TEACHING METHODS
Adapt to thrive Keeping education relevant and engaging in a fast-paced world, Cambridge schools are leading the charge in innovative teaching methods adding maths and dangerously faddy sciences to the 19th-century curriculum essential when Latin and Greek were surely all that a well-educated child needed to know? Did girls around the mid-1800s honestly need to have their own schools, rushing around playing team sports like their brothers and possibly even – crikey – enjoying themselves at the same time? With the answer to all of those questions a resounding ‘yes’, schools’ educational offerings have continued to evolve, often in response to societal and – increasingly – technological change. While predicting the future might not be an exact science, teachers sound impressively clued up about what lies behind the changes they’re making – and why they’re important. While, understandably, many ducators through history have always innovated – often being greeted with suspicion. Was people are cautious about AI’s impact, schools in our area point out that it can have a hugely positive effect, enhancing some aspects of teaching and learning. And some of their innovations sound impressively futuristic. One school uses
an online image creator that can instantly visualise a character based on a child’s written description – who wouldn’t want to see their imagined idea turned straight into an on-screen creation? In a final stage, a 3D printer transforms students’ imagined characters into real models; something they can hold and keep. Much of the work that goes on is about making the learning experience an increasingly effective one, removing barriers, allowing faster feedback and making it far easier to share information. Linked devices allow whole-class
“Much of the work that goes on is about making the learning experience an increasingly effective one, removing barriers and making it easier to share information”
48 AUTUMN/WINTER 2025
Powered by FlippingBook