familiar faces from edutwitter already posting here.
Please tag people to this thread as I know it’s tricky to get started when you first join.👇🏼
Please tag people to this thread as I know it’s tricky to get started when you first join.👇🏼
Reposted by Ayellet McDonnell
This is brilliant! It is so important to distinguish between automaticity and familiarity in the classroom.
#EduBlogUK
#EduBlogUK
***NEW BLOG***
What is the difference between familiarity and automaticity?
morgsedu.wordpress.com/2024/08/23/f...
What is the difference between familiarity and automaticity?
morgsedu.wordpress.com/2024/08/23/f...
Familiarity vs Automaticity – What’s the Difference?
When it comes to mastering knowledge/a skill, understanding the difference between automaticity and familiarity is crucial – mistaking one for other can slow the rate of learning. Automaticity refers ...
morgsedu.wordpress.com
August 26, 2024 at 8:46 PM
This is brilliant! It is so important to distinguish between automaticity and familiarity in the classroom.
#EduBlogUK
#EduBlogUK