View from the lab

In this episode of the pod Andy Woods talks with the effervescent Psychologist, Professor Niamh Stack from Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. Niamh is a well-respected academic in the field of Developmental Psychology and has a particular research interest in how to support those students who are sometimes referred to as ‘more able’.

In our conversation we talk about the difference between some of the terms you may have heard in the education sphere, including ‘more able’, ‘gifted’ or ‘talented’ or simply high attaining students. How should these students be supported in schools? And what can science teachers do to help them make the most of their tenure in full time education.

note: I introduce Niamh as being in the University of Limerick - she is in Limerick but works at Mary Immaculate College - apologies!

In this conversation Andy Woods catches up with Dan Townley, Head of Science at the world-famous Eton College in the UK. As you may already know Eton has educated no fewer than 20 UK prime ministers!

In our conversation we cover a smorgasbord of educational topics linked to science teaching which included … reflections from the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges of getting students to engage with teacher feedback and find out about the work Eton has been doing in supporting the formation of new 6th form colleges, with the Star Academies chain in 3 new areas of England. And last but not least, finding out whether ‘Eton-mess’ really is on the menu at the school!

So, we’ve now made it to the final episode of the ‘early career teacher series’! In this last instalment Andy Woods talks to Vicky Hilditch about how she found the final few weeks of summer term 2022 and reviews the year as a whole. Vicky’s already thinking ahead to her next year of teaching and how she can improve and build on her experience so far. Many thanks to Vicky who has allowed us to join her on the 1st year of her ECT journey.

On the podcast this time Andy Woods talks to a former science teacher, turned entrepreneur and science rapper - Matt Green. We take a deep dive into Matt’s approach to his innovative and engaging content which has inspired students across the net. He has worked hard to find what works and what doesn’t by experimenting with all the major social media platforms - including the ‘behemoth’ that is tik tok! We hear about his experience working in a North London school before changing direction and turning his hand to his online content. Innovative, fresh and enthusiastic; Matt has the science world at his feet. Keep an eye out - this guy’s going global!

Links

www.tiktok.com/@mattgreen.jgm

www.instagram.com/mattgreen.jgm

www.youtube.com/MattGreenJGM

www.jgmtutors.com

Friend of the pod Dr Andy Grevatt (University of Brighton, UK) returns to take us on a voyage of discovery - through the wonderful world of moss! Find out how he has developed an ingenious way to bring life to a part of biology that is all around us but usually ignored. In our conversation we find out how it all started, what you can find out and most importantly how you can carry out your own ‘safari’ with your students. Don’t delay – it's time to press play!

For full details check out the moss safari web page here - https://mosssafari.wordpress.com/

In this episode we continue our early career teacher series with new science teacher Vicky Hilditch. For this recording I caught up with Vicky just before May half term 2022. Vicky was busy as always; the external exams had just started, and the summer break is on the horizon. In this episode we find out what she's been up to and how she’s feeling as the end of the academic year approaches.

In this episode of the podcast, Andy Woods catches up with Early Career Teacher - Oliver Stewart an award-winning teacher who works in a comprehensive school in Whitehaven, Cumbria (UK). Ollie won a ‘Golden Apple Award’ back in 2021 for his inspirational approach to science teaching. In this episode we talk about the challenges of making abstract scientific ideas relevant to our young learners and discuss strategies to engage the great variety of pupils who enter our classes from their different starting points. I hope you can join me on this episode and be inspired!

View from the lab returns with a refreshing episode focused on practical science. How can we make this lynchpin of a great science education have the greatest impact? Andy Woods talks to chair of the ASE in 2021 and all-round practical enthusiast Simon Quinnell. We delve into his wide-ranging experience in supporting teachers and science technicians in his role as curriculum lead for the science PGCE course at the University of York. Could this be the most practical episode yet?

In this episode of the pod Dr Niki Kaiser joins Andy Woods to talk about the perennial problem of misconceptions in the science classroom. Niki is a science teacher at the Norwich research school and has previously worked closely with the EEF developing their ‘RADAAR’ resources to help identify, challenge, and solve common problems that students face as they make their way through their own science journey. Like all learners Niki has had times when her own misconceptions have made her feel less than confident, and we have a deep discussion exploring how we can make misconceptions part of learning process and embrace rather than ignore them in our classrooms.

Note: Initial recording took place in August 2021

In this episode Andy Woods talks to DNA expert Dr Amanda Hartley (@LittlestoryCo). Mandy has had a wealth of practical experience in the science of DNA across many sectors. In our conversation we talk about her passion for this fascinating area of biology and her commitment to bring this area of science alive for primary school children, with her innovative school workshops. In addition, we also hear about Mandy’s mission to set up more ‘real world’ labs that school age students can visit and experience cutting edge science equipment. And last, but not least we hear how Mandy’s literary creations - the DNA detectives were born!