Pedagogy

This resource has been put together so that it can be used within your classroom in a variety of ways.

As a stand alone resource:
Following the Thinking Hat structure with a social responsibility outcome .... ending the year on a great note through making Christmas a little brighter for someone else.
AND
The Information and Activity pages provide a Learning Centre for independent use by students. This supports the white hat thinking (information) however can run right through your unit.

Using Parts of the resource:
As a reference source, possibly part of a reading programme, using the information pages.

Focusing on the 6 Hats exploration only.

Using the activities in a way that best suits the needs of your class. Everyone doing the same activity, or groups working on an activity together or students working on self chosen activities independently.

Some other way...

There are 2 key pedagogies within this resource:

De Bono's 6 Thinking Hats: This is an anyalsis tool that can be used to ensure that a topic or issue is studied from several viewpoints.
For an introduction to the hats click here.

An Approach:
   We suggest that you focus on a different hat each day. Discuss questions as a class or in small groups.
   Collate ideas on large charts that can be displayed around the room, with the opportunity to add more ideas at a later date. We have provided chart photocopy masters that you can print out and enlarge onto A3 paper, or feel free to create your own charts.
   An exciting part of this resource is it's interactive nature. After using each hat, key ideas can be e-mailed to Brainways Mouse. These will then be posted for others to view by visiting the Christmas Mouse House. By visiting the Christmas Mouse House, your students will be able to see the ideas of students from other schools.

Multiple Intelligences Learning Centre: Activities are based on Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.
For an introduction to the intelligences click here.

On this web site you will find:
    Activities at two levels, based around Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences.
   Information necessary to complete the activities. This information is at three levels of difficulty, ranging from pictures with captions to Internet site links.
   Labels, instruction sheets, checklists for ready for you to print out, to put together your Learning Centre.

An Approach:
The way you approach, use, manage this unit is totally up to you. Some ideas are provided below.
   Activities can be printed out, and available in a learning centre OR they can be accessed on the computer.
   Information could be printed out from the computer, labelled (with a key word or phrase) and made available in a learning centre OR it can be accessed on the computer OR a combination of print-outs and use of the computer.
   You may decide to use your computer(s) for the students to present their work and have information printed out for them to access independently.
   You may choose to approach an activity as a whole class OR students could work on activities independently.
   You may decide that you want each student to complete one activity OR that they complete a selection of activities. You may choose to select / limit the activities that you offer them.
   If you have limited access to computers, you may decide to timetable students onto the computer during the day, for about 30 minutes each. To best use their time, it would be advisable for them to have selected an activity before arriving at the computer. This may mean that they miss maths or spelling or sport ... but it will be just once!
   Supplement the Internet site with other information sources such as books or talking to people who have experienced Christmas in other cultures ( by inviting them to the class to talk, by holding a phone conference or by sending questions via fax or e-mail).

Read through the activities and be familiar with the information pages yourself, before introducing them to your students!

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