1. ‘Strategies for a thinking classroom’
Rachael Edgar
‘Strategies for a thinking classroom’
Thursday 3rd July 2014
#TMStratford
An activity that can be used as a starter, plenary or as part of the main lesson. Thinking Skills Bingo adds pace and challenge to a lesson.
It forces students to THINK therefore develops students thinking skills
Excellent for diagnostic assessment and checking weaker students understanding/ knowledge of key topics and as such is a useful AFL strategy
Useful for facilitating a discussion on the topic therefore stretching more able pupils and ‘rising the tide’ developing core analytical skills
Increases engagement and motivation within the classroom
Rachael

2. Inspire and Engage
Engagement can comes from the challenge, the enjoyment from the discovery and the learning. Enjoyment and fun are usually by products not ends in themselves
1. If it isn’t going to benefit the pupils’learning, don’t do it
2. If it can be done in a fun way, then why not do it that way

3. List nine key points about Michael Gove
On your bingo cards, write the answers to the following question or task:
List nine key points about Michael Gove
Start Bingo
Set Your Questions

4. List nine key points about Michael Gove
Use space bar (or click mouse)
to scroll through bingo balls
Tory
The Blob MP
Trojan horse
The Times
Trojan horse
Secretary of state Education
The Blob
Free school MP
The Times
Tory
Mr Men
Edinburgh
Mr Men
Free school
Secretary of state Education
Edinburgh

5. Enter your question in row 1 and your words/phrases into the lower rows of the table below (in Normal edit mode).
Question:
List nine key points about Michael Gove 1
Tory 2
The Blob 3 MP 4
Trojan horse 5
The Times 6
Mr Men 7
Free school 8
Secretary of state Education 9
Edinburgh
After editing the table and question, click this button (in slideshow mode) to update the slides and bingo balls

6. Teacher’s Guide The Game
The purpose of this activity is to test your students’ knowledge of topics they have learnt.
The activity is a game of ‘Bingo’ – your students have a blank ‘Bingo card’ and you ask them to think and write down the possible answers to the question.
After a couple of minutes the teacher reveals the answer by revealing the Bingo balls on the screen.
Running the activity
Give each student a copy of the printed off blank bingo card (print off as many copies of slide 5 as you need).
After a few minutes click on ‘Start Bingo’.
To call the answers, click on the space bar. Each answer will rise up.
Game Setup Note – this game has randomly generated data using a ‘macro’ embedded within the file. For this file to work you must ‘enable’ the macro when prompted (on opening up of the file). Editing the resource: You can create your own question (with 9 answers). Go to slide 3 Input your question in row 1 and the 9 possible answers into rows 2 to 10. Click on the large button at the bottom of the slide to update the file and run the question. Note: Please ensure that you save this file after editing.

7. List nine key points about Michael Gove

8. 10 Quick ways to a ‘thinking classroom’!

9. Power of the post-it!

10. Rachael Edgar @Dubai_Teachmeet
Contact details
Twitter:
@Dubai_Teachmeet
Teaching and Learning Blog:
Rachael