Fsp Moderation

[Guest]

Hi, I'm being moderated this month (Nov 03) on my observations of 3 children and my choice of activity and how I write down my observation notes. The activity will be a Knowledge and Understanding/Personal and Social one. My activity is going to involve ice and lots of resources to encourage exploration and self selection of resources.

 

Has anyone been moderated? Have any words of wisdom? Any good ideas on expanding the theme of ice for an open ended activity?

Thank-you in advance

[Steve]

Hi Laonie, and welcome to the forum!

 

Um - we're a very responsive community, but possibly you've left the timescales a little bit tight to help with your moderation. If you gave the right date that means that by the time I've finished writing this you will already have been moderated...

 

Nonetheless, I'm sure people will be interested to hear how you got on with the session. And I'm sure people will have suggestions on how to use Ice in interesting activities.

 

Welcome again - I hope you still find the forum of use!

[Guest]

Hi, no, Nov 03 refers to the month and year not 03/11/03. I wasn't aware how long your Web site had been running and wanted to make sure readers knew it was a new posting. If I had got the date wrong you would have made me feel rather stupid with your sarcastic reply.

[Steve]

Hi Laonie -

I'm sorry, my reply genuinely wasn't intended to be sarcastic! I thought possibly you might have put the date down wrong and wanted to find out if you had so we could help you out...

 

If we can help out we'll be happy to do so!

[Helen]

Hello Laonie, and welcome to the site; we'll be happy to help wherever we can. When you talk about moderation, do you mean for the FS profiles? I was a moderator in the summer term, looking at Maths and Physical Development. My advice would be:

a) be very clear in your mind what you want the children to learn/achieve during your activity

b- how will you know what they have learned

c) how straightforward is your recording ; do you have a standard form to complete during the activity or as soon afterwards as possible, for example?

Moderation is not really concerned with how great the activities are (although of course the moderator can't help but notice!!), but more about how the practitioner knows how the learning intentions of the activity have been achieved, i.e. proof that s/he has been effective in them bringing about.

I hope this helps

What ice activities have you already planned. Perhaps the members here could add their own ideas. I'll start off with the teddy bear one (mentioned elsewhere on the site). Soak a teddy bear and place in a plastic bag (out of sight of the children !!!) and put in the freezer. At the appropriate moment the following day, bring the teddy into the nursery saying that he was left out all night, and is frozen stiff. Ask for suggestions to warm him up.

Second one; lots of ice on a builders tray, and use pipettes to drip food colouring onto the pile. It looks lovely as it melts

Thirdly; freeze a polar bear/penguin, etc in a large container, and allow the children to watch it thaw/chip away with mini-tools, etc.

Look forward to hearing from other members

[Susan]

Hi Laonie,

Welcome to the site, as I'm sure you realise, we can usually help between us.

 

I thought immediately of putting ice cubes in a variety of places to work out which melts faster and why. But could be too slow for what you need and therefore more suited to older children.

Have only looked at outside ice with miy classes!

 

Susan

[Guest]

Hello all,

 

Thanks for your replies, I thought I'd share with you what I had in mind. I need to make sure my activity is "open-ended" so what I have in mind is changing our dedicated role-play area to be a 'cold' room with snowflake chains hanging down, icicles, a box of winter clothes, snowman costume etc.

Then there will be two large troughs for exploration of ice balloons (with balloon cut off at intro of activity). I will show the children a balloon with water in that has not been in the freezer and several that we will have placed in the freezer a few days earlier.

The ice balloons will have an item of interest frozen inside such as a plastic dinosaur, conker, leaf etc. There will also be star and cross shaped ice cubes coloured with food dye. There will be a range of self-selection resources to encourage exploration of the ice such as; felt pens, sponges, mini-tools, gloves, dinosaurs (small world play), foil, torches,salt, etc. So there is the potential for lots of discoveries for the children to make if they choose to test a resource e.g What happens if I draw on the ice ball? One desirable outcome would be that they will realise that in time, in a warm room, their drawing melts away and changes from ice to water again.

 

That's the idea anyway

[Helen]

Hi Laonie,

There are some lovely ideas here Thanks for sharing them.

I hope it all goes well when your moderator arrives. Do you know how you are going to record your observations on the children whilst they are carrying out the investigations?

[Guest]

Hi Helen,

 

Thanks. I need to record my observations on the pro forma that comes in the back of the Foundation Stage Profile guidance folder.

[Guest]

Hi - find this interesting as I am wondering if there are different approaches to FSP moderation in various parts of the country. I am a moderator myself and we have no moderations going on at this time of the year. We moderated - very light touch - last Spring. We didn't require any extra or particular activities, just a normal day, and if it wasn't what we were looking at, tough. We found our evidence in the classroom environment, planning and observations. Spent half an hour with the 3 children - in class - then the rest of the time in a cupboard(!) with files. Then discussions with teacher. Minimum stress or interference was the aim, plus support and how to move on with it all. Any variations on this out there?

[Guest cat33]

Mandy, that is what I thought moderation was about and, like you, I thought we hade till the spring term. I aslo thought we had to keep evidence over the next 2 terms. I am not going to get stressed about it as it is still in the early stages.

Chris